The reshaping of the Baltimore Orioles took another significant turn

Friday when longtime center fielder Adam Jones was moved to right field to make room for rookie Cedric Mullins.Jones has started in center for Baltimore since his arrival in 2008. The 33-year-old played the position well enough this year Tyson Ross Jersey , but the last-place Orioles are ready to try someone younger and faster in the middle of the outfield.Manager Buck Showalter called Jones “one of the great center fielders in Oriole history,” but said the 12-year veteran has known for a while that the switch was coming.“It had to be the right guy,” Showalter said. “We think Cedric might be the right guy.”The 23-year-old Mullins had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk and was immediately inserted into the starting lineup against Boston. He was to play center field and bat ninth in his big league debut.This is not a one-day experiment.“Adam will play right and Cedric will play center. That’s the way I perceive it,” Showalter said. “If something happens with Cedric, we’ll see. If something happens with Adam, well, I hope nothing does.”He added: “This is about the future going forward.”Jones’ contract expires after this season. The Orioles attempted to send him to another team before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, but Jones had the right of refusal and used it.Now, he will play out the season in right field while helping Mullins adjust to playing center in the big leagues.“Him being the team leader, he’s been very supportive with me playing center field,” Mullins said. “We’ve had a lot of contact about it and just guiding me through it.”Mullins was selected by Baltimore in the 13th round of the 2015 draft. He started the year with Double-A Bowie before moving up to Norfolk.In 59 games with Norfolk, he hit .267 with five homers Allen Craig Jersey , 18 RBIs and 12 steals. Mullins also carried a .994 fielding percentage.To make room for Mullins, the Orioles designated Danny Valencia for assignment — yet another move to make the team younger. The 33-year-old Valencia was batting .263 with nine homers and 28 RBIs.“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t land with a contending club,” Showalter said. PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Every day for several years, Felix Hernandez has walked past large photos of himself and Randy Johnson — the Seattle Mariners‘ only Cy Young Award winners — in the hallway leading to the clubhouse of their spring training complex.King Felix will make those walks for perhaps the last time this year, with a bigger goal as motivation.“I know this is my final year, but I don’t think I am done,” the 33-year-old Hernandez said on Tuesday following Seattle’s first spring training workout. “I think I can do a lot of good things, and it is going to be a push for my Hall of Fame career. It means a lot. Now Edgar (Martinez) is in the Hall of Fame. We’ll see.”Hernandez, who has 168 victories and a career 3.34 ERA, is trying to reverse recent trends entering the final season of a seven-year contract that calls for a $27 million salary.His fastball average velocity dropped to a career-low 90.4 mph last season as calculated by Fangraphs, and his ERA was a career-high 5.55 in 29 outings. He briefly was moved to the bullpen for his lone career relief appearance http://www.padresfanproshop.com/authentic-brad-hand-jersey , a move that did not sit well.But as spring training begins, Hernandez has a spot in the starting rotation, even if it is not as his customary No. 1.“I don’t care what happened last season,” he said. “This is a new year. I came here ready to go. Let’s see what is going to happen.”Yusei Kikuchi, Mike Leake and Marco Gonzales are the top three in the Mariners rotation, and left-hander Wade LeBlanc pitched well last season. Top prospect Justus Sheffield was acquired from the Yankees in the James Paxton deal, although he is likely to start the season in the minors.Hernandez will look to recover from a second half in which he was 0-7 with a 6.44 ERA in his last 10 appearances. His percentage of swinging strikes was at a career low, and opponents’ contact on pitches in the strike zone was a career high.“He’s struggled the last few years. We’ll see what it brings,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Felix is a competitor. He is a very proud player, like many veteran players are. He wants to get back to doing his thing. We are going to let him.”With a lower velocity has come adjustments. Hernandez began the subtle changes last season, when threw 27.9 percent curveballs, the highest percentage of curves in his career. The rate was double than it was when he was blowing hitters away with 96-98 mph velocity.“You have to keep adjusting until you are on the top Tony Gwynn Jersey , and certainly Felix has been on top before,” Servais said. “But the game does evolve and change, and you have to be open to it, open to the information, open to game-planning, open to maybe adjusting your repertoire a little bit.”Hernandez has relied on a sinking fastball, and the noticeably higher strike zone in recent seasons could have played into Hernandez’s lack of success, new pitching coach Paul Davis said.“He’s always been more of a sinker guy, and so with the high strike zone, it doesn’t really play to what his strength was and what he was able to use,” Davis said. “And with diminished velocity, it just makes it a little more difficult. It doesn’t mean you can’t be successful.”Hernandez did not get into specifics on any changes he might make Dave Winfield Jersey , saying, “I just want to do everything to make this ball club better.”Hernandez is one of a few veteran players back from a year ago when Seattle won 89 games. All-Stars Robinson Cano, Jean Segura, Edwin Diaz and Paxton were traded, as was catcher Mike Zunino. Nelson Cruz left as a free agent.“That was a crazy offseason,” Hernandez said.It has been called a step-back season for the Mariners, but Hernandez remains upbeat as he enters his 13th season.“I know it is going to be tough, but there is a lot of talent in that clubhouse,” he said.