Baltimore Orioles: Fired up over Dexter Fowler

The Baltimore Orioles are in the process of being ripped by the agent of outfieder Dexter Fowler.

I wish I could tell you why the mere mention or discussion of the Baltimore Orioles seems to invite controversy. After yesterday’s strange circumstance in which outfielder Dexter Fowler decided to re-sign with Chicago before his deal with the O’s could be finalized, his agent (Casey Close of Excel Sports Management) released this tweet. I’ll let you form your own opinions, however it’s not very kind to the Orioles.

First off everyone comes at everything from their own angle, and all parties would do well to keep that in mind in all things. Close seems to put all of this at the feet of the Orioles, Dan Duquette (by extension), and specifically the media. Yes, there’s little doubt that the Fowler signing was widely reported and touted by various media outlets – including Birds Watcher. But can we not agree that there might be just a little more than meets the eye?

I find it interesting that Close goes to great lengths to talk about how widely this supposed story was reported. Yet apparently both he and his client were deaf to the fact that a supposed falsehood was out there being reported as fact. I don’t know about you, but if someone were out there saying something false about me, I’d be screaming from the highest mountaintop trying to clear my name.

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So what am I saying here – that there was in fact a deal in place? Yes, in a way. As I said yesterday, if a deal had been consumated the Orioles would have filed a grievance. However needless to say, I susepct that the two sides had an agreement of some sort.

Again, both Close and Fowler pay attention to the news. They know what’s going on in the world. They saw the news reports; are we really to believe that they just shook their heads at the “incorrect reports” that Fowler had signed with the Orioles? If anything, they probably used it as leverage in going back to Chicago and getting the best one-year offer they could possibly get.

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Part of an agent’s job is to provide PR for his client, and Close is definitely doing that here. He’s dragging the Orioles’ name through the mud in order to do so, and he’s saying things that just don’t add up. Numerous Oriole players even commented regarding how excited they were that Fowler was coming, and Fowler himself was reportedly en route to Sarasota. The Orioles and the media certainly didn’t make that up.

Next: Baltimore Orioles left at the altar by Dexter Fowler

Again, my advice to the Birds would be to simply move on. This can’t be continually discussed next week once games start, as it would take concentration away from fundamentals and team building. However needless to say, something’s been running “Fowl” in camp this week.