Orioles reach agreement with Endy Chavez (updated)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

December 18, 2011, 1:28pm

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An industry source has confirmed that the Orioles reached agreement with free agent outfielder Endy Chavez, who would give the Orioles the left-handed hitting outfielder that executive vice president Dan Duquette made a priority during the offseason. The Chavez deal will become official once he passes a physical. Chavez, 33, will be playing for his seventh team, including the Expos/Nationals. He hit .301 in 83 games with the Rangers this year. Duquette wanted a backup for Adam Jones, and Chavez has played 469 games in center field in 10 major league seasons. He's also played 228 games in left and 147 in right. It's possible that Chavez could end up in a platoon with Nolan Reimold in left. The Mets signed Chavez as an undrafted free agent in 1996, and the Royals selected him in the Rule 5 draft in December 2000. He's also played for the Phillies and Mariners. Chavez is a career .274 hitter. He missed the 2010 season after undergoing knee surgery. His agent, Peter Greenberg, confirmed the agreement to Alexis Espejo L. of Lider en Deportes. We can eliminate backup left-handed hitting outfielder from the Orioles' offseason list. Update: Chavez has agreed to a one-year major league deal.