January 31 2011 Last updated at 10:20 AM ET
Reports earlier this offseason indicated the Red Sox and Yankees, among others, were interested in signing free agent Justin Duchscherer.Instead of serving as fallback depth for either of those teams, though, Duchscherer opted for a regular opportunity in Baltimore and on Sunday agreed to terms with the Orioles. His one-year deal will become official after a physical Tuesday or Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reported.
Duchscherer will make at least $700,000, but if he is added to the active roster by Opening Day, that base salary will increase to $1.1 million. He'll have the opportunity to earn up to $4.5 million if he hits all his incentives for games started and could make an additional $100,000 if he is named Comeback Player of the Year.
If Duchscherer finds a way to replicate the success he had in Oakland when healthy, it's easy to see him in strong contention for that award. He made the All-Star team twice while with the A's, in 2005 as a reliever and 2008 as a starter. But the problem for the right-hander has always been staying on the mound.
The 33-year-old missed all of 2008 and part of 2009 with an elbow injury that was followed by a severe bout with clinical depression (as chronicled here by FanHouse's Jeff Fletcher), then made only five starts in 2010 before undergoing hip surgery.
Some potential suitors had wanted Duchscherer to return to the bullpen, but the Orioles will keep him in a rotation led by Jeremy Guthrie and Brian Matusz.
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