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Adam Jones Agrees to Contract with Orix Buffaloes in Japan
December 11, 2019
Adam Jones, who made five All-Star Games and won four Gold Gloves in 14 MLB seasons, announced that he has signed a two-year deal (with a third-year club option) to play with Nippon Professional Baseball's Orix Buffaloes.
Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Jones' deal is worth $8 million over two seasons, with a 2022 club option. He can make an additional $2 million in incentives.
ESPN's Marly Rivera first relayed the acquisition from Kyodo News on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old outfielder had 16 home runs, 67 RBI and a .260 batting average in 137 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Before 2019, Jones spent two seasons with the Seattle Mariners and 11 years with the Baltimore Orioles.
The Buffaloes, which are located in Osaka, Japan, could use Jones' services. The team finished last in the Pacific League with a 61-75-7 record. Only one team, the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, finished with a worse record in the 12-team NPB last year.
Jones will join a few other American ballplayers who have moved from MLB to Japan.
A couple of them have found their power stroke overseas. Jabari Blash, who played in the majors from 2016 to 2018, hit 33 homers for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Brandon Laird, who was in MLB from 2011 to 2013, has 163 home runs in five seasons.
Jones is a lifetime .277 hitter who has smacked 282 home runs to go along with 945 RBI.