November 18, 2000|By Joe Strauss | Joe Strauss,SUN STAFF
The Orioles restated their interest in free-agent shortstop Mike Bordick yesterday through a phone call to his agent, Joe Bick. Their next step is to assess which Bordick they are pursuing, the player whom they delighted in watching earn his first All-Star berth at 35 or the one who looked tired and ineffective with the New York Mets during September and the postseason.
Bordick likewise must make his own evaluation: In the autumn of his career, does the Orioles' local appeal overcome an obvious retooling that makes them an unlikely contender for at least next season?
The Orioles need a shortstop and Bordick - a free agent for the second time in his career - needs a new team. Whether they are a match depends as much on perception as on finances.
After trading Bordick to the Mets for a three-player package July 28, the Orioles now contemplate bringing him back to a renovated clubhouse. Bordick is looking for a chance to contend as well as what will be the last multi-year contract of his career.
Orioles vice president of baseball operations Syd Thrift suggested last week that the Orioles are seeking a bridge between the present and the anticipated arrival of prospect Ed Rogers in 2003.
"The face of that club has changed tremendously since the trade," Bick said yesterday, "and that affected his outlook on staying in Baltimore."
Bordick is seeking a three-year contract but may settle for two years plus an option. The Orioles would be comfortable with the option arrangement, though finances may prove a sticking point.
Bick attempted to broker a contract extension for Bordick in the weeks before his trade by seeking a package worth between $5 million and $6 million a season. The Orioles countered at $4 million to $5 million, a neighborhood they may be reluctant to re-enter. A club source indicated they are prepared to seek a slight improvement over the $3 million annual average value of Bordick's expired contract.
"I think everybody recognizes we made a significant effort for Mike not to leave Baltimore," Bick said. "We made proposals that were significantly below his market value to stay there. When that didn't happen, he was extremely disappointed."
Bordick and his family retain a Ruxton residence. Bick says last summer's trade caused him a "significant emotional drain" that eventually showed up in his performance. Bordick also suffered a fractured left thumb that wasn't disclosed until the postseason.
A career .258 hitter entering last season, Bordick jacked his value by hitting .303 with 14 home runs and 54 RBIs with the Orioles, including a club-record 29 RBIs in April.
Bordick homered in his first at-bat after his trade to the Mets and batted .324 in August. However, he slumped badly (.162) in September, driving in only six runs without a homer after hitting a career-high 20 home runs in the first five months.
"He was seeing different pitching and was banged up a little. He didn't play the last month like he did the first five months, but neither did Paul O'Neill," Bick said, likening Bordick to another of his clients who returned to the New York Yankees for a one-year deal earlier this week. "I don't think anybody should look at him as a lesser player."
Bordick managed only five extra-base hits and no home runs after Aug. 17, endured six straight hitless games in the postseason and was eventually benched by Mets manager Bobby Valentine in Game 5 of the World Series.
"The first couple weeks in New York, Mike played very well offensively, then tailed off after the injury," said Bick. "That should be a non-factor in judging Mike's performance because he could barely play. He has gotten progressively better. If he had finished the year in Baltimore, it would have been much better. I certainly think there was a period when he was pretty emotionally drained after he went to the Mets. Bobby [Valentine] pinch hit for him a couple of times, and that kind of elevated the problem."
The Orioles replaced Bordick with Melvin Mora, whom they now project as next season's starting center fielder and ultimately a utility player. With little leverage to trade and without a ready prospect, the Orioles must find a shortstop from a free-agent class that includes Bordick, defensively deficient John Valentin, Alex Gonzalez and Gary DiSarcina.
Others, meanwhile, share interest in Bordick. The Seattle Mariners are prepared to make a push should free agent Alex Rodriguez defect. The Chicago White Sox also are preparing a bid.
Asked whether the Orioles still enjoy a hometown advantage should the offers be roughly the same, Bick said, "I would want to know about their plans before answering that question."
Given that both parties have gone through much since parting, each must determine whether reuniting would be anything more than a marriage of convenience.
