Orioles showing interest in Michael Saunders

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Orioles have a hole in right field and filling it is one of their primary goals at this week's Winter Meetings at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.

Could Michael Saunders be the solution?

The club has definite interest in Saunders, 30, who is a statistical mixed bag. He fits their profile as a versatile outfielder capable of playing all three spots who hits from the left side and could move atop the order.

It also might be wise to get him on their side.

Playing for the Blue Jays this summer, Saunders hit three home runs with eight RBIs against the Orioles on June 17. He connected twice off Ubaldo Jimenez and took Mike Wright deep to complete the trifecta.

Saunders is a career .295/.364/.635 hitter in 42 games against the Orioles, with nine doubles, 14 home runs and 32 RBIs. He hit .397/.473/.841 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 15 RBIs in 18 games this season, and he was 13-for-29 (.448) with four doubles, five home runs and 11 RBIs at Camden Yards.

An 11th-round pick of the Mariners in 2004, Saunders has crafted a .235/.309/.402 slash line in eight seasons. The Orioles want to improve their on-base percentage and are focusing on his .253/.338/.478 slash line this year in 140 games with the Blue Jays. He posted a .341 on-base percentage in 78 games with the Mariners in 2014.

Saunders had 32 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs and 57 RBIs this year en route to his first All-Star berth. However, he tailed off dramatically in the second half, batting .298/.372/.551 with 16 home runs in the first half and .178/.282/.357 with eight home runs after the break.

It still qualified as a bounceback season for Saunders after he was limited to nine games in 2015 due to a knee injury that required surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

Saunders has batted leadoff in 60 games, producing a .256/.335/.415 slash line.

The defensive metrics weren't kind to Saunders in 2016. He ranked near the bottom among left fielders in defensive runs saved (minus-6) and ultimate zone rating (minus-5.2).

Saunders made $2.9 million this season and MLBTradeRumors.com predicted that he'd sign with the Orioles for $33 million over three years.

Because there's no qualifying offer attached to Saunders, he wouldn't cost the Orioles a draft pick.

Meanwhile, former Oriole Steve Pearce has reached agreement with the Blue Jays on a two-year, $12.5 million contract, as first reported by ESPN.com.

The Orioles had interest in bringing back Pearce, who cost them catching prospect Jonah Heim over the summer in a trade with the Rays. Pearce's forearm surgery didn't scare off the Jays, who were willing to give him a multi-year deal.

Pearce batted .217/.329/.400 in 25 games with the Orioles after the Aug. 1 trade. They like his versatility and work ethic, but it's been a challenge to stay off the disabled list.

A loophole in Pearce's contract allowed him to decline the Jays' option claim in April 2014. Their patience has paid off.

The Jays are Pearce's fourth team in the American League East. Are the Red Sox next?

Check out the Orioles items up for bidding in this year's "Play Ball" charity auction. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the renovation of an existing youth baseball and softball field in Little Ferry, N.J., the hometown of the late Shannon Forde, a longtime member of the Mets public relations department who passed away at 44 in March after a long battle with breast cancer.