Orioles won't sign Grant Balfour

ByABC News
December 20, 2013, 5:57 PM

— -- BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles will not be signing free agent closer Grant Balfour.

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette says that the club was not satisfied with the results of Balfour's physical examination.

"The Orioles were disappointed we couldn't complete a contract with Grant Balfour," Duquette said in a Friday conference call.

Baltimore and Balfour came to a reported two-year, $15 million agreement with $1 million deferred on Tuesday pending results of the physical. Duquette said the team would not seek to restructure the agreement.

Duquette declined to say what the specific concerns with Balfour were, but the right-hander had shoulder and elbow operations that kept him out of the major leagues in 2005 and '06.

Balfour's agent, Seth Levinson, released a statement insisting that the pitcher's health is not a concern.

"Grant is completely healthy and that was told to us today by Dr. Koco Eaton, a well-respected club physician,'' Levinson said. "Dr. Eaton's opinion is based upon the fact that the MRI which was taken today is the same as the MRI which was taken in 2011 as a condition of the 3-year contract that Grant signed with the A's.

"Dr. Tim Kremchek, another well-respected club physician, reviewed the Orioles' medical report and advised that he is remarkably impressed that there has been little change in Grant's arm for almost 10 years. Now factor into the equation that Grant was a 2013 All Star, pitched 65 games and another three scoreless innings in the post season with a 94-95 mph fastball. The only reasonable conclusion is that Grant is healthy and the Orioles at the last moment changed their minds."

Duquette says the Orioles will "turn our attention elsewhere for now."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.