masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWe’ve reached the point today where arbitration-eligible players and their teams exchange salary figures for 2015 and hope to avoid a hearing next month.
You know the dance. They usually split the difference. It’s only interesting to me if there’s a huge discrepancy.
Wake me if the Orioles offer Ryan Flaherty $1 million and he counters at $200 million.
Reliever Tommy Hunter settled for $4.65 million earlier this week, leaving 10 Orioles who are eligible for arbitration. Here’s another look…

We’ve reached the point today where arbitration-eligible players and their teams exchange salary figures for 2015 and hope to avoid a hearing next month.

You know the dance. They usually split the difference. It’s only interesting to me if there’s a huge discrepancy.

Wake me if the Orioles offer Ryan Flaherty $1 million and he counters at $200 million.

Reliever Tommy Hunter settled for $4.65 million earlier this week, leaving 10 Orioles who are eligible for arbitration. Here’s another look at their 2014 salaries and MLBTradeRumors.com’s projections for this year:

Alejandro De Aza: $4.25 million/$5.9 million
Matt Wieters: $7.7 million/$7.9 million
Steve Pearce: $700,000/$2.2 million
Bud Norris: $5.3 million/$8.7 million
Chris Davis: $10.3 million/$11.8 million
Brian Matusz: $2.4 million/$2.7 million
Chris Tillman: $546,000/$5.4 million
Miguel Gonzalez: $529,000/$3.7 million
Ryan Flaherty: $513,000/$1 million
Zach Britton: $521,500/$3.2 million

I’m still not getting any signs that the Orioles have interest in re-signing left-hander Johan Santana, who retired all six batters he faced Tuesday in Venezuela in his return from a torn Achilles.

Santana, who turns 36 next month, was slated to work three innings before rain shortened his outing. His fastball was in the 88-90 mph range.

“He felt good,” said agent Chris Leible. “Obviously, he hadn’t pitched in a long time. He hadn’t pitched at that level in a long time. With the Orioles last spring, he really was pitching in extended spring games. But everything was good.”

Leible added that “a bunch” of teams are expressing interest in Santana – the Orioles aren’t believed to be one of them – and more figure to turn out for the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s next outing on Sunday.

Santana tore his left Achilles in an extended spring training game in June while chasing a ball that deflected off him. The Orioles were pleased with the condition of his surgically repaired left shoulder and made plans to recall him.

“The doctor said it could happen to him walking down the street. It was just its time to go and it went,” Leible said. “It’s most common in males between the ages of 30 and 45. He was a candidate for it and it just got him.

“It was a tough injury and a very difficult rehab. He’s been through a lot, obviously, with his shoulder and elbow, but he said this was one of the toughest rehabs he’s had. It was the toughest initially. He was struggling after the surgery.”

Leible was reminded of Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who returned from a torn Achilles in 2012 after five months and six days.

“That’s pretty amazing, but I guess he was one of the first at the time to have this experimental surgery. Now it’s become more common,” Leible said. “We went to the same doctor because of that and it’s been great. It’s not as invasive. Just a very small incision. They go in and, for our terms, pull it back together. After six months he basically said, ‘I’ve done everything I could do in Fort Myers. I’ve worked hard. Now there’s an opportunity for me to go to Venezuela.’

“Everything is good, thank God. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work out with the Orioles, but obviously injuries are part of the game. He made the decision, it wasn’t even a question, that he was coming back and he’d do everything he could to get back on the mound and pitch again.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter paid Rule 5 right-hander Logan Verrett a compliment this week in Sarasota by referring to him as “a pitcher.” I asked Verrett how he interpreted it.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I guess he means I’m kind of a gamer. I think that’s probably what he meant at least. I like to go out and compete and win games. I like the ball in my hand.

“I’m not exactly sure how he meant it.”

My interpretation is that Verrett is more than just a thrower. He relies on more than physical ability. Showalter sees him as polished and likes the cerebral part of his game.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Verrett said. “Kind of the mind games of it.”

mccoy-patrick-tigers-sidebar.jpgLeft-hander Pat McCoy will be invited to spring training after attending minicamp.

The Orioles claimed McCoy off waivers from the Tigers on Oct. 31 and outrighted him to Triple-A Norfolk on Dec. 8, removing him from the 40-man roster.

“It was one of those things that Baltimore had the second-to-last pick on the waiver wire, so they took the risk of taking me off and trying to pass me through two more teams and they did,” McCoy said. “They said they’re still excited to have me, so we’ll see where it goes.”

McCoy, 26, appeared in 14 games with the Tigers as a rookie last season and allowed six runs and 21 hits in 14 innings for a 3.86 ERA. He walked 13 batters and struck out 11.

McCoy’s strikeout-to-walk ratio was much better in the minors, where he went 1-0 with a 3.95 ERA in nine games at Double-A Erie and 2-0 with a 2.59 ERA in 21 games at Triple-A Toledo. McCoy walked nine and struck out 34 over 45 innings.

Left-handed hitters were 5-for-24 (.208) against McCoy in the majors, and right-handers were 16-for-37 (.432).

“I’m just working as hard as I can and any opportunity they give me, I’m going to seize it,” he said.

Mychal Givens threw a bullpen session at the minicamp, and he’s always a curiosity as he continues the transformation from shortstop to pitcher and works on his arm slot.

Showalter wants Givens, who went a combined 1-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 36 appearances between Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, to drop down further.

Givens said he was focusing more on “just trying to stay consistent and stay more balanced and staying over my front, not pulling off the ball, and staying more consistent throwing strikes and with my delivery.”

As for his arm angle, it’s often in between sidearm and three-quarters.

“Mostly, I really dictate where my arm is to where I can get in a good position to throw strikes,” he said.

The Orioles drafted Givens, 24, as a shortstop in the second round in 2009 out of H.B. Plant High School in Tampa. He batted .247/.331/.311 in four seasons and never made it above low Single-A Delmarva except for one game at Frederick in 2010.

Does he miss his old position and taking his swings?

“You always miss that everyday routine, but at the same time I’m a person who leaves things in the past,” he said. “I worry about what’s in the near future for me.”

Givens knows that he’s only a phone call away at Bowie, that the Orioles are willing to promote anyone who’s getting outs and could assist them. Remember how they called up reliever Julio DePaula last summer?

“Everybody knows that if we’re doing good and they need help, we’ll find a way to get up there,” Givens said.

Givens wasn’t the only pitcher whose arm angle fell under close scrutiny at the minicamp. Mark Hendrickson, 40, is dropping down lower while attempting to earn a minor league contract.

“To be honest, I didn’t know he went down there until I saw his last bullpen,” Givens said. “The funny part is I got to face him when I was a hitter and he was with the Orioles a couple years back, so it was funny to see him back with us. It’s a great opportunity to be around him, too.”

Hendrickson already presented a challenge to Givens without throwing sidearm.

“It would definitely be a hard adjustment for a hitter,” Givens said, “but it already was a hard adjustment when he was a regular pitcher throwing over the top when he’s 6-9 and the ball gets on you pretty quick.”

The Orioles have signed corner infielder Casey Haerther from the independent Winnipeg Goldeyes, according to the team’s website.

Haerther, 27, batted .360/.390/.535 with 29 doubles, 13 home runs and 72 RBIs in 98 games in his second season with the Goldeyes.

Haerther played four seasons in the Angels system, reaching Double-A Arkansas in 2012. The Angels selected him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft out of UCLA.