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O's end meetings amid conflicting reports on Davis offer

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles wrapped up their four days in Tennessee on Thursday the same way they began - without first baseman Chris Davis under contract.

Signing Davis has remained the Orioles' top priority this offseason after the free-agent slugger led the majors with 47 home runs in 2015, but negotiations between the two sides have appeared to hit an impasse.

With the Nashville winter meetings coming to a close, conflicting reports have emerged as to just how much progress was actually made this week. According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Orioles appear hopeful, even "somewhat optimistic," they can strike a deal with Davis after upping their offer to as much as $168 million over seven years.

Meanwhile, reports from Baltimore outlets on Thursday claimed the Orioles hadn't increased their negotiating position since earlier in the offseason, when the club made the 29-year-old first baseman a seven-year, $150-million offer. ESPN's Buster Olney supported that notion, saying the club hasn't raised the offer even "a nickel," and going so far as to say the Orioles pulled the contract off the table altogether.

Up until this point, the Orioles have appeared steadfast on bringing back Davis after watching him belt a major league-leading 159 home runs over the past four seasons. But with talks stalling and other free agents signing, it's unclear how long the club is willing to wait, if at all.

"There's a lot of rumors out there, lot of interest," Orioles executive Dan Duquette said Thursday. "But now's the time of the year to buckle down and for people to make choices, what they're going to do with their teams and for players to choose what teams they're going to play for."

Outside of Baltimore, the market has been slow to develop for Davis, who became a free agent for the first time in his career after rejecting the club's $15.8-million qualifying offer last month. His agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday that while the Orioles have made it clear they want Davis to return, his client continues to generate interest from other teams.

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