Let's just say for a moment that the Orioles don't trade Jeremy Guthrie. Let's say they acquire a veteran starter at the Winter Meetings. And let's also say they change Jim Johnson's role again and move him into the rotation.
I'm counting three starters, though my math is sketchy.
Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton figure to be penciled into the rotation. It would take a total collapse in spring training for them to be optioned before opening day.
Now I'm counting five, which completes the...
For Matt Klentak, it took a perfect storm to carry him from the Orioles' front office to the one in Anaheim.
Klentak did his research on Jerry Dipoto while the Orioles conducted interviews for Andy MacPhail's replacement. Dipoto did his own research on the Orioles' executives, which allowed him to learn plenty about Klentak.
Both men came away impressed, and now they'll reunite with the Angels, who announced on Wednesday that Klentak had been hired as assistant general manager and will...
I hope everyone has recovered from yesterday's festivities and all the leftovers haven't been devoured for breakfast. Try to make them last.
Yes, I know cold stuffing is quite the temptation. I can't walk past the refrigerator without grabbing a handful of it. And I only eat cranberry sauce over the holidays, so it qualifies as a real treat - as long as it jiggles out of the can. You can keep your homemade concoction.
I'm not a yam guy, but I'd fill the bathtub full of mashed potatoes...
I want to start my day by wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving.
Let's agree to be thankful for everything we have, both big and small, for more than just one Thursday in November.
The Orioles would like to give thanks to Chong Tae-Hyon for signing with them, but it hasn't happened.
As I told you yesterday, executive vice president Dan Duquette said no deal would be announced before next week. Nothing's going to happen over the weekend.
Duquette told me that he's hoping to...
I just taped a phone interview with Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette that will air later today on "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" on MASN, and he commented on Matt Klentak's decision to accept a job as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels.
I asked Duquette how big a loss it is for the front office, and he replied, "I don't know if I would term it a loss. It's certainly a transition, and Matt has done a good job from what people told me here. I enjoyed...
UPDATE: The Angels announced that they've hired Matt Klentak as assistant general manager.
Klentak signed a multi-year deal and will focus on all aspects of baseball operations, as he did with the Orioles. He'll work with general manager Jerry Dipoto, who interviewed for the Orioles' job.
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed this morning that Matt Klentak, director of baseball operations, interviewed for a front office position with the Los Angeles Angels.
ESPN's...
As further proof that you can find odds and place bets on just about anything, I bring you the following from Bodog:
What position will the first player who tests positive for HGH play?
Pitcher 1/1
Outfielder 7/4
Infielder 7/2
Will a MLB player test positive for HGH before June1, 2012?
Yes 1/1
No 5/7
Where will the first MLB player to test positive for HGH come from?
American League 1/1
National...
If you're anticipating a press conference Wednesday to announce the signing of Korean pitcher Chong Tae-Hyon, you can stop waiting for it.
The holiday week is complicating the process.
Though the Orioles are finalizing a deal with Chong, they still need to schedule every examination that's part of the physical and wait for the results. Good luck getting that done by Wednesday, which had been the club's original target date.
It's possible that the Orioles could send out a release...
The Orioles had no interest in re-signing Jake Fox and breaking camp for a second time with him making the 25-man roster as the backup catcher to Matt Wieters, but we'll still cross his name off the list of available free agents after he signed a minor league deal with the Pirates.
As you've probably noticed, Wieters is the only catcher listed on the Orioles' 40-man roster. They need a backup on their bench.
The Astros claimed Craig Tatum off waivers. Triple-A catcher John Hester will be...
The Orioles aren't exactly coasting into the Thanksgiving holiday.
It's already been a busy week. No, they haven't reached agreement with a big-name free agent. They haven't swung a major trade. But they haven't been idle.
They signed infielder Matt Antonelli, who has a legitimate shot at making the club. They reached agreement on two more six-year minor league free agents. And the most intriguing piece of news is the pending arrival of Korean reliever Chong Tae-Hyon, who is expected to...
I've got one final item on the Orioles before shutting down for the night.
