Getting to know Liam Hendriks

Getting to know Liam Hendriks
Liam Hendriks was destined to join the Orioles. He's been connected to them so many times, it just seemed inevitable. Hendriks can rattle off the incidents in order, and with a smile on his bearded face. Maybe they're mere coincidences, but he comes across as Baltimore baseball's version of Forrest Gump. Hendriks was scratched from an April 2012 start at Camden Yards after coming down with a severe case of food poisoning. He was supposed to work the finale of a three-game season-opening...
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Orioles and Wieters exchanging salary figures (updated)

Orioles and Wieters exchanging salary figures (updated)
Catcher Matt Wieters is the only arbitration-eligible Orioles player who didn't agree to terms today. The Orioles have submitted their salary figure and are waiting for agent Scott Boras to make a counter proposal. Negotiations will continue while a hearing date is scheduled for next month. A three-member panel will choose a winner if the sides go to arbitration. Wieters made $5.5 million last season while batting .235/.287/.417 with 29 doubles, 22 homers and 79 RBIs. Boras turned down the...
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Orioles agree to terms with Hunter and Patton (Davis, Matusz also settle)

Orioles agree to terms with Hunter and Patton (Davis, Matusz also settle)
The Orioles have until 1 p.m. today to sign their remaining arbitration-eligible players before the sides exchange figures and hearing dates are arranged. Try to breathe normally. They reached agreement with pitcher Bud Norris last night and have come to terms on one-year deals with Tommy Hunter and Troy Patton this morning, according to sources. I actually was exchanging text messages with Hunter earlier today. He hadn't heard that a deal was done, then got the call a few seconds later...
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More FanFest autograph information

More FanFest autograph information
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More on arbitration, Machado and what lies ahead

More on arbitration, Machado and what lies ahead
No more mini-camp news today. And no more Sarasota sunshine, though the wind yesterday cut through me like a knife while I stood on one of the back fields and watched Nolan Reimold and Delmon Young take batting practice. The temperatures dipped into the 50s, and anyone who's spent time in Florida knows that it feels more like the 30s down there. In Baltimore, it would be smedium T-shirt weather. The Orioles moved their batting practice session to a field where the wind was blowing in,...
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Good news on Machado

Good news on Machado
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado has taken another step on his surgically repaired left knee toward being ready to play on opening day. A great, big step. Machado received positive news today after having the knee examined by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. He's considered "way ahead of schedule," according to one member of the organization. Another estimation places him at six-to-eight weeks. Machado, 21, still hasn't been cleared for baseball activities, but it's a mere...
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Notes from the final day of mini-camp

Notes from the final day of mini-camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles made it through four days of their mini-camp. Manager Buck Showalter is hopping on a flight back to Dallas. Players are packing up their gear and heading home, though Dylan Bundy is renting a house in Sarasota and will stay here until FanFest on Feb. 1. "At things like this, you read the players. That's what I've always thought," Showalter said. "I think it's better here than in Baltimore. It just kind of gets everybody away. The weather is better. It also...
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What's cooking with Gausman?

What's cooking with Gausman?
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles pitcher Kevin Gausman has spent most of the offseason away from baseball, attending LSU football games, traveling with his girlfriend and learning how to cook. His girlfriend's mother - the "best cook in the world," as Gausman described her - taught him how to prepare a few Cajun dishes, and he appears to be carrying some gumbo weight. Gausman said he's put on about 12 pounds after dropping down to 183 last season, and he'd like to stay between 195-200 this...
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Steve Johnson talks about learning the splitter

Steve Johnson talks about learning the splitter
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' four-day mini-camp is reaching its conclusion. A few pitchers, including Hunter Harvey and Tommy Hunter, left after yesterday's workout. Delmon Young took batting practice, met with manager Buck Showalter and appeared to make a favorable impression. Jack Cust arrived Tuesday and still can be found in the clubhouse. The Orioles signed pitcher Luis Vizcaino and infielder Brock Bond to minor league contracts without invitations to spring training. They signed...
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Orioles reach agreement with Colvin

Orioles reach agreement with Colvin
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have reached agreement with outfielder Tyler Colvin on a major league deal, according to industry sources. The deal is pending a physical. The Orioles are expected to announce Colvin's signing Thursday morning. His physical was scheduled for later today. Colvin, 28, gives the Orioles another left-handed hitter in a crowded outfield. They currently have 12 outfielders on their spring training roster, including Colvin, who spent the past two seasons with the...
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Orioles sign Aceves to minor league deal (with Duquette quote)

