A take on the statement from Casey Close and a possible in-house right field candidate

We probably won't get any answers from outfielder Dexter Fowler or agent Casey Close of Excel Sports Management on these questions, but we can still wonder about some of them.

* If Fowler and Close sought an opt-out clause, why were they negotiating with one team that has said it will not provide one?

In his statement last night, Close said, "Both the Orioles front office and members of the media were so busy recklessly spreading rumors that they forgot or simply chose not to concern themselves with the truth."

* So did any reporters call him seeking the truth and did he respond to those calls? Did anyone from his agency seek out a single reporter from Chicago or Baltimore, or a national reporter, to set them straight about his version of the truth on Tuesday night? Have they ever talked to a reporter off the record before to clarify something during a negotiation?

* Why did he cost his client $2.8 million for the 2016 season and why did Fowler and Close leave about $20 million on the table? They could have had a deal in November for more money than they got yesterday for the same contract length.

* Why did his client apparently tell at least one Orioles player he was on his way to Sarasota and was excited to join the team? Was that irresponsible on so many fronts?

Close didn't just criticize the Orioles. He brought out the biggest haymaker he could. He came at them like a truck going downhill or a hungry dog chasing a bone.

Who knows what is exactly fact here or not? I guess Close knows his own version of the facts. To me, his comments were way over the top and didn't fit the circumstance or situation. The Orioles were the team that lost a player and seemingly had the rug pulled out from under them, not the other way around.

Meanwhile, where do the Orioles go now for a right fielder? They could certainly pursue players like Jay Bruce, Pedro Alvarez, David Murphy, Will Venable or Austin Jackson.

They could also give an in-house candidate a chance or at least a chance to win the right field job during spring training. We have not heard too much about Dariel Alvarez in this regard. Would the Orioles give Alvarez a realistic shot at the job? I have my doubts, but Alvarez does have over a season of Triple-A experience at this point.

Alvarez has played in 174 games for Norfolk the last two seasons. In 724 plate appearances, he has hit .282/.311/.428 with 41 doubles, four triples, 17 homers and 91 RBIs. Are those numbers enough to warrant him getting a shot to start in right field?

Alvarez doesn't walk or strike out much. He has just 14 walks in all of those Triple-A games, but also only 44 strikeouts. He has a knack for getting bat to ball with a two-strike count.

Alvarez hit very well for Venezuela in six games during the recent Caribbean Series. He batted .458/.480/.583, going 11-for-24 with a double, a triple, six runs and five RBIs. Alvarez had four multi-hit games over six contests and helped lead Venezuela to the championship game, where his team lost to Mexico.

Alvarez is considered a solid defender with a plus-plus arm. Alvarez's arm gets an 80 grade from some scouts, which is top of the scale. He reportedly threw 93-95 mph during workouts when some clubs looked at him as a pitcher before he signed with the Orioles in July 2013.

He got a brief look last year when he was called up by the Orioles in late August. He went 7-for-29 (.241) with one homer and one RBI. He went deep on Sept. 11 against Kansas City's Danny Duffy.

Last year at Triple-A, Alvarez hit better against southpaws. He batted .295 with a .792 OPS against left-handed pitchers and hit .268/.703 against right-handers. Alvarez's bat was sizzling for the Tides last June, when he hit .340 with six homers, 19 RBIs and an OPS of .955 in 26 games.

During an interview last August, I asked Norfolk manager Ron Johnson about Alvarez.

"He's a tools guy," Johnson said. "He's got all the tools you want to see, with the exception of being an average runner or a little below. He's not going to steal bases. But he can hit, hit for power and he's got an eighty arm (on the 20-80 scouting scale). He's played center for us and right.

"It's a real solid season for him. He's shown power with 16 home runs. He will get up there and get his opportunity. The whole focus with him has been working with his plate discipline and getting good pitches to hit. He can get excited and expand the zone a little bit. That is something he will have to tighten up in the big leagues."

I asked Johnson if it is a red flag that Alvarez had an OBP of just .305 with 16 walks in 130 games.

"No, I don't think so. He is a very aggressive guy with outstanding hand-eye coordination," Johnson said. "When he swings at some pitches out of the zone, he hits them. Which sometimes can be a curse. If he'd miss, it might be better for him. That sounds kind of stupid. But once he zones in, he'll get there. It will be interesting to watch him in the big leagues. I don't have a concern about it and think he will be productive for us."