BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have agreed on a two-year deal with free agent Omar Daal, who should enhance a starting rotation that struggled in 2002.

	Omar Daal Starting Pitcher Baltimore Orioles Profile
	2002 SEASON STATISTICS GM IP W-L BB K ERA 39 161.1 11-9 54 105 3.90

Daal, 30, went 11-9 with a 3.90 ERA with the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. The left-hander pitched in relief in 16 of his 39 appearances, but will begin his tenure with the Orioles exclusively as a starter.

"He's a welcome addition, especially because we didn't have a left-hander in the rotation,'' Orioles vice president of baseball operations Mike Flanagan said Thursday night.

The deal will be completed if Daal passes his physical Friday morning.

Daal, a 10-year veteran, is expected to vie with Sidney Ponson for the No. 2 spot behind Rodrigo Lopez.

"We expect him to be near the top of the rotation,'' Flanagan said.

Daal has a career record of 64-67, but has pitched well over the past two years. He went 13-7 with a 4.46 ERA in 2001 with the Philadelphia Phillies before logging 161 1-3 innings with the Dodgers last year.

	Finally, a lefty!
	The Orioles' projected starting rotation for the 2003 season: Rodrigo Lopez, RHP Sidney Ponson, RHP Omar Daal, LHP Jason Johnson, RHP Travis Driskill, RHP/ Scott Erickson, RHP

Daal should boost a starting rotation that went 42-75 with a 4.95 ERA in 2002 -- including a miserable 19-45 after the All-Star break.

The Orioles have spent much of the offseason trying to sign a slugger, most notably catcher Ivan Rodriguez, but were quick to seize the opportunity to upgrade their shaky staff.

"Anytime you can upgrade your pitching, you do it,'' Flanagan said. "We're very pleased and happy to have him.''

Daal broke into the majors with the Dodgers in 1993. Only nine of his 373 appearances have taken place in the AL; he went 1-1 with Toronto during the latter part of the 1997 season.

He has also pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Montreal Expos. His best season came in 1999, when he went 16-9 with a 3.65 ERA in 32 starts with Arizona.

That was also the last season in which Daal pitched a complete game.