O's director of player development John Stockstill said tonight the Orioles have not signed infielder Nick Green, contradicting a published report that said they had signed Green to a minor league contract with a spring invite.
"We have not signed Green. At no point did we ever agree to terms," Stockstill said. "It was contigent on the player evaluating our major league shortstop situation."
You can read that to mean that Green had interest in the O's, but in recent days they have...
Since I had only been to the Winter Meetings once before, I was looking forward to this past week. Being among the top brass and media in baseball sounds like a good time.
It is, although keep in mind you just don't rub elbows with anyone you want anytime you want. Sure, you see big-name agents and GMs walking through the lobby, but they are usually on their way to something else.
Brian Cashman, Theo Epstein and Andy MacPhail were not there just looking for someone to shoot the breeze...
Way to go, sweater vest!
Is it possible that Andy MacPhail, who was getting crushed by fans on this blog just a week or so ago, is now becoming popular among many O's fans?
I haven't seen a comeback this dramatic since that O's-Red Sox game in May 2009.
One thing the last few days have shown us. Just because the O's were not mentioned in every rumor over the last few weeks didn't mean they were not busy behind the scenes. And just because they missed out on a few guys (Victor Martinez...
It has been an eventful few days for the Orioles at the winter meetings. But all good things sometimes end and so these meetings in Orlando finished up today.
The O's filled needs on the left side of their infield with Mark Reynolds and J.J. Hardy and also with the re-signing of Koji Uehara for the bullpen. They would still like to add some offense and still have an opening at first base. It looks like they have improved their team here in Orlando, but, per usual, the Red Sox got a lot...
Right-hander Pat Egan began today as a minor league pitcher in the O's organization. But after being taken in the Rule 5 draft, he is now on the Milwaukee Brewers' major league roster.
"I'm still trying to piece it all together," Egan said by phone moments ago. "It's kind of surreal right now. I've been getting a lot of calls and texts and I'm just trying to get a grip on it right now. I knew it was a possibility, but there is a whole different feeling when you are taken. It is...
A couple of readers have asked about and offered opinions about J.J. Hardy and his defense at shortstop.
Here is what Andy MacPhail said about Hardy's defense:
"We like his defense. If you look at those UZR ratings, he is very top of the chart. We think he'll provide us more offense and he is a good defender."
Is he as good as Cesar Izturis?
"You know it depends. Izzy was so solid for us and JJ is as well."
You characterized first base yesterday as still being deep in options, but...
The Orioles certainly took a young arm, that at least on the stat sheet, looks far away from the Major Leagues.
Right-hander Adrian Rosario is just 21, from Santiago, Dominican Republic. The O's took him in today's Rule 5 draft with the 4th pick and he would have to stay on their 25-man Major League roster all season.
Rosario began last season with Helena of the short-season Pioneer League in June, after I would guess he had pitched in extended spring training for the Brewers. At Helena,...
Here are some comments from Andy MacPhail on Adrian Rosario, the right-handed pitcher the O's took from the Milwaukee organization in this morning's Rule 5 draft:
"Big bodied, lack of experience, good arm kid that captured the imagination of our guys. He has a chance to grow into something, whether he is ready or not, we'll find out. Didn't feel like we could miss the opportunity to take a chance on him.
"Interestingly enough, Milwaukee took one of our guys and we took one of theirs....
Can't a guy even get five hours of sleep around here.
Around 6 p.m. yesterday, Andy MacPhail said he thought there would not be any moves last night. Guess he meant other than the contract for Koji Uehara and the trade for J.J. Hardy. Other than that, the last few hours have been quiet.
We've had seemingly nonstop rumors about the O's for two days and the news comes practically overnight. Hope they don't get the idea to start scheduling their games now at midnight.
Anyway, if the price...
Koji Uehara will return to the Orioles' bullpen for the 2011 season.
A Baltimore Sun report tonight said the O's have agreed to a new one-year contract with Uehara that includes a vesting option for the 2012 year. That is an option that kicks in if Uehara meets certain performance clauses during the coming year.
