The Baltimore Orioles, Casey Close, and the rest of the baseball world were reeling Thursday after Dexter Fowler's surprising return to the Chicago Cubs triggered a nasty war of insults, name-calling, and accusations.
And that was just from Close, Fowler's agent.
Close blasted the Orioles' front office and members of the media for what he described as reckless and irresponsible behavior in the reporting of Fowler's apparent deal with Baltimore, which he said never came close to fruition.
By the time everyone had their say, the Orioles tried to distance themselves from the controversy, Fowler said his Cubs teammates were catfished, and MLB had its DeAndre Jordan moment of the offseason.
Here's how the whole saga reportedly went down:
November 13: Fowler becomes a free agent after rejecting the Cubs' $15.8-million qualifying offer. Any club that signs him has to forfeit its highest unprotected pick in the 2016 draft, and the Cubs receive a compensatory pick in the competitive balance round. Over the next few months, Fowler's linked to several teams, including the New York Mets, Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals, and Cubs.
January 27: Local reports out of Chicago say both the Cubs and White Sox remain in play to sign Fowler. The Cubs are identified as front-runners.
February 10: Following reports the Orioles were making progress on a deal with free-agent pitcher Yovani Gallardo, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the club is considering signing Fowler, too.
February 17: It's reported the Orioles are still negotiating deals with Fowler and Gallardo, but it's expected the club will sign both players. Fowler's believed to be discussing a two- or three-year deal worth about $12 million per season.
February 20: Gallardo and the Orioles reportedly agree to a three-year, $35-million deal.
February 23: Gallardo's deal hits a roadblock after the Orioles apparently became concerned over the results of his physical. Hours later, it's widely reported that Fowler and the Orioles have agreed on a contract that's believed to be worth $33 million over three years.
February 24: Adam Jones tells reporters during a media scrum in Sarasota that Fowler is "excited" to be joining the Orioles and "he should be on his way now." Reports say Fowler's expected to arrive at the Orioles' spring training facility on Thursday to take his physical. Later that evening, it's reported the Orioles and Gallardo have agreed to a restructured deal.
February 25
7:24 a.m. ET: Orioles officially announce they've signed Gallardo to a two-year deal.
12:00 p.m. ET: In an interesting precursor to the events that followed, the Cubs free up payroll and roster space by trading outfielder Chris Coghlan to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Aaron Brooks.
12:35 p.m. ET: Cubs manager Joe Maddon gathers his players for a "special announcement." In a shocking turn of events, Fowler surprises his former teammates at camp by walking onto the field with Theo Epstein and informing them he re-signed with the team on a one-year deal. Fowler tells reporters he turned down a three-year offer from another club, and says there was never a verbal agreement with the Orioles. The report "didn't come from our camp," he says.
1:30 p.m. ET: Fowler, who lives in Las Vegas, says he drove to Arizona on Wednesday to undergo a physical with the Cubs. "This is where my heart is," he says. When told that Cubs players thought he was in Sarasota finalizing his deal with Baltimore, Fowler says he catfished his teammates.
2:30 p.m. ET: Orioles executive Dan Duquette says his club made a competitive offer to Fowler but negotiations fell apart when he insisted on receiving an opt-out clause after the 2016 season.
6:11 p.m. ET: Close releases a scathing statement in which he rips the Orioles and the media for "recklessly spreading rumors" about a deal between Baltimore and his client that he says was never close. The statement reads, in part: "The Orioles' willful disregard of collectively bargained rules governing free agency and the media's eager complicity in helping the Orioles violate those rules are reprehensible."
7:30 p.m. ET: During a dinner reception in Florida, Duquette responds to Close's comments, saying, "I'm not sure what that statement is about, because his job is to represent his player." Duquette says Baltimore was "sincere" in its efforts to sign Fowler, and it was the center fielder's choice to take less money with another team.