Duquette "encouraged" by contract talks with Jones

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette didn't offer much to reporters regarding Adam Jones' contract extension, but it doesn't appear that an announcement is coming tonight. "There's not a lot I can say about it other than I'm encouraged by the fact that Adam wants to stay in Baltimore, and we'd certainly like him to stay in Baltimore, and hopefully we can work something out in the short term," Duquette said. Asked if a deal could be finalized before the Orioles begin their road trip Monday in Toronto, Duquette replied, "I don't have a real timeline on these things, but hopefully we can get something done." Duquette had expressed a desire to table negotiations until after the season, but that changed along the way. "My choice is not to talk about contracts during the season, but this is a unique case," he said. "I'm hopeful we can get something done. I think it would certainly be good for the team and for the fans. I've said it before, and everybody knows Adam Jones is a good player. We like Adam Jones. We like what he does for our ballclub. He plays good defense and hits in the middle of our lineup. He's a dependable player. He plays the games." Asked whether he changed his normal stance on negotiations because of what Jones is doing or what the Orioles have accomplished over the first two months, Duquette replied, "It's Adam Jones. It's about Adam Jones." Duquette wouldn't confirm that Jones underwent a physical. I've been told that he might have taken two, including a second one for insurance purposes. "What I can tell you about that is we've had some productive discussions, and hopefully it will lead to a long-term deal," Duquette said. "We've been working on it for a while." Jones received a huge ovation as he stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs in the first inning. He lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Orioles a 1-0 lead against Kansas City's Bruce Chen.