There have been reports swirling around the internet that the Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles were in trade talks that would send center fielder Adam Jones to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for infielder Martin Prado, pitcher Jair Jurrjens and a pitching prospect.
That trade offer, was declined and countered by the Orioles:
A source with knowledge of the Orioles negotiations disputed a Baltimore Sun report that indicated the Braves were rejected when they offered Prado, Jurrjens and a pitching prospect for Jones.
The source said the Braves were told Jones was unavailable when they asked about him a couple weeks ago. The Orioles later called the Braves to see if they would trade Prado, Jurrjens and two other "premium guys" in exchange for Jones.
The Braves said they were not interested and the two clubs have not had any recent discussions about these players.
Per the Baltimore Sun, it seems that the most important thing for the Orioles is a front-line starter, someone better than Jurrjens:
Well, Adam Jones is the team’s best trade chip. But unless the Orioles get a front-line pitcher in return, I don’t see them dealing Jones. The Atlanta Braves made a run this month, offering second baseman-outfielder Martin Prado, starter Jair Jurrjens and, eventually, a pitching prospect, and the Orioles didn’t bite. So that tells you just how much they value their center fielder. (Jurrjens looked like a front-line starter in the first half of 2011, but there have been some durability concerns surrounding the 25-year-old righty since his 215-inning season in 2009.)
What's fascinating is that both fan bases seem happy that the trade didn't go through, that the talent that was being exchanged wasn't enough to satisfy the other. What's for certain is that while the pieces that would've been exchanged would definitely help the cause, giving up with they already have in the process would only hinder their team's chances in getting over the proverbial "hump".
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