Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail laid it out to owner Peter Angelos in a phone conversation about outfielder Jay Gibbons within the past couple of days.
"I gave him the ramifications and what my thinking was," MacPhail said. "I hadn't really reached any conclusions myself. I was wrestling with this one. I was really, to be honest with you, looking for some advice. His advice was, `You gotta do what you gotta do.' Those were the last words that he left me with, and I took the position of, `Well, this is what we have to do.' "
Needing to set their Opening Day roster by yesterday afternoon, the Orioles released Gibbons, the second-longest-tenured member of the club, and will absorb the $11.9 million left on his contract over the next two years.
Utility man Scott Moore, 24, whom the Orioles acquired from the Chicago Cubs last August in the Steve Trachsel trade, was awarded a spot on the roster, largely because he offers manager Dave Trembley more flexibility than Gibbons, 31.
"For Jay to be a productive player, he's got to get a lot of at-bats," MacPhail said. "I just don't see that happening here given the way the club is constructed. I put a value on flexibility on the roster, not just the fact that Scott can play extra positions, but obviously, it gives you flexibility going forward. "
Reached last night, Gibbons said he harbored no ill feelings toward the Orioles. He thanked Angelos and the organization for "giving me an opportunity to live my dream."
"I completely understand that this is a business, and with the direction that this team is moving, it was pretty obvious that my playing time would be pretty much nonexistent," said Gibbons, who added he wants to return to the big leagues as soon as possible. "I think this was the best move for both parties."
MacPhail acknowledged that the decision was difficult, not only because of how much money the club had to absorb, but also because of Gibbons' contributions to the club since the Orioles plucked him from the Toronto Blue Jays organization in the 2000 Rule 5 Draft.
"We just need to move forward and start along the path that we need to take," MacPhail said. "This is another one of those decisions. It's not a pleasant one... but I'm convinced that it's the right thing for us to do. "
Gibbons developed into one of the club's most productive and popular players during the 2002 and 2003 seasons, hitting 51 home runs and driving in 169 runs. But it's been a quick fall since he signed a four-year, $21.1 million deal before the 2006 season.
