The Orioles are close to knocking off a big item from their offseason wish list as they have agreed to terms with free agent first baseman Derrek Lee, according to sources.

The deal is pending a physical and the terms of the deal aren’t currently known, but Lee’s camp has made it clear that the veteran was content with a one-year pact worth between $8 and $10 million that would allow him to improve his value in anticipation of becoming a free agent again next offseason.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail declined comment.

Lee, a 35-year-old veteran of 14 big league seasons, batted .260 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 148 combined games for the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves in 2010. However, he played all season with a torn ligament in his right thumb, an injury that he sustained on Opening Day and is believed to have contributed to his decline in power numbers.

The season before, Lee, who had surgery on the thumb early last month and is expected to be ready for spring training, batted .306 with 35 homers and 111 RBIs in 141 games for the Cubs in 2009, and finished in the top 10 in National League Most Valuable Player voting.

A two-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glove winner, Lee is a career .282 hitter.

According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Lee was lukewarm with the idea of signing with the Orioles earlier this offseason, but the number of teams with first base vacancies has dwindled. The Orioles also appeared to be focused on signing Adam LaRoche, but talks with him reached an impasse over the free agent’s insistence on a three-year deal.

Once that happened, the Orioles renewed their negotiations with Lee’s agent, Casey Close.

The deal would complete the Orioles’ offseason infield overhaul. They traded for third baseman Mark Reynolds, a teammate of LaRoche’s last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks, shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility man Brendan Harris. They also re-signed Cesar Izturis, their starting shortstop over the past two seasons, to provide depth behind second baseman Brian Roberts, who played just 59 games last year because of a herniated disk in his back.

Once their first base vacancy is filled, the Orioles will focus on upgrading their pitching staff. They have an offer out for reliever Kevin Gregg, and they also are considering adding a left-handed reliever. Their preference also would be to add a veteran starter.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (81)
        

Looks like we have made it through another year at the bar together – or almost anyway.

Looks like we’ve also almost made it through another NFL regular season. We have one more Prediction Friday before the stakes get kicked up a notch (in the NFL, that is, not here. This is for amusement purposes only).

I hope everyone had a great holiday week. I did, spending most of the time being a dad, which is as good as it gets these days. A quick update for those of you who wondered how the church Christmas pageant went: It started with my 7-year-old daughter Annie’s opening line and ended with my 11-year-old son Alex’s walk-off “prince of peace” declaration that was delivered with a flourish.

The way I look at it, any play that starts and ends with a Connolly is Broadway material. But maybe I am biased. Most important, my 3-year-old, Gracie, kept her sheep ears on her head. It was a big concern. Gracie kept yelling to her brother and swinging on the altar rail during the play, but, hey, she kept her ears on. Little battles won.

The Ravens won their battle last week, a 20-10 victory over the Browns. I was just four points off, predicting a 24-10 Ravens’ win. Dspedden (20-14) was also four points off and Scott (17-10) was only three; both get drink chips this week. The free bar tab goes to Wyatt Paden, who was just one off at 21-10. Wyatt gets the extra bonus of a free tab on New Year’s Eve. You may want to call in sick for Monday, Wyatt.

The Ravens have clinched a playoff berth but have one more test before the season ends: beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Baltimore. The Ravens need to win and hope the Cleveland Browns somehow beat the Pittsburgh Steelers to hand the Ravens the AFC North crown.

I don’t see that happening, but I do expect the Ravens to thump the Bengals, 27-7. Joe Flacco will be the hero of the game with three TDs in the first half and a well-earned spot on the bench in the fourth quarter.

Now, it’s your turn. Give me a winner, a score and a hero of the game for the final time of the regular season. If you are feeling charitable, throw in a prediction on what happens with the Steelers-Browns, too.

And for those of you yearning to talk Orioles, we’ll give you a bonus special today. This week it has been quiet on the Orioles’ front – and I am sure that drove many of you crazy. But I still have a thought for you. I was asked recently by a magazine to answer a few questions about the Orioles. I am passing one of those onto you:

Of the Orioles’ young starters – Jake Arrieta, Brad Bergesen, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and, we’ll throw in top prospect Zach Britton, too -- which one has the best chance of emerging as a top flight pitcher in 2011. Maybe your answer is none. And that’s fine. By the way, I did not include Jeremy Guthrie, who is 31.

For argument’s sake, I said Matusz, based on his performance in the final part of 2010. Plus, he’s left-handed, and that certainly doesn’t hurt his case. Which do you think will really take a step forward in 2011?

Regardless, here’s toasting a happy and safe new year to you all.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Bengals

Bonus Think Special: Which young Orioles’ starter will emerge as a top flight pitcher in 2011, if any?

Double Secret Bonus Special: Will the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Sunday against Cleveland?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

As I patiently wait for the Orioles to get a decision from reliever Kevin Gregg and to try to finalize negotiations with free agent first basemen Derrek Lee or Adam LaRoche, I figured I'd pass along an interesting take on the club from Sports Illustrated's Joe Sheehan. Sheehan made his predictions for the club for an article on SI.com and his No. 2 prediction concerned your Baltimore Orioles.

Sheehan wrote: "The Orioles will be next year's Padres. San Diego's storybook run ended just shy of success, the team falling to the Giants on the final day of the season to miss the NL West title and the postseason by one game. The Orioles will meet the same playoff-less fate in the loaded AL East, but not before getting the attention of the industry with their impressive set of young pitchers. Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and Jake Arrieta are already in the majors, and top prospect Zach Britton could join them by midseason. The offense isn't yet ready for prime time, though it does include the underrated Nick Markakis and forgotten Matt Wieters. Look for the Orioles to finish above .500 for the first time since 1997."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (90)
        

Orioles young starter Brad Bergesen certainly feels better now about an upcoming baseball season than he did at this time last year.

That’s because he’s not dealing with pain in shoulder, which cropped up last December after he did too much, too soon while filming a commercial. He’s also not dealing with any lingering soreness in his left leg, which started when he was drilled by a Billy Butler comebacker, an injury that ended his promising 2009 season.

“Last offseason was such a mental strain from me, coming off the leg injury,” Bergesen said today in a phone interview. “I wasn’t walking on that until October. And then the arm injury came, obviously. Just to be completely healthy this season and to go about the normal routine is a great feeling.”

Bergesen said that he started throwing about two weeks ago, and he’s played catch about six or seven times. He’s hoping to throw his first bullpen in about two weeks.

The 25-year-old had a rollercoaster 2010 season, going 8-12 with a 4.98 ERA in 30 outings (28 starts). He was optioned to Triple-A in late April after pitching to a 12.19 ERA and losing his first three starts. He returned to the majors May 1 and went 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in his next three starts, but then he compiled a 7.40 ERA over his next six games, and was again jettisoned to Norfolk.

He was recalled to the majors for good on June 26, and he went 5-6 with a 3.98 ERA in 15 starts after the All-Star break. Bergesen went 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five August starts and over his last 12 outings, he pitched to a 2.85 ERA and allowed three earned runs or fewer 10 times.

“Just the way I finished the year, it gave me much needed confidence going into the offseason,” Bergesen said. “I was down and I found a way to get back up and compete in the A.L. East. That was good progress. I’m just trying to carry that into this year and continue to work on the things that helped me be successful.”

Bergesen was very close to pitching coach Rick Kranitz, who is now in Milwaukee. However, he said that he is looking forward to working with new pitching coach Mark Connor, who has called the Orioles’ pitchers over the last month to introduce himself.

“I don’t know exactly what type of pitching philosophy he has,” Bergesen said. “I talked to Kevin Millwood about him. He was saying he’s an old school type of guy. I look at myself that way. I’m just looking forward to getting a chance to work with him.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

Matt Hobgood’s professional career hasn’t gotten off to a good start since the Orioles made the California high school pitcher the fifth overall selection in the 2009 draft. He’s struggled to find consistency on the mound and his conditioning has been an issue.

Now, the 20-year-old is dealing with a right shoulder injury that will likely delay his start to the 2011 season. Hobgood started feeling some discomfort in his shoulder about two weeks ago while he was playing catch and the discomfort was significant enough for the pitcher to make pre-Christmas visits to both Orioles team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens and renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

He was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain. He’ll begin a therapy and rehabilitation program after the New Year, and then be re-evaluated in mid to late February.

“We’ll take the four to six weeks and then look at it,” said Orioles director of player development John Stockstill. “It might be a minor setback, it might be more than that. We’re not going to know until he goes through this.”

Stockstill said that the two doctors don’t think surgery is necessary at this point. Hobgood would have begun the 2011 season at either Low-A Delmarva or High-A Frederick, but the shoulder issues almost certainly mean that he’ll remain at extended spring training when the minor league seasons start.

Hobgood’s selection in 2009 was highly questioned by Oriole fans as the prep pitcher was considered a middle-to-late first-round pick by draft pundits. That – coupled by his slightly below-slot $2.42 million signing – fueled questions that the Orioles took him fifth overall because they felt that they could sign him quickly and relatively cheaply compared to other possible picks.

Hobgood went 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA in eight starts for Rookie-level Bluefield in 2009 and then followed that up by going 3-7 with a 4.40 ERA in 21 starts for Single-A Delmarva this past season. He started the season ranked as the Orioles’ fifth-best prospect by Baseball America, but he was not included among the organization’s top-10 prospects in rankings released recently by the publication.

A bigger concern beyond his numbers was that Hobgood’s velocity was down significantly, which team officials felt was a result of the prospect not being in good enough shape.

Several team officials spoke to Hobgood about getting into better shape and he appeared to be taking the message seriously. Hobgood has been working out at Athletes’ Performance in California in a group that includes Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman.

Tillman was highly complimentary of the pitcher’s work ethic, saying that Hobgood was doing conditioning work both before and after the regular workouts.

However, the latest news is certainly a blow to Hobgood, and the Orioles, who were hoping that their top draft pick would make some significant strides this year. He still may, but he’s going to have to get healthy first.

In other minor league news, the Orioles won’t announce their full affiliate coaching staffs until manager Buck Showalter determines who will be the final coach to round out his big league staff. However, the managers for the top affiliates are set. They are Gary Allenson (Triple-A Norfolk), Gary Kendall (Double-A Bowie), Orlando Gomez (Single-A Frederick) and Ryan Minor (Single-A Delmarva).

Allenson’s staff will include hitting coach Brad Komminsk and pitching coach Mike Griffin.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
        

As I said yesterday, I’m surprised that there has been no resolution by now with Kevin Gregg. The Orioles offered the free agent right-handed reliever a two-year deal worth between eight and $10 million three weeks ago at the winter meetings. And at the time, several team officials I spoke to sounded pretty confident that they would get their man.

However, their failure to close the deal and the obvious reality that Gregg has offers from several teams on the table and truly wants to sign with a club where he’d be the closer certainly has raised some question marks on whether he wants to be an Oriole.

Perhaps, he does and it just has taken a long time to hash out the contract details. If he doesn’t, the Orioles do have other comparable options. This isn’t like the first base situation where if the Orioles fail to land Derrek Lee or Adam LaRoche, they’ll likely have to settle for either signing a designated hitter and moving Luke Scott to first, or comb through the scrap heap for possible solutions.

While I simply don’t see the Orioles putting up the cash and years to acquire All-Star closer Rafael Soriano, big right-hander Jon Rauch, who the Orioles have some interest in, had a 3.12 ERA and saved 21 games in 59 appearances for the Minnesota Twins last year. Grant Balfour pitched to a 2.28 ERA in 57 outings for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010, though he’d cost the Orioles their second-round pick. Brian Fuentes, the deceptive left-hander, combined to go 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 24 saves in 48 appearances for the Twins and Los Angeles Angels this past season.

Then, there are much cheaper options, such as former Orioles closer Chris Ray, Manny Delcarmen, Chad Durbin, Chad Qualls or Aaron Heilman.

Gregg saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last season and brings a bulldog mentality that will help any bullpen. If he signs, he'll join an Opening Day seven-man bullpen that will likely include Koji Uehara, Jim Johnson, Michael Gonzalez, Jeremy Accardo and Jason Berken. The Orioles would then have several options for that seventh spot, including Rick VandenHurk, Troy Patton, Alfredo Simon, Pedro Viola and Rule 5 selection Adrian Rosario. There is also the chance that they'll sign another left-handed reliever, such as Will Ohman, Joe Beimel or Ron Mahay.

However, if Gregg opts to pitch elsewhere, I see other options available that if added, would still have to make Oriole fans feel pretty good about the state of the team's bullpen heading into the 2011 season.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

First of all, I hope everybody had a happy and safe holiday. It was a non-eventful one throughout baseball but that’s the way it usually goes. Most front offices close around the holidays, and I assume will remain so until Monday, Jan.3. However, that doesn’t mean moves cannot be made. It’s not like general managers keep their cell phones locked in their office awaiting their return. It can, however, prevent deals from getting finalized because players would have to get physicals and those usually are pushed back until after the holidays.

Either way, I thought it would be a good time for a quick review of what the Orioles still have left to do in regards to player acquisitions over the next month or so.

Find a first baseman: When I last checked in with sources a couple of days ago, the Orioles remained in negotiations with both Adam LaRoche and Derrek Lee. LaRoche had been insisting on a three-year deal, but there is some talk that his demands have come down a little bit and more in the Orioles’ preferred range. That has led to talks between the two sides, which were clearly at an impasse for much of last week, picking up again. Still, some key decision makers in the organization maintain interest in Lee, who is seeking a one-year deal in the $10 million range. The Orioles have traded proposals with Lee’s agent, Casey Close, on a couple of occasions and the two sides aren’t too far apart on terms. However, Lee, like LaRoche, does have other options, and didn’t have the Orioles high on his wish list when free agency began. I’m told that he has warmed to the idea a little, but it’s hardly a sure thing that he’d come to Baltimore even if the Orioles had the best offer on the table. The Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals are among the teams that still could add a first baseman.

Solidify the bullpen: The Orioles remain in negotiations with reliever Kevin Gregg, who apparently is mulling through offers. The Orioles have traded several proposals with his agent, but I can’t say for sure if their offer remains in the two-year, eight to $10 million range. That’s where it stood a couple of weeks ago at the winter meetings. Back then, I thought it was a formality that they’d land the former Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago Cubs and Florida Marlins’ closer. But the longer this goes on – and Gregg’s agent, Danny Horwits, did say not too long ago that the reliever was hoping to have a new club by the holidays - the more doubt creeps in that the Orioles will sign the right-hander. If they can’t get Gregg, I expect the Orioles will turn to the remaining free agent closers/set-up men, a list that includes Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes and Grant Balfour. I also expect that they’ll sign one more left-handed reliever from a group that includes Mark Hendrickson, Will Ohman, Hideki Okajima, Ron Mahay and Joe Beimel. As it stands without any new additions and barring any injuries, the Orioles’ seven-man bullpen on Opening Day would likely include Koji Uehara, Michael Gonzalez, Jim Johnson, Jeremy Accardo, Jason Berken, Alfredo Simon and Rick VandenHurk.

Add starting pitching depth: This is the one area that is the biggest mystery because it’s something the Orioles clearly want to do, but they haven’t been connected to any of the available free agent starters. Freddy Garcia’s name has come up, but I was told that was more just a matter of doing their due diligence rather than aggressively making a bid for the veteran. They have at least talked to Carl Pavano’s agent, but I’ve been given no indication that they got very far with him and are one of the remaining suitors. The remaining free agent starters include Jeremy Bonderman, Dave Bush, Doug Davis, Justin Duchscherer, Jeff Francis, John Maine, Kevin Millwood, Brad Penny and Chris Young. Several of those guys are coming off extensive injury issues and as I’ve written many times, that type of free agent is reluctant to sign with an American East club that faces the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees a combined 36 times, and plays in a hitter’s ballpark. That’s not exactly the best way to pitch well, prove you are healthy and get that long-term deal the following offseason. Most people I talk to suggest that the Orioles will go the trade route in acquiring a starter, but I’m not sure how many teams out there are trading starting pitching depth. The Philadelphia Phillies would obviously have no issues parting with Joe Blanton, but he’s another guy that the Orioles aren’t extremely high on.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

It’s Prediction Friday, but more important, it’s Christmas Eve.

Happy Holidays to all of those who celebrate Christmas. And, to the rest of you, well, thanks for putting up with us during this time, I guess.

It’s an especially big day in our family. Our annual church Christmas pageant will feature not one, not two, but three Connolly children for the first time. My 11-year-old son, Alex, is a narrator and so is my 7-year-old daughter, Annie, who also is an angel (in costume, anyway).

Making her stage debut (really, altar debut) tonight will be 3-year-old Gracie, who will be portraying a sheep. Right now, she is a sheep who won’t wear her sheep ears. So this could get interesting.

Anyway, I’ll be in church praying that Annie and Alex remember their lines, Gracie remains in costume and that the Orioles agree to no contracts while I’m recording the whole pageant like the nerdy Dad I am.

We’ll get back to the Orioles in a moment, but let’s get to why you came here: Prediction Friday with the Ravens. Last week, I broke my streak of having a clue, predicting the Ravens would lose at home to the Saints. Most of you were smarter than me (no surprise there), and the Ravens picked up a 30-24 victory.

Three of you had the Ravens winning, 27-24 (and one of you, Rich M, had the Ravens winning 27-24½ to keep with the 2 ½ point spread). So Rich M., Sizemo, Ken F and The Fred all get a free drink chip for a job well done.

Patrick is our big winner of the week, and lands the fake open tab for his impressive 28-24 call. It’s all the eggnog you can stomach this week, Patrick.

I have learned my lesson this week. I am taking the Ravens in Cleveland, and although the Browns are no longer a pushover, I don’t think it will be that close. I’m saying Ravens win 24-10. As my player of the game, I am picking Ray Rice to have his second consecutive dominating performance with two TDs and 180 total yards.

Now, it is your turn. Predict the winner, the score and the player of the game in Sunday’s contest between the Ravens and the Browns.

And, for those of you who can’t get enough Orioles, let’s go back to what has become the main question the past couple weeks: Who’s on first?

I’ve already asked you who you want at first base. Now I am asking you to predict what happens – it is Prediction Friday, after all.

The Orioles have had serious discussions with both Adam LaRoche and Derrek Lee. LaRoche is younger and coming off a better season, but a contract beyond two years is a risk. Lee would be a one-year fix, which would not affect future plans, but he’s not going to come cheaply, either.

The third alternative is if the Orioles sign a bat at designated hitter (Vladimir Guerrero or Jim Thome type) and then either move Luke Scott to first or get another, lesser free agent for that spot.

Although it hasn’t happened yet, I still believe the Orioles will sign either LaRoche or Lee. Do you?

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Browns

Bonus Think Special: Will the Orioles sign either Lee or LaRoche? If so, which one?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (74)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

Infielder Garrett Atkins, who has been out of baseball since the Orioles designated him for assignment June 27, has signed a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team announced today.

Atkins, 31, batted just .214 with one homer and nine RBIs in 44 games for the Orioles after they signed before the 2010 season and installed the former Colorado Rockie as their regular first baseman.

