New Braves outfielder Nick Markakis had his sights set on finishing his career in Baltimore. And he said he would have, if not for ill-fated contract negotiations between the two sides over the summer that ultimately soured the relationship.
The Orioles balked at handing Markakis a long-term deal, in part because of concerns over a lingering neck injury, but they indicated that wasn't the primary issue. That led to a rather messy divorce with the former franchise cornerstone, who wound up signing a four-year, $44 million contract in Atlanta as a free agent.
"Don't believe a word they say," Markakis told USA Today on Wednesday. "It was all because of my neck. They can say what they want to make them look good. It's all B.S.''
UPDATE: Markakis apologized Thursday, per MASN.com, and tried to add context.
"What I said wasn't directed at any way to the Orioles organization or ownership. It's just one of those things where I kind of said sarcastically, 'B.S., I wouldn't believe everything you hear. Don't believe them,' " Markakis told MASN.com's Roch Kubatko. "I just want to put it behind me and I apologize for what I did, but there's a reason why it came out of my mouth. I'm just tired of people thinking they know what happened."
After signing with the Braves, an MRI revealed a bulging disk in Markakis' neck. He underwent surgery Dec. 17.
"We were concerned about the disk repair," Orioles president Dan Duquette told USA Today.
Duquette said in December that there were several offers made to Markakis' camp that were rebuffed, ostensibly because they were unwilling to add the extra year Markakis eventually received from the Braves.
"We got fairly close a couple times, but we couldn't close the deal," Duquette told reporters then. "We had a concern that made the term an issue for us and it was going to take us a little bit longer time to resolve that. I think the timing of the other offer, I think Nick felt compelled that he needed to move on that."
The Orioles also lost fellow outfielder Nelson Cruz as a free agent to the Mariners.
"I know what's going on, I know the truth," All-Star center fielder Adam Jones, who is close to Markakis, told MASN Sports on Wednesday. "It's a move he made for himself. I never fault him for it.
"Now you want to say it two months later. Let's say it when everybody's wanting to know right then and now. But it always comes out later. That's just how this game is."
UPDATE 2: Markakis said he exchanged text messages with Jones and Orioles manager Buck Showalter.
"I have good friendships over there. That's something more powerful than the game can be, and in the long run that's all that matters to me," he told Kubatko.