When the Orioles were unable to sign second-round draft pick Mychal Givens, O's scouting director Joe Jordan said this would now allow the club to pursue other players later in the draft that the O's felt were "second round talents." It's clear tonight, one of the players he was referring to was high school pitcher Cameron Coffey. Check out this story out of Houston tonight and the big dollars the O's are giving Coffey. Before you ask why he lasted until round 22 of the draft, one...

O's scouting director Joe Jordan has confirmed that the O's tonight have finalized a contract with their 22nd-round draft pick, Houston high school left-handed pitcher Cameron Coffey. Reports out of Houston and from Baseball America say Coffey will receive a signing bonus of $990,000, more than some late first-round picks got this year. Jordan would not confirm the amount of the signing bonus but it is reportedly one of the largest bonuses ever given a player taken outside the first ten...

Miguel Tejada looks like he's been playing third base his entire baseball life. Tejada made another sliding stop and throw to retire Evan Longoria in the second inning, again displaying quick reflexes while preventing the ball from handcuffing him. And he turned a 5-3 double play to end the inning on Pat Burrell's broken-bat shot to third. Tejada made the right choice in racing to the bag rather than throwing to second base and trying to start a 5-4-3 double play. He's still got a cannon...

The Orioles four minor league full-season affiliates begin play tomorrow night. Chris Tillman is the scheduled starter Thursday at 7:15 when the Tides open at home vs. defending International League champion Durham. Those expected to join Tillman in the Norfolk rotation are Jake Arrieta, Brandon Erbe, Troy Patton and Alfredo Simon. We have not heard the rotation order after Tillman. Zach Britton, the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year in 2009 at Frederick, will make his Double-A debut and...

The Orioles scored twice in the top of the first inning, parlaying two singles, a walk and a Tampa Bay error into a 2-0 lead. Miguel Tejada had an RBI single, but most interesting to me was the infield shift against catcher Matt Wieters that almost produced the final out. Second baseman Reid Brignac moves to shallow right field and shortstop Jason Bartlett circles around second base, but third baseman Evan Longoria only takes a few steps toward shortstop. Wieters hit a sharp grounder...

It was basic baseball, according to manager Dave Trembley. You have runners on the corners and nobody out, you send the lead guy home when the ball's hit on the ground. You can't have him stay at third as a double play's being turned. Garrett Atkins was thrown out at the plate in the top of the ninth inning last night on Brian Roberts' grounder to third baseman Evan Longoria. The Orioles didn't score and...well, you know the rest. Longoria bobbled the ball, which eliminated any chance...

Manager Dave Trembley suggested that we all "turn the page on spring training" when discussing Jeremy Guthrie. Sounds like a plan. Guthrie was 0-4 with a 7.40 ERA in six starts, with 28 hits, 13 walks, 16 strikeouts and three hit batters in 20 2/3 innings. Turn the page. Maybe we should flip backward, since Guthrie posted a 2.08 ERA in two starts against Tampa Bay last season. He allowed three runs, walked one and struck out six in 13 innings. The Rays didn't homer off him. "I like...

Thursday getaway day matchup features Nationals righthander Craig Stammen taking on Phillies righthander Kyle Kendrick. Stammen made 19 starts last year and went 4-7 with a 5.11 ERA and did not pitch after August 29th. He had off-season surgery to clean out bone spurs in his elbow. He said the pain had bothered him to the point where he couldn't straighten his arm out completely and every off day was an attempt to get back to feeling good instead of refining his pitches or working on...

Orioles manager Dave Trembley described Felix Pie's ailment as a "little rotator cuff strain," and he listed the outfielder as day-to-day. No predictions on when Pie will return to the lineup. "Let's hope for the best and get him back in there because he brings energy and excitement to the club and I like him in the lineup," Trembley said while sitting in the visiting dugout before batting practice. Nolan Reimold gets the start in left field tonight. Surprise! "Reimold was going to...

Jason Bartlett SS Carl Crawford LF Ben Zobrist RF Evan Longoria 3B Carlos Pena 1B B.J. Upton CF Pat Burrell DH Kelly Shoppach C Reid Brignac 2B Matt Garza RHP Shameless plug alert: I'm scheduled to do an in-game hit with MASN's Amber Theoharis - inning to be determined. And I'm wearing one of the network's shirts this time.