January 30, 2005|By Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko,SUN STAFF
Each time the Orioles struck out in their pursuit of an impact free agent this winter, their money and overtures failing to connect, their thoughts shifted to a player who's been known to swing and miss.
Outfielder Sammy Sosa was out there, made available by the Chicago Cubs when their relationship became too fractured to repair. And no matter how often various members of the Orioles' front office denied having interest in an aging, expensive player who's statistically on the decline, the rumors wouldn't stop.
They proved correct over the weekend, when team and industry sources confirmed a trade that will send Sosa to the Orioles for second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. and minor leaguers Mike Fontenot and David Crouthers.
A high-ranking club official confirmed yesterday that Sosa is scheduled to take his physical examination Tuesday in Baltimore. If he passes and Hairston does the same in Chicago, the long-rumored trade with the Cubs should become official.
Negotiations with the Cubs were held beneath the rather large shadow cast by the new Washington franchise, which signed and traded for players as the Orioles preached fiscal restraint.
According to a major league source, the Cubs will pick up $12.5 million of Sosa's contract in 2005, before he becomes a free agent, and the Orioles will owe $7 million. The club will attempt to sign him to a two-year extension.
Sosa would have been entitled to $25 million this season, including a buyout and severance pay, but he's apparently willing to waive a portion of the additional money pending negotiations on an extension with the Orioles.
Determined to leave Chicago, where his popularity with fans plummeted last summer, Sosa also would waive an $18 million option for 2006, to be activated if he's traded.
"I heard about [the Sosa trade] and just said, `Wow,'" pitching coach Ray Miller said. "I'd certainly like to have him in this league with all the left-handers they throw. If he does close to what he's capable of, he'll fill the stadium. It's certainly a lift for people here who were getting depressed."
Stinging from their latest rejection, when first baseman Carlos Delgado agreed to terms with the Florida Marlins, the Orioles have made a bold move after continually playing down the speculation about Sosa. His age (36) no longer was an issue. Neither were his declining home run totals and OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), hefty contract and questionable attitude.
At $7 million, he became a relative bargain for a team that found the prices on the free-agent market to be distasteful. A team that also couldn't persuade pitcher Carl Pavano or first baseman Richie Sexson to sign with it, or to lure pitcher Tim Hudson into signing a contract extension if traded by the Oakland Athletics.
Four years and $48 million weren't enough for Delgado. Three years and about $30 million didn't bring in Sexson. Four years and $40 million, along with the promise of being a No. 1 starter, couldn't get Pavano's signature on a contract.
Majority owner Peter Angelos still is waiting for Major League Baseball to determine how he'll be compensated financially after the Montreal Expos moved to Washington. Team executives Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan admitted that the uncertainty, along with the lost revenue, have hindered their negotiating tactics.
Though they don't play in the same league, the Nationals clearly had moved ahead of the Orioles with their acquisitions. Sosa presented the Orioles with a chance to make a big splash instead of dipping their toes in the water and either walking away or being left cold.
"I think it's great," outfielder David Newhan said. "It's going to be a great impact on the lineup. Are you kidding me? I'd like to be in there ahead of those guys. Plus, that personality, that energy he brings, it's something we needed."
"Of course, it makes us stronger," said hitting coach Terry Crowley. "We'll probably hit him fourth, though we haven't talked about it yet. It's a little bit of a surprise to me. It still hasn't sunk in. But it's a big addition and it's going to make us a better team."
Each time Miller is confronted with another question about his young pitching staff, as if its relative inexperience and warped track record will burden an entire team, he brings up the security that comes from having a prolific offense. "I might be putting my foot in my mouth," he said, "but if you give me eight runs, I'll figure out the rest."
The Orioles must have figured out, after long fighting the urge, that they needed Sosa, baggage and all.
Sosa's character came into question again last season when he butted heads with Cubs manager Dusty Baker, agitated a fan base that once worshiped him, and absorbed an $87,500 fine for leaving the final game in the first inning. In 2003, he was handed a seven-game suspension for using a corked bat.
"I know Sammy's a good kid," Miller said. "I've met him before. He'll make the city of Baltimore proud."
