ESPN's Keith Law on the Dan Duquette-to-Toronto rumors

SAN DIEGO - ESPN's Keith Law knows something about how baseball teams run their front offices. He worked for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2002-06, now covers everything from the minors to the majors for ESPN and ESPN.com, and is a big part of the network's coverage from the Winter Meetings.

Law talked at length with me about reports that Toronto has interest in Dan Duquette for a president/CEO position with their team.

Keith, what is your reaction to this news?

"I think the new trend now in baseball is, if you want to go get a successful GM from another franchise, you often can't just call up and make him your GM. Even with more money, the other team won't give permission. A lot of GMs won't leave for that situation.

"So instead, you call and say we're going to make you our president of baseball operations. You make up some title, attach more money to it and that's how you get the Theo Epstein or Andrew Friedman to come to your franchise. And then he appoints another GM below him and then you've got two GM-caliber people at the top of your organization.

"It makes a ton of sense to go after Duquette, who has now had success really in two different markets, has shown he can operate with a limited payroll, and most impressive to me, is that he's completely changed his overall baseball operations philosophy. From the time in Boston to the time in Baltimore, he has evolved as the industry has evolved and that is going to make him attractive to a lot of teams."

Orioles owner Peter Angelos has said he does not want to relinquish Duquette. Could two AL East teams be fighting over Duquette?

"Oh, yeah, I think that is entirely possible and I don't blame Peter Angelos at all. If I were him, I would say to Dan, 'What can I give you to stay? You've given us the best run of success we've had here in 15 years. Everything in the organization is pointing up. The major league team is good, the farm system continues to improve. We'll give you the better title. Whatever it is, we want to keep you here.' I'd be hard-pressed to see them letting him go, although I think Toronto makes a real run at him, but why would Baltimore let him go?"

The Orioles do not have to allow Toronto to talk to Duquette. So if Duquette really wants to go to Toronto, as some reports have suggested, how can he?

"He really can't, unfortunately. It is considered professional courtesy in the business that you grant permission if it is a promotion. But you don't have to and typically GMs have not had any such language in their contracts because there wasn't a promotion.

"You didn't go to be a president with another club. That is a new trend only in the last few years. Makes me think, well, wow, if someone is negotiating a GM contract, maybe they need to get that opt-out clause in there for this possibility."

Could he resign his Orioles job, forfeit the remaining salary due him and go to Toronto?

"Technically, no. I think the Orioles would have the right to file a grievance there to say that he essentially breached his contract. He would have to stay out of the business until the term of his contract concluded.

"Then he'd be able to take any job that he wanted. I don't know if the Orioles would pursue that. It seems a little vindictive. But at the same time, he did sign a contract and it's not unreasonable to expect him to honor it."

Did some unethical things happen here? By that, I mean this news leaked out at the start of the Winter Meetings. Some Orioles fans have questioned the timing of this report.

"It's not tampering, it's tamperish. This stuff gets out all the time. And I tend to be unfazed by it, but I also doubt it was an accident it got out there. We heard Andrew Friedman might be going to the Dodgers before there seemed to have been any contact. I think it is the way to try and get the other club sort of adjusted to the idea that we might be losing this guy and to make sure that your target understands the extent of your interest and can starting thinking himself about what would it take for me to make this switch?"

I'll get Law's thoughts tomorrow on some possible acquisitions for the Orioles.