The Athletics filled a key need a day before the start of baseball’s winter meetings, agreeing to a three-year, $22 million contract with free-agent reliever Ryan Madson, a person with direct knowledge of the deal said. There may be a bit of uncertainty while the Orioles and their pitcher await the results of a physical, but O’Day has been extremely durable while with Baltimore and has no history of arm trouble. There is some belief that the Nationals were unwilling to go to four years.
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The right-handed pitcher has not been a closer, with only 14 career saves. While he’s been effective for the Orioles in each of those four seasons, his performance in 2015 was the best of his eight-year career.
O’Day, 33, was excellent for the Orioles last season, finishing 6-2 with a 1.52 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP, 82 strikeouts, six saves and 18 holds in 65.1 innings pitched.
Also, O’Day’s wife, Elizabeth Prann, is a reporter for FOX News Channel in Washington, D.C., which gave the Nationals hope they could lure O’Day away from Baltimore.
Some O’s fans may already be celebrating but O’Day himself recently said something that may spoil their excitement.
Free agent reliever Darren O’Day is reportedly coming close to making a decision on where he’ll be pitching next season. “I am flattered by all the attention, but reports are premature”. After acquiring first baseman Mark Trumbo from the Seattle Mariners last week, Baltimore still have plenty to do this offseason and analysts say that it may include an attempt to retain Chris Davis, another first baseman who is now a free agent.
The Orioles official has traditionally built the club with a more methodical approach that focused on year-round additions.
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“Citing a “baseball source”, Ladson wrote that the Nats and Orioles were, “…in the lead for the services of the veteran reliever”, and though one report on MLB.com cited a source who said a deal with the Nats could get done on Friday, “… another source said the Orioles were still in the mix”.
