Orioles’ deal with Colvin off

Late yesterday afternoon we found out that the deal that the Baltimore Orioles were looking to sign with free agent outfielder Tyler Colvin had officially been voided. In a story that might well be the second coming of the Grant Balfour situation, the O’s couldn’t reach a deal with the player due to issues surrounding the results of a physical. You get the impression that there’s a fool me once, shame on me – fool me twice… type of feeling among fans in Birdland. Even in this column, we’ve wondered aloud whether or not the O’s were at the very least over-scrutinizing their physicals. So is that’s what’s happening here?

It’s possible, and I’ll grant that it’s probably more plausible than the conspiracy theory which

Courtesy of Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

states that ownership nixed the deal for financial reasons. Colvin’s would-be contract we slated to be in the range of two years, $15. Furthermore, the 28-year old outfielder has had a flurry of injury problems in his recent past, including a collapsed lung. So I would caution people about just assuming that the Orioles were wrong in this case.

The team does have a minor league offer on the table for Colvin, however at this point he’s apparently still looking to get a major league deal someplace. That is certainly possible, however if not there’s always still the chance that he signs with the Orioles and accepts an invitation to spring training. Ultimately the Orioles not getting Colvin isn’t too much to be worried about, however some folks feel that there is the perception that the Orioles are trying to get out of paying people their contracts. Again, my personal view is that the Orioles’ physicians are some of the best in the business, and if they say the contract should be a no-go after the physical, the team would be foolish not to listen.