Baltimore avoided arbitration with RHP Jorge Julio, signing him to a one-year, $2.5M contract last week. When teams and players exchanged arbitration figures, the Orioles offered $2.35M while Julio requested $2.9M. Downgrading Julio to co-closer in September likely saved Baltimore a few hundred thousand. The 25-year-old's skills changed little between 2003 and 2004. Julio's strikeout rate increased to over a batter an inning, his walk rate remained elevated, and his G-F reverted to his 2002 levels once again dropping below 1.