Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette was fairly adamant last offseason that he would not sign a free agent who would require his club to give up its first-round draft pick.
He didn't, and the Orioles selected high school pitcher Hunter Harvey with the 22nd overall pick of the 2013 amateur draft.
This year, however, Duquette seems to have softened that stance, at least slightly.
When asked whether he still would be hesitant to forfeit a pick for a free agent, Duquette said: "We'll have to evaluate that on a case-by-case basis."
That opens the door a little for the Orioles to potentially sign a player who was given a qualifying offer by his previous club but rejected it and became a free agent. Those who likely will fall into that category this offseason include New York Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, Seattle Mariners designated hitter Kendrys Morales and Kansas City Royals starter Ervin Santana, among others.
Cano and Ellsbury are expected to be well beyond the Orioles' budget, but Morales and Santana could be more affordable.
According to the most recent collective bargaining agreement, teams that sign players who have rejected qualifying offers forfeit either their first- or second-round pick in the following draft. The Orioles, because they choose in the second half of the first round, would lose their first-rounder.