Baltimore Orioles: Hung up on opt-outs?

Are the Baltimore Orioles stuck on the addition of an opt-out clause with Yovani Gallardo?

The Baltimore Orioles appear poised to sign pitcher Yovani Gallardo. In fact, I honestly thought it would be done by now – I really did. My personal opinion was that today’s column would be announcing the signing (pending a physical, of course).

But obviously we’re still waiting. So why is this taking a bit longer? Could it be…the O’s are balking on giving an opt-out clause? That’s just speculation, however…think about it.

Owner Peter Angelos isn’t a fan of opt-out clauses, and I’ve told you my own aversion to them as well. I feel that it basically gives the player the right to backtrack on the deal. Ironically, it’s making the right to backtrack on the deal PART OF the deal. There’s something about that which just doesn’t sit right with me.

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Yet these opt-out clauses are something that we’re seeing more and more. They aren’t exactly new, but they’re newish. And again for the record, I don’t know that’s why the deal hasn’t been done yet. I’m just speculating and assuming. As I said, the O’s have always hesitated to give an opt-out clause on a contract.

But here’s a rhetorical question; are the Orioles and Peter Angelos just behind with the times on this? I mean, teams are starting to give these clauses in contracts, which in my view is a self-damning feature. So if it falls under the category of everyone’s doing it, are they putting themselves at a disadvantage if they aren’t? 

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In this specific case if in fact it’s an opt-out clause that’s holding the negotiations up, I would suggest that the Orioles have more leverage than Gallardo. Are there any other teams who are interested in him? Perhaps there are and it’s just not public knowledge, however it seems to me that the O’s are the only one hot on his trail. In other words, it might behoove him to take whatever deal the Orioles are willing to offer him.

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In this particular case it’s also possible that allowing a player to opt-out might not be a horrible thing. You really never know who’s going to be available on the market year-over-year when it comes to trades and so forth. However it’s also the principle of the matter, and that’s something with which I agree wholeheartedly. When you sign a deal you sign a deal – and you shouldn’t go back on your word.