BALTIMORE -- Right fielder Nick Markakis and the Baltimore Orioles reached a preliminary agreement Monday on a $66 million, six-year contract, according to a person familiar with the deal.
The contract is pending a physical, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been signed.
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| Nick Markakis knocked in 87 runs, hit 20 homers and finished with a career-high .306 batting average last year. (US Presswire) |
Markakis hit a career-high .306 with 20 homers and 87 RBI for the Orioles last season, his third in the majors. He played in 157 games, drew 99 walks and led all AL outfielders with 17 assists.
The only higher deal for the Orioles was the $72 million, six-year contract shortstop Miguel Tejada signed before the 2003 season.
Markakis was selected by Baltimore with the seventh overall pick in the 2003 amateur draft. The 25-year-old has a .299 career batting average and has not played in fewer than 147 games in any of his three big league seasons.
His best season was in 2007, when he batted .300 with 23 homers and 112 RBI in 161 games.
Markakis gives the Orioles a combination of speed, power and defense. Besides possessing a strong arm and impressive first-to-third speed, he stole 10 bases and had a .491 slugging percentage.
On August 22, 2006, Markakis hit three homers in a game -- the 18th Orioles to accomplish the feat and the first since 1999.
In other news Monday, the Orioles obtained minor league pitcher David Pauley from the Boston Red Sox for right-hander Randor Bierd.
The 25-year-old Pauley went 14-4 with a 3.55 ERA in 25 starts with Triple-A Pawtucket in 2008 and is 56-52 with a 3.92 ERA in 177 minor league games over eight seasons. He went 0-1 with an 11.68 ERA in six games with the Red Sox last season.
Bierd was 0-2 in 29 games with Baltimore in 2008.
mgschiet 