Orioles sign Aceves to minor league deal (with Duquette quote)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles added another arm to their bullpen today by signing former Red Sox reliever Alfredo Aceves to a minor league deal with a spring training invitation. Aceves has also made 15 starts among his 194 major league appearances over six seasons. His potential role with the Orioles is undetermined, but they could use another set-up man if Tommy Hunter is named the closer. Aceves, 31, is 30-14 with a 3.69 ERA and 29 saves, including 25 in 2012. Last year, he went 4-1 with a...
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More notes from today's mini-camp

More notes from today's mini-camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - Hunter Harvey and Parker Bridwell threw bullpen sessions today at the Orioles' mini-camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Kevin Gausman will throw on Thursday before everyone heads back home. Former All-Star closer Bryan Harvey, Hunter's father, offered advice to right-handers Tommy Hunter and Steve Johnson on throwing a split-fingered fastball. Manager Buck Showalter encouraged Harvey to approach them and offer tips on his signature pitch. Showalter watched Dylan Bundy...
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Delmon Young works out at mini-camp

Delmon Young works out at mini-camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - Delmon Young hit in the indoor cage this morning, took a few rounds of batting practice outside and shagged fly balls in left field. He later met with Buck Showalter after passing by the manager's office without a shirt and happily proclaiming that he weighed in at 223 pounds. It was a full day for Young, who signed a minor league deal earlier this week and decided to stop by the complex to work out and meet his coaches and a few of his new teammates. Young, 28, said he had...
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Updates on Reimold and McFarland

Updates on Reimold and McFarland
SARASOTA, Fla. - Outfielder Nolan Reimold just headed outdoors to do some hitting and play catch. He was cleared for "unrestricted" baseball activities over Christmas. Now he's ready to resume a career that's been stalled by injuries and rotten luck. "I'm excited to feel like I can be good again," he said. "Hopefully, everything works out and I can stay healthy and be productive. And if those things happen, it should be a good year. "I'm pretty confident that it's good enough to be...
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More mini-camp morning musings

More mini-camp morning musings
SARASOTA, Fla. - We've entered Day 3 of this mini-camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, and we're still waiting for a lull. You want notes? We've got piles of 'em. Delmon Young is expected here today after signing his minor league deal. He wants to do a meet-and-greet of sorts, and Buck Showalter already has a chair waiting for him in the manager's office. Showalter will put aside the press clippings and form his own opinion of Young, who's expected to serve as the right-handed side of...
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Six eligible Orioles file for arbitration

Six eligible Orioles file for arbitration
SARASOTA, Fla. - The six eligible Orioles filed for arbitration today, as expected: Pitchers Tommy Hunter, Brian Matusz, Bud Norris and Troy Patton; first baseman Chris Davis; and catcher Matt Wieters. The two sides will exchange figures Friday as a starting point for contract talks. Hearings will be scheduled at a later date if agreements can't be reached. Normally, they split the difference and avoid the process. Either way, the players are under team control, making it one of the most...
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Notes on Belfiore, Urrutia, Hunter, S. Johnson, Ohlman, Bridwell and more

Notes on Belfiore, Urrutia, Hunter, S. Johnson, Ohlman, Bridwell and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter estimated that five or six pitchers threw bullpen sessions today, though none of them with maximum effort in the middle of January. Showalter appreciated that left-hander Mike Belfiore came to Sarasota on his own. "That's pretty impressive," Showalter said. Belfiore, 25, drew an audience that included Showalter, pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti. "They told us to take it easy," Belfiore said. "Effort level was...
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Orioles sign Vizcaino and Bond to minor league deals

Orioles sign Vizcaino and Bond to minor league deals
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have signed right-hander Luis Vizcaino and infielder Brock Bond to minor league deals. They do not include an invitation to spring training. Vizcaino, 39, pitched in Mexico last year, posting a 1.40 ERA and recording 25 saves with Yucatan, and hasn't been in the majors since 2009 with the Indians. He's 35-30 with a 4.33 ERA in 11 seasons and 543 games. Vizcaino broke into the majors with the Athletics in 1999 and also has pitched for the Brewers, White Sox,...
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More notes and more on Cust

More notes and more on Cust
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles pitcher T.J. McFarland tweaked his right knee about three weeks ago while working out. He had the knee examined today and appears to be fine, though he had it wrapped at the mini-camp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Manager Buck Showalter said McFarland was sent to a doctor today "as a precaution." Hunter Harvey's father, former major league closer Bryan Harvey, is at the mini-camp and attended today's meeting. Former Orioles bullpen catcher Ronnie Deck has been...
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Snapshots from second day of mini-camp

Snapshots from second day of mini-camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been raining hard for most of the morning at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Players are taking their swings in the indoor batting cage. Pitchers will have to throw under cover. The sun is starting to peek through the clouds. It could be sunny and humid within a matter of minutes. The weather changes in the blink of an eye down here. Jack Cust arrived this morning, greeted a couple of reporters at his locker and headed to the cage. He's trying to land a minor league deal...
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