Orioles have move to make and game to play (updated)

The 4 p.m. non-waiver trade deadline is within view and the Orioles, as far as we know, didn't make any moves while you were sleeping. But at least one is coming, according to people inside and outside the organization.

A rumor surfaced last night that they acquired Brewers outfielder Gerardo Parra in exchange for Triple-A pitcher Zach Davies. Parra was in Milwaukee's lineup. The deal wasn't close to being done, but talks are hot.

As I wrote, Davies alone probably won't get you Parra, but he's a young pitching prospect that the Orioles are willing to trade. They still have Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson at Norfolk.

I recently spoke to someone in the organization who projected that Davies could be better than Wright and Wilson. It wouldn't hurt to put a few more pounds on that frame.

Parra and Phillies outfielder Ben Revere bat from the left side. You can speculate which Orioles outfielder might be squeezed off the roster if one of them comes aboard.

I've heard that executive vice president Dan Duquette also would like to open up a roster spot, and I'm speculating that it's in the bullpen. Could the Orioles remove Bud Norris two years after acquiring him from the Astros?

Not having an optionable reliever is a real issue. Norris' ERA rose to 7.06 last night after he allowed four runs and six hits in 2 2/3 innings. A parting would likely benefit both sides. It's just a question of how to do it.

Norris won 15 games last season and Game 3 of the American League Division Series. His bulldog attitude was a welcomed contrast in the rotation. I'll still say that the trade was worth it.

By the way, in case you missed it, the Astros included left-hander Josh Hader (Old Mill High) in their trade with the Brewers last night that netted outfielder Carlos Gomez. The Orioles sent Hader and outfielder LJ Hoes to the Astros for Norris.

No matter what happens leading up to the deadline, the Orioles still have a game to play after it. They're just not certain which Tigers will still be in the visiting clubhouse.

They'd like to remove Yoenis Cespedes and pay for his flight to another city.

The Tigers are sending Buck Farmer to the mound for his fifth career major league start and eighth appearance in two years.

(In an unrelated story, I chose "Buck Farmer" while trying to create a major in college, but it was rejected.)

Farmer, whose name is actually "George Runie," is a former fifth-round pick out of Georgia Tech who's 0-3 with a 10.17 ERA overall and 0-2 with a 9.22 ERA in three games (two starts) this season. He's allowed 14 runs and 22 hits in 13 2/3 innings.

Left-handers are batting .438 against Farmer this season and .407 in his eight major league games.

Travis Snider is 1-for-2 with a home run against Farmer, and Chris Parmelee is 0-2 with two strikeouts.

Wei-Yin Chen has allowed three earned runs or fewer in his last 11 starts. He's faced the Tigers twice in his career during the regular season, allowing six runs and nine hits over 11 innings in two victories in 2012.

Chen also started Game 2 of the ALDS and was charged with five runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Delmon Young spared him the loss with his bases-clearing double in the eighth.

Young, by they way, remains a free agent and is expected to sign with a new team after the non-waiver trade deadline. His goal, of course, is to latch on with a club that can make the playoffs and extend his streak of six appearances in a row.

Cespedes is 3-for-14 against Chen. Will he still be a Tiger after 4 p.m.?

Ian Kinsler is 3-for-12 with two doubles. Nick Castellanos and J.D. Martinez are both 1-for-2 with a home run.

Update: FOX Sports is reporting that the Orioles are talking to the Cubs about Tommy Hunter, which would create the roster spot in the bullpen. The Orioles would be seeking a prospect in return.