Orioles again work their late-January magic to bring back MLB's leading HR hitter
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Baltimore Orioles fans are having a serious case of déjà vu.
Free-agent slugger Mark Trumbo agreed to a three-year, $37.5 million deal to return to the O's on Thursday evening. The agreement comes almost one year to the day that free-agent slugger Chris Davis re-upped with the Orioles on a multiyear contract.
And the similarities don't stop there. Davis led the majors with 47 homers in 2015, while Trumbo led the majors with 47 homers in 2016.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The big difference between the deals? Davis inked a seven-year, $161 million contract -- more than twice as long as Trumbo's and more than four times as valuable in terms of dollars.
It's a case of different player (Trumbo hit 36 homers in 2014 and 2015 combined) and a different market (Trumbo was one of many power hitters who settled for far less than expected when this offseason began).
It's a bargain the Orioles and their fans gladly should celebrate, as Trumbo fills a big void in right field and in the lineup. Baltimore led the majors with 253 homers last season and is well positioned to do so again. But about that rotation …