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One week ago, we were aflutter with the notion that the Orioles had actually signed a player to a major league deal. That player, outfielder Tyler Colvin, was reported to have an agreement with the Orioles, pending a physical. Yeah, about that...
From the "not this again'' department: Source says #orioles are claiming there are issues with OF Tyler Colvin's physical.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) January 22, 2014
Here we go again, indeed. One can only wonder whether Colvin, too, will find multiple MLB team doctors willing to go to bat for him and trash the Orioles to a national media member, or if he will even need to do so, given that this will once again fit into the preconceived notions of everyone who wants to believe that the Orioles have some kind of rigorous physical above and beyond any other team's.
As to the nature of what may be the issue, that has not yet been reported. After the Grant Balfour situation, you have to figure the Orioles wouldn't be keen to back out of another deal. Or who knows, maybe they don't care and Dan Duquette cruises through the market of free agents with the double bird extended to anyone and everyone who looks at him funny. That would be another explanation for why they haven't signed anyone, at any rate, though the steadfast devotion to avoid spending any money also helps.
It's worth noting that the Orioles did something similar last year when they signed free agent pitcher Jair Jurrjens to a major league deal that turned into a minor league deal when they ended up not liking something on his physical. This was a drama-free incident. No one lined up to wail and gnash their teeth and revile the very existence of the Orioles and anyone named Angelos.
In contrast to what happened with Balfour, the deal with Colvin was one that was just for one year and probably not any kind of significant money, so the idea that the O's got cheap and backed out would be a ridiculous one to peddle.
It fits into their pattern of caution, something that we didn't need questionable physicals to tell us. In the last two off-seasons, the most the Orioles have spent on a free agent is the $4.5 million spent on Ryan Webb. Colvin would not have broken that. He was a guy they wanted to sign, and maybe they still want to sign him now, just not to a guaranteed deal for a major league roster spot.
Maybe the Orioles even feel like they could better use that roster spot if they go out and sign ahahahahaha sorry
