Orioles To Sign Grant Balfour

[Johnnydollaz89]

The Orioles have agreed to a two-year, $15MM deal with Grant Balfour, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). He'll have $500K deferred in each season. The deal is still pending a physical.

Recent reports indicated that three teams had two-year offers on the table to Balfour, with the Orioles being the most aggressive team and the favorite to land him. Balfour reportedly wanted to pitch for the O's, but was holding out for a three-year deal. There was talk of adding a vesting option to the deal as a compromise, but it appears that a two-year pact was enough to get the job done.
Balfour, who celebrates his 36th birthday on December 30th, turned in a 2.59 ERA with 10.3 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9 on his way to a first career All-Star selection. Balfour doesn't have the near-95-mph fastball average that he boasted in his best season with the Rays in 2008, but his 2013 average of 93.4 mph was still solid. The right-hander hasn't had an ERA higher than 2.59 in his last four seasons.
Some may point to Balfour's significant home/road split over the last three seasons as a big reason for his recent success. Oakland's O.co Colliseum is one of the game's most pitcher-friendly environments, and Balfour has a 1.58 ERA in 113 2/3 innings there, compared to a more pedestrian 3.78 ERA in 85 2/3 innings on the road.
The Aussie missed two full seasons thanks to Tommy John surgery and shoulder surgery following a promising debut with the Twins in his age 25-26 seasons. He rediscovered himself in Tampa Bay before heading to the A's in 2011. Balfour was handed the ninth inning in his second season with Oakland, and has racked up 62 saves from 2012-13 for the back-to-back AL West champions.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter) first reported that the two sides were nearing agreement. Additional details courtesy of CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman (on Twitter). Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com

Great deal for both sides.

 

[navamind]

Balfour's probably better than Johnson too

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

Agreed and he actually turned down other offers because he said he wanted to go to Baltimore.

 

[jeffro151]

This is definitely a win for Baltimore. We got rid of our $10 million closer Johnson and in exchange we essentially got Balfour at $7 million, Weeks for $500,000 and David Freitas for next to nothing.

 

[skinz2winz]

Or not! Only the O's can find a way to screw this up...

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Something was definitely fishy about Jim Johnson getting 10 M from the A's. I think we just found out why.

 

[BigDDude]

Or not! Only the O's can find a way to screw this up...

???

What I am hearing now is the O's making sure they don't screw this up. They are holding up the deal now as they further investigate a right shoulder issue that came up in his O's physical. As such, they will make sure he is 100% good to go healthy until they will make the sigining final and official.

 

[BigDDude]

???

What I am hearing now is the O's making sure they don't screw this up. They are holding up the deal now as they further investigate a right shoulder issue that came up in his O's physical. As such, they will make sure he is 100% good to go healthy until they will make the sigining final and official.

I am also now hearing that, if this deal in fact falls through, then the O's will turn to Fernando Rodney to be their next closer. If so, I hope they have some sort of rule that will force him to wear his cap correctly, as he looks beyond stupid doing it the way he does now.

 

[BigDDude]

And so the deal is dead. Just reported.

 

[Darkstone42]

Grant Balfour...

Worst name for a pitcher.

 

[BigDDude]

Grant Balfour...

Worst name for a pitcher.

Homer Bailey?

 

[Darkstone42]

Homer Bailey?

Bob Walk, too.