The Pirates signed first baseman Lyle Overbay earlier this offseason so I would think Atkins probably has an uphill battle to make their Opening Day roster. However, Atkins had his best years under new Pirates manager Clint Hurdle in Colorado so maybe that will get him going again.

The Orioles open their spring training schedule against the Pittsburgh Pirates in split-squad games on Feb. 28.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Because the Orioles’ free-agent first base and relief pitching vigil is seemingly never-ending, I thought it would be interesting to look again at the overall free-agent class – which was considered pretty shallow in October.

At the beginning of this offseason, ESPN ranked the top 50 free agents. Two days before Christmas, most of the better ones have been picked over and presented to a new city.

Consider this: Of ESPN’s Top 20 ranked free agents, 13 have already signed. That seems pretty high to me, a pseudo-old-school writer who remembers years past when many of the big names stayed on the board until after Christmas. The new free agency calendar, which allowed negotiations to begin roughly 10 days earlier, looks like it has made a difference.

Of the 18 in ESPN’s Top 50 that have not officially signed for 2011, five don’t really count.

Second baseman Orlando Hudson has reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the San Diego Padres pending physical; Andy Pettitte is either going to retire or re-sign with the New York Yankees; relief pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma has returned to the Rakuten Eagles because he could not agree to a deal with the Oakland A’s, who won his posting bid; and relievers Frank Francisco and Jason Frasor have accepted arbitration and are returning to their original clubs.

That leaves just 13 of ESPN’s top 50 available – and we are not at Christmas yet. Those 13, in order, are: third baseman Adrian Beltre (4), starter Carl Pavano (7), reliever Rafael Soriano (17), DH Manny Ramirez (19), starter Brad Penny (21), DH Jim Thome (24), OF/DH Johnny Damon (27), DH Vladimir Guerrero (28), first baseman Derrek Lee (32), relievers Grant Balfour (35), Jon Rauch (37) and Brian Fuentes (42) and 1B Nick Johnson (48).

By the way, you haven’t missed anything. As of this writing, reliever Kevin Gregg and first baseman Adam LaRoche, two of the Orioles’ top remaining targets, hadn’t signed with anyone yet. But ESPN did not rank either in its Top 50.

MLBtraderumors.com, however, ranked LaRoche 34th and Gregg 48th when the offseason began. Six of that site’s top 20 haven’t signed: Beltre (3), Soriano (7), Pavano (13) and the trio of DHs, Thome (18), Guerrero (19), and Ramirez (20).

The Orioles have inked one player that was in ESPN’s Top 50: Reliever Koji Uehara, who was listed as the 23rd best available free agent before re-signing a one-year deal with the Orioles. Uehara was 49th on the list prepared by mlbtraderumors.com.

By ESPN’s count, there are nearly 150 free agents still out there.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

We’ll take a quick break from all of the speculation and discussion about the Orioles’ first base situation to look back on one of the greatest characters in franchise history.

Elrod Hendricks would have been 70 years old today. Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of his death.

I know this is a typical sentiment as we get older, but it really doesn’t feel like it has been five years since the old catcher and bullpen coach died unexpectedly. Just amazing how quickly time passes.

Every now and then I’ll bring up an Elrod story. A few days ago I was talking to someone in the Orioles’ organization and I told them how Elrod blamed phones, iPods and video games for damaging team unity. He told me that when he played, and there was a rain delay, most of the team would sit together and tell stories – or listen to the oldtimers’ stories.

During a rain delay in 2005, he told me to look around the clubhouse. The few guys that were in there were sitting by themselves, listening to music or talking on the phone. Sad, he said. Can’t imagine what Elrod would think about the world of texting.

Anyway, here’s to an Orioles’ legend, more for who he was than his on-field abilities.

By the way, Hendricks’ number 44 is not officially retired by the Orioles, something a lot of fans wanted when he died. The club has a strict policy that only those who have gone into Baseball’s Hall of Fame as an Oriole have had their numbers retired by the team.

But no one has used No. 44 for the Orioles in the past five seasons. And my guess is, so long as certain people are associated with the team, no one will.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

While the Orioles haven't abandoned hope of signing free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche, their inability to get a deal done has prompted them to renew talks with Derrek Lee, according to multiple sources.

As of late last week, the Orioles' sole focus for their first base vacancy appeared to be on LaRoche, who hit 25 homers and drove in 100 runs for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. An agreement with the left-handed hitter was believed to be imminent, though the two sides have been unable to agree on a deal.

It's unclear whether that is because LaRoche is reportedly seeking a three-year deal while the Orioles would prefer not giving him three guaranteed years, or LaRoche simply has better, more lucrative offers, and doesn't want to play in Baltimore.

Either way, the renewed talks this week with Lee's agent, Casey Close, would appear to indicate that the Orioles aren't as confident as they once were in signing LaRoche.

If the Orioles cannot sign either LaRoche or Lee, they could shift their focus to adding a designated hitter, such as Vladimir Guerrero or Jim Thome, and then moving Luke Scott or Nolan Reimold to first base. That, however, wouldn't be their first choice as manager Buck Showalter is a strong proponent in having good defense at first base.

Both LaRoche and Lee are considered above-average defensive players.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (149)
        

The Toronto Blue Jays announced today that they have signed former Orioles outfielder Corey Patterson to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training.

Patterson, 31, did a fine job for the Orioles this past season after he signed a minor league deal in late April. He hit .269 with eight homers, 32 RBIs and 21 steals in 90 games, while getting a chance to play regularly with the injury to Felix Pie and the ineffectiveness of Nolan Reimold.

The Orioles had some interest in bringing him back earlier in the offseason, but the problem was that the speedy outfielder is very similar to Pie so it doesn't make too much sense to have both on the roster. Patterson was very aware of this, which is the reason he went looking for an opportunity elsewhere.

The Blue Jays also signed former Oriole relievers Winston Abreu, Sean Hean and Mike Hinckley.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)
        

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is maintaining his usually busy schedule around the holidays. That includes following the athletic exploits of his son, Ryan, a junior basketball and baseball player at Gilman; and planning a clinic next month in College Park for youth baseball coaches in the Baltimore area.

He spoke on a conference call this morning with The Baltimore Sun and masnsports.com, and addressed several topics, including the Orioles’ activity so far this season.

“I haven’t kept track of every one of [the moves], but they are interesting,” Ripken said. “Mark Reynolds is a fabulous player. Everybody is quick to criticize all the strikeouts, but I never saw that as a problem. A strikeout is an out. It is who Mark is. You wouldn’t want him to cut back on his swing. He’s a very productive home run and RBI guy. He’s a fabulous third baseman as well. I think he’ll return to where he normally hits average wise …

“I’ve always liked J.J. Hardy. A few years ago in the playoffs watching him in Milwaukee, he brings some home runs and RBIs to the table. As a former shortstop, I watch the little things and to me, J.J. was always in the right spot, always going to the right place. He was just doing little things that I noticed. He is a take charge, reactive sort of guy in the middle of the field. He looks like he has good leadership qualities.”

While lauding the Boston Red Sox’s acquisition of outfielder Carl Crawford and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, Ripken said that Oriole fans should still feel optimistic about how the team finished under manager Buck Showalter and the improvements the club has made this offseason.

“You never can measure your success by what everybody else is doing,” Ripken said. “It would be easy to get discouraged, but you still have to go out and play. The Orioles should take a lot of optimism by what happened the last month and a half, two months of the season. They played very well against the American League East. That’s big, that’s important. By improving the offense and the defense a little bit … I think Oriole fans should be optimistic about going in to a full spring training with Buck and getting the team further along.”

Ripken had two nice conversations with Showalter this past season, one when the manager went to Aberdeen to get a look at top draft pick Manny Machado, and the other in September when the Hall of Famer threw out the first pitch at Camden Yards. Showalter invited Ripken into the clubhouse before the game.

“It felt really good. It felt right to sit in there and to talk baseball with Buck,” Ripken said. “There are few people you can have those conversations with. I enjoy his baseball knowledge and I enjoy being around him. We haven’t had any conversations beyond that. I look forward to continue having a [good] rapport with him.”

During the Orioles’ 2010 season, Ripken had ongoing dialogue with both owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail about a front office role. However, nothing has changed in recent days on that matter. Ripken has said all along that he is waiting for his son, who is getting some attention on the recruiting trail, to graduate from high school before he potentially transitions into a new phase of his post playing career.

“I’m open minded when Ryan goes to school, things could change or maybe I want to watch him go to school. I don’t know yet,” Ripken said. “I was curious last summer. But right now, I haven’t sat down and said this is the strategy I want to go forward with. I’m comfortable letting things unfold.”

On Ripken’s immediate agenda is the clinic that he, his brother, Billy, and former Major League pitcher John Habyan will host for youth baseball coaches in the Baltimore area Saturday, Jan. 15.

The clinic will include instruction on the fundamentals of pitching, hitting, and defense, interactive demonstration of drills as well as insight into the Ripken philosophy of teaching the game of baseball to youth in a supportive and positive manner.

“Our clinics are a way to spread the word,” said Ripken. “We first started doing them because we thought we could reach more kids by helping the coaches. It’s turned into a great informational exchange. We just want to give them the tools to work. … We’ve had a good time doing them. Billy really does come into his own. His humor comes out loud and clear. We make it very interactive, an open forum where questions could be asked after each session. It’s turned out to be a pretty good way to teach baseball in an affordable way.”

The clinic in College Park will be one of four that Ripken will do around the country this year. Generally, 400 to 500 coaches attend.

Next month’s clinic will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the University of Maryland’s Hoff Theatre, Adele H. Stamp Student Union. The cost per coach is $99 or $75 per coach with a group of five or more. For more information, visit www.RipkenBaseball.com.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

Jacqueline Bassett and her five children will have a little bit of company tomorrow when they do their holiday shopping.

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis and his wife, Christina, will pick up Bassett and her children from their home Monday morning in a limousine. The family will join the Markakis family and the Oriole Bird on a shopping outing at Target in Cockeysville. Bassett and her children were selected with the help of Samuel F.B. Morse Elementary in Baltimore, where two of the children attend and are honor-roll students.

The event was arranged by OriolesREACH and the Right Side Foundation, the Markakises' nonprofit organization that helps distressed children in Maryland.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Steve Gould at 6:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Sorry to tease you like that. But it is true. Sort of.

The Nationals announced seven minor league signings today, including Michael Aubrey, who spent parts of the past two seasons with the Orioles’ Triple-A Norfolk affiliate and spent 31 games with the big league club in 2009.

Aubrey, 28, was stuck in Triple-A all of last year despite the Orioles’ woes at first base and Aubrey’s 22 minor league homers, making it obvious he wasn’t in the team’s future.

Aubrey hit just .235 in 102 games with the Tides in 2010 after batting .289 in 31 games for the Orioles in 2009.

By the way, we still don’t officially know who the Orioles and Nationals will have at first base on Opening Day.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

My 7-year-old daughter went to bed with an awful stomachache last night (no, she’s not a New York Giants fan) and about an hour later she woke up vomiting. The joys of parenthood.

My wife and I quickly mobilized, and a few minutes later I was down in our basement, attempting to salvage a “Hello, Kitty” comforter in the utility sink when my phone started blowing up.

Four texts, a phone call, a voice message and an auto alert from my Twitter account all within a minute.

I assumed the worst: That the Orioles had done something major while I was busy being a worrisome father.

Instead, people wanted my reaction after a 6-foot-4, 313-pound offensive lineman had just scampered (OK, trudged) 71 yards on a kickoff return and nearly scored a TD for the New England Patriots in Sunday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

The player was Patriots guard Dan Connolly. He’s got more 100 pounds on me (and, to be fair, several inches) but apparently our foot speed is as similar as our names.

There’s a little backstory to this Dan Connolly thing. When he was coming out of Southeast Missouri State several years ago, his father, John, was doing some Internet research to see if people were talking about his son as a potential NFL draftee. He apparently searched “NFL” and “Dan Connolly” and kept getting me.

(I worked for a smaller paper at the time and did some NFL columns, mainly Ravens and Eagles, when baseball was on hiatus.) The father contacted me and we exchanged a few emails. I promised to buy a Dan Connolly jersey from whichever team drafted him (except the Colts, of course). Some loyalties must remain.

He went undrafted but was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. I lost track of him until a couple years ago, when Connolly ended up with the Patriots. Every now and then, his name will be called (either a key block or holding) and I’ll laugh.

I also made sure my son saw the big No. 63 with “Connolly” on his back a few weeks ago when the Pats were on TV.

He’s not the only athletic Dan Connolly out there (present author excluded). There was a pretty decent boxer out of Western Pennsylvania named Dan Connolly who fought on some impressive undercards in the late 1990s. There’s also a computer software guru named Dan Connolly and a singer/songwriter namesake as well (The Irish Catholics aren’t real creative when it comes to naming babies).

I am none of them. I’m just a baseball writer with late-night, comforter-cleaning duties.

But I have to admit I smiled a little when I read the text messages, saw Sunday’s clip and heard the announcer bellow Dan Connolly’s name. It was the best Dan Connolly gridiron moment since Dan Connolly made the game-ending sack to clinch the Elizabethtown College Intramural Flag Football Championship in 1990.

That one was caught on videotape as well. It’s not on You Tube, though. It’s on a dusty VHS tape somewhere in my basement office closet.

I’m getting the feeling this one might get a little more airplay. If only that Dan Connolly had gotten four more yards and into the end zone. That would have been enough for me to go out and order that Pats’ No. 63 jersey.

Regardless, beers on the house today. Mixed drinks will cost you 63 cents.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

With the Milwaukee Brewers dealing four young players for Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke (and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt), the message was clear.

The Brewers are going for it in 2011.

And that means the Brewers aren’t likely to trade their top power hitter, first baseman Prince Fielder, this winter. So Orioles fans who keep dreaming of finding Fielder under their really big Christmas tree will be disappointed.

The Brewers-Royals trade, however, probably means Milwaukee will be more willing to trade Fielder this summer if the Brewers fall out of the race (a similar situation to the Seattle Mariners and Cliff Lee in 2010).

The thinking is this: If the Brewers aren’t in contention by July 31, they might as well try to replenish the farm system that they had to dip into to acquire Greinke and Shaun Marcum in an earlier deal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

That decision involving Fielder next year should have little effect on the Orioles, unless they are in the race in July. In other words, well, you get the drift.

Unless Milwaukee further breaks the bank, one has to assume Fielder will be a free agent after the 2011 season -- and he’ll get a big payday when that happens. The Orioles may or may not have a first baseman by then. My guess is that the Orioles and their top target, Adam LaRoche, agree to a deal this week; both sides probably would like to have a resolution before Christmas.

Back to the Brewers: Adding Marcum and Greinke makes Milwaukee’s rotation so much better. It also caps one heck of an offseason for former Orioles pitching coach Rick Kranitz. Kranny was hoping to stick with the Orioles’ young pitching but didn’t get his contract renewed. So he took a minor league job with the Astros and then ended up getting hired by the Brewers as their big league pitching coach.

Suddenly, Kranitz will have some impressive young pitching at his disposal. Good luck to a good guy.

One other weird Orioles connection to a player in the Royals-Brewers trade: One of the prospects on the move to Kansas City is pitcher Jake Odorizzi, who threw a no-hitter this past season for Single-A Wisconsin. Odorizzi was pulled for pitch-count reasons in that game, so a reliever came in and preserved the no-hitter.

The pitcher?

Adrian Rosario, the Orioles’ recent selection in the Rule 5 draft.

And you thought this was just another baseball blog.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Orioles fans who have been clamoring for a big move this offseason can’t be happy this Sunday morning.

Zack Greinke, the 27-year-old right-hander who won the Cy Young Award for the Kansas City Royals in 2009, apparently has been traded, according to multiple reports.

The good news for Orioles fans is he won’t be pitching in the American League East anytime soon. More specific, the New York Yankees didn’t land him.

The bad news is that he was scooped up by that big-market maverick, the Milwaukee Brewers.

I can hear you now: How can the Brewers get Greinke and the Orioles can’t? To make matters worse, the Brewers' general manager, Doug Melvin, was once a respected executive in Baltimore. So it must be Andy MacPhail's fault as a tepid wheeler and dealer, right?

But here’s the deal: The Orioles simply don’t have many trade chips that intrigue other clubs. It may smart to read, but it is true. That’s what I’ve heard from other teams and, frankly, from some in the Orioles organization as well.

The Orioles have three players who could be considered centerpieces in a significant deal: Brian Matusz, Matt Wieters and Adam Jones. A possibility for a fourth is minor league lefty Zach Britton, but he is still a risk since he hasn’t pitched in the majors. So let’s call him a 1A or 1B centerpiece.

The club really doesn’t want to give up Matusz or Wieters, which is understandable given the investment and their high ceilings. That really leaves Jones, whom some fans are ready to deal.

We all know Jones has talent, is only 25 and is already a pretty good player. The problem, though, is finding a match for him. Scouts see the same things that fans see -- and some wonder whether a lack of discipline will ever allow him to reach his potential (for the record, I am still in the camp that Jones can be a consistent All-Star, but that camp is dwindling).

But more important, Jones is arbitration-eligible this year, meaning that by February he’ll be making millions. And he’ll be a free agent at the end of 2013. That’s not a appealing to a young team (like the Royals) that is looking to dump a current star for future ones.

I’ve heard some wannabe GMs say the Orioles should have tried to entice the Royals with a package that includes Chris Tillman and Felix Pie. No chance that would have come anywhere close (unless that package also had Wieters and/or Matusz aboard).

Pie is also entering arbitration this year and will make millions soon. And, though he is also only 25 (he’ll be 26 in February) and has a high ceiling, he hasn’t shown he can stay healthy and consistent on the big league level. He’s a guy all 29 other teams would take, but as an upside gamble, not a key component to deal for an existing star.

Tillman is 22 and, yes, again another upside guy. But he has struggled with consistency in the majors, and there are questions as to what he’ll become. He’s intriguing, but no longer an irresistible trade chip.

That brings us back to the Royals. They were looking for a young, cheap, emerging middle infielder -- which they reportedly have acquired from the Brewers in Alcides Escobar. Heading into 2010, Escobar was in the top 20 on just about everyone’s top-prospect list (heck, Baseball America editor Will Lingo had Escobar third overall last year, behind only Stephen Strasburg and Jason Heyward and in front of Mike Stanton and Matusz).

Escobar, 24, struggled in his first season as a big leaguer, but he is under Kansas City’s control for years to come. The Orioles have no one like that (Manny Machado isn’t yet eligible to be traded, and he’s the only true top middle infield prospect in the system).

Another part of the Brewers’ trade is 24-year outfielder Lorenzo Cain, who is just one year younger than Jones. But he has only a month's service time in the big leagues. And the Royals also added at least one, and maybe two, former first-round (or supplemental-round) pitching prospects for Greinke and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt.

All along, the Royals were reportedly seeking middle infield help, a center fielder of the future and some pitching help. The Orioles, frankly, weren’t much of a match.

But, that aside, the point is the Orioles are at a real disadvantage when it comes to prying a legitimate star from another team. Any team. Because of the talent limits in the organization.

