Duquette on possible Hardy extension talks, the Rule 5 draft and more (O's offers report and update)

Duquette on possible Hardy extension talks, the Rule 5 draft and more (O's offers report and update)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - During his briefing with reporters this afternoon and again later during a one-on-one video interview with MASNsports.com, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said today the club is hopeful of pursuing a contract extension with shortstop J.J. Hardy, who can be a free agent after the 2014 season. Duquette said no talks have taken place yet, but it could happen later in the winter. "He had a great year this year," Duquette said. "He got the Gold Glove...
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Jim Callis on the Orioles' farm system

Jim Callis on the Orioles' farm system
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - If you want to talk about prospects and a club's minor league system, who better to seek out than Jim Callis? During our now annual Winter Meetings video interview, Jim took some time to talk about the O's organization. By the way after many years with Baseball America, you can now catch Callis' reports and analysis at MLB.com and MLBPipeline.com. I asked Callis where the Orioles farm system ranks right now in baseball. "Probably middle of the pack," he said....
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Revisiting Bartolo Colon

Revisiting Bartolo Colon
LAKE BUEVA VISTA, Fla. - Will the Orioles pursuit of starting pitching lead them back toward Bartolo Colon? At times during this offseason, they have been linked with the Oakland pitcher, who went 18-6 with a 2.65 ERA last year. He had a WHIP of 1.166 and walked just 1.4 batters per nine innings. He was second in the American League in wins and ERA. He looks real good on the stat sheet. Yes, Colon will be 41 in May, but how would his 2013 season have played for the Orioles? Easy answer, he...
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Buck on Gausman and AL East (plus Duquette video)

Buck on Gausman and AL East (plus Duquette video)
LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - At some point late next March, the Orioles will have a decision to make on Kevin Gausman, one of their top young pitching prospects. Will he begin the season pitching as part of the Orioles roster, or does he need to begin the year at Triple-A for more minor league seasoning? Mananger Buck Showalter, while confident in Gausman's ability to now get big league hitters out, also knows he is not a finished product yet. So how will he make that decision when the time...
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Dan Duquette on the current market, Brian Roberts and dealing prospects

Dan Duquette on the current market, Brian Roberts and dealing prospects
LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - Through most of the first two days of the Winter Meetings, we have seen much less activity throughout baseball than we saw in the week or two leading up to this gathering. Why is that the case? One theory is with the price high for free agents, teams have turned more toward trade options and more trade partners makes that avenue difficult as well. There is some level of gridlock in that regard. This afternoon, during our daily video interview with Dan Duquette here...
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Showalter on payroll: "I without a doubt think we have plenty of budget"

Showalter on payroll: "I without a doubt think we have plenty of budget"
LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter is aware the subject of the team's budget has been a big topic over the last few days. During a video interview today with MASNSports.com, Showalter was asked about the club's 2014 payroll. "I without doubt think we have plenty of budget," Showalter said. "I don't even think about that at all. That's not my job. A lot of teams have eliminated that excuse. That excuse will not creep into this organization. It's not one and...
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Jim Duquette's take on the Orioles so far at the Winter Meetings

Jim Duquette's take on the Orioles so far at the Winter Meetings
LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - Jim Duquette was once a key decision maker for the Orioles. Now, he analyzes what the O's and every other club in baseball does as his role as an analyst for Sirius XM radio. This morning, during a video interview, he mentioned the O's interest in free agent reliever Grant Balfour which has much discussed here today. Duquette said despite not having a move or moves to announce yet, he is hearing the Orioles have been pretty active at these meetings. "When you...
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A look at the Orioles' pursuit of Grant Balfour

A look at the Orioles' pursuit of Grant Balfour
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Orioles are in the market for a closer and, as of last night, they were pursuing free agent Grant Balfour and it sounds like they are clearly making progress on that front. In an interview this morning with MASNSports.com, former Orioles executive Jim Duquette of Sirius XM Radio said the club was the front-runner last night to get Balfour, although a deal was not yet quite at the finish line. "The guy that I keep hearing his name mentioned over in the closer...
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Working together with pitchers and pitching coaches in majors and minors

Working together with pitchers and pitching coaches in majors and minors
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - New Orioles pitching coach Dave Wallace is going to have his hands full running the major league staff with the Orioles, but he also would be expected to have some input with the minor league pitching coaches and pitchers as well. Yesterday, Wallace said he already has talked to O's director of pitching development Rick Peterson and Triple-A Norfolk pitching coach Mike Griffin. "The way we have to do things is (by doing what is) the right way for each guy," Wallace...
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New O's pitching coach looks to tap into the young pitchers' potential

New O's pitching coach looks to tap into the young pitchers' potential
LAKE BUEVA VISTA, Fla. - If the Orioles new pitching coach, Dave Wallace and new bullpen coach Dom Chiti can get more out of some of the club's young pitchers in 2014, they will have proven to be great additions to the O's coaching staff. Any O's fan can recite a long list of former pitching prospects that never lived up to the hype, or had just a brief amount of major league success. The O's need more young pitchers to turn the corner like Chris Tillman, and Wallace and Chiti hope to...
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Dan Duquette video interview

Dan Duquette video interview
LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - In a video interview Monday night, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette addressed the activity level of the Winter Meetings today for the Orioles and others clubs. Duquette was also asked if the Orioles would consider signing a player that would cost the club its first-round draft pick and discussed his take on possibly signing a player that had previously been suspended for PED use.
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Would the Orioles part with their first-round draft pick?

