Orioles reach deal with Reimold, tender seven others
Club avoids arbitration with outfielder, agreeing to one-year deal near deadline
BALTIMORE -- The Orioles agreed to a one-year deal with Nolan Reimold on Monday night and tendered contracts to their other seven arbitration-eligible players in advance of the midnight deadline.
Reimold, 30, is recovering from a second neck surgery and will make a base salary of $1,025,000. He earned $1 million in 2013, when he was limited to 40 games, batting .195/.250/.336 with five homers and 12 RBIs. The Orioles have received favorable reports on Reimold's rehab progress and didn't want to risk losing him.
The other eight Orioles who were offered contracts for 2014 on Monday were relievers Brian Matusz, Tommy Hunter, Troy Patton, starter Bud Norris, first baseman Chris Davis, catcher Matt Wieters and first base/outfielder Steve Pearce.
Davis -- who earned $3.3 million -- will command a hefty raise coming off a season in which he hit 53 homers and 138 RBIs, winning the Silver Slugger Award for American League first basemen and finishing third in AL MVP voting.
All players who were tendered contracts remain under team control and will try to negotiate an agreement with the Orioles as both sides work to avoid an independent arbitration hearing.