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Baltimore Orioles Rumors: Orioles offer Mark Trumbo a four-year deal

By Christopher Church

Sep 23, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo (45) rounds the bases after hitting the game winning home run in the twelfth inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo (45) rounds the bases after hitting the game winning home run in the twelfth inning to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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According to reports, the Baltimore Orioles have presented free-agent Mark Trumbo with a four-year offer.

According to MASN’s Roch Kubatko, the Baltimore Orioles have proposed a four-year offer to last year’s home run king, Mark Trumbo. Reports also signal that Trumbo’s party is seeking a deal worth $80 million. However, reports say that his side is prepared to accept an agreement in the $70 million to $75 million area with a backloaded salary structure along with a no-trade clause.

The latest reports show that the Baltimore Orioles are making serious strides to keep the thirty-year-old power hitter. Yesterday, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told Kubatko that he’d had continuing negotiations with Trumbo throughout the past several weeks, including multiple offers. However, with talks progressing, Trumbo’s desire for a full no-trade clause is something the Orioles are not willing to do.

Despite ongoing communication with Trumbo, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports the Orioles feel as if talks are not progressing with Trumbo and are ready to proceed to other options. On Saturday, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi revealed the Colorado Rockies are also interested in Trumbo.

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In 2016, Trumbo led all of baseball with 47 home runs, which caused his free-agent value to surge this offseason. If the Orioles and Trumbo end up not agreeing to a deal, the Orioles could pursue first baseman Chris Carter.

After failed attempts to trade Carter, the Milwaukee Brewers non-tendered the 2016 NL home run champion. The recently available power-hitter could be a low-cost replacement to Trumbo for the Orioles. Unlike Trumbo’s desire to receive a contract upwards of $80 million, offers for Carter will not be anywhere close to that type of money. In fact, MLBTR projects Carter to earn around $8 million, but with his emergence in the free-agent market, he likely would receive a bit more than that, but again, nothing alike Trumbo’s $80 million.

The 29-year-old’s batting average has been noticeably weak throughout his career, with his best batting average for a season where he played on a regular basis was in 2014 when he finished the season with a .227 batting average. In 2015, Carter hit just .199 with 24 home runs and 64 RBIs.

Carter is coming off his first and likely final year with the Brewers hitting .222/.321/.499 with 41 home runs, 94 RBIs, and 76 walks.  If signed, Carter would serve as the Orioles designated hitter as Orioles’ Chris Davis is the team’s everyday first baseman for years to come.

Next: Baltimore Orioles Talking Trade With New York Mets

It’ll be interesting to see if Duquette, who is known to steer away from blockbuster deals, makes a significant offseason splash during the Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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