Is Sano saga finally nearing end stages?

There was a time when it seemed like the Orioles were one of the favorites to sign Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano. That no longer seems to be the case, but the O's aren't out of it yet, either. John Stockstill, the O's director of international scouting said, "We have had talks with Sano in the past few days." While the signing of Sano by any team doesn't seem imminent, Stockstill added, "Things have stepped up in recent weeks." Baseball sources indicate something that has changed in recent weeks is that Sano's asking price has come down. Major League baseball's investigation did not prove that Sano is 16. Nor did it prove he is not 16. The prospect that he might be older is certainly likely to bring his asking price down. That still doesn't make Sano and the O's a match at this point. "Right now, the lowest they will accept is more than we are willing to give," Stockstill said. Not only are clubs uncertain of Sano's ago, but no club can be sure that he can get into the United States or stay there after his first arrival. That is pretty much the case right now with just about any Dominican player. MLB sources suggest that 8 to 10 teams have strong interest in Sano and some of the big boys like the Yankees and Red Sox may now be involved. There is also a feeling that as Sano comes down in price, talks will soon escalate and he could be signed sometime in October.