Orioles third baseman Melvin Mora wants to play baseball for four more years; he's just not sure what's going to happen in the next four days.
In the final season of a guaranteed contract, Mora has not been asked by the club about potentially waiving his no-trade clause, meaning he almost certainly will remain with the Orioles after Friday's nonwaiver trade deadline passes.
But he's taking nothing for granted.
"In this business nobody knows," Mora said. "In this business, it's crazy."
So far, a trade market has not materialized for the 37-year-old third baseman who is batting .264 with three homers and 27 RBIs. His power numbers are down sharply from 2008, when he hit 23 homers and drove in 103 runs, but he has batted .291 in his first 31 at-bats since the All-Star break.
Mora said he would look at any potential trade on a case-by-case basis, but there was a reason he made sure the clause was included in his contract extension. He wants to stay here and rank second on the club's all-time list of games played by a third baseman behind Brooks Robinson (2,870). He's currently third with 758, which is 24 behind Doug DeCinces. If he stays in an Orioles uniform this season, he will likely achieve that goal.
"I want to be an Oriole forever, especially when you look at the numbers, and I'm behind Brooks Robinson playing third base," Mora said. "You kind of look at that as neat."
The club has a 2010 option worth $8 million (with a $1 million option) on Mora, but it is unlikely to be exercised.
"If they want to pick up my option, that would be good," he said. "If they don't take it, that would be good, too, because then I could choose where I want to go."
Regardless, Mora wants to play at least four more years, until his quintuplets, who turn 8 on Tuesday, are 12.
"After that, it will be a good time to think about spending more time in the house."
Strange reunion
Utility player Ryan Freel was back at Camden Yards on Monday, the stadium where he started the season, but this time he was on the visitors' side with the Kansas City Royals.
"I wasn't here long enough for it to be weird [to return]," said Freel, who is batting .231 in 13 games with the Royals. "I wasn't a big part of this team or had an impact on this team or was a fan favorite in Baltimore or got myself involved in the community. It wasn't anything like that."
