Written by Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com
Anyone who blames the Orioles’ failure to complete a deal with Dexter Fowler on his desire for an opt-out clause misses the point.
If the Orioles would not give Fowler an opt-out, then they had no agreement with him. And if they had no agreement with him, then why the heck did people in their organization tell certain members of the media that they did?
Was it to pressure Fowler’s agent, Casey Close, into accepting the team’s three-year offer? Was it to scare off other interested clubs? Was it simply a matter of miscommunication?
Whatever the reason, the Orioles’ latest messy free-agent episode directly benefited the Cubs, who stunned the baseball world Thursday by agreeing with Fowler to a one-year, $13 million deal with a mutual option.
The news of Fowler’s supposed deal with the Orioles certainly was not leaked by Close, who issued a scathing statement Thursday night criticizing both the Orioles’ front office and members of the media for “irresponsible behavior” and “recklessly spreading rumors.”
More significantly, Close cited the Orioles for “willful disregard of collectively bargained rules governing free agency,” implying that they attempted to negotiate through the media, which is a violation of the CBA.
I never confirmed the Fowler agreement, never reported it. But I believed it to be true, and referred to the reported deal in subsequent columns. My assumption was that a high-ranking Orioles official had revealed the news to select media members; Close does not confirm deals until after physicals are complete.
To be honest, if I had been one of those select media members, I would have gone with the news, too. Ideally, a reporter wants multiple confirmations. But when a high-ranking team official acknowledges a deal and outlines specific terms, the information is almost always correct.
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