One source told me that heading into the offseason, the Orioles had one true trade chip -- someone with low service time and a high ceiling that the Orioles would be willing to deal and other teams coveted.

His name is David Hernandez, and he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks this month.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

I’m as sick of providing incremental updates on the Orioles’ search for a first baseman as you are of reading them. However, I’m still getting daily questions about it, so I feel compelled to address them. Here is what I feel comfortable in saying: The Orioles have been negotiating daily with Mike Milchin, the agent for Adam LaRoche. They clearly are focused on getting a deal done with him, so much so that Derrek Lee appears to be on the back burner. LaRoche also maintains interest in playing for the Orioles, though they aren’t his only option. Despite the daily negotiations and the mutual interest, a deal wasn’t imminent as of last night, according to people on both sides. I wish I had more information for you as to why. LaRoche reportedly wants a three-year deal, so perhaps that’s the big holdup. I cannot say for sure, as neither side is returning calls.

At this point, the Orioles are not in on veteran pitcher Joe Blanton, who is expected to be traded by the Philadelphia Phillies after their signing of ace lefty Cliff Lee. The Orioles are still looking for a veteran pitcher, but they’re not all that high on Blanton and don’t necessarily think he is a great fit in the American League East. He’s also still due $17 million, and while the Phillies would undoubtedly absorb a chunk of that money, the Orioles would also have to give up something to get him. It’s possible that after acquiring a first baseman and one or two relievers, the Orioles could decide that a veteran starting pitcher is the final piece of the puzzle for a solid offseason, and they could make a play for Blanton. However, that appears unlikely at this point.

While the Orioles’ focus is elsewhere, they are acutely aware that they could use another bat off the bench. There are still moves to be made, but as of now, their three- or four-man bench would include some combination of Craig Tatum, Jake Fox, Cesar Izturis, Felix Pie, Nolan Reimold, Robert Andino and Brendan Harris. One player to keep an eye on is free-agent outfielder Marcus Thames. The Orioles have spoken to Thames’ agent, but it’s nothing serious at this point because the club is trying to figure out what it's going to do at first base and designated hitter. I also read earlier this offseason that Thames might be headed to Japan, so perhaps this is a moot point. I do think Thames would be a nice fit. Orioles manager Buck Showalter likes Thames, who came up with the New York Yankees and also played one year in Texas, both as a player and a person. Thames handles left-handed pitching, long a problem area for the club. His power -- he had 12 homers in 212 at-bats last year -- and his ability to play both the outfield and first base would really give Showalter some flexibility and some pop off the bench.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)
        

Reliever Jeremy Accardo, whose one-year, $1.08 million deal with the Orioles was finalized this morning after he passed his physical, did just as much homework on his new club as the Orioles did on him.

After becoming a free agent, Accardo spoke to several players, including Orioles pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, to gauge their feelings on the organization and playing in Baltimore. He was already feeling good about the prospects of signing with the Orioles, but he said he was ultimately sold after talking to president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter late last week.

"I talked to probably five or six teams, maybe even seven, that were pretty legitimate talks," Accardo said in a phone interview. "When I talked to Andy and Buck on the phone, I was pretty sold there. I just wanted to weigh the options. This is where we want to be for the next few years, and hopefully even longer than that."

Accardo, who turns 29 tomorrow, said he looks forward to getting opportunities to pitch late in games and get key outs.

"That’s one of the main reasons why I did it," he said. "They have a great back end of the bullpen. The season is pretty long. There is going to be some people with nagging arms, and the opportunity is going to be there. That’s all I can really ask for. They didn’t really [promise] me anything. I don’t want anything handed to me. That would take away the point of going in there, working hard and competing. I’ve been scrapping and trying to get by my whole career, and I've done it to this point. All I can ask for is the opportunity. What I make with it after that is kind of up to chance."

Accardo's best season came in 2007, when he set career highs with 30 saves, four wins and a 2.14 ERA for the Toronto Blue Jays.

"The last two years, I’ve been healthy. I haven’t had a problem," he said. "But over the last two years, going up and down and through all that stuff with Toronto, I think a change of scenery is great. Through that, I learned how to pitch more. I think I’m much smarter than I was in '07. Now, I just have to go execute. I think I’m ready to do that."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

Danny Horwits, the agent for free-agent reliever Kevin Gregg, said today that his client has narrowed down his focus in recent days, though the Orioles remain very much in the mix.

"It’s fair to say that we’re still in discussions with a few teams and Baltimore is one of them," Horwits said. "There are a few teams involved. Over the last couple of days. a couple of new teams have gotten involved and Kevin has informed a couple of other teams that he has narrowed his focus down to others and he’s moving on. It has changed over last week to 10 days, but there are a few teams still involved."

Horwits said the reliever, who saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last year, is hoping to make a decision sooner rather than later.

"Kevin would like be done before the holidays. It might take two days; it might take seven days. But quicker is certainly on the agenda," Horwits said.

Asked whether Gregg could make his decision today, Horwits said: "Could be. Could be today, could be four, five days out. There’s no real timeframe. In the Orioles’ case, you have to talk to [president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail] as far as their desire to get a resolution. But I think both sides are on the same page."

Horwits declined to characterize which team is the front-runner for Gregg's services, but he did say the opportunity to close is very important to him.

"He has opportunities to both be a setup man and a closer," Horwits said. "The last four years, he’s averaged 30-plus saves. As he says, closing is in his blood and that’s what he likes to do. I would say having that opportunity is very important."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

The Orioles made official the signing of reliever Jeremy Accardo in a news release this morning.

The terms were not announced by the club, per team policy, but he agreed to a one-year, $1.08 million deal. He will be eligible for arbitration at the end of this season.

Accardo, who turns 29 on Saturday, went 3-2 with 24 saves and a 3.48 ERA (44.0 IP, 17 ER) in 42 games with Triple-A Las Vegas in 2010. He pitched in just five games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, allowing six runs in 6 2/3 innings (8.10 ERA).

In his six-season major league career, the right-handed Accardo has held left-handed hitters to a .205 average, .292 on-base percentage and .279 slugging percentage.

He set career highs with 30 saves, four wins and a 2.14 ERA (67.1 IP, 16 ER) in 2007 while serving as the Blue Jays’ closer.

He is one of five Orioles relievers on the roster who have recorded a 10-save season in the major leagues.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Before we get into this week’s Prediction Friday, I want to know which one of you ripped the mounted TV off the wall and threw it through the mirror behind the bar after the Houston Texans converted that two-point conversion to take the Ravens to overtime Monday.

I’m still picking up glass out of the tumblers behind the bar.

Hey, all is well that ends well, right? No matter how you slice it (or shred it, if we’re talking about the Ravens’ gasping defense in last Monday’s fourth quarter), a win is a win. And despite the near-epic collapse, the Ravens still beat the Texans 34-28 in overtime to get to 9-4.

The bar, as a whole, didn’t have a whole lot of success calling that game. No one predicted overtime. Most of us assumed it wouldn’t be so close. Open bar tabs go to GBanks and Mike, who both said the Ravens would win 31-24. I’ll toss a free drink chip Barry’s way for his 34-20 prediction, but he’s not getting an open tab. Barry’s been so good this year, he’s gonna drain this joint dry.

As for this week, well, I just don’t know about the Ravens’ secondary versus good quarterbacks. And Drew Brees is about as good as they come. I know the Ravens are at home, and the weather will be to their advantage as well.

I just can’t shake the image of Drew Brees throwing for five TDs. So I am going with the New Orleans Saints to win, 35-31, in a track meet (or maybe speed-skating event). Brees will be my pick for player of the game.

Now I need your thoughts. Predict the winner, the score and the player of the game. The closest will be lauded next week.

We’ll also offer up a 2-for-1 today since we are smack dab in the middle of hot-stove action. The Orioles re-signed Koji Uehara for a one-year deal that vests for 2012 if he appears in 55 games or finishes 25 in 2011.

So there is a solid possibility Uehara, who saved 13 of 15 games last season, will be the Orioles closer. But the team is also interested in free agent Kevin Gregg, who saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last year.

Also on the roster is lefty Michael Gonzalez, who signed a two-year, $12 million deal last offseason to be the club’s closer; Jim Johnson, who closed at the end the Orioles’ 2009 season; Jeremy Accardo, who saved 30 games for the Blue Jays in 2007 and was that organization’s Triple-A closer the past two seasons; and Alfredo Simon, who saved 17 games for the Orioles last year (I initially forgot about Alfredo. Oops).

The Orioles have five relievers on their roster who have saved at least 10 games in a big-league season. And they could add a sixth.

So now that there are more options, I’ll ask the same question I asked weeks ago. You can add in Gregg or any other reliever that is still a free agent.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Saints

Bonus Think Special: Who do you want to see close for the Orioles in 2011?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

As the Orioles continue to negotiate with former Toronto Blue Jays closer Kevin Gregg, their relief options are thinning by the day.

In the last 24 hours, Matt Guerrier signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Jesse Crain agreed to terms with the Chicago White Sox and Joel Peralta and Randy Choate did the same with the Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins, respectively.

There have been also reports that Kerry Wood (Chicago Cubs), Pedro Feliciano (New York Yankees) and Bobby Jenks (Rays?) are close to signing.

If the Orioles sign Gregg, they probably will look to add one more lefty reliever and that probably would be it for their bullpen additions. If they don't land Gregg -- and I'll be honest, I was a little more optimistic about this happening at last week's winter meetings -- they'll probably turn to trying to sign either Grant Balfour or Jon Rauch.

As for adding a lefty, they still have plenty of options. Joe Beimel, Brian Fuentes, Mark Hendrickson, Ron Mahay, Will Ohman, Hideki Okajima, Arthur Rhodes and J.C. Romero are all still available.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

Here’s a few more details on Koji Uehara’s contract, which has been signed and filed with the commissioner’s office.

Most important, the $3-million-base, one-year deal in 2011 will vest for 2012 if Uehara reaches either 55 games pitched or 25 games finished next season.

Those are fairly attainable goals for Uehara if he stays healthy. Even with two disabled list stints in 2010, Uehara pitched in 43 games and finished 22 last year.

Another interesting aspect of the deal is that Uehara, 35, has a limited no-trade clause, meaning he cannot be dealt to six teams. Those specific clubs are not disclosed in the contract.

There are also some perks included that are fairly standard with Japanese players’ contracts -- the club must provide a translator, reimburse Uehara for a personal trainer, pick up some Japan to U.S. airline travel and, similar to his last deal, allow him to elect free agency at the completion of the contract (whether it‘s 2011 or, in the case of vesting, 2012.)

Ultimately, the contract can be worth as much as $11.5 million if he stays healthy and is the closer for two seasons. Only the $3 million base for 2011 is guaranteed.

The first year can be worth up to $6.5 million with $100,000 bonuses starting at 30 games pitched and continuing at each five game interval up to 50. Uehara can also earn bonuses ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 for games finished from 10 to 55.

If the contract vests, he’ll get a $4 million base salary in 2012 and potentially another $1 million in games-finished bonuses. A player cannot receive bonuses on specific statistical categories, such as saves or wins.

Uehara’s contract also includes standard award package bonuses for honors such as postseason awards and all-star selections.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

For the fourth consecutive year, the Orioles are not raising season-ticket prices for any of their packages, according to the club’s annual renewal letter sent out this week.

An Orioles official confirmed today that the 13-game, 29-game and 81-game packages for every seat at Camden Yards will remain the same in 2011 as they were in 2010.

Prices for individual game tickets have not been released. Typically, the club does not promote those sales until January.

This year, the renewal packet includes a letter from Orioles manager Buck Showalter – in the recent past it has been from club president Andy MacPhail – thanking fans for their support and promising to try and build on the club’s successful final two months of the season.

Last year the club, in its 13th consecutive losing season, set a Camden Yards low by drawing 1,733,019 fans for 80 dates (21,663 per game average). The Orioles were 10th out of 14 American League clubs in attendance and 24th of 30 major league teams.

Here are some excerpts from Showalter’s letter to season-ticket holders:

• "I'm not sure about you, but for me, the 2010 season ended far too quickly. The results we experienced during the final two months confirmed what I already knew before taking over the managerial job ... that this club has a strong core of young, driven, talented players. And as we continue through the offseason and free agency period, I am more confident than ever that some exciting baseball is in our near future."

• "But talk is cheap, and no one prints playoff tickets based on two months of good baseball ... it's our responsibility to play to that level for 162 games. Getting to that place, however, is a process. And I believe very strongly that the experience of getting there is part of what makes being a baseball fan so exciting. During this process, I expect you to hold us accountable for our performance on the field, just as we will hold ourselves accountable for the results we generate in 2011."

• "I do not take your support as a Season Plan Holder for granted, and the passion of Orioles fans like you was one of the big factors in my decision to come here."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

This is what we expected when the season ended, so it comes as no surprise.

The Orioles want a first baseman and the best two names left on the free agent board are Adam LaRoche and Derrek Lee.

Those were the two guys most of us expected the Orioles to truly pursue.

Each is a solid defender and has the reputation of being a quality, stand-up guy.

LaRoche, 31, is younger and had a better year at the plate last year for Arizona, batting .261 with 25 homers, 100 RBIs, a .320 on-base percentage and .468 slugging percentage.

Lee, 35, had a down year in 2010 (by his standards) with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves, hitting .260 with 19 homers, 80 RBIs, a .347 on-base percentage and .428 slugging percentage.

Lee, however, dealt with a thumb injury much of the year and had surgery on it this offseason. He wants to prove that his production is closer to 2009’s numbers (35 homers, 111 RBIs, .306/.393/.579) so he is looking for a one-year, make-good contract.

LaRoche is likely more in-line for a two-year deal. We believe that LaRoche is the Orioles’ first option, but, remember, Lee is a former Cub. LaRoche is left-handed, by the way; Lee swings from the right side.

Players like to get their deals done before Christmas, so my guess is that within the next 10 days, both of these guys find jobs. Maybe sooner. Honestly, there are other teams out there still looking for a first baseman: Washington, Tampa Bay, Arizona, San Diego and maybe Texas. So it is possible the Orioles get neither.

I think the Orioles would be happy with either. How about you? Who do you prefer?

Daily Think Special: Lee or LaRoche at first base for the Orioles?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (122)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

Looking for bullpen help after trading four relievers, including three from their 40-man roster last week, the Orioles have signed right-hander Jeremy Accardo to a one-year, $1.08 million deal, according to an industry source.

Accardo, 28, pitched in just five games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, compiling a 0-1 record and 8.10 ERA in 6 2/3 big-league innings. In fact, he spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Las Vegas, where he was the closer, saving 37 games in two years.

He was buried within the Blue Jays organization after dealing with an injury early in 2008, but was the big league club’s closer in 2007, saving 30 games and posting a 2.14 ERA in 64 games for the Blue Jays.

Assuming more personnel is not added, Accardo is expected to join right-handed short reliever Jim Johnson and lefty Mike Gonzalez in setting up Koji Uehara, who officially signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Orioles on Tuesday.

The club continues to seek relief help and has made an offer to former Blue Jays closer Kevin Gregg, among others. The team would like to add at least one more left-hander to the bullpen as well. Accardo’s physical has not yet been scheduled.

Toronto non-tendered Accardo this offseason, allowing him to be a free agent for the first time in his career. He is, however, under club control for two years, so the Orioles could go to arbitration with him at the end of 2011 and keep him through 2012, if they so desire.

“Jeremy was excited this offseason for the first time to have a chance to choose his employer,” said Accardo’s agent, Damon Lapa of All Bases Covered Sports Management. “He embraces the chance to start fresh with a new organization, and he was very much impressed with the Orioles and their management.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

The Orioles played host to 80 second- through fourth-graders from Samuel F.B. Morse School today at their 32nd annual OriolesREACH Holiday Party for Kids at Dave & Busters in the Arundel Mills Mall.

The Orioles in attendance were manager Buck Showalter; infielders Brian Roberts, Brendan Harris and Mark Reynolds; and pitchers Koji Uehara and Jake Arrieta. The former Orioles there were Al Bumbry, Dave Johnson, Scott McGregor and Larry Sheets.

The Orioles do a great job with the event as the players participate in games with the kids, sign autographs and serve lunch. It also gives the local media an opportunity to catch up with some of the players.

Here are a couple of tidbits from the event:

Closer Koji Uehara, whose one-year, $3 million deal with a vesting option for 2012 became official Monday, said he was excited to be returning to the club. Asked what the key factors were in his re-signing despite getting interest from several other clubs, Uehara said through interpreter Jiwon Bang: "Personal attachment. I’ve been here for two years, and I was satisfied with the way I finished the season last season. I became more confident to play at this level.”

Uehara, who was sporting long sideburns that he said he'll keep as his "trademark" also said he'd be satisfied in either a closing or a setup role: "I’m not looking at myself as the closer. If they want me to do it, I’ll be happy to do it. If they want me to set up, I’ll be the setup guy as well."

Starter Jake Arrieta, whose solid rookie season ended a little early because of a bone spur in his pitching elbow, said he felt strong and has already starting playing catch with Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey.

"I think that whole thing was kind of blown a little bit out of proportion," Arrieta said when asked about his health. "I know some people have my health as a concern with that bone spur. It’s been there for a long time. It kind of flared up for that one outing and then went away. It’s really not an issue. I’m completely healthy, feeling good and I’m ready to go."

Finally, new third baseman Mark Reynolds acknowledged that he is actively trying to recruit free agent Adam LaRoche, his former teammate in Arizona, to Baltimore: "I shot him a text message the other day. I was like ‘Come to Baltimore with me.’ He just kind of laughed and said, ‘Ha ha.’ He didn’t tell me much. That’s all I said to him. I think he would definitely be a great addition to the team. He’s a great guy. He was a good fit in our clubhouse. He’s a great first baseman and a good hitter. I think he can help any team."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 2:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

Before the 2009 season, Koji Uehara signed a two-year, $10 million guaranteed deal with the Orioles.

Today, he is expected to officially sign a one-year contract with the Orioles that is worth $3 million guaranteed.

But if Uehara stays healthy, he could make more money than he did in his last deal.

Here’s the breakdown of what we know:

His 2011 base salary is $3 million, but he has reachable incentives based on games finished and games pitched that could be worth an additional $2.5 million, which would take his 2011 salary to $5.5 million.

If he reaches a certain number of games pitched or games appeared -- and we don’t yet know what the exact number in either category is -- a 2012 option worth a base salary of $4 million will vest.

And if he reaches certain appearance/game-finished goals in 2012, he can earn an additional $1 million for that season.

All of this is still subject to commissioner’s office approval and Uehara's signing on the dotted line.

But the bottom line for Uehara and the Orioles is if he stays healthy and remains the club’s closer for the next two seasons, he’ll make $11.5 million. If the 35-year-old can’t stay healthy and breaks down this year, the Orioles are only on the hook for $3 million guaranteed.

Give credit to both sides for hashing out a deal that protects the player and the team.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

When Josh Bell learned that the Orioles had traded for Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds last week, he said he wasn’t surprised -- and wasn’t particularly discouraged, either.

