Duquette on arbitration and more

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said he expects the team to have one or two arbitration hearings next month after salary figures were exchanged earlier today.

The Orioles haven't gone to a hearing since beating pitcher Brad Bergesen on Feb. 9, 2012. They're 7-0 in cases led by general counsel H. Russell Smouse.

Hearing dates run from Feb. 1-21.

In case you missed it in a previous blog entry, here are the figures:

* Alejandro De Aza submitted $5.650 million and the Orioles countered at $5 million. He made $4.25 million last season.

* Steve Pearce submitted $5.4 million and the Orioles countered at $2 million. He made $700,000 last season.

* Zach Britton submitted $4.2 million and the Orioles countered at $2.2 million. He made $521,500 last season.

* Bud Norris submitted $10.25 million and the Orioles countered at $7.5 million. He made $5.3 million last season.

* Miguel Gonzalez submitted $3.95 million and the Orioles countered at $2.5 million. He made $529,000 last season.

* Ryan Flaherty submitted $1.5 million and the Orioles countered at $900,000. He made $513,000 last season.

Duquette said the gaps in filings "all look manageable," but it's believed that the Orioles will decline to negotiate with at least one player's representative and wait for the hearings.

"I expect a couple to go to trial," Duquette said. "We have a number of cases."

Duquette doesn't seem fazed by the gaps in filings with Pearce and Norris.

"Pearce is a unique case because he had such a great year in about 300 plate appearances," Duquette said. "He had a sterling last couple of months there. He's going to get a good raise. And so will Norris.

"They're both five-plus players. They're the players with the most experience in the process. They're due sizable raises and they both had good years."

The Orioles negotiated multi-year contracts with a few players, including No. 1 starter Chris Tillman, and could revisit those talks at a later date. Tillman settled today at $4.315 million after making $546,000 last year.

"We had an opportunity to do that with some of the ones still in the process and we had some discussions with some others. We can follow up on those between now and spring training," Duquette said.

"Tillman was one player we were taking a look at with a multi-year offer and there may be some others. He was one in particular that we discussed."

Tillman is in his first year of arbitration eligibility and can't become a free agent until 2018.

The Orioles reached agreements today with Tillman, Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz on 2015 contracts.

"Wieters and Davis are going to be free agents," Duquette said, "and Tillman is one of our key pitchers."

Duquette isn't optimistic about signing Wieters and Davis to extensions before they reach free agency, reminding me again that they're represented by Scott Boras.

As for the continuing search for a left-handed hitting outfielder, Duquette said he's got "some ongoing discussions" with a couple of them and is working the free agent and trade markets.

Duquette said he had no comment on reports that the Blue Jays are trying to hire him as president/CEO despite the four years remaining on his contract with the Orioles. He's not touching that subject.