Johan Santana had the ability to opt out of his contract with the Orioles at midnight tonight, but the team has convinced him to stick around.
The Orioles announced this evening that they have purchased Santana’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk and placed him on the 15-day disabled list. This means that he is officially on the team’s 40-man roster.
Reports about Santana have been positive in extended spring training, with his velocity reaching the high-80s. Orioles manager Buck Showalter told Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun last week that he was hoping the 35-year-old southpaw would be ready to join the team’s rotation by June 18 or 19. Santana obviously still has some hurdles to cross, but it would be quite an accomplishment to make it back to the majors after his second major shoulder surgery.