12:41pm: The Orioles are closing in on a two-year deal with Balfour, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
12:39pm: Things are heating up considerably today for Grant Balfour, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (on Twitter).
Recent reports have indicated that three teams have two-year offers on the table to Balfour, with the Orioles being the most aggressive team and the favorite to land him. Balfour reportedly wants to pitch for the O's, but he's holding out for a three-year deal. The Orioles are said to be set on two years, but last night they were said to be considering adding a vesting option to the deal as a compromise.
I sort of want him to stink for a bit so I can finally call him Grant Ballfour.
This takes the a little of the sting out of losing B Rob to the evil empire. About time DD signed someone.
They’re not really an evil empire, more like a democratic republic of malice and despair.
Can you really call them the Evil Empire when B Rob signed a 2m contract? Every team could have offered 2m, including the O’s. They just chose not to.
Darth, they were the Evil Empire before B Rob, they’ll be the Evil Empire after B Rob
No matter how low NYY’s payroll gets or how high LAD’s payroll gets the Yankees will be the evil empire. Steinbrenner has a monopoly on that
2 years for $20MM would be funny.
You’d think when Balfour signs, all the other closer types (Benoit, Rodney) should start finding homes.
Was hoping the White Sox would sign Balfour so another team could overpay in a mid-season trade
Once this domino falls then the Orioles can go about unleashing their devastating offseason plan to improve the team.
I thought he seemed like a good fit for the Indians, pre-Axford.
I thought he seemed like a good fit for the Indians, pre-Axford.
I seriously don’t understand why the Orioles had to trade Jim Johnson away, they should have given him an extension but instead got Jemile Weeks and Grant Balfour. Doesn’t make a whole a lot of sense.
Easy. Johnson was due to make $10 million next year. Balfour signed for $7 million. That $3 million saved will go to the signing of either a LF or a SP.