“I’ve not put too much thought on it, personally,” Bell said in a phone interview from his offseason home in Arizona. “I knew that they were going to try and bring someone in. And my job is the same, to go out in spring training, do my best and prove somebody wrong.”

Bell, 24, was immediately thought to be the organization’s third baseman of the future when the Orioles acquired him in July 2009 in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for reliever George Sherrill. Bell got his chance last season, when he was promoted in July and handed a starting spot in August after the club traded Miguel Tejada to the San Diego Padres.

His defense was an upgrade over Tejada’s, but offensively, he was overmatched. He hit just .214 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 159 at-bats. Bell struck out 53 times while walking twice. By the end of September, Bell was on the bench while the Orioles looked at other third base options, including Robert Andino.

“I got a taste of [the majors] last year and my hitting wasn’t where I wanted to be, but I felt good defensively, and I feel I can play at that level,” Bell said. “And it’s a matter of getting the opportunity of doing what I think I can do, whether it be for the Orioles or someone else. Personally, I’m just making sure I am ready for it.”

Reynolds is just 27, under club control for at least two more years and is considered a solid defender with legitimate power. Assuming the Orioles sign a free-agent first baseman, which is their current plan, Bell, theoretically, would be blocked at third and first for at least next year.

Yet Bell said he’s not changing his thoughts about this February.

“I am approaching spring training the same way I always have, and that’s to break camp with the big league team,” Bell said. “That’s always my mindset in spring training.”

The Orioles told him they wanted him in better shape in 2011 -- and he has been working toward that goal. A big man at 6 feet 3, he said his weight reached 242 pounds at the end of last season. He’s down to 230, thanks to two-a-day workouts in Arizona. He often hikes in the morning and works out in the evening. He also said he is eating better.

“I tend to gain weight in-season,” said Bell, who ideally would like to be at 220. “It’s a little hard to do the little things I need to do during the season. In the offseason, I have more control over running and getting in shape. It’s just my body type, I gain weight in season, so I’m making sure I come in at a good weight and then get on a program in-season to stay at that weight.”

On Monday, Orioles manager Buck Showalter and Bell talked on the phone. Showalter said he wanted to hear how the conditioning was going and he also wanted Bell to know the organization still believed in him. The worst case scenario for Bell, Showalter said, is that he plays every day at Triple-A in 2011. The best case is that he makes the team out of spring training, playing some corner infield and maybe some designated hitter.

“He has lost 12 pounds. I just don’t want him to stop with that momentum just because we traded for Reynolds,” Showalter said. “There’s still a way for him to make our club and still a way for him to impact us, and I just wanted him to understand this is still a good fit for us, especially if he comes into camp with that hunger and desire to make the team.”

When Bell was dealt by the Dodgers, his only organization, he learned then that baseball is a business and he is not just playing for one team. If he shows the ability and attitude, he’s confident he’ll have a job somewhere.

“Every year, people are getting traded here and there, and the best thing you can do is look at it personally, think what’s best for you and make sure you are ready to compete and take the individual team out of it,” Bell said.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

I said about 48 hours ago that I didn't have any names to give you in the Orioles' pursuit of a veteran starting pitcher, but that has changed.

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Joe Blanton, who is reportedly being shopped heavily after the Phillies agreed to terms a few hours ago with ace Cliff Lee, makes sense for the Orioles for a lot of reasons.

First, the Orioles and Phillies have talked about Blanton before. At the 2009 winter meetings in Indianapolis, the clubs discussed a deal involving Blanton. The Phillies were looking for a couple of the Orioles' young pitchers, including the recently traded David Hernandez. The Orioles weren't interested enough in Blanton for that price and suspected that if they did make such a deal, the Phillies would turn around those players and send them to the Toronto Blue Jays in the Roy Halladay deal.

Second, one of Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail's best friends in the game is Phillies president David Montgomery. They talk often. MacPhail also remains friendly with Scott Proefrock, an assistant to Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. and a former high-ranking executive with the Orioles, first under Mike Flanagan and Jim Duquette and then MacPhail. In his effort to find a veteran starting pitcher, MacPhail has called several teams, including the Phillies, so they undoubtedly know the club is hungry to add another arm. At the time of the call, there really wasn't anything promising discussed. But that might have changed in a big way with the Lee addition forcing the Phillies' hand with Blanton.

Third, Blanton, 30, is exactly the type of pitcher MacPhail has been seeking to add to the 2011 rotation. Sure, he is no ace. He went 9-6 with a 4.82 ERA in the National League this past year. His career ERA is 4.30. But he gets deep into games and eats innings, and at the very least, would take some of the pressure off the Orioles' young starters. Blanton pitched 175 2/3 innings in 2010, which broke his streak of five consecutive seasons of pitching 190 innings or more. He had also made 31 starts or more in five consecutive seasons. He's a big, burly guy who wants the ball and is not afraid to throw strikes. He also projects way better in the Orioles' rotation than pretty much any of the pitchers available on the free-agent market.

Now, the question obviously is how much of the remaining $17 million on Blanton's contract over the next two seasons would MacPhail be willing to absorb? I would have to think that the Phillies would need to help the Orioles out a little there, but remember, the Orioles ate $9 million of the $12 million remaining on Kevin Millwood to land him last offseason. Before you ask, I also cannot immediately answer what the Phillies would be looking for in return, and whether it would be just a straight salary dump where they'd be content with a mid-level prospect, or they are looking for a serviceable piece.

But I am confident in saying that it seems like a pretty good fit in a lot of ways.

(UPDATE)

My impression after talking to a couple of people with the Orioles today is the club has "tepid" interest in Blanton. They are not sold that he'd represent a significant upgrade over what they already have, and they have several concerns about how he would fare in the American League East. But if they could get him for virtually nothing and have the Phillies pick up a decent chunk of the contract, which they are apparently willing to do, it is not out of the question that the Orioles would make that move. But I don't think they're burning up the phone lines in the Phillies' front office today begging for Blanton, that's for sure.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 1:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)
        

After the grind of last week’s winter meetings, Orioles manager Buck Showalter slowed down by holding some meetings of his own in Baltimore at the end of last week.

He met with his new coaching staff as well as the club’s medical and strength personnel.

On Monday, he spent most of the day at the Orioles’ offices and used a spare room to phone several of his players.

He contacted Brian Roberts to ask about his health: “So far, so good.”

He called Nolan Reimold to offer the young outfielder encouragement after his disaster of a 2010 season: “Just letting him know we’re going to turn the page and we are looking forward to seeing the Nolan Reimold we all know we are capable of seeing.”

He called Adam Jones and discovered that outfielder/first base coach Wayne Kirby had already been in touch with the Orioles center fielder.

And Showalter got in contact with third baseman Josh Bell, who has basically lost the starting job to newly acquired Mark Reynolds. He wanted Bell to know that he is still a key part of the organization or, as Showalter puts it, “a guy that can answer a lot of questions for us.”

Before flying home to Dallas, Showalter will attend tomorrow’s Orioles holiday party for local youth and hopes to talk to some of his other players, including Reynolds, Jake Arrieta and Nick Markakis. Showalter said he considered calling Markakis on Monday but joked that the avid hunter might be in Alaska tracking Kodiak bear with Sarah Palin.

For the record, Showalter didn’t just make phone calls Monday. He also sat at a desk and wrote out some early lineups. Before you ask, he wouldn’t share them with me. He said it's way too premature -- at least until he figures out who he will have at first base.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Koji Uehara has passed his physical so he's officially back in the fold for the Orioles' bullpen.

Uehara signed a one-year deal worth $3 million with a vesting option for 2012.

Uehara, 35, saved 13 games for the Orioles in 2010 and posted a 2.86 ERA over 43 appearances. Whether he closes depends on what other moves the Orioles make in the bullpen.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts said today that he feels like he’s over the back issues that limited him to 59 games in 2010, and he can’t wait to ramp up his preparations for the coming season

“I’m as excited as I’ve ever been coming off a year where I didn’t get to go on the field a lot and do what I love to do,” Roberts said today in a phone interview. “To go through those struggles, that was one of the hardest years of my life, baseballwise. Every chance I get to go the gym and continue to progress, I’m excited as I’ve ever been. I’m looking forward to 2011, that's for sure.”

The Orioles’ recent acquisition of Brendan Harris in the trade with the Minnesota Twins that also returned J.J. Hardy, coupled with their re-signing of Cesar Izturis in a utility role, prompted questions about Roberts' availability for the 2011 season.

However, Roberts said today that he has “cranked up” his workouts the past couple of weeks and everything feels good.

“My back is fine,” said Roberts, who missed 3 1/2 months with a herniated disk in his back. “I basically played the last two months of the season, and I played like I normally would. I haven’t had any issues with it. If I can go out and play 60 games with it, I’m over it, as far as I know.”

Roberts did acknowledged that he was forced to delay his preparations for the season because he was still feeling the effects of a concussion that he sustained Sept. 27 when he struck himself in the helmet with his bat after a strikeout. The 33-year-old missed the final six games of the season.

Roberts said he was still feeling some side effects of the concussion, including dizziness and nausea, up until three or four weeks ago.

“It lasted a little longer than any of us anticipated,” said Roberts, who was in regular contact with Orioles doctor William Goldiner and also saw a neurosurgeon. “It was a pain in the butt for a while. I learned a lot about them, just talking to different doctors and wondering as much as I could about it. You just have to wait it out. It lasted longer than we hoped, but in the end, it was a good break to let my body recover and give myself that six weeks of recovery time.”

Roberts has stayed in Baltimore after the season and has been working out with former Orioles strength and conditioning coach Jay Shiner. However, he’s leaving for Sarasota, Fla., this weekend, where he’ll work with a trainer in Bradenton.

He applauded the club’s recent acquisitions and said he is hoping the front office will be able to add a few more pieces before it’s all said and done.

“We’ve made some good moves,” Roberts said. “I’m looking forward to getting Mark [Reynolds] and J.J. in here and kind of having a whole new look. They bring in a new and interesting dynamic to our team. Mark brings a 35-homer guy that we haven’t had here in a long time. J.J. has the potential to hit 20, 25 homers, and we haven’t had that from the shortstop position since probably the first time we signed [Miguel Tejada]. I’m excited that Izzy’s back. I love Izzy. He’s a great guy to still have on our team. He brings a lot. So far, we’re in a good spot. We’re certainly all looking forward to seeing what else takes place. We’re excited, but I don’t think we’re done. The next couple of moves will be pivotal to how far we can go.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)
        

Koji Uehara has returned from Japan and is taking his physical today in Baltimore, meaning if all goes well, his one-year, $3 million deal with a vesting option for 2012 could be official later today or tomorrow morning. As we’ve mentioned, the vesting option will be based on games finished and games appeared in, and as long as Uehara is able to stay healthy for much of the season, he should have no problem reaching it. Whether he closes or is used in a setup role for the Orioles remains to be seen.

Speaking of closers, former Orioles closer Chris Ray remains on the free-agent market after he was non-tendered by the world champion San Francisco Giants. The Orioles have been in contact with Ray’s agent, Mark Pieper, about several players, mainly Uehara. However, Ray’s name has been at least brought up in the talks between both sides. Pieper has heard from several teams on Ray, and it’s still a little early to tell how legitimate the interest is from both sides. Ray, however, said in an e-mail today that he certainly would be interested in pitching for the club again. Ray saved 49 games for the Orioles in 2006 and 2007 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and ultimately being traded to the Texas Rangers for Kevin Millwood last offseason. “Baltimore will always be a special place for me, and of course I would be interested in returning to the Orioles,” Ray said. “I see they have made some nice additions to their lineup already this winter.”

Jason Berken continues to progress from the labrum tear that prematurely ended his promising 2010 season. He said yesterday that his rehab is going very well and he’s able to lift and run “full go.” Much of the work that he’s putting in is aimed at strengthening the shoulder and back muscles around the labrum. He’s on pace to start throwing around Jan. 1, which is the normal time he would start throwing ahead of a season. That’s certainly promising news for the Orioles as Berken was their best reliever last season before the injury, and he would be an asset to a bullpen that is riddled with question marks.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Even when Koji Uehara’s deal becomes official - he should take his physical this week - I still could see the Orioles adding two more relievers. Sure, one of them may be a minor league type deal or a one-year deal with a really low base salary. But there are a ton of guys available and the Orioles certainly realize that several of their bullpen guys have had some injury problems. If the Orioles go with 12-man pitching staff and a seven-man bullpen, you would think that barring spring injuries, Uehara, Jim Johnson, Michael Gonzalez and Jason Berken would be locks. They are likely to sign a right-handed setup man with Kevin Gregg being one of their main targets. That means two spots for a group that includes Alfredo Simon, Rick VandenHurk, Rule 5 pick Adrian Rosario, Pedro Viola, Troy Patton and any other guy they may sign. Rosario, Viola and Patton obviously would be long shots to make the club.

I certainly would not be against the Orioles signing one of the available designated hitters (Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome or Hideki Matsui) and then perhaps a right-handed hitting corner infield type (Jorge Cantu?) rather than one of the available first basemen. That way, you can use Luke Scott in a platoon at first base, and use him a little bit in left field and at DH. I don’t think that will happen because manager Buck Showalter takes first base defense very seriously, but it would certainly be a way to upgrade the lineup.

The question I’m getting most now concerns the Orioles’ search for a veteran starter and I’ll tell you honestly that I have no idea where that is going. That’s clearly been a backburner issue. I know that Andy MacPhail has called plenty of teams to see if they are willing to trade a starter, but I don’t have any names for you. As for the free agent market, the Orioles aren’t in on Cliff Lee and I’ve heard nothing about interest in Carl Pavano either. Pavano seems pretty far down the road with other clubs. After them, I can’t really find a veteran starter that you can plug into the Opening Day rotation and be comfortable that you have an upgrade over what you had in Kevin Millwood. Doug Davis, Dave Bush and Jeremy Bonderman in the A.L. East? No thanks. I know there is plenty of fan support for signing a pitcher coming off an injury (Jeff Francis, Brandon Webb, Chris Young, Ben Sheets, Rich Harden, Justin Duchscherer to name a few) to a low-risk, incentive-laden deal and I’d have no problem with that. But that isn’t an easy sell for the Orioles. Most of those guys want to go somewhere on a one-year deal, prove they are healthy, have a good season and then hit the free agent market after the 2011 season and look for a long-term deal. In other words, they traditionally don’t land in hitter’s parks and on teams that play the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox nearly 20 times a year.

Congrats to Orioles’ starter Jeremy Guthrie who will be honored as Major League Pitcher of the Year at the 27th annual Hot Stove banquet in San Jose, Calif. on Jan. 25. The event honors Santa Clara County baseball players from the major, minor, college and high school leagues. Guthrie qualifies because he went to Stanford. Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who went to high school in Sunnyvale, Calif., was named the Major League Player of the Year.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (53)
        

About five days ago, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail was fielding questions about the organization's alarming lack of infield depth. Yesterday, I was asking him about the Orioles' infield logjam.

On Monday, the Orioles acquired third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Thursday, they acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility infielder Brendan Harris from the Minnesota Twins. On Friday, they agreed to terms on a one-year $1.5 million deal with Cesar Izturis, their starting shortstop the past two seasons.

Reynolds and Hardy will obviously be regulars, but then it gets a little fuzzy. MacPhail said yesterday that Izturis will be on the club and serve as the utility man. Where does that leave Harris or even Robert Andino, who made a real good impression on manager Buck Showalter late in the 2010 season?

MacPhail cited Harris' ability to play third base in saying that there is still room for Harris and Izturis on the 25-man Opening Day roster. But he added that Harris, who is not on the Orioles' 40-man so he could play all season at Triple-A Norfolk if that's what the organization chooses, will compete with Andino and others for a big league spot.

If the Orioles take another utility type in addition to Izturis, that would mean that Craig Tatum and Jake Fox are likely competing for one roster spot. Fox's right-handed power bat and ability to play the corner infield spots should help, but ultimately Showalter will likely take the guy that he - and the Orioles' pitching staff for that matter - feel the most comfortable with behind the plate on days where Matt Wieters is off.

It would also mean that the Orioles would likely go with 13 position players and a 12-man pitching staff.

At this point and things could change quickly, those 13 position players will be: 1B/DH acquired either via trade or free agency, Brian Roberts, J.J. Hardy, Mark Reynolds, Cesar Izturis, Brendan Harris or Robert Andino, Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Felix Pie, a 4th outfielder (likely Nolan Reimold), Luke Scott, Matt Wieters and backup catcher (Tatum or Fox).

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

A day after acquiring shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility infielder Brendan Harris from the Minnesota Twins, the Orioles agreed to terms on a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Cesar Izturis.

The deal, which is pending a physical, also includes incentives based mostly on playing time.

Izturis, a former Gold Glove winner, has been the Orioles' starting shortstop the past two seasons, but the club acquired Hardy to upgrade offensively at the position.

However, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail still wanted Izturis back, even in a lesser role.

"We were anxious to bring him back if only in a utility capacity," MacPhail said. "He’s like having an additional coach on the field. With Hardy and [Brian] Roberts being nicked up for part of the time last season, we wanted to make sure we were comfortable with that backup and Izzy gives us that comfort. He’s just a good influence to have around."

MacPhail said that he believes there is enough opportunity for both Harris and Izturis to be on the Opening Day roster.

"We definitely can have room for both," MacPhail said. "Harris can play third. He can play other positions, but he pretty much has to make the team out of spring training. He’ll be in a competition with [Robert] Andino and others. We always wanted to bring Izzy back. We just wanted to do more offensively at short."

(CLARIFICATION)
I reported earlier that the Orioles signed veteran utility infielder Nick Green to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training.

They have not. The Orioles had interest in Green and the feeling was mutual, but it was dependent on the team's other middle infield options. When the Orioles acquired shortstop J.J. Hardy and utility man Brendan Harris from the Minnesota Twins on Thursday and then re-signed Cesar Izturis today, the moves likely mean that they will not be adding Green.

Sorry for the confusion.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

Our Prediction Fridays for 2010 are dwindling, so enjoy them while you can. Even if this one didn’t start until after lunchtime. We’re dealing with a winter meetings hangover here -- and those are much worse than the ones caused by imbibing. Trust me

The bar was open this week, but the lights were low after another one that got away from the Ravens against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night. I want to thank all of those who wished me a happy birthday last week; you guys are great. Here’s a special plug to Paulie with his insights on Dec. 3 birthdays. I wish I were more like Joseph Conrad. However, my right foot, my friends will tell you, does emulate Rick Mears’ and Bobby Allison’s.

We had so many visitors to this joint last week that we obviously had a chunk of people picking the Steelers. Free drink chips go to MikeB and Ima Bustacap, who both had Pittsburgh winning, 17-13. The free tab of the week gets slapped into the trusty hands of Tom, who gave the Steelers one extra field goal, predicting a 16-10 win for Pittsburgh.

So here we go again -- with a "Monday Night Football" matchup of the Ravens at the Houston Texans. It won’t be an easy one, because the Texans have a solid team and an explosive offense. But I don’t think they are as well-rounded as the Ravens -- and I don’t see your purple heroes dropping two in a row.