Would the Orioles part with their first-round draft pick?
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Would the Orioles part with a top draft pick to sign a free agent? One industry source today said the answer is likely yes. If that is true, then the player the club has interest in is one of the six remaining players that turned down a qualifying offer. The list includes outfielders Shin-Soo Choo and Nelson Cruz, shortstop Stephen Drew, first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales and pitchers Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana. The club has been linked, at least to...
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Roland Hemond remembers his days as O's GM

Roland Hemond remembers his days as O's GM
LAKE BUENVA VISTA, Fla. - Former Oriole general manager Roland Hemond is here at the Winter Meetings. Hemond is now in his sixth season as special assistant to the president and CEO of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was GM of the Orioles during a very interesting time, one that spanned the club's terrible start in 1988 which was followed by the 1989, "Why Not" season and he was GM when the club moved into Camden Yards. "I joined the team and we lost our first 21 games," he said with a...
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Checking in with O's scouting director Gary Rajsich at the Winter Meetings

Checking in with O's scouting director Gary Rajsich at the Winter Meetings
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Orioles amateur scouting director Gary Rajsich is with the front office contingent at the Winter Meetings. He is looking to fill a few positions on his scouting staff. Chris Gale, the Orioles' area scout in the Carolinas and southern Virginia, left the organization recently to take a pro scouting position with Cleveland. Bob Szymkowski, the club's area scout covering Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota, did not have his contract renewed. James...
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Duquette on pitching and fans' reaction

Duquette on pitching and fans' reaction
When Dan Duquette talks these days, Orioles fans listen, but then they seem to voice skepticism about what he said. Right now, they are questioning the Jim Johnson trade, the payroll, the starting pitching and more. A few fans had a rather negative reaction via Twitter to one comment Duquette made last night when he said, "We've got a much stronger base to our pitching staff now than we've had the last couple of years." Fans can probably just about recite the stats which saw the...
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Duquette talks pitching and some fans react to that

Duquette talks pitching and some fans react to that
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - When Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette talks these days Orioles fans listen, but then they seem to voice skepticism about what he said. Right now they are questioning the Jim Johnson trade, the payroll, the starting pitching and more. Several fans had a negative reaction via my Twitter account to one comment Duquette made last night when he said, "We've got a much stronger base to our pitching staff now than we've had the last couple of years." Fans...
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Duquette on Winter Meetings priorities, the pitching market and more

Duquette on Winter Meetings priorities, the pitching market and more
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - After Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette met with the Baltimore reporters during a pre-Winter Meetings briefing tonight, he took a few minutes to answer a few more questions with MASNSports.com What is the top priority right now? "The Orioles are going to look to build their pitching staff. So that means we are trying to sign a starter and reliever, and we are also looking for a left-handed hitter." You mentioned that some offers have been made to...
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Gausman in the bullpen next year? Don't think so

Gausman in the bullpen next year? Don't think so
When the 2014 season begins, will Kevin Gausman pitch as a starter or reliever for the Orioles? If he begins the year in the major leagues, I would expect that to happen with him in the rotation. I would guess Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette feel that way too, but Duquette did not 100 percent rule out a bullpen role for Guasman when asked about that earlier this week. "We can decide that in spring training," Duquette said. "I think long-term, he is more valuable to the club as a starting...
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As Winter Meetings approach, some O's fans are becoming impatient

As Winter Meetings approach, some O's fans are becoming impatient
The natives are getting restless. Orioles fans are watching other teams sign players, watching 2013 Orioles sign elsewhere and not seeing their own team make what they feel are significant acquisitions. Some fans were not happy with the Jim Johnson trade. Yesterday, pitcher Scott Feldman signed with Houston and outfielder Nate McLouth with Washington. Some fans see those players leaving and feel their team is not as good now as it was at end of a 2013 season, which did not conclude with a...
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Comparing Jones to Ellsbury, plus a take on Cano and the Yankees

Comparing Jones to Ellsbury, plus a take on Cano and the Yankees
It was big news earlier this week when free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury went from the Red Sox to the Yankees. He agreed to a seven-year, $153 million dollar deal with New York with a 2021 option at $16 million. That is a whopper of a deal. I think the Yankees got a heckuva player, but paid way too big a price. There is a reason that his own team, which has some of its own very deep pockets, didn't offer Ellsbury that much. I can only imagine the outrage in Baltimore if an Orioles star...
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