Duquette clears air on talk of extensions
General manager confident club will sign a pitcher, maybe two, for rotation
SARASOTA, FLA. — Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said Tuesday that his recent negotiations with the agents for Kevin Gausmanand Jonathan Schoop were focused on the one-year contracts both signed to avoid salary arbitration hearings and not on long-term contract extensions for either player.
Duquette was clarifying a remark he made on a MASN All Access show broadcast when he was asked whether there had been negotiations aimed at extending the contracts of Schoop and center fielder Adam Jones. He jokingly replaced the word “extension” with “extensive,” leaving room to wonder if he was sidestepping the question.
He was more direct afterward, tying his comment to the negotiations that led to Gausman agreeing to terms on a one-year, $5.6 million deal Tuesday and Schoop agreeing to a one-year, $8.5 million deal a week earlier.
All seven of the Orioles’ arbitrationeligible players are signed.
The Orioles do not have a history of extending arbitration-eligible players — last doing so to sign Jones to his expiring long-term deal in May 2012.
On the eve of the Orioles’ first workout for pitchers and catchers, Duquette said he’s confident that he “should be able to sign a veteran pitcher, maybe two,” and said those pitchers would more likely be acquired through free agency than by trade. He added that he expected the free-agent market should pick up soon, but would not speculate on a timetable for a deal. Garner good to go: Nonroster invitee Perci Garner, who will compete for a bullpen spot in spring training, had offseason surgery to repair a small tear in his left meniscus, but said it shouldn’t prevent him from competing this spring at full strength.
“It’s going really well,” Garner said. “I’m glad I came down here a little early. Got some rehab in. Had a physical therapist back home, but they have more resources here, so recovery has been a lot better.”
Garner had surgery Dec. 7, which delayed his normal offseason throwing routine, but the 29-year-old right-hander said he still already has two bullpens under his belt as of Tuesday.
“Usually I would have started throwing like the second week of December, but I didn’t start throwing until like Jan. 17, I believe, so I’m a little bit behind,” he said.
Garner is one of 35 pitchers in big league camp, so he might be a long shot to make the team out of spring training, but Infielder Tim Beckham was one of the position players to arrive early to camp Tuesday. The full complement of position players is due to arrive on Sunday. he’s looking forward to the opportunity to establish himself with a new organization. Garner — who landed on the disabled list twice last year pitching in the Cleveland Indians organization, was designated for assignment and re-signed to a minor league deal — chose to sign with the Orioles over a minor league offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Garner had a 4.82 ERA in 91⁄ major league innings with the Indians in 2016, but didn’t reach the majors last season.
“It really came down to two teams and the Orioles, they just seemed like they really liked me and wanted me and wanted what was best for me, and not just to sign another guy,” said Garner, the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2010 second-round draft pick. “I was really interested, and the fact that they were interested in me, and I knew some guys here and I’ve heard some things about the organization. I got to speak with Dan Duquette and I liked the way he handled our conversation.” Around the horn: Among the position players who have already arrived at camp in advance of the team’s first full-squad workout Monday are Jones, infielder Tim Beckham and outfielder Anthony Santander. … Caleb Joseph assumed the locker given to the team’s starting catcher in the Orioles clubhouse, one that had previously belonged to Matt Wieters and Welington Castillo. … Even though there were several empty lockers next to some veterans’ lockers inside the Orioles clubhouse, some players were assigned to the auxiliary clubhouse, including all three Rule 5 draft picks — pitchers Nestor Cortes Jr., Pedro Araujo and José Mesa — and nonroster invitees Ryan Mountcastle, Éngelb Vielma, Erick Salcedo and Garabez Rosa. … The Orioles will conduct their first pitchers and catchers workout this afternoon after physicals are completed in the morning.