ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles made their pitch. Now, it's up to Phil Nevin to decide if he wants to waive his limited no-trade clause and take his cuts in an Orioles uniform.
Manager Lee Mazzilli spoke yesterday by phone to Nevin, the first baseman whom the San Diego Padres have agreed to trade to the Orioles for pitcher Sidney Ponson pending Nevin's approval, and outlined his expected role with the Orioles.
Nevin also called Orioles utility infielder Chris Gomez, his former teammate in Detroit and San Diego and also a California native, to ask about playing for the Orioles. Nevin's agent, Barry Axelrod, said the conversations went well, though his client hasn't come to a decision.
"Lee is very passionate," said Axelrod. "It's almost like having someone lay out all the things that they do in the free-agent process, almost like recruiting. He was very convincing on what his role might be. Phil got some answers."
Nevin, who traveled to the West Coast with the Padres after they lost in Philadelphia yesterday, has until 9 p.m. Eastern time tomorrow to notify the parties of his decision. That's a 72-hour window because the Orioles and Padres reported the agreement to Major League Baseball officials Saturday, said an industry source.
"I think it is still up in the air," said Axelrod, who also spoke to Orioles executive vice president Jim Beattie yesterday. "Phil's operating on raw emotions right now. He's still coming to grips with the fact that his days in San Diego might be numbered one way or the other. He hasn't said anything about timing, but I know that it won't be until he spends time with his family."
Axelrod said the Orioles invited Nevin, who was not in the lineup yesterday and may not be until his decision, to go straight from Philadelphia to Baltimore last night, where he could meet some of the Orioles when they arrived home from Florida and take a tour of Camden Yards.
Nevin and Axelrod, however, decided it would be best for Nevin to return to his San Diego home and begin discussing the decision with his wife, Kristin, and their three children, who were returning to California from Hawaii last night.
"I have a certain amount of time to make a decision, and I'm going to use that time," Nevin told reporters in Philadelphia.
Axelrod declined to quantify the deal's chances of going through. Two years ago, Nevin used his limited no-trade clause to quash a deal to the Cincinnati Reds for Ken Griffey, but Axelrod said Nevin, 34, seemed more open to at least discussing this trade, because his status in San Diego's lineup has changed.
