Sources: O's, Dan Duquette near deal

Updated: November 6, 2011, 1:10 AM ET

By Tim Kurkjian | ESPN The Magazine

The Baltimore Orioles are close to officially naming Dan Duquette as their next general manager, two sources confirmed Saturday.

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Duquette, formerly a GM for the Montreal Expos and Boston Red Sox, interviewed in Baltimore Friday and was traveling to Baltimore Saturday to finalize a contract.

The Orioles had offered the GM job to Toronto Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava, but he turned it down. LaCava was the only person offered the job before Duquette.

Jerry Dipoto interviewed, but he took the GM job with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Orioles also interviewed De Jon Watson, assistant GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Scott Proefrock, assistant GM with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Duquette helped build the Expos into the best team in the National League in 1994, but that season ended in August with a players' strike. He later became the GM of the Red Sox, and was the GM that made the deal to bring Pedro Martinez to Boston.

Tim Kurkjian is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.