Baltimore Orioles: Hidden advantage on Chris Davis?

With last night’s rain out, the Baltimore Orioles and Chris Davis got back the off day that they lost last week with a rain out in Washington. The game will be made up this afternoon as part of a single-admission doubleheader which will begin at 4 PM. Game two will begin 20-30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.

Courtesy of Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Probably the biggest issue facing this franchise this coming winter is re-signing Davis (among others). The Orioles’ season will end on Sunday; however some of the teams with whom they might be competing for Davis’ (and others) services will play on into October. So while the O’s would much prefer to be playing next week and onward, do they have a leg up on the competition?

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The answer is maybe – it matters how you look at it. I highly doubt that agent Scott Boras is going to allow any of his clients to sign without physically hitting free agency (which begins in the aftermath of the world series). However if the Orioles literally blew Davis away with an offer, I suspect that Boras would entertain the idea of him signing.

But the point is that the O’s are in theory the only team that can negotiate with Davis’ camp until free agency hits. I say in theory because we all know that those rules are incredibly breakable. However let’s say everyone follows the rules the way they’re supposed to do; the Birds do then have an advantage. While odds are against Boras jumping at a contract during the playoffs, the dialouge can certainly begin.

If the Los Angeles Dodgers (just to pick a team at random) called Boras next week to inquire about Davis, Boras would be under an obligation to say I’m sorry, but I can’t talk to you about that right now. (Whether that would happen is another story, mind you.) But if Dan Duquette called Boras and asked the same question, Boras would be able to at least discuss it. Again whether he would do it or not is another story – but the O’s have exclusivity until free agency hits. 

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So Orioles fans should hope that Duquette starts backdoor conversations about all of the players immediately next week. At the very least the agents will know that the Birds are interested in keeping their guys. And then once all of the other teas get their crack, the Orioles are already stamped into the conversation by default. Needless to say, it can’t hurt, right?

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