Is Colby Rasmus “grandstanding” with the Baltimore Orioles?

For awhile it appeared that Colby Rasmus was going to be a decent fit for the Baltimore Orioles. Obviously the Birds have a need in the outfield, and Rasmus is a name looking for a team. However over the weekend we started to hear that his agent was putting talks with the Orioles on hold and potentially holding out for a better offer from someone else. So…what gives?

Is it possible that Rasmus and/or his agent is somewhat upset that this hasn’t happened sooner with the Birds? MASN’s Roch Kubatko has gauged the Orioles’ offer to Rasmus at somewhere in the neighborhood of one year, $7 million. Rasmus also reportedly had dinner with manager Buck Showalter a couple of weeks ago – but again, that was a couple of weeks ago. So has Rasmus gotten tired of waiting?

Courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Orioles aren’t the type of team that’s going to be rushed into signing anybody. They take their time and let deals percolate a bit before pulling the trigger. Obviously the hope is that they haven’t waited too long, as Rasmus obviously could take the Orioles’ offer and shop it around. Nevertheless, the fact also remains that the market on Rasmus might not quite be what he and his agent might have thought it was going to be, otherwise he would have signed (somewhere) by now.

Over the weekend we also found out that Colorado was potentially shopping outfielder Charlie Blackmon around in hopes of finding a starting pitcher. Could he be a potential replacement if the Rasmus deal falls through? It’s possible; however Blackmon’s splits aren’t quite what the Orioles might look for. Throughout his short career, he’s hit .335 at Coors Field as opposed to .243 away from it. He also gets on base more often at Coors, and he strikes out more on the road.

Some of that might be unfair to bring up, especially the strikeouts. The dimensions of a park isn’t going to affect that, although you do see the ball better in some parks than you do others. I think that Blackmon could be a decent fit, depending on what the Orioles would have to give up to get him. You can immediately cross the likes of Bundy or Gausman off the list. Not only are the O’s not going to part with them, but it really wouldn’t be a fair trade.

But I suppose it is conceivable that someone like Miguel Gonzalez or even Bud Norris could be dealt. The Orioles would probably be interested in sending Ubaldo Jimenez back to Colorado also, however I don’t see that happening. And also keep in mind that if someone like Gonzalez was shipped off, that would open up a slot for someone like Bundy or Gausman to immediately fill in the rotation.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Orioles’ main target remains Colby Rasmus, however it’ll be interesting to see how long that offer stays out on the table. If they feel that Rasmus is “major leaguing them,” at some point the offer might cease to be out there.