Random notes (O's outright Pearce)

I can't figure out the baseball market. Mid-level talent is rewarded with outrageous contracts ...and then left-hander John Lannan signs for a guaranteed $2.5 million and catcher A.J. Pierzynski signs for $7.5 million. Bargains, right? Just as they did last winter, the Orioles will hold a mini-camp of sorts at Camden Yards in the days leading up to the Jan. 19 FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center. It's mostly set up for pitchers on the 40-man roster, though Kevin Gausman and Mike Wright also are expected to attend. Executive vice president Dan Duquette hasn't contacted the agent for veteran designated hitter Jim Thome, who told CSNPhilly.com that he'd like to play in 2013. Duquette is searching for a big bat for the middle of the lineup, but there's been no communication with Thome at this point. "I thought he did a good job with our ballclub," Duquette said. "He's a selective hitter. He delivered some key hits for us and showed good leadership in the clubhouse. The team liked the job he did for us." True enough. But the Orioles would like to have more flexibility at designated hitter. Duquette commented on the signing of outfielder Adam Greenberg to a minor league deal. "He's a good kid," Duquette said. "He worked hard to come back and Brady (Anderson) recommended him and we invited him to minor league camp. "The kid loves baseball and has met several challenges. We'll see what he's got. He's a candidate for the Triple-A team. He's got a little major league experience and we like to take a look at guys like him. He's a good story, too." Still no updates on Cuban outfielder Henry Urrutia. He's waiting for his visa. He may have to defect from Haiti if the Orioles are going to get him into the Dominican Winter League and, eventually, Twin Lakes Park in Sarasota. Actually, the Orioles remain confident that the issue will be resolved soon. Meanwhile, the wait continues. Darren O'Day's splits against right-handed and left-handed hitters this year continue to amaze me. A submarine-style pitcher is supposed to be far more effective against right-handers, but left-handers hit .205/.237/.420 against him. Right-handers hit .201/.263/.325. He was flat-out good against everybody. What a valuable guy. Backup catcher Taylor Teagarden had nine hits and nine RBIs this year. Weird, right? Matt Wieters is a career .289/.362/.489 hitter with 18 homers and 62 RBIs in September and October, his best numbers for any month, when he should be wearing down from playing so many games. Weird, right? I'm pretty much off for the rest of the day. Weird, right? I've got to do a little Christmas shopping. My daughter's stocking is roughly the size of a sleeping bag, and a 12-pack of soda wouldn't fill the toe. I need to hit some stores. Check Steve Melewski's blog on MASNsports.com if there's any breaking news or a rumor that needs to be chased. Note: The Orioles announced this afternoon that they have sent outfielder Steve Pearce outright to Triple-A Norfolk. Pearce, 29, batted .254/.321/.437 in 28 games in two stints with the Orioles in 2012. Overall, he batted .229/.315/.396 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 40 games with Baltimore, Houston and the Yankees last season. The move leaves the Orioles with 39 players on the 40-man roster.