The Cleveland Guardians made one of the more intriguing moves of the spring when they acquired outfielder Nolan Jones from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Tyler Freeman.
The March 22 trade came just days before Opening Day and surprised many observers, given Jones’ solid 2023 breakout season in Colorado.
Jones recently revealed the unusual circumstances surrounding how he learned about the deal on the ‘Baseball Isn’t Boring Podcast.’
Shows just how chaotic and emotional trades can be for the players involved.
“Two days before the season started, we had just shipped all of our stuff to Colorado that morning. And I was getting dressed for our 1:00 Spring Training game, walking out of the tunnel, and the GM over there in Colorado stopped me and said, ‘Go stop by Buddy’s office.’ They basically called me in and told me I was being traded, but it was pending physicals, so they were unable to tell me where,” Jones said.
Morning Podcast: The Wild Adventures Of Nolan Jones
Listen Here ➡️ https://t.co/uAZfs0Xt8m pic.twitter.com/iruwoesTET— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) September 5, 2025
The Rockies instructed Jones to pack his belongings and get ready to leave. He spent nearly four hours not knowing his destination.
During this confusing period, Jones decided to call his close friend Sam Hentges, who plays for Cleveland. The call went straight to voicemail.
Two hours later, Jones tried reaching Tyler Freeman instead. That conversation took an unexpected turn when Freeman answered in tears.
Freeman had already heard about the trade but couldn’t reveal the destination because medical clearances were still pending.
Through his emotional state, Freeman gave Jones enough hints to piece together what was happening.
The timing made everything more dramatic. Jones had been preparing for what he hoped would be a strong bounce-back campaign in Colorado after his 2024 numbers dipped from his breakout year.
Instead, he found himself heading to Cleveland in a deal that would send Freeman the opposite direction.
The fact that Jones reached out to the very player he was being traded for during those anxious hours of uncertainty adds a lot to an already memorable transaction.
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