Trumbo: "I've had a great time playing here"

The Orioles accomplished the first important step with Mark Trumbo over the winter by acquiring him from the Mariners. Couldn't build a case for keeping him without that first brick.

They followed up with the second step, getting him under contract for 2016 without an arbitration hearing.

Trumbo is a pending free agent, being paid $9.15 million while leading the majors in home runs with 38. His outstanding timing isn't confined to the plate.

Is Trumbo the 2016 version of Nelson Cruz, who led the majors with 40 home runs in 2014 after signing a one-year deal with the Orioles that guaranteed him $8 million?

It became a platform contract, launching Cruz to a much more lucrative deal with the Mariners, who got him for $57 million over four years. The Orioles weren't comfortable offering more than three years and he initially sought five, according to sources.

Trumbo's primary focus is exactly where it belongs, on a pennant race that he can influence with his power binges. Contract talk can wait. But thoughts of what may lie ahead occasionally creep inside his head. The man is only human.

"It is your future, so you're obviously going to kind of wonder what might happen, but while you're also in the midst of trying to compete each and every night, the focus is always there," Trumbo said during the last homestand.

"At times, you kind of wonder what might happen."

One executive from outside the organization believes Trumbo can get four years guaranteed and may be in line for a fifth, but this is more of a feel than anything concrete. The market hasn't taken shape and the regular season is more than a month from completion.

The executive sees Trumbo as the perfect fit in Baltimore. Trumbo isn't putting up a fight. He'd love to return under the right circumstances.

"Oh, absolutely," he said. "I've had a great time playing here. Great group of guys here, obviously, and I think the fans have been tremendously supportive, so I've had a blast."

Thirty-eight of them, if we're narrowing our focus only to home runs.

Trumbo hit three home runs in 10 games against the Yankees last season, but he was only 2-for-14 with a double in four games in the Bronx.

Trumbo is a career .299/.358/.591 hitter with five doubles, 11 home runs and 20 RBIs in 37 games against the Yankees. The 11 homers are tied for the fourth-most against any opponent.

18 - Rangers
15 - Mariners
13 - Astros
11 - Yankees
11 - Athletics

As I wrote last night, the Orioles could make two roster moves on Friday to bring in fresher bullpen arms.

T.J. McFarland retired all three batters he faced last night with Double-A Bowie and threw only 12 pitches. The Orioles would like him to work on back-to-back nights, but may decide instead to activate him from the disabled list.

Triple-A Norfolk right-hander Oliver Drake is on the 40-man roster and hasn't pitched since working two innings on Tuesday.