The Baltimore Orioles are a long way off from contending in the AL East, but that doesn't mean the team isn't looking to improve. After a dismal 52-win season in 2021, the O's are looking to eclipse the 60-win threshold for the first time since 2017, and they're working to add a veteran infielder who can help them achieve that.

According to Dan Connolly of The Athletic, The O's are “close” to signing free-agent infielder Rougned Odor on a one-year contract.

Odor is best known for his altercation with Jose Bautista during Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS, during which he punched the former Blue Jays' slugger square in the jaw after a hard slide into second base.

The infielder had spent the first seven years of his MLB career with the Texas Rangers. He played in 858 games for the Rangers, hitting 146 home runs and driving in 458 runs while recording a .728 OPS.

Odor spent the 2021 season with the New York Yankees, featuring in 102 games and recording 15 home runs and 39 RBI in pinstripes. The 28-year-old has not hit for average over the past few years. He's recorded just one season with a batting average over .205 in the past five years. Still, he possesses raw power in the infield that is hard to come by, and could be a useful mentor to the young players on the Orioles' roster.

The Orioles may well look to trade Odor to a contending team at the deadline in exchange for some prospects, and there could well be some teams interested in adding a powerful left-handed hitter to the lineup at the midway point in 2022.