Baltimore Orioles: Talks with Mark Trumbo Have Stalled
Contract talks between the Baltimore Orioles and free agent Mark Trumbo have stalled.
According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, talks between the Baltimore Orioles and Mark Trumbo have stalled. Despite the initial traction, Kubatko states that the Orioles have gone so far as to take their offer off the table.
The issue, so it seems, is that the two sides have yet to agree on an appropriate financial figure for Trumbo’s value. There does appear to be some common ground, however, as Kubatko notes that both sides have agreed on a four-year contract. More troubling for a deal is that the two sides have “vastly different salary expectations”.
Trumbo, who will turn 31 years old in one month, is no stranger to the Baltimore Orioles. The O’s traded for the righty before the 2016 season, and he put up a solid year for them. In 159 games, he slugged a career- and MLB-best 47 home runs. He supported this power show with a .256 batting average and .316 on-base percentage.
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He also managed to avoid being too prone to strikeouts. With roughly one-quarter of his at-bats ending in a strikeout, there is certainly room for improvement but little reason for concern. Trumbo also featured plate discipline that was slightly worse than average but not troublesome at all. Along these lines, his contact rates came in a few points less than the typical batter, but this seems to be a common trend among modern sluggers.
Beyond the batter’s box, Mark Trumbo provided the Baltimore Orioles with very little value. He essentially split his time between right field and designated hitter, although he also logged a few games at first base. Metrics and scouts regard his work in the field as less than optimal, and he brings next to no value with his base running.
Given that all of Trumbo’s worth is tied to his bat, it is clear to see why he might disagree with how some teams value him. His traditional batting statistics have been spectacular at times, but he also scuffled for a bit in 2014 and 2015. If his aging body cannot replicate what last year’s power totals, almost all of his value will be lost. Trumbo has to crush 30 or more home runs in order to justify a sizable contract.
Combining the potential aging curve that he could face with his relatively inconsistent power figures over the past few years could make this contract very emotionally charged. Trumbo has every right to feel that he deserves top-dollar for hitting nearly 50 home runs last year. The Baltimore Orioles, on the other hand, also have every right to feel that this season was probably an unrepeatable spike. If another team feels that Trumbo will continue to mash more than 40 home runs for the next few seasons, then it is reasonable to assume that they will swoop in and sign him.
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The real question is whether or not a team will feel this way. The Cleveland Indians, Seattle Marines, Texas Ranger, and Colorado Rockies have shown interest in his services this winter, but no sources have suggested that he is close to inking a deal.