Angelos: O's want Palmeiro back
Posted: Tuesday September 22, 1998 07:59 PM
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Palmerio is one of eight Orioles free agents, but talks to return to Baltimore have stalled AP |
BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Baltimore Orioles are
eager to bring back Rafael
Palmeiro next season if the price is right.
Palmeiro, who leads the Orioles in homers, hits and RBIs, will become a
free agent in October after closing out the final season of a five-year
deal. He says he wants to finish his career in Baltimore, but contract
negotiations are at a standstill.
Palmeiro wants the same kind of long-term commitment the Orioles have
given pitcher Scott
Erickson and outfielder Brady
Anderson, who each received five-year contracts. He may have to settle
for less.
"We made an opening offer of three years for $21 million, and his agent
said that was an insult. Well, I can think a lot of people who would like
to be offered $7 million a year," Orioles owner Peter Angelos said.
Angelos said he was waiting for Palmeiro's agent to make a counteroffer
to begin negotiations.
"Nonetheless, there's a good chance that Rafael will remain with the
Orioles," Angelos said.
If Palmeiro wants a five-year deal at $10 million a year, he might as
well start fielding offers from other teams. The same applies for second
baseman Roberto
Alomar, whose contract also expires after this season.
"We don't want to be paying nine, 10 or $11 million dollars a year for a
player," Angelos said. "We feel all that will do is produce ticket prices
in the range of football, basketball and hockey."
The Orioles raised ticket prices by $2 to $4 this season, the same amount
they were raised the year before.
The Orioles have eight potential free agents: Palmeiro, Alomar, Eric Davis, B.J. Surhoff
and pitchers Alan
Mills, Doug
Drabek, Jimmy
Key and Pete
Smith.
Alomar will almost certainly be playing for another team next season.
Key is expected to retire and Drabek will not be invited back. Negotiations
with Davis and Surhoff are under way.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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