In Brief : Orioles Sign Thurmond for 1 Year

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mark Thurmond agreed to a one-year contract today, the team announced.

Terms of the contract were not announced. Thurmond had filed for arbitration Monday and was the only Oriole to file. The left-handed reliever was acquired by the Orioles during last year’s spring training from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for third baseman Ray Knight.

Thurmond, 30, was 1-8 with a 4.58 earned run average in 43 games for the Orioles last season. His 2.97 ERA after the All-Star break was the Orioles’ best. Thurmond’s signing means the Orioles have avoided arbitration for the 10th consecutive season. The last Oriole to complete the arbitration process was infielder Billy Smith in 1979.