So I am taking the Ravens to win this one in Houston, 24-13. I’m still waiting for Ray Rice’s breakout game, so I am going to that well again and predicting him as player of the game with two touchdowns and nearly 200 all-purpose yards.

Now, I need your predictions. Give me the winner, score and player of the game and I’ll give the closest some props next week.

We’ll also make this a 2-for-1 deal today. I spent the past week in a hotel near The Happiest Place on Earth. And I am not talking Carl Crawford’s accountant’s office.

Lots of crazy bucks spent this past week -- not by the Orioles, though. Shocker there, I am sure. Still, the Orioles walked away from the Swan and Dolphin Resort with a new third baseman (Mark Reynolds), shortstop (J.J. Hardy), utility infielder (Brendan Harris) and a re-signed late-inning reliever in Koji Uehara.

It likely won’t get them anywhere near the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees, but it was a solid haul for the winter meetings. Obviously, we need to see what the Orioles do at first base and the bullpen before we can fully grade the offseason. But I want to know what you thought of their moves this week.

Like the trades and re-signing? Hate the fact that they didn’t make a big splash? Or just resigned that it doesn’t matter in the AL East?

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Texans

Bonus Think Special: Evaluate the Orioles’ week at the winter meetings

Posted by Dan Connolly at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (50)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

The Orioles made a two-year offer worth between $8 to $10 million to free agent Kevin Gregg at this week’s winter meetings. As far as I know, the two sides remain in negotiations and the Orioles still think they have a shot at Gregg, the 32-year-old right-hander who saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last season.

But they may have to promise him the closer role in order to get him.

Gregg wants to close, and that could be one of the deciding factors in him picking his team for 2011. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported the other day that the Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox are all in on Gregg.

Gregg has 121 saves over the past four seasons and he’s blown 26 saves during that span, including six last year. Would you rather have him as your closer than Uehara?

Uehara converted 13 of 15 save opportunities last year and while he has the tendency to give up the long ball, he also throws a ton of strikes and doesn’t walk people, a great quality to have for a closer.

In confirming yesterday that the Orioles had agreed to terms with Uehara on a one-year, $3 million deal with a vesting option for 2012, president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail wouldn’t commit to Uehara as the Orioles’ closer, saying that is manager Buck Showalter’s decision.

It’s also interesting to point out that Uehara’s vesting option is based on both games finished and games pitched in, the latter one covering the Japanese right-hander if he’s not the closer.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (53)
        

It was shortstop J.J. Hardy's turn to speak to reporters via conference call after he was traded, along with utility infielder Brendan Harris, to the Orioles for minor league relievers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.

On reactions of being traded: “I’m excited about it. I’ve been through this whole getting ready to be traded the last three offseasons. I’m pretty excited that the Orioles want me.”

On his familiarity with the Orioles: “I feel like I know a lot of them. I know them playing against them. Mark Reynolds, I played against quite a bit. Luke Scott was another one, Adam Jones, Brian Roberts. A lot of guys, I know the faces and know who they are. I feel like it will be easy to get to know one another.

On how his health and importance of fresh start: “Last season was pretty good other than the fact that I had a little freak injury that kind of nagged me the whole year. My left wrist was diagnosed with a bone bruise and it basically never went away the whole year. It just kind of bothered me. Right now, it feels fine. I haven’t picked up a bat since the end of the season so I don’t know how that will feel. But I don’t feel that’s it is going to bother me anymore. I felt that all it needed was a little bit of rest that I couldn’t get during the season last year.”

On playing in the A.L. East: “I think it will be a good challenge. Just looking at the roster of the Baltimore Orioles, I think we’re going to be pretty good. Looking at what they did in the second half last year, I think we’re going to be a team that might fly under the radar and be a lot better than people expect.”

On whether he’d be interested in a contract extension with the Orioles: “You know what, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I feel like the last week, I’ve been dealing with getting traded. Now, I don’t know what the talk is going to be about extensions or anything like that. For me, I’ve never been offered a multi-year contract in the six years that I played. I don’t know what would happen if I did. I think that would be something that my agent and I would have to discuss, but we haven’t talked about it yet.”

On whether he is confident that he can regain the form that he showed in 2008: “There’s no question in my mind that’s what I’m capable of. This last year, I felt like would have been a good year for me to do that. I was feeling a lot better. The ’09 season was in the past for me. IT was a real bad year for me just mentally and physically. It just wasn’t good. Last year, I felt like I moved past that, made a lot of adjustments with my swing but a month and a half into the season, I got this bone bruise in my wrist and I felt like it kind of hindered my power swing. I definitely believe that’s the player I am and I’m definitely capable of it. I’m kind of looking forward to having a year like that this year.”

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (46)
        

The Orioles are still trying to arrange a conference call with new shortstop J.J. Hardy for the Baltimore media still at the winter meetings.

Infielder Brendan Harris, who was also part of the deal that sent minor league relievers Brett Jacobson and Jim Hoey to the Minnesota Twins, did speak to reporters a few minutes ago. Here are his comments:

His reaction to the trade: "I would say, I guess, not surprised by a trade in general. I’m just ecstatic it’s the Orioles and the situation that I’m coming into."

On whether he expects to be used as utility man: "That’s what I’m thinking coming in. I’ve played short, second, third and first in the last year, even a little in the outfield. I’ll come in ready to do anything, come in in good shape and ready for any opportunity I get to play."

On whether he'll get more of an opportunity in Baltimore than he did in Minnesota: "I think so. I thanked [the Twins] for the opportunity to be part of their organization. I talked to [general manager] Billy Smith and he wished me well. I think we just kind of came to an agreement that a change of scenery would be beneficial. I’m real optimistic and looking forward to coming to Baltimore. I live in Arlington in Virginia, so I kind of live right down the road. I went to school kind of right down the road at William & Mary. There are a lot of good things and new opportunities."

On whether it gets difficulty being traded: "It can go both ways. The first time I was traded from the Cubs, the emotional aspect of it. You’re like, ‘Oh my God.’ You feel like the rug got pulled out from under you. I think as you get older, you get a little more jaded to accept the business side of the game, that this is just kind of how it goes and it’s part of the deal. That aspect, it’s all right, it’s easier. This one is a little different because I’m from the East Coast and I got family kind of closer to here. I’d say out of the trades, it’s probably one of the easier ones."

On his scouting reports on J.J. Hardy: He’s a real good player, real fundamentally sound. He had a couple of injuries the last couple of years. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the most productive power-hitting shortstops in baseball."

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 1:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail just held court at the Rule 5 draft. He confirmed that the deal for reliever Koji Uehara was a one-year pact with a vesting option for 2012 based on games pitched or games finished.

His 2011 salary has a base of $3 million that could push up to $5 million if he reaches certain incentives. That's likely less than Uehara would have made had the free agent gone to arbitration.

MacPhail also said that the Orioles and Minnesota Twins are in the end stages of finalizing the J.J. Hardy deal. The Orioles will send minor league relievers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson to the Twins for Hardy and utility man Brendan Harris. The sides are waiting on approval from the commissioner's office because money is changing hands.

Also, the Orioles and free agent first baseman Adam LaRoche have talked preliminarily and there is mutual interest. No offer has been made at this time, but one is expected.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (74)
        

The Orioles just selected right-handed reliever Adrian Rosario with the fourth overall pick in the Rule 5 draft.

Rosario, 21, was selected off the Milwaukee Brewers' Triple-A Nashville roster. A former non-drafted free agent in 2006, Rosario went 4-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 games for Single-A Wisconsin.

The Orioles lost two players in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 draft. The Brewers drafted reliever Pat Egan with the 10th pick in the Rule 5 draft, and the New York Mets tabbed reliever Pedro Beato in the second round of the Rule 5 draft.

Egan went 7-2 with a 3.44 ERA in 49 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. Beato was 4-0 with a 2.11 ERA and 16 saves for Double-A Bowie. Beato is a New York native who was originally drafted by the Mets and did not sign.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

A deal to bring Minnesota Twins shortstop J.J. Hardy to Baltimore is near completion and could be announced after Thursday morning’s Rule 5 draft.

The Orioles likely will receive Hardy and infielder Brendan Harris for two minor leaguers, possibly right-handed relievers Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson.

It would solve the Orioles' needs at both shortstop and utility infield and likely signal the end of free-agent shortstop Cesar Izturis’ time in Baltimore.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune is also reporting the deal is pending.

Hardy, 28, hit .268 with six homers and 38 RBIs in 101 games with the Twins last season. He is a career .263 hitter. His best season was in 2008, when he batted .283 with 24 homers and 74 RBIs in 146 games for the Milwaukee Brewers. He was a Brewers second-round draft pick in 2001.

Harris, 30, hit .157 with one homer and four RBIs in 43 games with the Twins in 2010. He is a career .260 hitter in parts of seven seasons. A former 2001 draft pick of the Chicago Cubs', he has played third base, second base, shortstop and first base in the major leagues.

Hardy in his final year of arbitration after making $5.1 million in 2010. He will be a free agent after the 2011 season. Harris signed a two-year, $3.2 million extension with the Twins after the 2009 season. He is owed $1.75 million in 2011.

Hoey, a 27-year-old right hander, had a combined 6-0 record with a 3.25 ERA in 42 outings between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk. He made 35 appearances for the Orioles during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, going 3-5 with an 8.13 ERA. He missed all of 2008 with a right shoulder injury. The Orioles drafted him in the 13th round in 2003. He was put back on the 40-man roster earlier this offseason.

Jacobson, 24, went 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 34 relief appearances for Single-A Frederick. He was dealt to the Orioles in August 2009 in the trade that sent Aubrey Huff to the Detroit Tigers.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (60)
        

The Orioles have agreed to terms with Koji Uehara, their best relief pitcher for much of last season, on a one-year deal with a vesting option for the 2012 season, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

The exact terms aren't known, but the option won't be hard to obtain if Uehara is able to stay healthy through the majority of the season. The contract also includes some escalator clauses depending on whether Uehara is the Orioles' closer.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)
        

Jason Bartlett, who has been a shortstop target of the Orioles this offseason, has been traded to the San Diego Padres for relievers Adam Russell and Cesar Ramos.

He’s now off the Orioles’ wish list, leaving Minnesota’s J.J. Hardy as the leading candidate to replace Cesar Izturis at shortstop -- assuming the Orioles don’t re-sign Izturis.

Brendan Ryan of the St. Louis Cardinals is also a possibility. Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said Tuesday that he has had discussions with the Cardinals, Twins and Rays while searching for a shortstop.

A deal for Hardy likely won’t happen today, but we know the sides have had serious talks and that minor league reliever Brett Jacobson has been mentioned as a possibility.

It’s also possible that the Orioles could select someone with the fourth pick of Thursday’s Rule 5 draft and include that player in a trade, whether to the Twins or another team.

The Orioles were closing in on a deal Monday that would have sent Nolan Reimold and Alfredo Simon to the Rays for Bartlett, but the Orioles backed away.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

Just a few quick tidbits after our meeting with Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail:

MacPhail said that the club did not make an offer to free agent first basemen Carlos Pena and Paul Konerko despite reports that suggested otherwise. Konerko re-signed today with the Chicago White Sox, while Pena inked a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs.

The Orioles spend a big part of the day trying to find their 2011 shortstop. MacPhail acknowledged that he talked to the Minnesota Twins about J.J. Hardy, the Tampa Bay Rays about Jason Bartlett and the St. Louis Cardinals about Brendan Ryan. They also met with the agents of Cesar Izturis. MacPhail said that it is likely their 2011 shortstop comes from that group.

As for the first base vacancy, MacPhail said there are a lot of options remaining, which is slightly surprising because Derrek Lee and Adam LaRoche are the only two names that jump out at me. Perhaps, you can throw Lyle Overbay into that mix.

He also said that the club has expressed interest in several DH types, which could lead to Luke Scott moving to first base. A couple of those targets are believed to be Vladimir Guerrero, Hideki Matsui and Jim Thome. They did not, however, have a representative at Magglio Ordonez's workout, so you can probably cross him off your wish list.

The Orioles have the fourth overall pick in tomorrow's Rule 5 draft, and MacPhail said that the club has discussed several names at that spot. However, a couple of teams have also contacted the Orioles about trade options with that pick. At least one person I discussed floated the theory that the Orioles could draft a player for the Twins and include him, along with minor league reliever Brett Jacobson, for Hardy.

MacPhail said there were no changes in the negotiations for free agent relief targets, including Koji Uehara and Kevin Gregg.

As for Luke Scott's comments, MacPhail basically said that the club's statement earlier today speaks for itself. He also said that he doesn't foresee Scott getting fined, which is what happened to Aubrey Huff a couple of years back when he made his infamous comments about the city's nightlife.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com is reporting that the Atlanta Braves agreed to sign former Orioles' closer George Sherrill to a one-year deal worth at least $1.2 milion. Crasnick reported that the deal, which is pending a physical, could be worth as much as $1.4 million with incentives.

Sherrill, who saved 51 games for the Orioles during the 2008 and 2009 seasons before he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for minor league third baseman Josh Bell and pitcher Steve Johnson, had some interest returning to Baltimore, but he obviously thought Atlanta provided him a better opportunity.

Oriole officials met with Sherrill's representative this week. It's isn't clear if an offer was made.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)
        

Super agent Scott Boras held court after the Carlos Pena press conference and I threw in a few Orioles’ questions. The answers weren’t exactly crystal clear, but you will get the picture.

Boras repeatedly was asked about Prince Fielder, the Milwaukee Brewers slugger who is a free agent at the end of 2011. The Brewers have at least spoken to some teams about Fielder, and that includes the Orioles.

The Orioles probably aren’t willing to give up the prospects’ package it would take to get Fielder, if he were available. Even if they were willing, they may not have the prospects. But if they did, they’d likely want to talk a contract extension with Fielder before making such a deal.

Boras was asked if Fielder would be interested in such a negotiating window.

“Prince is under contract with the Brewers, I don’t talk about (those things),” Boras said. “If the Brewers, under their contractual rights, are going to come forward and address that, that’s something I’d have to talk to Prince about at that time.”

Boras isn’t naming a price tag, but it’s not going to be cheap for a guy who is in his mid-20s and has light-tower power.

“When you have power, teams are going to aggressively pursue you and do so with immediacy,” Boras said. “One thing I hear is that anyone in this game that hits 25 home runs and plays defense, you have extreme value.”

One player Boras represents that is still on the board this offseason is third baseman Adrian Beltre. The Orioles covet Beltre, but it’s long believed that he has no desire to come to Baltimore. Boras freely admitted that he has told some teams this week that Beltre was not interested. And, for sure, that was the message the Orioles received last year from Beltre’s camp.

When asked specifically if the Orioles were one of the teams Boras has told, “Thanks, but no thanks,” the agent said: “That is something I would let every general manager comment on if they will, but there were a number of teams, when they came to us, we let them know that was not an environment we wanted to go into. If their general managers want to address that, I’ll let them do that.”

Boras also represents Kevin Millwood, a free agent who pitched for the Orioles last season.

“Millwood, certainly here at these meetings, the interest level for him has risen and we’ve got multiple teams that are now looking at him,” Boras said.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott’s Barack Obama rant – in which he told a radio station during the winter meetings that he doesn’t believe Obama was born in the U.S. and accused the president of “hiding something” -- has taken on a life of its own.

To the point where the Orioles organization, through spokesperson Greg Bader has commented on it through their Twitter site and email. This is the club’s statement:

“Luke Scott’s comments do not reflect the opinion of the Baltimore Orioles organization. … The fact is that Barack Obama is our President, duly elected by the people of the United States. End of story.”

His teammate, Adam Jones, also posted something on Twitter about Scott’s comments: “Whatever comments Luke Scott made were made by him. I’m his teammate and friend. Besides that we have different views so that’s that.”

Jones later tweeted that in this country everyone has freedom of speech.

OK, moving on to baseball …

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

Carlos Pena, who nearly signed with the Orioles several offseasons ago, said the Orioles were definitely in the mix this time, but instead he signed a one-year $10 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Pena had a multi-year offer from the Orioles, but preferred going to the Cubs.

“I think it was very close actually,” said Pena who batted .196 with 28 homers and 84 RBIs with the Tampa Bay Rays last season “(The Orioles) showed extreme interest, but at the end of the day I thought this was the best fit for me. I thought the Cubs wanted me the most. It was kind of cool to see how much interest they showed and how much I wanted to play for them. It was the perfect fit, for me, a no-brainer at the end of the day.”

He said the Orioles were “were very aggressive. I am very flattered… I was very flattered with the interest that was shown.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 2:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)
        

A day after trade talks with the Tampa Bay Rays about Jason Bartlett fell apart, the Orioles have made progress in acquiring Minnesota Twins' shortstop J.J. Hardy.

According to a source, the Orioles would acquire Hardy for two minor league pitchers in one of the deals that has been discussed. One name that has been mentioned in the trade talks is is Brett Jacobson, who went 8-1 with a 2.79 ERA in 34 appearances for Single-A Frederick last season.

Jacobson, a 24-year-old right-handed reliever, was acquired from the Detroit Tigers in Aug. 2009 in the Aubrey Huff deal.

The deal is certainly not a formality but it is clear that the Orioles have moved on for Bartlett and are now focused on trying to get a deal done for Hardy.

The 28-year-old shortstop hit .268 with six homers and 38 RBIs in 101 games for the Twins last year. His best season came in 2008 when he batted .283 with 24 homers and 74 RBIs in 146 games for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (65)
        

Those who deal with Orioles designated hitter Luke Scott on a daily basis know the deal: Scott is one of the nicer, happier guys in baseball.

He is also one of the most outspoken players about things he believes strongly in. That starts with religion and his Christian beliefs. He is also a huge Second Amendment supporter – and has gone on national TV on multiple occasions about the right to carry guns.

And he is a big right-wing conservative. Oftentimes he’ll share his opinions in the clubhouse. He says things matter-of-factly, and those around him have come to accept that that is just Luke.

Well, Luke was being Luke Tuesday at the winter meetings and it was President Barack Obama who ended up in his crosshairs. After talking with an Internet blogger on media row Tuesday about baseball and hunting and other topics, politics and Obama came up.

The Yahoo Sports blogger asked Scott whether he thought Obama was born in the United States – long a topic of discussion and passion for conservatives. And this is what Scott said: “He was not born here.”

He went on to explain: Here is an excerpt:

“That's my belief. I was born here. If someone accuses me of not being born here, I can go — within 10 minutes — to my filing cabinet and I can pick up my real birth certificate and I can go, "See? Look! Here it is. The man has dodged everything. He dodges questions, he doesn't answer anything. And why? Because he's hiding something.”

That’s Luke. Here’s the link.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (278)
        

Cross two more first basemen off the Orioles' wish list.

Last night, slugger Carlos Pena reportedly signed a one-year deal worth $10 million with the Chicago Cubs last night, leaving the Orioles with one less option for their first-base vacancy.

Then this morning it was reported that Paul Konerko has re-upped with the Chicago White Sox for three years at $14 million per season.

