Baltimore Orioles: What Are You Waiting for with Adam Jones?

This still completely baffles me.

The Baltimore Orioles want to build around their center fielder, Adam Jones. Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette has stated that multiple times. He'll listen to and entertain trade offers for the young, budding star, but isn't looking to move him.

He'd have to be completely overwhelmed for Jones to be changing uniforms. Trust me.

So if Duquette and the rest of the O's front office wants Jones around for a while, then why haven't they talked to him about a contract extension yet?

It isn't exactly the most pressing issue at the moment; Jones still has two more years left before he is eligible for free agency. But two years can go by quickly, and before the team knows it, Jones can be walking off into the sunset, thanking the city of Baltimore and the team's fans for the opportunity and the support.

The sooner the O's bring up the subject with Jones and his agent, the better.

Jones has said he'd be open to extension talks with the Birds, but has also said the O's have yet to approach him about it.

If this is true, the O's need to get on it. Locking up your young talent early is the smart thing to do in baseball. The Orioles did it with right fielder Nick Markakis. The Tampa Bay Rays did so with third baseman Evan Longoria and starter David Price.

And the earlier the extension is made, the lesser the contract, at least in theory. That would then save the O's some cash in the long haul.

The O's need to show commitment to one of their best all-around players, and prove to him they do want to keep him. They need to show the fan base that they're serious about building a talented and competitive team. And they need to show the rest of the baseball world that they mean business, in hopes of luring the interest of some other big-league talents in future free-agent classes.

One of the worst things they could do with Jones is to sit around on their butts and keep him waiting. They don't want to make him think that they only halfheartedly want to spend some cash on him. Then he'll definitely walk after his contract expires.

The fans want to see Jones stick around. They like him. He likes them. And he has talent. He's great for the city of Baltimore.

Right now, many big-time players and their agents don't see Baltimore as a legitimate destination to sign their new contract with. But in a year or two, when the O's are just a couple pieces away from contention (hopefully), those pieces that they need will see their commitment, in part from the deal Jones received. It'll help prove their legitimacy.

Let's face it, Adam Jones needs to be an Oriole for the next five-to-10 years, at least. The O's need him more than he needs the O's. If the team is going to build a contender, it starts with Jones, catcher Matt Wieters and the growth of their young pitchers.

If they're serious about keeping him, they need to step up with some big millions now and secure Jones.

You can't build the future of the team around a player who may not be in the team's future.