Fowler denies telling Jones he was joining Orioles

One day after he and his agent turned the baseball world upside down, Dexter Fowler wants to set the record straight.

"I didn't tell (Adam Jones) nothing," Fowler told reporters Friday. "I didn't tell him anything."

Fowler's unexpected deal with the Chicago Cubs kick-started a firestorm of controversy Thursday when his agent, Casey Close, ripped the Orioles' front office and members of the media for "recklessly spreading rumors" about an apparent agreement between Baltimore and the free-agent outfielder.

On Tuesday, multiple reports claimed Fowler and the Orioles agreed to a three-year, $33-million contract, with a physical scheduled for Thursday in Sarasota. Even Jones, the Orioles' star center fielder, thought a deal was done, telling reporters during a media scrum Wednesday that Fowler is "excited" to be joining Baltimore and "he should be on his way now."

Jones' comments fueled increased confusion Thursday as reporters scrambled to piece together the strange turn of events, particularly given Close's assertion that the two sides were never close to a deal. Speaking to reporters Friday, Fowler said Jones must have been getting his information from the false reports.

"He texted me yesterday and said, 'My bad. I jumped the gun,'" Fowler said, laughing, before noting the two hadn't spoke since December. "We hung out in the offseason, and I said, yeah it would be awesome to play with him. He's my boy, he came to my wedding and stuff."

When asked Friday about Fowler's surprising decision to return to the Cubs, Jones shrugged it off.

"It's a game of adjustments. You move on," Jones told The Baltimore Sun. "I love the guys that we have here in-house. I think we have a terrific team. So, cool. I think that by him not agreeing to it, it opened up money at the All-Star break or at the deadline."