The Orioles had major interest in Konerko, but frankly they assumed it was purely one way. No one in the organization expected him to leave Chicago. They saw this movie five years ago.

However, the Orioles met with the agent of one of those remaining options, Adam LaRoche, yesterday at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel.

The Orioles are certainly interested in LaRoche, but so are several other teams, including the Washington Nationals.

LaRoche, 31, batted .261 with 25 homers and 100 RBIs. He's also considered a good defensive first baseman. Orioles manager Buck Showalter has emphasized several times that defense at first base is a big deal to him.

If the Orioles don't get LaRoche, they'll have to sort through the remaining options that include Derrek Lee, Lyle Overbay, Nick Johnson, Troy Glaus, Jorge Cantu, Russell Branyan and Hank Blalock.

It's hard to get too excited about those options.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 9:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (83)
        

Ty Wigginton is still waiting to find out when he’ll be taking his physical and make his two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Colorado Rockies official.

Wigginton, 33, has a chance to make $12 milllion in the deal; he has a $4 million option for 2013 that includes a $500,000 buyout.

Here’s what he had to say about choosing the Rockies: “I think a major thing that drew me to Colorado is that they have played a lot of meaningful games late in the season. Recently, they always seem to be in the race late, and they’ve played a lot of good baseball in the last few years.”

He acknowledged that having a chance to play regularly -- and to play for a team that has made recent playoff runs -- factored into his decision. Wigginton has never played in the postseason.

“It’s important, but also it s a good opportunity for me. I enjoyed the National League game -- I like the American League game, too – but the National League game is fun, and I can’t wait to start playing baseball again.

He said he enjoyed his time in Baltimore: “I made a lot of good friends, guys I played for and played with, and I enjoyed competing with them. I enjoyed the fans; the fans were always behind me. It definitely was a good stop for me.”

Before last season ended, he said he wanted to return to Baltimore. And the Orioles had interest in re-signing him. It just didn’t work out.

“I think they showed good interest. They have always been good to me, and they stayed in touch, definitely, the whole time.”

And now he gets to play his home games at Coors Field.

“I’ve played there quite a few times. I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s a fun atmosphere the times I’ve played there. It’s a big ballpark, and big ballparks are fun to hit at.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail met with the Baltimore media a few minutes ago, and here are some of the subjects he addressed:

On infielder Ty Wigginton's signing a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Colorado Rockies: “Wiggy did a nice job for us, and I was glad to see Wiggy get the deal he did, to be honest with you. But I think once he saw us get the everyday third baseman and the potential of landing a different first baseman and [his playing time] in all likelihood … would be reduced for him, and that was important to him to go somewhere where he could get a lot of at-bats.”

On the club’s overall day of negotiating: “We are trying to do some things. We have had conversations. We have come close on some things. Still working to try to figure out how we can improve different areas. [We] have some offers out. We’ll just have to see how this stuff plays out.”

On the likelihood of a deal happening Tuesday night: “I don’t think so.”

On whether a Jason Bartlett deal is still in play: “We are trying to do what we can about shortstop, and that includes Cesar [Izturis] and that includes others as well, so we’ll just have to see how that plays out.”

On whether he’s more optimistic about re-signing Koji Uehara on Tuesday night than he was Tuesday morning: “Yeah, I would think so, but again, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”

On whether he expects more moves before he leaves Thursday: “We are trying, but you just know what other people’s timetables are. If you look at the history of these meetings, a lot of times these guys will go back, collect all the information, meet with their clients and make their decision next week after the meetings. So we don’t really control the time frame.”

On expectations for Nolan Reimold’s role in 2011: “We don’t know. We have seen two Nolans. We’re hopeful that the Nolan we get back will resemble more the 2009 [version] than the 2010 [one].”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

We have to head up to the Orioles' suite for the nightly talk with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. However, I wanted to provide a quick update on a couple of things.

One, the Orioles' proposed deal that would have sent outfielder Nolan Reimold and reliever Alfredo Simon to the Tampa Bay Rays for shortstop Jason Bartlett has fallen apart because of a reluctance to give up on Reimold so soon. Reimold has been working out in California with former Orioles outfielder Brady Anderson, who has provided positive reviews of the progress the young outfielder has made. The Orioles were reluctant to include him in a deal for a player like Bartlett who has only a year remaining on his contract.

Second, manager Buck Showalter sounded extremely confident that the club is close to augmenting its bullpen. I've learned that they've extended a two-year offer, believed to be worth between $8 million and $10 million, to former Toronto Blue Jays closer Kevin Gregg. They also met with free agent Koji Uehara and made considerable progress on a deal.

OK, I have to head up to meet with MacPhail. More later.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 5:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

Orioles manager Buck Showalter just got done with his winter meetings media obligation. In the 30-minute session, he expressed confidence that the Orioles are close to upgrading their bullpen, he said that the club still hasn't settled on its 2011 shortstop and he praised the offseason conditioning work of Josh Bell and Nolan Reimold. Reimold, who could be headed to the Tampa Bay Rays by the end of the day in the Jason Bartlett deal, is in California working out with former Orioles outfielder Brady Anderson.

On Bell: Showalter has made two calls to the young third baseman to tell him he remains in the club's plans, but he hasn't been able to connect with Bell yet.

On the shortstop situation: "There are some moving parts there. There are some possibilities there."

On the bullpen: "We're trying to attack the bullpen with some guys with track records. We feel like we are close on a couple of those guys."

On Brian Roberts: Showalter said that as far as he knows, the second baseman is fine healthwise.

On the starting rotation: "Right now, we have six or seven [guys] for five [spots]."

On Cesar Izturis: Showalter said the Orioles still haven't ruled out bringing him back as the everyday shortstop. He also said that if the Orioles go in another direction in that spot, they would consider signing Izturis as a utility man.

On whether the club is close to finalizing any trades or free agent deals: "It's a process. You can't make someone do something with their club. Andy [MacPhail, the Orioles' president of baseball operations] has got it wired. I like the possibility of doing a few things here."

On whether he is concerned that there are only eight relievers on the 40-man roster: "There are lot of things that I know that you're not aware of. If we are able to do the things that we're trying to do, that [question] won't be relevant."

On whether Mark Reynolds' strikeout total eliminates the strikeout-prone Carlos Pena from consideration: "That doesn't eliminate anybody if they are plus defenders."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
        

While a trade for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jason Bartlett still hasn't been finalized, there remains a growing sense that it is going to get done, and it's not going to be just a one-for-one swap.

The Rays, whose bullpen has been depleted by free agency, are also looking for the Orioles to include Alfredo Simon in the deal. Simon's inclusion does not appear to be a deal breaker at this point, though the talks are ongoing.

If the Orioles trade Simon, that would leave them with only seven relievers on their 40-man roster.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has offers out to several free-agent relievers, including Koji Uehara.

Simon, 29, went 4-2 with a 4.93 ERA and 17 saves in 49 appearances for the Orioles in 2010.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (53)
        

According to industry sources, the Orioles and Braves have had multiple conversations about Atlanta starter Kenshin Kawakami, who is owed $6.67 million in the final season of a three-year deal.

Kawakami, 35, was 1-10 with a 5.15 ERA in 18 games, 16 starts, for the Braves in 2010, and also pitched five games in the minors last season. In his first year in the United States, Kawakami was 7-12 with a 3.86 ERA in 32 games (25 starts).

The Braves are looking to shed payroll while making room for their young starters while the Orioles would like to add a veteran to help take some pressure away from their young stable of pitchers.

Atlanta would likely pick up part of Kawakami’s 2011 salary. This isn’t the first time the Orioles have had interest in the right-hander. When he became a free agent and entered major league baseball in the 2008 offseason, the Orioles were highly intrigued but instead signed Koji Uehara to a two-year deal.

Uehara is a free agent but is good friends with Kawakami, so perhaps if Kawakami came to the Orioles, he would be another selling point in luring Uehara back.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 1:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

This should come as no surprise since the Orioles need a first baseman, but the Orioles have been in contact with the Milwaukee Brewers about slugger Prince Fielder, who is a free agent after 2011.

Sounds like there were talks, nothing more.

The Brewers want pitching, and the Orioles have some. But to give up one of their top young pitchers -- such as lefty prospect Zach Britton -- the Orioles would want to talk a contract extension with Fielder first. And with Fielder a year from free agency -- and Adrian Gonzalez likely not a factor in next year's market -- Fielder and his agent Scott Boras likely will test the open market.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said he's hearing it was simply normal conversation as well, nothing hot.

One Canadian site threw the names of Britton, and prospects Wynn Pelzer and Ryan Adams out as a possibility for Fielder. That trade would have to get done by Thursday, since Pelzer and Adams are both eligible for the Rule 5 draft. So that one is likely out.

The whole Fielder thing may not end up being a fit, but there have been talks.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

The Orioles continue to try to fill their shortstop vacancy and most of their talks right now are with the Tampa Bay Rays concerning shortstop Jason Bartlett.

They've discussed different packages, the latest being a swap of Bartlett for outfielder Nolan Reimold.

Update: One source said it's expected to happen today.

It's too early to say it will get done, but the momentum is there.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (68)
        

The Orioles are expected to meet with the agent of their former closer, George Sherrill, this week to discuss a possible reunion.

Sherrill, who was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers, told The Sun on Saturday that he was interested in a Baltimore return.

However, he has plenty of suitors and most in the industry believe that he will sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, who are very much interested in the big lefty. Sherrill was signed out of the independent leagues by Charley Kerfeld, a special assistant to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. Kerfeld and Sherrill remain friends. The Phillies also need left-handed bullpen help and give Sherrill the best opportunity to get back to the playoffs.

Sherrill has strong and positive feelings for the Orioles organization. I'm not sure they are strong enough to overcome the Phillies' other advantages.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Just a few quick hits as Day 2 of the winter meetings get under way:

The Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays continued talks yesterday on a deal that would send shortstop Jason Bartlett to Baltimore. The Rays reportedly would prefer to get bullpen help in exchange for Bartlett, but the Orioles aren't much help in that area after non-tendering Matt Albers, allowing Koji Uehara and Mark Hendrickson to hit free agency and trading David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio for third baseman Mark Reynolds. Either way, it's pretty clear that Bartlett is the Orioles' No.1 shortstop target.

I've heard that even if the Orioles acquire Bartlett or the Minnesota Twins' J.J. Hardy, that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't make free agent Cesar Izturis, their starting shortstop the past two seasons, an offer to return in a utility role. With Brian Roberts' back issues, the Orioles are looking for a veteran utility man who can start for stretches if Roberts is out. Izturis, one of the most popular Orioles among his teammates, is looking for a starting gig and has attracted some interest from a couple of clubs.

The more I hear, the more it seems like Adam LaRoche stands as the Orioles' top free agent target at first base. There aren't too many options at this point, and, at least on paper, LaRoche might make the most sense. Carlos Pena's asking price is sky high, and he also strikes out a ton, which could be a problem with Reynolds, the reigning strikeout king, having already been acquired for the other infield corner.

Oriole officials worked overtime yesterday to assure everybody that third base prospect Josh Bell remains very much in the organization's plans despite the acquisition of Reynolds. However, the sense among officials from other organizations is that Bell is very much available in a deal for pitching.

And to answer a reader question, the Orioles will pay Reynolds $5 million in 2011, $7.5 million in 2012, and the club has an option of $11 million in 2013 with a $500,000 buyout.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (36)
        

Infielder Ty Wigginton, the Orioles' lone All-Star last season, will not be returning to Baltimore.

He has agreed to terms with the Colorado Rockies on a two-year deal worth $7.5 million. The deal includes a club option for 2013.

Wigginton, 33, hit .248 with 22 homers and 76 RBIs in 154 games for the Orioles in 2010. The 76 RBIs led the Orioles and he finished third on the team with 52 extra-base hits and 241 total bases.

The Orioles had interest in bringing the versatile Wigginton back, but that became unlikely with the acquisition of third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks yesterday.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (45)
        

The newest Oriole, third baseman Mark Reynolds, spoke with the Baltimore media via teleconference call Monday night.

Here’s what he said on various topics:

Reynolds on being traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only organization he has known, to the Orioles for right-handed relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio: “Initially, I was surprised. I obviously didn’t want to leave. I have my house here, my friends, family, have a pretty good setup with spring training 10 minutes down the road, but I’m looking forward to it. Going back East, I’m from Virginia Beach so it’s a couple hours from my house. It’s going to be a good experience for me. I’m excited to go there and meet the other guys, the coaches, the front office. It’s going to be an adventure, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Reynolds on a 2010 in which he batted .198 with 32 homers and 85 RBIs in 145 games: “It was borderline embarrassing, as far as my average goes. I know I am a much better hitter than that. I think I pushed myself a little too hard. I am pretty stubborn when it comes to injuries and things like that. I hate missing games, I hate missing at-bats. I think I have learned a lot in that area as far as how to listen to my body and know when I need to maybe take some time off. Looking back, I wish I had done that, but it’s past and you move forward and I think I’ll have a lot better chance for success knowing what I went through this past year.”

On what went wrong physically in 2010: “In the spring, I hurt my quad the last day of spring training. I didn’t think too much of it, and it really hampered me running the bases and stealing bags. That is kind of part of my game. That bothered me all the way prior to the All-Star Game, and then when I started to get 100 percent healthy, I got hit in the head with a 96 miles an hour fastball and that kind of set me back. Then in September, I hurt my hand somehow. It was tough to feel the bat. I tried to put a protect on it and play through it. I probably shouldn’t have done that. It was all just nagging stuff. I feel 100 percent now, and I’m ready to go.”

On what fans can expect from him as a player: “No matter what, I am going to try and play every day, play every game. I am definitely going to leave the field dirty. I am not afraid to dive into the stands, I am not afraid to take on a catcher at home plate. I definitely play the game 100 percent, full board, all nine innings, and you’ll never see me loafing out there. If I am loafing, it must mean that I am hurt. I am a hard-nosed player, and I’ll go out there every day with all I’ve got.”

On what he knows about the Orioles and their players: “I actually had the roster, and I don’t know anyone personally. I’ve maybe said, ‘Hi,’ in passing. I’m going to go there and get acclimated with all the guys. It’s just like a fresh start. Hopefully, I can put this past year behind me, be smarter with taking care of my body and managing things like that. I’m looking forward to getting to see the guys and getting to know everybody.”

On improving defensively at third base: “In 2007, my first year in the big leagues, I played like 30 games in Double-A that year and that was my first year ever playing third base, and then I got the call-up and got thrown in the fire. I kind of learned on the job, and it definitely showed early on. But I took a lot of time in spring training working with Matt Williams. He really helped out a lot over there, my footwork and things like that, so I think I’m only getting better as time goes on.”

On Camden Yards and making an adjustment to a new park and new league: “As far as the park goes, I don’t know much about it. I hear it’s pretty hitter-friendly. … It’s definitely going to be an adjustment moving to the AL with the pitching and getting to know everybody. I’m going to rely on the coaches and the players on the team to help me out and give me scouting reports and let me know what he’s got. I don’t expect it to be an adjustment that is going to take me awhile, hopefully. But it’s definitely going to be something that I’m going to have to get used to.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

Mark Reynolds is the Orioles' new third baseman, but there’s still a sizable hole at first base.

Who fills it?

The candidates can get in line.

Here’s a name for you: Josh Willingham, whom the Washington Nationals would consider moving. The Orioles have had internal discussions about the 31-year-old outfielder. He has played three games in his career at first base, so it’s not like he’s never done it.

He also would be a potential fit in left field if the Orioles did something with penciled-in incumbents Felix Pie and Nolan Reimold.

The Orioles would prefer to have an above-average defender at first base.

Carlos Pena, Derrek Lee and Adam LaRoche have had that reputation in the past -- if not now -- but Lee doesn’t appear to be overwhelmed with playing for a last-place team in the East and Pena looks to have several options, if you believe the rumors swirling.

Another option is bringing back Ty Wigginton and letting him play some first. Many of you want to know whether Wigginton will return, and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail was asked about that possibility now that Reynolds is in the fold.

“I wouldn’t say that eliminates him,” MacPhail said about Wigginton. “Less playing time at third is a likely possibility but it certainly doesn’t eliminate him.”

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

Here are quotes from Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, Orioles manager Buck Showalter and Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers.

MacPhail

"We’ve made no secret of the fact that we are looking to augment our offense this offseason. We don’t think we’re necessarily done."

On Reynolds: "We are buoyed by the fact that he’ll start next season at 27 years old. He’s a young player who is improving his defense. We are delighted to have him."

On young third baseman Josh Bell: "We still are very high on Josh. He certainly has gotten a lot of interest among other clubs. We don’t think this necessarily blocks his path."

More on Reynolds: "We like his defense. Who knows what the future holds, but we do think he’s an improving defensive third baseman who our scouts like and consider to be above average by the end of last year."

On whether Reynolds impacts other decisions: "It doesn’t necessarily preclude anybody, but it may change our priority order a little bit."

Showalter

On Reynolds' strikeout totals: "We dwell on the positive things that he brings. He brings some things that we don’t have. It was pretty obvious last year that our lineup depth there was a little challenged in certain places. You can find negative on every player. I understand that. [But he's] just something that we don’t have. We’re not going to beat him up on the negatives.
You can talk about the negatives on every player. You keep in mind this guy is 27 years old."

On improving lineup: "It was a challenge for us last year. Where we are, we had to improve offensively, and at the same time, we don’t think we sacrificed anything defensively."

Towers

"Rebuilding the bullpen was paramount. It’s been kind of a thorn in our side the last couple of years. Sometimes you have to move a good ballplayer to be able to acquire good right-handed arms. Mark Reynolds was a great Diamondbacks player. But for us to take leaps forward that we need to do, we felt that this was a tremendous start. It’s the start of rebuilding this bullpen."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is about to take the podium to address his team’s acquisition of slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks for relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio.

Before he does, I want to briefly touch on what the trade could mean. Again, I stress “could” mean because the Orioles are involved in a lot of things. MacPhail sounded very confident earlier today that he is getting close to a couple of other moves, and I’d suspect that includes signing a reliever or two to fill Hernandez’s spot.

Cesar Izturis returns as the Orioles’ shortstop: The Orioles have said all along that they’d consider bringing the offensively-challenged shortstop, but they’d want to upgrade their offense at both infield corners. They think they’ve done that with Reynolds at third. Also, the Tampa Bay Rays are looking for bullpen help in exchange for shortstop Jason Bartlett and had even proposed a Bartlett-for-Hernandez swap. That’s obviously a moot point, and it doesn’t appear the Orioles still have enough major league-ready relievers to entice the Rays. The Orioles are expected to meet with Izturis’ agent this week at the winter meetings, and it’s possible that talks can heat up.

Carlos Pena isn’t as attractive as a first base option: By now, everybody knows that Reynolds is a strikeout machine. So is potential first base acquisition Carlos Pena, and it’s very hard to imagine a lineup with both of them, plus Adam Jones, in it.

