Buck Showalter, Orioles talking extension

Last season, the Baltimore Orioles snapped a 14-year streak of futility and losing records to return to playoff baseball, and according to The Baltimore Sun's Dan Connolly, the team is now looking to hand its skipper, Buck Showalter, a multi-year contract extension. Showalter's current deal runs through the 2013 season.

Connolly reports that Showalter and Orioles owner Peter Angelos met multiple times in the past week to discuss a long-term contract extension. During that time, both parties established common ground on a multi-year extension, and it is expected that an agreement will be reached in January.

Since Showalter took over as the O's manager in August 2010, the club has gone 196-185, largely thanks to its surprising 93-69 record in 2012. After defeating the Texas Rangers to advance as the AL wild card, the Orioles fell to the Yankees in the ALDS. Showalter was the runner-up for the AL Manager of the Year award, finishing behind Oakland Athletics manager Bob Melvin.

The Orioles are the fourth big-league club that Showalter has managed. If he is able to strike a deal with Angelos that keeps him in Baltimore for a fifth season or more, his time with the club will surpass his longest tenure (four years) with the previous three teams.