Negotiations between outfielder Mark Trumbo and the Baltimore Orioles have taken an encouraging turn, as reports have surfaced that Trumbo would be willing to take a lesser deal to re-sign with Baltimore.

The Mark Trumbo, Baltimore Orioles saga continues, only this time, things are looking a little better. Reports have surfaced saying that the former Orioles slugger would be willing to take a discounted deal to re-sign with Baltimore, per Ken Rosenthal.

This is an encouraging sign in negotiations that have been tumultuous to say the least. Originally, Trumbo had been asking for a four-year, $80M deal this offseason, an offer the Baltimore Orioles were not willing to make.

In mid-December, it was reported that the Orioles had taken a $70-75M offer to Trumbo off the table, and all signs began indicating that the two sides were at a stalemate.

As Baltimore Orioles fans are well aware of, GM Dan Duquette has a reputation for waiting out the market, and for having a love affair with draft picks. He indicated earlier this offseason that the team might be more interested in the compensatory draft pick they’d receive than Trumbo himself:

“As far as the club goes, as far as the Orioles go, we kind of like the draft pick since the value of that draft pick has been enhanced with the negotiations from the new basic agreement…the level is diluted next year so we like the draft pick and we like some of the other options, some shorter-term options, on the market that would be more cost-effective to the club so that’s how we’re proceeding in terms of assembling our team.”

Rosenthal also reported that a rival executive expressed that the relationship between Trumbo and the Orioles was damaged and that the slugger would prefer to sign elsewhere.

That being said, his willingness to take a lesser deal signifies that either he’s keenly aware that his market is shrinking, or that he truly does want to come back to Baltimore.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old hit .256/.316/.533 with a league-leading 47 HRs as well as 94 R and 108 RBIs, his best season of his career. While 47 home runs might be the best he’ll ever do, there’s no reason he couldn’t his another 30-35 while still batting .255 next season.

If the Orioles can work with Trumbo and get him for the right price, he would be a great piece to bring back. They just have to be careful not to overpay for him because if they do, that will bite them when it comes time to talk to Manny Machado about an extension.