The Orioles need to sign at least two relievers: Hernandez is gone, as is Mickolio, who had pitched in the big leagues the previous two seasons and would have been a candidate to make the club out of spring training. Matt Albers was non-tendered, while Mark Hendrickson and Koji Uehara remain free agents. Michael Gonzalez, Jason Berken, Jim Johnson all missed chunks of last season with significant injuries and remain health question marks. And Alfredo Simon was wildly inconsistent last year. Right now, the Orioles’ 2011 bullpen picture is extremely cloudy, and MacPhail needs to address that this week.

Position prospect Josh Bell will start season at Triple-A: This was probably a foregone conclusion anyway, but it’s official now. Bell, who struggled so much in his rookie season last year, will return to Norfolk barring a trade. I don’t think that this mean he is totally out of the Orioles’ plans as having depth at the position is a good problem to have. Reynolds also has played first base before.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

David Hernandez has heard the rumors for weeks that he would be traded from the Orioles. That became a reality today when he was informed by his agent that he had been sent to the Arizona Diamondbacks, along with reliever Kam Mickolio, for slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds.

Hernandez, who is a California native, admitted that the news was bittersweet.

"I'll have a chance to play closer to home, but I always thought I'd be in Baltimore for years to come," he said in a phone interview with The Sun 10 minutes ago. "It just didn't work out that way. I'll miss all the friends I made there, the guys in the clubhouse. The organization did some good things for me. I thought I was part of the future there, but somebody has to go to make improvements. You can't keep everybody.

"I'm not bitter at all. I appreciate the organization and the city, and there's always a chance I can go back."

Hernandez, one of the good guys in the Orioles' clubhouse the past couple of years, said he still hasn't spoken to any officials from the Diamondbacks, so he wasn't sure what his role will be with his new team. However, he would like the opportunity to start.

"I'd like to have a chance to be a starter," he said. "I feel like I can still be one, but that's out of my control."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)
        

The Orioles have attempted to solve their corner infield and power void troubles by sending two young relievers to the Arizona Diamondbacks for third baseman Mark Reynolds.

To acquire Reynolds, who has had at least 28 homers in each of the past three seasons, the Orioles gave up right-handed relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio.

The deal is pending physicals, but it has been confirmed, according to a source.

Hernandez, 25, was viewed as a potential future closer for the Orioles after a strong conversion from the starting rotation last season. Mickolio, 26, was in the minors for all but three games last year.

Reynolds, 27, hit 32 homers last year in his fourth season with the Diamondbacks.

Reynolds, who grew up in Virginia Beach ,Va., has hit 121 homers in 563 big league games, including a career-high 44 in 2009. He also has led the National League in strikeouts in each of his three full seasons, totaling 211 last year in 494 at-bats.

He batted just .198 on the season with a .320 on-base percentage. Considered an average defensive third baseman and a gritty, hard-nosed player, Reynolds appeared in 145 games last season despite dealing with an early-season quadriceps injury and a late-season wrist injury. He was hit in the head by a pitch in 2010 and played the next day.

Reynolds is signed through the 2012 season with a option for 2013.

Hernandez was 12-18 with a 4.93 ERA in 61 games with the Orioles, including 27 starts. He was the club’s 16th-round draft pick in 2005.

Mickolio pitched in three games for the Orioles last year and, in three seasons, was 0-3 with a 4.32 ERA in 23 games. He was part of the Seattle Mariners trade for Erik Bedard in 2008.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (82)
        

Eddie Murray is a Hall of Famer.

He is a member of the 16-person Hall of Fame Expansion Era Committee, which voted in Pat Gillick on Monday.

Murray is also one of only four players to have both 3,000 hits and 500 home runs; the others are Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Rafael Palmeiro.

There probably is no better person to ask about whether Palmeiro, in his first year on the ballot, should be in the Hall of Fame.

Palmeiro’s candidacy, of course, is stained with a failed drug test and subsequent suspension in 2005.

So what does Eddie make of the situation? Well, he’s not revealing that opinion easily.

“I don’t think a whole lot about it,” Murray said on his way out of the Swan and Dolphin resort on his way to the airport. “That’s something I am not in charge of and don’t waste time with.”

Murray, who wears a pendant with “3,000” on it – a gift from a friend years ago – would offer this about the exclusive club of which Palmeiro is a member.

“You’ve only got four people to do it. You see how difficult it is,” Murray said, reiterating that he really doesn’t think about Palmeiro’s place among Hall of Famers.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said this morning that the Orioles are getting closer to a deal that will land them slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

According to several sources, the deal is expected to be finalized before the end of the day.

There's been no confirmation on who would be going back to the Diamondbacks, but the belief is that relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio likely would be in a deal if it gets done.

"We're making progress," MacPhail said. "Don't have anything finalized yet, but making progress."

Asked again if he feels the trade talks are leading to a conclusion, MacPhail said, "You never know until it's over. You just don't know until it's done. I'm just talking from experience. A lot of these things you think you're marching toward a certain conclusion and it just doesn't turn out. Until it's finalized, we'll see.

"We have a few things going. You never really know when you're going to reach across and do something. We have a variety of things. What comes to fruition when, you just don't know. You only really influence half that equation."

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (45)
        

Well, there will be at least one former Oriole going into the Hall of Fame this year even if Roberto Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro don’t make it.

Pat Gillick, who was the Orioles’ GM from 1996 to 1998 and was the architect of the 1997 team that lost to the Cleveland Indians in the American League Championship Series, was selected by the Hall’s Expansion Era Committee for 2011 induction.

He beat out the likes of late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and former players’ union executive Marvin Miller.

“I can’t tell you what an honor this is,” said Gillick, who led the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies to World Championships and also was the GM for the Seattle Mariners. “It’s really on behalf of all the people I worked with over the years, that’s who I feel the honor is for.”

Gillick received 13 of 16 votes; he needed 12. Miller finished one vote short at 11. Former big league shortstop Dave Concepcion was the next with eight votes.

The Orioles were well-represented on the 16-person voting panel, which included current president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and Hall of Famers Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray and Jim Palmer.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

It’s the official first day of the winter meetings and by 9 a.m. people were buzzing in the lobby.

OK, buzzing it is a bit strong. It was like a march of defeated ants, everyone knowing for the next three days there will be countless monotonous strolls around the lobby at the Swan and Dolphin Resort here in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

I’ve considering setting up a popcorn stand next to the 40-foot tree in the main lobby, so people have a way of a leaving a trail around this place so know where they’ve been and how to get back.

If I can do half as well as the coffee counters in this place, I may never had back north.

Enough talk about food and drink (can’t imagine I sniff breakfast for four days here), let’s throw you a nugget of the baseball variety.

One of my handshakes this morning was with a Japanese reporter who spent a little time covering Koji Uehara in the States.

He said the six teams that apparently have shown interest in Koji, the Orioles’ closer at the end of the season and a current free agent, was detailed to the Japanese media.

Apparently the six are the Orioles, the Seattle Mariners, the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Of that list, you have to expect the Orioles are the only team absolutely set on Uehara being the closer.

The word in Japan is the word we hear here: That Koji wants to return to Baltimore but he’d go elsewhere for a two-year deal. And it’s highly unlikely the Orioles offer him a multi-year contract.

Like everything else at this place this week, it will be a wait and see.

In a few minutes, the Hall of Fame is having a press conference.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail held court in his hotel suite for about 20 minutes with the Baltimore media, preparing for tomorrow's official start of the winter meetings.

He said he is hoping the next four days will be “hectic” and although he is well aware that Oriole fans are growing more and more disenchanted by the day with the club’s inactivity, MacPhail said he doesn’t feel any added pressure to make moves.

"We have to do those things that we think are in our best interests," said MacPhail, acknowledging that he is not averse to overpaying a free agent as long as he's the type of player who will get the club over the hump.

"They have to pass the litmus test of something that makes sense," MacPhail said. "Those out years do arrive. You have other clubs that are dealing with those issues right now where they handcuff themselves in the future and really don’t allow themselves much movement. It’s always important to give yourself the opportunity to respond to events and make signings contemporary on player ages and performance as opposed to locking yourself into guys that are going to finish their contracts late in the 30s. Some clubs have the economic wherewithal to absorb that, but I don’t think there are very many of them."

There were no huge revelations, nor did I expect any. MacPhail did say he has multiple offers out to free agents but declined to name them. As I've written, they have made an offer to reliever Koji Uehara, along with at least one other reliever. It wouldn't surprise me if that guy is Kevin Gregg, but I can't say that for sure.

The Orioles are not in on free-agent third baseman Adrian Beltre. Though Scott Boras said earlier today that geography is not a big factor in where Beltre signs, it is clear that the player doesn't want to play in Baltimore. And even if he did, the Orioles aren't interested in getting anywhere near his asking price.

Also, do not expect -- I hope by now you wouldn't -- any huge deals for a slugger, like Prince Fielder. The Orioles feel like the combination of the prospects they would need to give up and the money it would cost to extend them is simply too much. (Remember, don't shoot the messenger.)

Since the Orioles were not in on Jayson Werth, who agreed to an eye-popping, seven-year, $126 million deal that is the talk of the winter meetings so far, and not in the bidding for Beltre and not involved in huge trade talk for a celebrated slugger (Mark Reynolds doesn't count), MacPhail was asked where this much-discussed, middle-of-the-order bat was going to come from.

"We’re going to have to look at all the different positions and try to juice up the offense as much as we can," he said. "We still have third [base], short, first. I wouldn’t rule out the outfield in different ways. It would have been cleaner to just make a big free-agent signing, but those weren’t in the cards for us, so now we have to respond to them."

The Orioles do have some interest in first basemen Carlos Pena and Adam LaRoche. However, according to one source, Derrek Lee isn't exactly high on coming to Baltimore. We'll see whether he has better options.

On the Koji front, his agent told the Japanese media today that six teams are in on the bidding with the Orioles and St. Louis Cardinals being among that group. MacPhail didn't completely rule out offering the oft-injured Uehara two guaranteed years, but it certainly is not the club's preference.

"We’re trying to protect ourselves in the event that he’s not on the field,” MacPhail said. “If he’s on the field, we’re happy with his performance. Anything that makes sense for us that stands that scrutiny, we would consider. We wouldn’t rule anything out.”

MacPhail did say he would hope to upgrade the bullpen this week and acknowledged "we’re working toward different things."

While MacPhail wouldn’t rule out trading young pitching, it’s an area where he’ll tread carefully.

"There are certain aspects of our club where we’re going to try to be judicious," he said. "I’ve made no secret of the fact that to me, it’s all about starting pitching. You just have to grow it. I think the reason once [manager Buck Showalter] got here our team performed as well as it did over the last two months was our starting pitching. That’s something we have to be very protective about unless we really get something that we think is an offer we can’t refuse."

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)
        

I’m en route to Orlando, Fla. this morning for baseball’s winter meetings, which officially begin tomorrow. Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail will meet with local reporters this evening though I don’t expect any breaking news. It would, however, be a nice surprise as the biggest fear for reporters during this event is to pace the lobby 12 hours a day and have nothing to write about. And yes, that has happened before. I’ve covered five winter meetings and I think the biggest Orioles’ story to surface was last year’s trade of Chris Ray for Kevin Millwood, or maybe the Ramon Hernandez trade with the Cincinnati Reds two years ago. I’m not counting Miguel Tejada’s trade demand because that came on the final night of the winter meetings after team officials had scattered and boarded planes.

Before you ask about my expectations for the week, I’ll say that I would be surprised if the Orioles made no moves this week. I’d also be surprised if they made a move that would drastically increase the morale of their beaten and ticked off fan base. I could see them landing third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks, or acquiring a shortstop, like Jason Bartlett or J.J. Hardy. I could see them re-signing Koji Uehara and coming to an agreement with a setup reliever in the Kevin Gregg mold. But I’d be shocked if they make a huge deal, say for a Jose Reyes or a Prince Fielder, or sign one of the marquee free agents.

Anyway, we’ll have plenty of time to talk about all the rumors and the speculation, but first, I wanted to discuss a couple of guys who are already in the Orioles’ organization.

I spoke the other day to Chris Tillman, who has been the subject of many trade rumors this offseason. Tillman doesn’t pay much attention to any of it, but he did say that he strongly wants to remain on the Orioles and redeem himself following his difficult 2010 season.

To that end, Tillman has been working out daily at the Athletes’ Performance in California. Other players training there include the Philadelphia Phillies’ Chase Utley and the Seattle Mariners’ Milton Bradley, and Tillman’s workout group includes teammate and best friend Brian Matusz, Orioles’ 2009 first-round pick Matt Hobgood and Toronto Blue Jays’ ace lefty Ricky Romero.

“My whole body feels different,” said Tillman, who is trying to add upper body strength. “It feels really good.”

Tillman, who communicates with Orioles’ strength and conditioning coach Joe Hogarty, said that this is really the first time in his life that he’s been on a strict lifting regime. Asked if it’s been tough to stay motivated, Tillman said, “After last season, are you kidding me?”

Tillman, 22, went 2-5 with a 5.87 ERA in 11 starts with the Orioles after going 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA in 21 starts at Triple-A Norfolk.

You’ll also be happy to know that Tillman has been extremely impressed by the work ethic shown by Hobgood, whose conditioning was very much an issue this past season. Tillman said Hobgood does conditioning work both before and after the workouts. “That kid is so strong,” Tillman said.

And one more thing: Orioles’ backup catcher Craig Tatum had a scary moment earlier this offseason when he cut his right thumb on a knife. The wound needed six stitches, but Tatum said that it has healed and he’ll be ready to go by spring training.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 7:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

About 16 months after he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospects Steve Johnson and Josh Bell before the 2009 trade deadline, reliever George Sherrill says he would be very much interested in returning to the Orioles. Sherrill was non-tendered by the Dodgers on Thursday after a season in which he had a 6.69 ERA in 65 appearances.

“I would like that a lot,” Sherrill said via text message. “I don’t know if we’ve had contact yet, but my wife and I love the city and the organization, to me, treats people with class. The people there are great and the fans there are knowledgeable and respectful unlike other places. We both had a blast there.”

The Orioles, who would like to add another left-hander to their bullpen to pair with Michael Gonzalez, are hoping to meet with Sherrill’s agent, Kyle Rote Jr., during the winter meetings.

Sherrill, 33, saved 51 games for the Orioles during the 2008 and 2009 seasons after he was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal. He went to the Dodgers and aided their playoff push, compiling a 0.65 ERA in 30 appearances. However, he struggled mightily in the 2009 National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, and those struggles continued into this past season.

“I had a horrendous year. I couldn’t get my mechanics right no matter what I tried,” Sherrill said. “I’m ready to bounce back and help somebody no matter my role.”

Several teams are looking for left-handed relief, so I don’t think Sherrill will have a hard time finding a job regardless of how much he struggled in 2010.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (45)
        

Again, I’ll start with something that certainly won’t appeal to the masses. If you’re expecting the O’s to be players on any of the top remaining free agents -- and really, why would you? -- don’t hold your breath. For several reasons, ranging from the players' unwillingness to come to a losing organization to the Orioles’ unwillingness to match their asking price, the Orioles aren’t legitimate suitors right now for Cliff Lee, Jayson Werth, Carl Crawford or Adrian Beltre. Sure, this the “No Duh” tidbit of the year, but I thought I’d mention it again because it seems there is a small segment of the fan base that expects Beltre to become an Oriole. Look, things could change and Beltre, who apparently doesn't have a Boston return in his future after today's Adrian Gonzalez trade, could suddenly warm to the idea of being an Oriole. The Orioles also could strike out in their other pursuits and decide to make a huge offer to any of the players above, but they’d have a heckuva lot of ground to make up.

Here’s another tidbit that certainly won’t shock you: From what I hear from different baseball executives, Scott Boras’ asking price for free agent first baseman Carlos Pena is really high right now. Pena has interest in coming to Baltimore, and you can’t rule out the Washington Nationals or even him returning to Tampa Bay. But it will be interesting to see how high the Orioles are willing to go. Their first base options are dwindling by the day.

I’ve also heard that Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has made several calls to teams with starting pitching depth. Both MacPhail and manager Buck Showalter would clearly be more comfortable with another veteran starter to put somewhere in the rotation behind Jeremy Guthrie and provide what Kevin Millwood did last year, hopefully with a lower ERA and loss total. I don’t think free agents like Doug Davis, Kevin Correia and Dave Bush fit the bill, prompting MacPhail to explore trade options.

While the Orioles aren’t shopping Nolan Reimold, they have at least contacted some teams to gauge their interest in the young outfielder. Just my opinion here, but I think to move Reimold now would be selling way too low. Unless another team views him as a legitimate trade piece -- and I highly doubt that after the 2010 that Reimold had -- why not just allow him to come to spring training healthy and focused and see whether he can rebound? If Reimold has to spend a little time at Triple-A and wait for Felix Pie or another outfielder to get injured or to slump, so be it.

On the bullpen front, I wrote yesterday that the Orioles have at least one offer out to a reliever (not including Uehara). I still don’t have the guy nailed down yet, but I have heard from multiple places that the Orioles are pretty interested in Kevin Gregg, who converted 37 of 43 save opportunities for the Toronto Blue Jays last season. The Orioles like plenty of other relievers, but I don’t see them sacrificing their second-round draft pick to sign a Type A bullpen arm, like Grant Balfour and Matt Guerrier. Jesse Crain is looking for a two or three-year deal similar to what Joaquin Benoit got from the Detroit Tigers, so you can forget about him, too.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (60)
        

I hate to be the bearer of bad news for some, but the more I hear, the clearer it becomes that the Orioles’ interest in free agent slugging first baseman Paul Konerko is largely overblown. Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has had conversations with Konerko’s agent, Craig Landis. They have talked about the parameters of a deal and Konerko’s interest in playing in Baltimore. But to say Konerko’s camp is weighing this huge offer from the Orioles -- as has been reported -- isn’t really accurate. The Orioles, like everyone else in the big leagues, are convinced that Konerko is re-signing with the Chicago White Sox. The next person I speak to in the organization who feels the O’s have a shot at Konerko would be the first.

Speaking of the White Sox, I’m told the Orioles contacted the agent for burly closer Bobby Jenks shortly after learning that Jenks had been non-tendered by Chicago. Perhaps they aren’t as confident that they’ll be able to re-sign Koji Uehara as they are acting. Or perhaps they want to sign both to strengthen the back end of a bullpen and give themselves more flexibility to trade David Hernandez or move Hernandez, Jason Berken or Jim Johnson into the rotation. Either way, the Orioles are interested in Jenks and should have more conversations with his agent at the coming winter meetings.

Speaking of Uehara, I’m told by veteran scribe Hideki Okuda, a great resource for American beat guys on all things Japanese baseball, that the reliever posted a message on his personal website saying he just moved to a new place in Baltimore. Perhaps this means nothing, or perhaps it’s the latest sign that Uehara is comfortable in Baltimore and wants to remain here in 2011. I’ve written all this before: Uehara’s young son goes to school in Baltimore and is making great progress in learning the language and the culture. That’s something Uehara would probably prefer not to disrupt. Uehara has been seen at at least two Ravens games wearing a Ray Lewis jersey and a wide smile. He also loves closing games, an opportunity he won’t necessarily get elsewhere. The Orioles have made progress on contract talks with him, and if I’m a betting man on something that gets done at the winter meetings, I’d put my money on re-signing Uehara. Then again, with the way things are going with the Orioles this offseason, another team will probably swoop in and offer him a two-year deal.

