Dec. 19--Just five months removed from his rehabilitation from elbow surgery, right-hander Nate Jones received what he called "an early Christmas present" this week.
The White Sox announced Friday a three-year, $8 million extension for Jones, a hard-throwing reliever who has pitched just 19 major-league innings since the beginning of the 2014 season. The deal, which also includes club options for two more seasons and a mutual option for 2021, demonstrates the Sox's faith that Jones is back to pre-surgery form after promising results in his return in the final two months of 2015.
"It was a long road, but this definitely makes it worth it," Jones said via conference call Friday. "I'm glad they think enough of me to offer me this. I want to be a White Sox for a long time. They are doing things right and building to win."
Jones, 29, will make $900,000 in 2016, about what was projected for him this year, $1.9 million in 2017 and $3.95 million in 2018, when he could have been a free agent. The club options are for $4.65 million in 2019 and $5.15 million in 2020 with the mutual option worth $6 million in 2021. Jones would receive a $1.25 million buyout if either club option is declined.
The terms of Jones' contract change slightly if he needs another elbow surgery, as the deal instead would include three club options, instead of the mutual option, worth a lower $8.5 million total.
"They could have given up on me at any point, but they didn't," Jones said. "They stuck with me. They saw enough when I came back, and they liked what they saw. They know what kind of work ethic I have."
Sox general manager Rick Hahn echoed his approval of Jones' work ethic in a statement and said that the club sees the reliever as a key piece of the back end of the bullpen. With closer David Robertson on board for $36 million through 2018, Jones could serve as his right-handed setup man with Zach Duke as the left-handed option over the next two seasons.
Jones, a 2007 Sox fifth-round draft pick, is 14-7 with a 3.52 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 168 2/3 innings in four major-league seasons.
He was in the running to be the Sox closer in 2014 before he suffered a back injury that knocked him out in April of that year after throwing just 29 pitches and not recording an out in two appearances. While rehabbing from minor back surgery, he injured his elbow and had surgery in July 2014.
Jones returned on schedule in August 2015 and posted a 3.32 ERA with 27 strikeouts, six walks and five home runs allowed in 19 innings, averaging 97.5 mph on his fastball, according to FanGraphs.
Jones made some mechanical adjustments upon his return, cleaning up his line toward the plate, and said the changes help to relieve stress on his body.
"Making sure I had all my energy and all my effort toward home plate," Jones said. "When you're falling off toward first, your ball tends to tail, or you cut it a lot and don't really have control. ... Instead of side to side, I'm back to front, staying on top of the ball, and the ball had a lot more movement and angle downward."
Jones said he began throwing a couple of weeks early to begin preparation for 2016. The Kentucky native also is busy receiving many congratulations on his new deal.
"The whole county, they're like, 'Oh, Merry Christmas to you,'" he said.
ckane@tribpub.com
