Showalter wouldn't be surprised if Davis waited until March to sign

Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter has no idea if he'll be penciling Chris Davis' name into his lineup next season, and doesn't expect the free-agent slugger to make up his mind to sign anytime soon.

"It wouldn't surprise me if it went to February," Showalter told Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun of Davis' contract negotiations. "It wouldn't surprise me if it goes to March."

The Orioles have been linked to Davis throughout the winter, having even extended a seven-year, $154-million offer that has since been taken off the table. General manager Dan Duquette has said he's willing to reopen negotiations back up with Davis, but the team is also looking at contingency plans should he sign elsewhere.

Davis is arguably the top free-agent power hitter on the market. The 29-year-old has clubbed 126 home runs and owns a .891 OPS over the past three seasons. He's coming off a year in which he led the majors in homers - the second time he's done that since 2013.

Should Davis wait to sign until Showalter's predicted timeline, he'll be in jeopardy of missing the start of camp. Major League Baseball released its first workout dates for spring training, with the first full-squad workout for most teams beginning Feb. 23.