Roch Kubatko

Coaching staff closer to being finalized

November 28, 2011, 5:21pm

Orioles

Coaching staff closer to being finalized

I wrote this morning that former Brewers pitcher Bill Castro had emerged as a leading candidate to become bullpen coach, and nothing has changed. He's still the top choice at the moment, but I'm told that a final decision hasn't been made. Castro twice served as bullpen and pitching coach with the Brewers before being fired on Aug. 12, 2009. He was the pitching coach for the Dominican Republic's entry in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He would give manager Buck Showalter a desired...

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Lee MacPhail being reassigned in organization (with quotes)

November 28, 2011, 10:27am

Orioles

Lee MacPhail being reassigned in organization (with quotes)

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that director of professional scouting Lee MacPhail IV will be reassigned within the organization. MacPhail will be given a major league scouting position, according to Duquette, who passed along the news to reporters during a conference call to introduce Gary Rajsich as the new director of scouting. MacPhail's duties included overseeing professional scouting, advance scouting and major league video coaching. He also went on the...

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Rajsich hiring official (still waiting on Chong)

November 28, 2011, 8:01am

Orioles

Rajsich hiring official (still waiting on Chong)

The Orioles just confirmed in a press release that Gary Rajsich has been hired as director of amateur scouting. "We have added a very good, veteran baseball man with this hire," executive vice president Dan Duquette said in a statement. "Gary is an excellent judge of talent at all levels." Rajsich's name is pronounced "Ray-sitch." Here's more from the press release: Rajsich, 57, began his scouting career with the Boston Red Sox, serving in both the amateur and professional...

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Bordick not expected to join coaching staff

November 28, 2011, 6:09am

Orioles

Bordick not expected to join coaching staff

The Orioles are expected to reveal their coaching staff within the next few days, and it seems more likely that they go outside the organization to fill at least one opening. Having talked to a few people this morning, it appears that Mike Bordick will probably remain in his role as coordinator of offensive fundamentals instead of being hired as a base coach. He would join the team during home games as a seventh coach who wouldn't be in uniform after batting practice. Bordick doesn't have...

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A little more on Rajsich and the coaching staff

November 27, 2011, 5:25pm

Orioles

A little more on Rajsich and the coaching staff

Within the next few days, it should become official that Gary Rajsich has emerged from a pool of five finalists to replace Joe Jordan as the Orioles' new director of scouting. So who is Gary Rajsich? Rajsich is 57, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and a graduate of Arizona State University. He's been working as the Blue Jays professional scouting crosschecker after joining their organization in 2009 and previously served as a scout for the Red Sox while Dan Duquette was in their front office....

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Gary Rajsich expected to be named Orioles scouting director (updated)

November 27, 2011, 11:37am

Orioles

According to two industry sources, the Orioles are prepared to hire Toronto Blue Jays professional scouting crosschecker Gary Rajsich as their new scouting director. An announcement is expected this week. Rajsich would replace Joe Jordan, who left the organization to take a job as the Philadelphia Phillies' farm director. Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed that Rajsich is one of five finalists, and an announcement should be made before the Winter Meetings that begin Dec. 5 in...

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Giving Kelly Johnson a second base thought

November 26, 2011, 6:19pm

Orioles

Giving Kelly Johnson a second base thought

It's been a quiet weekend, as least as far as news leaking to the media. No other executives left the organization. No free agents came to Baltimore to sign a contract. No one on the international market flew here to take a physical exam. The coaching staff still has two vacancies. The scouting director and director of baseball operations need to be replaced. Maybe the Orioles are waiting to send out one long press release. I just know that it won't arrive today. We were scrambling...

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More on the rotation

November 26, 2011, 4:15am

Orioles

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...

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Klentak: "Ultimately, it's an opportunity I just felt like I couldn't pass up"

November 25, 2011, 10:29am

Orioles

Klentak: "Ultimately, it's an opportunity I just felt like I couldn't pass up"

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...

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Dealing with a lack of depth in the rotation

November 25, 2011, 4:22am

Orioles

Dealing with a lack of depth in the rotation

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...

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Leftovers on Thanksgiving

November 23, 2011, 7:19pm

Orioles

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...

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More from Duquette on Klentak

November 23, 2011, 11:15am

Orioles

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...

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Klentak named Angels assistant GM, Chong and Guerrero updates

November 23, 2011, 7:08am

Orioles

Klentak named Angels assistant GM, Chong and Guerrero updates

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...

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Making the 'pen and rotation mightier

November 22, 2011, 2:52pm

Orioles

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...

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Quick Chong update

November 22, 2011, 12:01pm

Orioles

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...

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Still waiting on a backup catcher

November 22, 2011, 9:34am

Orioles

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...

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More on Chong, the 40-man roster and the coaching staff (and more)

November 21, 2011, 7:14pm

Orioles

More on Chong, the 40-man roster and the coaching staff (and more)

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...

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Orioles close to announcing deal with Chong Tae-Hyon

November 21, 2011, 5:17pm

Orioles

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...

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Antonelli talks about signing with the Orioles

November 21, 2011, 3:55pm

Orioles

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...

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Antonelli signing official (Chong Tae-Hyon not official)

November 21, 2011, 11:20am

Orioles

Antonelli signing official (Chong Tae-Hyon not official)

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...