Portland’s Flaherty opts out of his deal, and reports say the Orioles may want him back

Ryan Flaherty exercised an opt-out clause in his contract with the Philadelphia Phillies and was released by the team on Thursday, according to media reports.

Flaherty, a Portland native and Deering High graduate, was in the Phillies’ camp on a minor-league contract and was competing for a spot on the 25-man roster as a utility player. He was hitting .351 in 37 at-bats this spring, with one home run and eight RBI.

Ryan Flaherty was released Thursday by the Philadelphia Phillies after the Portland native exercised an opt-out clause in his minor-league contract. Flaherty was trying to make the Phillies roster as a utility player. Associated Press/Lynne Sladky

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Flaherty, 31, signed with the Phillies in February after spending six seasons with the Orioles. He saw time at every position for Baltimore except catcher and center field.

There are reports that the Orioles are interested in bring back Flaherty.

MINOR LEAGUE players who make as little as $5,500 a season would be stripped of the protection of federal minimum wage laws under a provision in government spending legislation expected to be approved by Congress this week.

The “Save America’s Pastime Act” is included on page 1,967 of the law and appears to pre-empt a lawsuit filed four years ago in U.S. District Court in San Francisco by three players alleging Major League Baseball and its teams violate the Fair Labor Standards Act and state minimum wage and overtime requirements for a work week they estimated at 50-to-60 hours.

TIGERS: The Tigers reassigned veteran catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to their minor league camp.

ATHLETICS: Right-hander Jharel Cotton had Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament his pitching elbow.

MARINERS: Reliever David Phelps will miss this season after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm.

METS: Right-hander Rafael Montero probably will miss the season after tearing a ligament in his pitching elbow.

ATLANTA, OAKLAND and Seattle will open express entrances to members of CLEAR, expanding the fast-entry lanes to nine of the 30 big league ballparks.

CLEAR is used at 24 U.S. airports to speed passage through security and opened at Yankee Stadium and Coors Field in 2015. It expanded to Marlins Park and Citi Field the following season and added Detroit’s Comerica Park in 2017.

CLEAR is available for a $179 annual fee, with discounted prices for members of Delta’s SkyMiles program.

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