A look at the free agent talk about Nelson Cruz and Andrew Miller

In the Twitter world, where many of us get our daily baseball news in 140-character bursts, ESPN's Buster Olney sent this out yesterday about Nelson Cruz:

The Orioles offered Nelson Cruz a three-year deal before he went into free agency. They're positioned to wait out as he talks w/ other teams

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) November 11, 2014

Later, a Boston reporter tweeted that Cruz wants five years and the Orioles won't go that far. Well, that's a relief. Being sarcastic here, but Cruz can seek five years, but I don't see him getting it. If a team wants to do it, the O's should just wish him well and thank him for being such a huge part of their first American League East crown in 17 years. To me, the O's apparent willingness to go three years is a good sign for those that want Cruz back. I think it says they may have a shot after all to retain the player that led the majors with 40 homers. Maybe they even would consider a four-year deal at some point. One day in baseball, there may come a time that teams will realize that offering five years or more is just too risky - for almost any player, especially one that will play at age 35 during the first season of the deal. Are the O's still in the hunt for Cruz? My sense is they are. Nice daily double for the Orioles' braintrust the last two nights, by the way. On Monday, Dan Duquette was named Sporting News Executive of the Year and last night, Buck Showalter was named American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Duquette has won that award 22 years apart and Showalter has won his award twice before (10 and 20 years ago), showing the Orioles have two solid baseball men that have staying power in the game. They've taken the club to the top of the AL East and now face the challenge to try and keep them there. Showalter ranks 36th all time in in wins and is third among active managers: 1,618 - Bruce Bochy, Giants 1,331 - Mike Scioscia, Angels 1,259 - Buck Showalter, Orioles 1,206 - Terry Francona, Indians 867 - Clint Hurdle, Pirates This year's Orioles were the fourth different club that Showalter took to the playoffs (2012 Orioles, 1999 Diamondbacks and 1995 Yankees). Miller in demand: This is no surprise - free agent lefty Andrew Miller is in demand. Miller pitched to an ERA of 1.35 in 20 regular season innings for the Orioles. Miller held lefty batters to a .188 average while right-handed batters hit .057 with a .211 OPS off him as an Oriole, going 2-for-35 with 20 strikeouts. That was sensational. In this ESPN.com article, Miller's agent, Mark Rodgers, talked about the pursuit of the left-hander. While he could wind up as a closer next year, Rodgers said that is not a requirement for a team that would sign Miller. "For us, there are no demands or expectations on what role it's going to be," Rodgers said. "A team that signs Andrew Miller is a team that has put a premium on its bullpen - because no matter how the bullpen is, he's going to make it better." Note from the minors: Torre Tyson, a field coach the last two seasons with Single-A Frederick, will not be back with the O's organization in 2015. His contract was not renewed. The O's are currently in the process of finalizing their minor league staff for next year. The 38-year-old Tyson was a player in the Red Sox and Yankees organizations. He managed the Tampa Yankees to the Florida State League title in 2010. Stat of the day: Most BBWAA Manager of the Year awards: 4 - Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox 3 - Buck Showalter, Jim Leyland, Lou Piniella, Dusty Baker