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Not long ago, they seemed to be heading toward catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who was offered $24 million over three years, compared with $18 million over three years for Lopez.
Rodriguez told a Miami television reporter Thursday that the Orioles added a fourth year to their proposal, but executive vice president Jim Beattie said none of the team's offers had been modified.
It's believed certain members of the front office became irritated with Rodriguez's claim, which they viewed as a negotiating ploy by his agent, Scott Boras, that might have backfired.
A team official said last night the Orioles were beginning to move in the direction of Lopez before the controversy, but the timing of Lopez's
emergence as the front-runner is undeniably curious.
And then there was this in Saturday's Phila. Daily News from Kevin Millwood after he agreed to arbitration with the Phillies when Boras had claimed there were teams making offers in the 5-year/$15 million per year range Boras requested...Rodriguez told a Miami television reporter Thursday that the Orioles added a fourth year to their proposal, but executive vice president Jim Beattie said none of the team's offers had been modified.
It's believed certain members of the front office became irritated with Rodriguez's claim, which they viewed as a negotiating ploy by his agent, Scott Boras, that might have backfired.
A team official said last night the Orioles were beginning to move in the direction of Lopez before the controversy, but the timing of Lopez's
emergence as the front-runner is undeniably curious.
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Does he regret his decisions to delay and reject?
\"I don't know,\" he said. \"As long as we still have a chance to get something done, and we do, I don't see it as being a very big deal.\"
But will Boras be the one getting something done?
\"I think we're definitely going to sit down and have a talk about everything,\" said Millwood, but he cautioned, \"Don't think I'm sitting here,
angry with Scott.\"
But will he fire Boras? \"I hadn't given it a lot of thought.\"
\"I don't know,\" he said. \"As long as we still have a chance to get something done, and we do, I don't see it as being a very big deal.\"
But will Boras be the one getting something done?
\"I think we're definitely going to sit down and have a talk about everything,\" said Millwood, but he cautioned, \"Don't think I'm sitting here,
angry with Scott.\"
But will he fire Boras? \"I hadn't given it a lot of thought.\"