Weekend negotiations led to Trumbo deal

Just as it appeared that the Orioles moved away from free agent outfielder Mark Trumbo, the sides came together on a deal that works for both parties.

Agent Joel Wolfe and executive vice president Dan Duquette reopened the lines of communication last week, and Trumbo signed a contract that pays him $37.5 million over three years. The deal includes a limited no-trade clause to seven teams, per sources.

Trumbo passed his physical and the deal became official this morning. He's back on the 40-man roster and back in the middle of the order.

"He had a great year in '16 and he gives us a real powerful presence in the lineup," Duquette said. "He's got good work habits and he's a good teammate. He's a slugger. He's got elite power, he can hit and he likes to play ball every day."

For a while, it seemed that Trumbo would be playing for his fifth team in eight seasons. The Orioles pulled their initial offer and considered the alternatives, but as often happens in these cases, one phone call changed the script.

"Last week, Mark and his agent made it clear to us that they wanted to try to do a deal," Duquette said, "so we started working on it over the weekend."

The alternatives included taking the draft pick attached to Trumbo if another team signed him, but his price settled into the Orioles' comfort zone. Trumbo's strong desire to remain in the organization also factored into the agreement.

"We were trying to sign Mark in an area where he could be valuable to the club through the whole contract and we were able to accomplish that," Duquette said. "We also factored in the value of the draft pick in our determination, but we were swayed by having a competitive team on the field.

"We still have several draft picks. We have a first-round pick, plus a bonus pick. We thought it was important to field an intensely competitive team for the fans for 2017, so that's ultimately why we ended up doing the deal."

Trumbo figures to get most of his at-bats as the designated hitter, but he also can move to right field against left-handers, with Seth Smith going to the bench.

"We can sort that out in the spring," Duquette said.

"He's a slugger and he gives us a really strong lineup. He's a power threat in the middle of the lineup. That helps a lot of other players in the lineup, too."

The Orioles don't seem inclined to trade first baseman Trey Mancini, who was a candidate to become the full-time designated hitter.

"Trey Mancini can hit," Duquette said. "He's a high-average hitter. He's going to impact our team in 2017 and beyond."

The Trumbo signing doesn't complete the Orioles' offseason shopping list.

"We're still trying to fill out our ballclub," Duquette said.

The Orioles are expected to arrange a press conference for Trumbo late next week as they get closer to FanFest. They're still determining Trumbo's availability for the annual event at the Baltimore Convention Center.