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BALTIMORE -- The Orioles reached agreement on a one-year deal with right-handed pitcher Daniel Cabrera on Friday, reducing their list of arbitration-eligible players. Cabrera waived his first chance at arbitration and agreed to a contract reportedly worth $1.8 million, leaving five players who are under control and not under contract.
Cabrera had an erratic season that included a temporary demotion to Triple-A Ottawa, but he rebounded toward the end of the season and finished with the best start of his career. The hulking right-hander took a no-hitter into the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium, but childhood friend Robinson Cano broke it up with two outs to go.

Cabrera settled for a complete-game one-hitter and finished his season with a 9-10 record and 4.74 ERA. For his career, he's 31-31 and a 4.75 mark. The 25-year-old has drawn raves as a potential breakout player because of his 6-foot-7 frame and 95 mph fastball, but he's yet to iron out the inconsistency in his command and control.

In fact, he had one game last season where he walked nine batters and struck out 10, illustrating his season in one baffling five-inning start. Still, he showed first-year pitching coach Leo Mazzone enough to have him excited about next season. After Cabrera's one-hitter, Mazzone left him the lineup card with a clear message on it.

"You will throw a no-hitter in your future," it said in crisp and clean block letters.

"Yeah, he tells me all the time, 'The day you have plenty of confidence in all your stuff, you'll see that it's going to be hard for some people to hit you,'" Cabrera said last September. "You see sometimes I come in with all my stuff and I don't [allow] too many base hits. When I walk people, that's when bad things start to happen."

Baltimore's remaining arbitration-eligible players are second baseman Brian Roberts, center fielder Corey Patterson and pitchers Erik Bedard, Rodrigo Lopez and Todd Williams. The Orioles have already begun negotiations with Roberts on a contract for next season -- and perhaps for a multiyear extension.

Lopez and Patterson are in their last year before becoming eligible for free agency, but Bedard has three years left. That length of time may convince the team to give its ace a one-year deal, as opposed to an extension.


Making a move: Right-handed pitcher Anderson Garcia was a direct casualty of the Aubrey Huff signing. Baltimore designated Garcia for assignment Wednesday to make room for Huff, and the right-hander was claimed off waivers Friday by the Phillies. Baltimore had acquired Garcia as a waiver claim last August.

The 24-year-old worked mainly as a reliever last season and split the year between Double-A and Triple-A. He posted a 3-2 record and a 1.53 ERA at Double-A, combined numbers that take his tenure with Baltimore and the Mets into account. He was less successful at Triple-A, notching a 1-4 record and a 5.68 ERA in 25 games at that level.

Engraved invitation: The Orioles announced that they have signed 18 non-roster players with invitations to their Spring Training camp. Ten of the players have prior big-league experience, most notably outfielders Roger Cedeno and Jason Dubois and pitchers Rob Bell, Jose Acevedo and Francis Beltran.

Cedeno, an 11-year veteran, was out of baseball last season. The 32-year-old is a .273 career hitter with 160 stolen bases. His best season was 1999, when he hit .313 and stole 66 bases for the Mets, but his last taste of big-league action was 257 at-bats with the Cardinals split between the 2004 and '05 seasons.

Acevedo, meanwhile, is a career 18-25 pitcher with a 5.74 ERA. Bell has struggled to a 30-34 record and a 5.69 ERA in six seasons. Those two, and several others, will be competing for a spot at Triple-A Norfolk. First baseman Josh Phelps would have been on the list, but he was claimed by the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft.

Baltimore also signed outfielders Dubois and Jon Knott to strengthen the team's outfield depth. Knott, who hit .280 with 32 home runs at Triple-A Portland last season, is regarded as a strong candidate to make the team as a platoon player. Former top prospects Brandon Sing and J.R. House were also brought in to compete for playing time.

Others signed include pitchers Francis Beltran, Freddy Deza, Michael Doyne, Steve Green, Jon Leicester, Victor Moreno and Chris Waters. Baltimore also extended invitations to infielders Mike Cervanek and Terry Tiffee and outfielders Luis Montanez and Ruddy Yan. Tiffee would provide yet more depth at third base and DH.

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Cal Ripken HOF 2007