O's sign Hidalgo to Minor League deal
Hidalgo can opt out of his contract on March 26 if he's not on the big-league roster, but if he makes the team, he'll earn a $1 million base salary with performance-based incentives that could up the ante. Jim Duquette, Baltimore's vice president of baseball operations, said Hidalgo will be in camp on Monday.
"Obviously, we've been talking to him for a while and thought we had a pretty good opportunity," said Duquette. "I'm not sure about the other opportunities he was weighing vs. ours. He's a proven Major League player that's had a track record and, really, it's a no-risk situation for the club.
"We're bringing him in on a Minor League contract, and (we'll) have him compete for a job and see where it goes from here."
Hidalgo will fight for time with Luis Matos in left field, and his presence could keep Kevin Millar and Jeff Conine at first base and designated hitter. The right-handed hitter batted just .221 with 16 home runs for Texas last season, but he's still well known for the 44-homer season he put up in 2000. For his career, Hidalgo is a .269 hitter with 171 home runs in 987 games.
"He's another guy that we can throw in the mix. We'll take a good look at him," said Baltimore manager Sam Perlozzo. "I think he throws very well and, of course, he's got power. He brings some Major League statistics to the table. He's going to have to go out there and win a job just like everybody else."
Duquette said it was important to get Hidalgo in camp before the games start, and he also said he expects the 30-year-old to be in decent shape when he arrives.
"When guys come in on a Minor League contract, they're playing for themselves as much as for the club they're with, or for the other clubs to get a look at them," Duquette said. "Rather than being at home, not staying in shape, it's different conditioning for them. I don't know if that made a difference or not. We're glad he decided to come in before the games start."
Melvin Mora, Baltimore's third baseman, has reason to be thrilled with the Hidalgo signing. The two Venezuela natives are close friends and Mora said he thought Hidalgo would make the Orioles a better team.
"Richard, everybody knows his numbers in the past, when he was hitting," said Mora. "Everybody knows he's a great outfielder. He's got a great arm. He's a young guy, and he's already got (a) 40-plus homer (season) in the big leagues.
"He's not a troublemaker. He's a guy that likes to work hard. And he can hit."
Spencer Fordin is a reporter for MLB.com.