More from Day Three of the Winter Meetings

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - If you come away with anything from these Winter Meetings, and it may be more than the Orioles do beyond the Rule 5 draft, it's how executive vice president Dan Duquette is committed to finding a right fielder, a veteran catcher and maybe a reliever to improve the bullpen's depth.

It's just a matter of getting it done.

The effort isn't lacking, with more discussions held today with agents and executives. And it appears that one day after leaning more toward the trade market, Duquette has changed his stance is more inclined to sign a free agent.

The cost is an issue either way, whether in dollars or prospects.

"We're in the hunt and we're still looking at outfielders and we're trying to get a catcher, and we've got a little bit more clarity and a little bit closer to a couple of deals. And we continue to look at Rule 5 picks and see if we're going to be active in that. Still looking for outfielders, a catcher and some pitching depth," Duquette said.

"We've been focusing more on the free agents. We had two discussions with teams about a trade today and the prices are pretty high in terms of prospects for some of the trades we want to make, so we're more focused on the free agent market."

Another catcher came off the board today when A.J. Ellis agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Marlins. The Orioles liked him, from what I've been told, but they seem to prefer Welington Castillo or Nick Hundley if they can't re-sign Matt Wieters.

In case you missed it earlier, Wieters remains on the Orioles' board and agent Scott Boras told reporters the former first-round pick may not sign before January.

"When Matt Wieters is behind the plate, the Orioles are in the playoffs," Boras said.

"He's performed at high levels there. Matt has always enjoyed playing in Baltimore, so it's certainly a possibility, yeah."

Once again, Duquette confirmed that he'd be willing to go two years on a veteran catcher. He's asked about it daily.

"We're looking for a catcher to bridge the gap until we think we have a couple catchers in the minor leagues who can come up and help us, notably Chance Sisco. But in addition to Sisco, we want more experience around the major league team and there's a couple catchers there who could help us," Duquette said.

"Sometimes, if you wait the market comes to you. Sometimes, if you wait the market goes away. It depends. When I was in Boston, Mr. (John) Harrington used to say, 'We can live with anybody for two years.' So the two-year contracts, that's always an option for the team.

"We want to have a catcher who can help us run the game and contribute offensively, and those catchers are hard to find."

Just as hard as getting confirmation that Duquette is keeping the lines of communication open with outfielder Mark Trumbo's agent.

"We had conversations with a number of agents today about outfielders," Duquette said, declining to confirm whether Trumbo's representative was among them.

During his annual Winter Meetings session with the media, manager Buck Showalter stated that he'd like to use his bench more often in 2017. He wants to rest certain players, including Adam Jones, whose all-out style of play leaves his body banged up.

"Oh, yeah, without a doubt," Showalter said. "I wanted to do it last year and the year before. I don't care, just because a guy is 24, 25, they need some mental days, too.

"I really want to give Adam ... As much as he'll fight me on it, and we'll talk about how much they want to play every day, and I want them to play every day, but believe me, this is as much their makeup as it is of us writing the lineup that way. I really want to do a better job of giving them some time here.

"It's more you're not going to recharge your body over a 162-game season. It's more of a mental and emotional day away from it."

It's become a badge of honor for players to stay in the lineup. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop appeared in 162, Trumbo 159, Chris Davis and Manny Machado 157 and Jones 152.

"They like that," Showalter said. "I don't know, maybe it started with Cal (Ripken Jr.). Just something about it. They want to post up and be there and kind of play through some things.

"It's one of those things, you're not going to get them to come and say, 'I need a day.' You're going to have to take the bull by the horns and just do it. But then if you do it, first thing is everybody is standing in front of their locker saying, 'What's wrong with you today?' And you're asking me that and rightfully so. So you actually create ...

"I think they get almost a guilt trip, and I don't want to take that away from them. You're actually making our club better because somebody's playing makes him better and it's giving you some time here or there.

"So what does that mean that Jonathan Schoop plays 159 instead of 162? How much of a difference is it that going to make? Usually the game makes you take some days off, but we'll see."

On the other hand, Showalter seems inclined to get Hyun Soo Kim into more games after using him in a platoon in left field during his first season in the U.S. It would require regular at-bats against left-handers.

"I'd like to," Showalter said. "There's nothing statistically in America, but it's too small a sampling, way too small a sampling. I have any ideas, like certain left-handers that Pete (Pedro Alvarez) hit well last year and certain left-handers that I think Kim will hit well. If you look at his track record in Korea, it's been pretty good.

"Like I said, there's going to be a lot of things that are going to be a lot for comfortable for him this year, spring, just everything. It's going to be interesting whether he plays in the WBC. He's getting a lot of pressure, and rightfully so."

Kim's contract runs out after the 2017 season. Showalter has one more year beyond it, which led to the best exchange of the day.

A reporter asked whether Machado's "situation," referring to the third baseman's pending free agency after 2018, brings additional emphasis or urgency on the upcoming year.

"Where is he going? There's a rumor I'll shoot down," Showalter said.

"We've got control of him for how many years? This year and one more. That's when my contract runs out. Timing's everything."

Cue the laughter.

"Manny's not going to be here?" Showalter said, gesturing as if he was joining the Platinum Glove winner out the door. "There's your answer. If he goes, I go. There's a headline."

More laughter.

We'll find out later how serious the Orioles are about keeping Machado beyond 2018.