Uehara went 1-2, 2.86 with 13 saves last season. He led AL relievers (minimum 40 innings pitched) in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 11-to-1 and did not walk a batter over his final 34...
The Rule 5 draft, one of the last official activities at baseball's annual winter meetings, takes place here at the meetings on Thursday morning.
The teams select in the order they will in next June's draft, meaning the O's will have the 4th selection. They do not have to pick and, as most know, any player taken in the major league phase of the draft must stay on the selecting team's 25-man big league roster all year or be placed through waivers and then offered back to his original team....
In the last 24 hours or so, two first basemen have come off the free agent board as Paul Konerko re-signed with the Chicago White Sox and Carlos Pena joined the Cubs on a one-year deal.
The Orioles got neither and despite reports where Pena himself said the Orioles made him an offer, O's president Andy MacPhail said the club never offered a contract to either player.
Is MacPhail surprised that Pena said the O's made him an offer?
"I think it happened with (Matt) Holliday last year, if...
He was once a manager in the Orioles farm system and, as of a few weeks ago, Dave Trembley was almost back in the O's organization.
Trembley confirmed today that the Orioles offered him a job managing in their minor leagues for next season. He thought about it, but got an offer from Atlanta and recently accepted a position as the Braves' minor league field coordinater/coordinater of instruction, where he will work with all their minor league managers, players and teams.
Trembley said June...
At least one reporter seems to think so.
Click here for the tweet.
At least the O's are trying, some would debate the degree and level of that, but they might be one of the leaders for rumors generated in the last few days here at the winter meetings.
It seems to happen just about every year at the baseball winter meetings: Agent Scott Boras talks in a hallway and dozens of reporters jockey for position to try and hear the interview and get close enough to ask a question or two.
This time, I got close enough to hear an answer or two of three. He didn't cover anything specifically on the Orioles in the time I was there, but MASNSports.com's Jen Royle did talk to Carlos Pena, who said the O's did offer him a deal and seemed open to...
When I interviewed Baseball America's Jim Callis here yesterday, we also talked about tomorrow's Rule 5 draft.
In last year's Rule 5 draft, the Giants took O's minor league pitcher Steve Johnson, but he eventually was sent back to the Orioles during spring training.
Callis feels reliever
As of this morning, the Orioles' interest in reliever Kevin Gregg still appears to be strong.
The Orioles met with his agents here at the winter meetings on Monday and several teams are reportedly in on Gregg. The 32-year-old right-hander went 2-6, 3.51 with Toronto last season with 37 saves. He fanned 58 over 59 innings.
Toronto had two chances to pick up options on Gregg and keep him, but passed. The Jays could have retained him for next year for $4.5 million and they also had an option...
He is one of the best evaluators of baseball talent, especially in the minors, in the country in my humble opinion.
Today at the winter meetings here in Florida, I had a chance to once again interview Jim Callis of Baseball America. I got his take on a few O's related topics.
Callis on the Mark Reynolds trade:
"I think it's a great trade from the Orioles' perspective. Yeah, Mark Reynolds strikes out and is not going to hit for high average, but he hits home runs. I think that shores...
This had to have been an interesting day for the Orioles' Nolan Reimold.
Today his cell phone had to be blowing up with reports that he might be traded to the Tampa Bay Rays. He must have gotten several calls and texts; he may have even gotten one or two from the media. I can think of one guy I know that called him.
Andy MacPhail recaps Day Two of the Winter Meetings with Steve Melewski
At the same time, as of this writing, he has not been traded and maybe after all the rumors, tweets,...
The Orioles are clearly in the market for pitching, especially the bullpen variety.
But what about the rotation?
With four spots looking pretty set - with Guthrie, Matusz, Arrietaand Bergesen - who will round out that rotation?
O's manager Buck Showalter said today he is open to a possible competition in camp between Chris Tillman and Zach Britton for that fifth spot. The O's still have plenty of time to add a starter which could send both young guys back to the minors. But that is not...