The Orioles are on the verge of reaching an agreement with Korean pitcher Chong Tae-Hyon. This has seemed to be a foregone conclusion since earlier today, but they haven't hit any snags and the process continues to move forward.
Executive vice president Dan Duquette said the Orioles are still working on "a potential agreement to acquire Chong," but it's close enough that you can expect a press conference at the...
New Orioles infielder Matt Antonelli dropped by MASN's Hunt Valley studio this afternoon to tape an interview with me for "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report." Then he dashed out the door and headed to the airport for his flight home to Boston.
Antonelli said he grew up a Red Sox fan, but he promised that he got over it about six years ago.
Antonelli passed his physical today and signed a major league deal that also gave him a spot on the 40-man roster.
So why the Orioles?
"I think there...
Infielder Matt Antonelli passed his physical today, signed a major league contract and was officially added to the Orioles' 40-man roster.
The Padres made Antonelli, 26, the 17th overall selection in the 2006 First Year Player Draft. He spent 2011 with Double-A Harrisburg (four games) and Triple-A Syracuse (86), batting a combined .298/.390/.457 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. He finished in the Top 10 of the International League in on-base percentage.
Antonelli is a career .264/.373/.406...
The Orioles reportedly have talked to the Rockies about acquiring closer Huston Street, which leads to two not-so-bold assumptions:
They're still considering the possibility of moving Jim Johnson into the rotation, and they'd prefer using Kevin Gregg in more of a set-up role.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wrote about the Orioles' interest in Street, who was 1-4 with a 3.86 ERA, nine walks, 55 strikeouts and a 1.217 WHIP in 58 1/3 innings. That's the highest ERA and WHIP of his career....
The American League's Most Valuable Player will be announced later today.
Will it be Jacoby Ellsbury, Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Robinson Cano, Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander or someone else?
I didn't have a vote. I picked Tampa Bay's Joe Maddon for AL Manager of the Year, so my work here is done.
The Phillies acquired former Oriole Ty Wigginton from the Rockies yesterday for a PTBNL or cash.
Wigginton played third base, first base, left field and right field for the Rockies...
The Orioles must decide in the next three weeks whether to offer Luke Scott a contract for the 2012 season or let him become a free agent.
Scott has no idea which direction the Orioles are leaning. And he's not pushing them.
"They're still getting things squared away with the new GM," Scott said last week, referring to new executive vice president Dan Duquette.
Scott's agent recently contacted the Orioles again to find out whether they planned to non-tender the veteran outfielder/DH,...
Now that the dust has settled from yesterday's 40-man roster activity, I wanted to chime in with a few observations.
First of all, please keep in mind that the Orioles can eliminate players from the 40-man and add others from outside the organization - whether it's someone acquired via free agency, a trade or the Rule 5 draft. The only restriction is they can't add someone from within the organization, so the minor leaguers currently exposed to the Dec. 8 draft will remain that way.
I...
The Orioles added pitcher Oliver Drake to the 40-man roster today in the only move made at the deadline.
Drake, a 43rd-round pick out of the Naval Academy in 2008, was 11-8 with a 3.32 ERA in 27 games at Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie and Single-A Frederick. He walked 43 and struck out 129 in 162 2/3 innings.
Most of his success came with the Keys, where he went 8-3 with a 2.14 ERA.
The 40-man roster currently stands at 39. The Orioles can't add anyone else from within the organization...
I don't have much for you this morning beyond a reminder that the Orioles must set their 40-man roster later today. They currently have two openings.
Once the roster is finalized, they can't add another player from within the organization. However, they can add anyone who's acquired via free agency or trade.
That's eventually going to happen. I swear.
I'll pass along the changes whenever the Orioles make the announcement.
The Orioles have made offers to a few free agents while...
I've got my power cord and I'm back at my laptop. Just long enough to provide an incremental non-update update on the backup catching situation.
You can cross three names off the list, though I'd do it in pencil, just in case the Orioles are left scrambling. As of today, they haven't reached out to Ryan Doumit, Kelly Shoppach or Chris Snyder.
Snyder is looking for a starting job. He won't find one in Baltimore. Shoppach is attracting plenty of suitors, according to one industry source,...