With Adrian Beltre mostly out of the picture, the Orioles have few other third base options besides Ty Wigginton or Mark Reynolds, who appears on his way out of Arizona. SI’s Jon Heyman reported that Chris Tillman’s name has been discussed. I’ve heard the names Josh Bell and David Hernandez mentioned, and that Arizona is really looking to bolster its bullpen with a couple of young arms. I don’t know this for sure, but my gut is that the Orioles would rather trade Tillman in a deal that would land them less risky of a slugger than Reynolds who will hit his homers but also strike out at a dizzying pace. Either way, the Orioles aren’t completely sold on Reynolds -- for good reason -- and still aren’t budging on the Diamondbacks’ asking price, but the sense is that the deal is out there if they want it. The same holds true for potential deals involving shortstops J.J. Hardy and Jason Bartlett. The teams are waiting for one another to blink and get desperate, and it hasn’t happened yet.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (107)
        

With the winter meetings coming up, it seemed like a good time to catalog what the Orioles have on their wish list (well, what's still available, at least).

So here are three things to look for at next week's meetings:

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Steve Gould at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

I'm assuming that this won't silence the masses one bit, but I thought it was worth passing along nonetheless.

The Orioles are maintaining regular dialogue with Mark Pieper, the agent for reliever Koji Uehara. While no deal is imminent and it's certainly possible that a team comes in and makes the 35-year-old a two-year offer, I'm told that some progress has been made and Orioles officials feel pretty good about their chances to sign the reliever.

Uehara saved 13 games for the Orioles in 2010 and pitched to a 2.86 ERA. He set a franchise record by not walking a batter in 32 consecutive appearances and he ended the season with a streak of 44 strikeouts since his last walk allowed.

If the Orioles re-signed Uehara -- they'd like to get him back on a one-year deal low in base salary and heavy in incentives -- he would likely return to the closer role.

The Orioles are also talking to the representatives of several other free-agent relievers and have at least one offer out, and have talked contract parameters with several others. The list of free-agent relievers includes Grant Balfour, Matt Guerrier, Jesse Crain, Scott Downs, Brian Fuentes and Kerry Wood.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Jeff Zrebiec at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

OK people, hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but we need to have a little chat. The last few days the emotions have been high at Orioles Insider and my Connolly's Bar blog.

Jeff and I like that. We love it, in fact.

Good to know that if we write an Orioles story in the woods, it still makes a sound. Or something like that.

So this is not a call for you to limit your passion about the Orioles, Baltimore sports, my bad goatee or Jeff’s bald head.

Keep that up (especially cracks about Jeff’s head). But we need to tone down the language and completely eradicate the name-calling and personal slams. That includes the attacks on your fellow blog participants or on Andy MacPhail or Peter Angelos.

If you think a move or an offer was idiotic or moronic -- say that. We’re cool with that. If you think what I wrote was insipid, say that, too. If you want to spell MacPhail’s or Angelos’ names creatively, we can live with that.

But stop with calling people names. This isn’t third grade. I don’t want to read that someone is an idiot or a moron or stupid -- or worse. (We've had some people wishing for the death of others. Really? Over not signing a DH?) That’s not what this forum is about -- maybe other boards, but not here.

The cool thing about this new media age is we can interact directly with you guys, answer questions, provide opinions, etc. But the vitriol is getting out of hand and, to quote the great American poet Dee Snyder, “We’re Not Going To Take It.”

We don’t want to ban anybody, we don’t want to edit comments. We’re much too lazy for that (seriously, we take turns on manually approving comments and it is a daunting task anyway without having to worry about editing out personal attacks). But we will.

So work with us here. Get passionate. Get mad if you want to. But be civil. Don’t call anyone an idiot or a moron (yes, as much as it pains us, this goes for talking about Pete Schmuck, too).

OK, thanks. We appreciate the civil interaction. Enjoy the blog. And before we put the soapbox away, anybody want to come up here and sing Kumbaya? I’ll lead.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

OK, not really, but there’s a whole bunch of ex-Orioles who lost their jobs Thursday, Enough, anyway, for the beginnings of a pitching staff. There are six former Orioles by my calculation, including two of the club’s former closers, who were not tendered contracts by Thursday’s midnight deadline.

They are: John Maine, Brian Burres, George Sherrill, Chris Ray, Lance Cormier and Jack Cust. Former O’s draftees Augie Ojeda and D.J. Carrasco also were non-tendered.

Another update on an ex-Oriole: Erik Bedard, who didn’t pitch in the majors at all last year and has made just 30 starts in the three seasons since the Orioles traded him to Seattle in 2008, agreed to another one-year deal with the Mariners on Thursday.

And two more non-tender notes: Neither Tampa Bay’s Jason Bartlett nor Minnesota’s J.J. Hardy was non-tendered by his team on Thursday. So if the Orioles want one of those shortstops, they’ll have to make a trade.

Go to mobile.baltimoresun.com to get news on your mobile device. Text BASEBALL to 70701 for Orioles text alerts.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Welcome to Prediction Friday, and what a great one it is.

It’s my birthday, and, yeah, I really appreciated the gift from you. Thanks.

I am celebrating my, ahem, early 40s by seeing one of my favorite acts, Langhorne Slim, in concert tonight. He’ll be playing in Baltimore on Saturday at the Ottobar (great place; better joint than this one) on North Howard Street. If you love live music and a performer with great stage presence, you can’t go wrong with Langhorne.

But another tremendous music recommendation from the barkeep is not why you are here. I’ve been on fire with my Ravens’ predictions lately and you need to know what I am thinking going into Sunday night against those rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

It should be as good as advertised. And – I am not just playing up to the crowd here – I see the Ravens winning, 23-20 in another bruisefest. Ed Reed is my player of the game with an interception and a fumble recovery. One goes for a touchdown.

Now, I want your predictions.

For those of you who have never done this before, it’s simple: Predict a winner, score and player of the game (tiebreaker) and I’ll come back on Monday and shower the winners with genuine praise and fake gifts.

For those of you who are Steelers fans and came in here just to stir things up, I typed the above paragraph slowly. Hope you understood it. Haha, just kidding, Steelers fans. As always, you are welcome here; that’s why we ordered extra Iron City (and jacked up the price on that swill for the week). Please make yourself at home and make a prediction. Even if it is a wrong one (again, kidding).

For those of you who prefer being warmed by my endless hot-stove talk, I’ve got one more question for you before I head to the winter meetings in Florida on Sunday. The Orioles have struck out on Victor Martinez and Adam Dunn as first base options and Paul Konerko seems to be a longshot.

So if those three are off the board, who do you think will be at first base for the Orioles in 2011?

I know, given what’s left – Carlos Pena, Adam LaRoche, Derrek Lee, Lyle Overbay, Lance Berkman, Jorge Cantu -- you may want to say Adrian Gonzalez or Prince Fielder, but I don’t think either will happen.

So try to be realistic, unless you just can’t handle that reality. In that case, I’ll let you dream. You can offer up who you want, instead. It’s my birthday, I am feeling charitable.

Daily Think Special: Prediction Friday: Ravens-Steelers

Bonus Think Special: Who will play first base for the Orioles in 2011?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (109)
Categories: Connolly's Corner Sports Bar
        

The Orioles offered slugging first baseman Adam Dunn a four-year deal for $40 million before he signed Thursday with the Chicago White Sox for four years and $56 million, according to an industry source.

The Orioles' offer to Dunn was twice what Dunn signed for in 2009, when he received two years and $20 million from the Washington Nationals.

The club has now struck out twice in its attempt to land a free agent first baseman -- they also offered Victor Martinez four years and $48 million before he signed with the Detroit Tigers for four years and $50 million.

The Orioles are still hoping they can ink Paul Konerko, who had an MVP-type season with the White Sox in 2010.

Although on the surface the signing of Dunn fills the hole left by Konerko, the White Sox are believed to be still interested in re-signing Konerko and having Dunn play primarily at DH.

One industry source believes that the Dunn signing helps the White Sox cause with Konerko, because it shows the team is doing what it takes to catch the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

White Sox GM Kenny Williams told Chicago media during a Thursday teleconference that re-signing Konerko was a priority, though he also had contingency plans if that didn't happen. No deal is expected with Konerko until at least the winter meetings, which begin Monday.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (85)
        

The Orioles have decided not to tender a contract to right-handed reliever Matt Albers, making the 27-year-old a free agent.

Albers, who was 5-3 with a 4.52 ERA in 62 relief appearances last season, was heading into his second year of arbitration after making $680,000 in 2010.

The club decided to cut him loose instead of beginning the arbitration process and, ultimately, paying him a higher salary. They could re-sign him, but he now can negotiate with the other 29 major-league clubs.

The Orioles tendered contracts to their remaining five players that are eligible for arbitration: pitchers Jeremy Guthrie and Jim Johnson, outfielders Adam Jones and Felix Pie and designated hitter Luke Scott. A decision on the six had to be made by midnight Thursday.

Albers was acquired by the Orioles in 2007 as part of the trade that sent Miguel Tejada to the Houston Astros. He pitched in 146 games with the Orioles, including three starts, in parts of three seasons. He was 11-12 with a 4.60 ERA.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

Well, another slugging first baseman is apparently off the board, and it’s hard to tell whether that is good or bad news for the Orioles.

Adam Dunn, who was the best pure power hitter in free agency, has signed a four-year, $56 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, according to several media outlets.

Dunn will be joining the team – and plays the position – of Paul Konerko, who is arguably the Orioles’ top target. On the surface, signing Dunn makes it more likely that Konerko will leave Chicago after 12 seasons.

Then again, not so fast.

There are several reports saying that the White Sox want to keep Konerko while adding Dunn – meaning Dunn likely would primarily be a DH.

Konerko’s agent told Fox Sports that he expects to talk to the White Sox at next week’s winter meetings. So it’s possible this saga drags on for a little while.

Even if Konerko doesn’t stay in Chicago, coming to Baltimore is still considered a longshot. It’s believed the 34-year-old prefers to play for a team that trains in Arizona, where Konerko’s family lives.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

Call this the “Courting of Paul Konerko 2.0.”

The first version occurred in the 2005 offseason, when the Orioles’ brass had a clandestine meeting with Konerko and offered a five-year, $65 million deal to the then 29-year-old first baseman. He decided to stay with the Chicago White Sox for $5 million less, prompting more jokes about the Orioles’ “Confederate money.”

(I’m still quoting Syd Thrift all these years later. God rest his soul.)

I remember asking Konerko on his conference call with the Chicago media about how close he was to coming to Baltimore. Either his interest was genuine or he is a heck of an actor. He gushed about how impressed he was with the Orioles' front office at the time and how he really was flattered by the club’s full-court press. He loved everything about Baltimore, he said, but his heart was in Chicago.

So why is this time around any different?

Honestly, there are several Orioles officials who believe it won’t be. They think Konerko will listen and, perhaps even consider the Orioles intently, but ultimately choose the White Sox or a team closer to his Arizona home. And courting him will be another exercise in futility.

Those who know Konerko say it would be tough for him to sign with any club that doesn’t train in Arizona because he wants to stay with his young family as long as he can.

But there are some significant differences between 2005 and now when it comes to Konerko. Remember, back then Konerko was choosing between his former team that had just won the World Series and an Orioles’ squad that arguably had the most tumultuous season in baseball history -- following the legendary second half collapse that included the Palmeiro and Tejada scandals.

Plus, there was tremendous pressure back then to keep that World Series team together, and Konerko was such a huge part of that. It would have been a huge PR hit for the White Sox to lose Konerko at that time.

That’s not to say South Siders want to give up on the guy who was their best player in 2010, but now there’s a sense in Chicago that the White Sox need to get younger. And as much as Konerko is beloved there, signing a player who will be 35 during spring training to a multi-year doesn’t exactly signal a youth movement.

And Konerko seemingly is more prepared to move on this time, the way most veteran athletes are as they get older and their circumstances change.

All of that demonstrates why Konerko might leave Chicago. But he’d still have to choose the Orioles, a last-place team on the East Coast, for his next address. And that seems like a longshot.

That said, the Orioles really could use Konerko. He fills several needs: a legitimate power hitter who plays first base, bats right-handed and brings winning experience and a veteran presence. He is one of the more well-respected professionals in the game.

Yes, he’ll be 35 and people have been waiting for his body to break down or his skills to erode for a few years now. And there’s a concern that his huge 2010 – which included 39 homers, 111 RBIs, a .312 batting average and career highs in on-base percentage (.394) and slugging percentage (.584) – was the product of a walk year and that he’s setting up his next team for an expensive fall.

But the Orioles have little choice. Their perfect free agent first baseman – Victor Martinez – is off the board and the other candidates are left-handed hitters, flawed or both.

So it’ll be interesting to see if Konerko and the Orioles can be a fit this time, or if he’s just another date to the dance that goes home with someone else.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (45)
        

Ernie Tyler, the Orioles’ long-time umpires’ attendant who had a benign brain tumor removed in October, has been transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

The Orioles say he is progressing well, which is fantastic to hear.

A local legend, Tyler, 86, once worked 3,819 consecutive home games at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards, from Opening Day 1960 to July 27, 2007.

His streak, which included 3,769 consecutive regular-season games, 40 post-season games and nine exhibitions, ended when he accepted an invitation from Cal Ripken Jr. to attend Ripken’s Hall of Fame induction in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 4:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

With baseball’s annual meetings looming next week and the Orioles’ No. 1 free agent target, Victor Martinez, already committed to the Detroit Tigers, the front office is apparently forging ahead with its plan to improve the 2011 club.

The Orioles are seeking one or two power bats to play corner infield as well a shortstop and bullpen help and, according to an industry source, the Orioles have made multiple offers to free agents this week.

Jim Bowden, the former Washington Nationals general manager and current broadcaster for Sirius XM radio, reported Wednesday that the Orioles had made a “significant offer” to first baseman Paul Konerko, most recently of the Chicago White Sox.

As is his usual procedure, Andy MacPhail, the Orioles’ president of baseball operations, wouldn’t confirm or deny the report.

“We are not at liberty to comment, period,” MacPhail said.

With Martinez off the board, Konerko likely becomes the Orioles’ top target. The 34-year-old right-handed hitter batted .312 with 39 homers and 111 RBIs and was fifth in the 2010 American League MVP voting. His .393 on-base percentage and .584 slugging percentage were his highest marks in a 14-season career.

The Orioles also have a history of courting Konerko. They were the top bidder for his services in the 2005 offseason, but he chose to remain with the White Sox and signed a five-year, $60 million deal.

Konerko not only would provide needed power from the right side, but the four-time all-star mashes left-handed pitching, an Orioles’ weakness in the recent past. Konerko is a lifetime .300 hitter versus lefties, which includes a .339 average last season.

Heading into the offseason, the Orioles have had interest in myriad free-agent corner infielders including third baseman Adrian Beltre and first basemen Derrek Lee, Adam LaRoche, Adam Dunn, Lance Berkman and Carlos Pena, among others. It’s unclear as to whether any of those also have received offers from the Orioles.

The annual winter meetings begin Monday near Orlando.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (57)
        

After last night’s deadline for free agents to accept or reject arbitration, there are 10 Type A players remaining that would cost the Orioles a draft pick if they signed them this offseason.

They are: third baseman Adrian Beltre, first basemen Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko, outfielders Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth, starters Cliff Lee and Carl Pavano, and relievers Grant Balfour, Scott Downs and Rafael Soriano.

Of that group, Konerko, Dunn and perhaps Pavano and the relievers could figure into the Orioles’ plans. Beltre is also a target, but I’m continually skeptical that he’ll end up in Baltimore.

Because the Orioles’ first round pick is protected (since it is so high) and there are so many potential supplemental picks – a rough estimate is 30 – the Orioles would surrender a second-round pick in 2011 if they sign one of the above. That translates into roughly a late second-rounder or an early third-rounder in most years.

That wouldn’t deter them from grabbing a primary target such as Konerko or Beltre. It may not deter them from signing a reliever either – they surrendered a second-rounder last year to sign Michael Gonzalez. I hear the groans now.

A lot has been made about the Orioles forfeiting another draft pick, since they need to replenish their farm system and 2011 is considered a deep amateur draft. That said, the baseball draft is such a crapshoot, especially after the first 50 or so players are off the board, so there is no guarantee that a second-rounder in 2011 will ever sniff the majors. Besides, talented players often drop due to signing demands (Jake Arrieta for instance), so where a team picks often doesn’t make much of a difference after the first round anymore.

Since they wouldn’t lose a first-rounder, I don’t think it matters much if the Orioles give up a second-rounder for someone they think can help now (and the above group is a pretty good list). But there are plenty of you out there that don’t want to see the Orioles lose any draft picks at all, given the lack of the quality in the farm system.

That’s understandable, so this entry is for you.

Who would you forfeit a draft pick for?

Posted by Dan Connolly at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

As the rumors continue to swirl around the Orioles, more and more will revolve around the bullpen.

In recent days the Orioles have been reported as interested in Jesse Crain and Kevin Gregg. They are, but the truth is, the list is much longer.

The Orioles have interest in any competent, veteran reliever, so add in a bunch more. Guys such as Grant Balfour and J.J. Putz and Matt Guerrier and Brian Fuentes and Scott Downs and our old buddy, Will Ohman, among others, are ripe for speculation.

They’ll kick the tires on most, run away from the price tag on some and decide against giving up the required draft pick on a few.

But make no mistake, in a deep free-agent class for bullpen arms, the Orioles will sign at least one free-agent reliever and probably more this offseason.

We’ve talked so much about corner infielders and a shortstop and an innings-eating starter, but bullpen help is a major priority.

There are two reasons for this: One, manager Buck Showalter is a big believer in deep bullpens, especially with a young rotation. He’s said multiple times that the importance of defense and strong relief cannot be overlooked.

Secondly, the Orioles’ bullpen is a work in progress right now. Koji Uehara and Mark Hendrickson are free agents, Matt Albers could be non-tendered and Jason Berken missed most of the second half due to injury.

Mike Gonzalez, David Hernandez, Jim Johnson, Jim Hoey, Luis Lebron, Troy Patton and Alfredo Simon all have experienced disabled list stints in the past two seasons and Rick VandenHurk is out of options next April.

The Orioles have signed Mitch Atkins and Josh Rupe to be part of the Triple-A Norfolk bullpen, but the organization has to get more arms there, too. The Tides’ seven leaders in appearances last season were Armando Gabino, Jim Miller, Dennis Sarfate, Alberto Castillo, Mike Hinckley, Kam Mickolio and Pat Egan.

Most are gone from the organization and only Mickolio is on the 40-man roster. Showalter would like a bevy of big-league-ready arms there, and that hasn’t happened yet -- and it may not since a lot of those types have already signed minor-league deals.

Many of the relievers who will get 40-man spots, however, are still out there for the taking -- at the right price.

And it would be a surprise if the Orioles didn’t jump heavily into that market.

Posted by Dan Connolly at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)