Showalter on decision to put Jones back in center field

Orioles manager Buck Showalter met with Adam Jones to discuss today's lineup and where the outfielder wanted to play. Showalter had his own idea and ran it past Jones, who agreed to start in center.

It just seemed right.

Cedric Mullins has been the center fielder since making his debut on Aug. 10, but he's moved to left this afternoon in the last game of the season - and likely the last for Jones with the Orioles.

"I let him make out the lineup," Showalter quipped. "No, I just thought it would be a good idea. I talked to him a little bit about it, obviously. Just like (DJ) Stewart playing left and right, who knows what the future's going to bring with Cedric. Let him get a quick look out there in left field at Camden Yards. You never know what the future and things are going to bring.

"Adam and I were talking today because a lot of stuff in our time here kind of parallels a little bit. We were talking about how we had a lot of people kind of saying things to you. He goes, 'Am I definitely not coming back?' I said, 'That's just people (being) very respectful to you. They just want to make sure. You've got to take it at face value, what it is.

"One of our best scouts asked me the other day if he could say something to Adam today privately, and he did. I set them up. It's hard to get Adam alone in a room. He's always moving around."

He moved back to center today.

"Let's see where he's playing in the second inning," Showalter said. "Let's see where he's playing in the ninth inning.

"We've talked about it, but as usual Adam would like to win the game. It's about winning the game. That's one of the things I really feel like we need to get back to is the expectations of winning. You've got to have expectations of winning, regardless if you're, whatever they call it nowadays, building. I don't believe in the word 'rebuild.'

"The first thing you have to accomplish and one of the things I tried to do when we got here was to raise the expectations of winning."

Jones hasn't been reflecting on his time in Baltimore, but he basically said goodbye to fans a few hours before first pitch by walking onto the field with a bucket of baseballs and a box of bats and handing them out to the crowd.

The five-time All-Star walked around the warning track giving away souvenirs. He also tossed his batting gloves into the throng of people.

It pays to arrive early to games.

As for Showalter's status, he mostly deflected questions about whether he expects to be back or if he's heard from anyone in ownership. He isn't worrying about it and wants to focus on getting through today's game with the usual short pitching staff.

I'll have more from Showalter later.

For the Astros
George Springer CF
Jose Altuve 2B
Alex Bregman 3B
Marwin Gonzalez SS
Yuli Gurriel 1B
Evan Gattis DH
Josh Reddick RF
Max Stassi C
Tony Kemp LF

Charlie Morton RHP