Showalter: "I like that people are counting us out"

BOSTON - Manager Buck Showalter joked today about all the attention given to the number of players that the Orioles have claimed off revocable waivers, noting that the Red Sox and plenty of other teams in baseball have been just as busy. Does he like that the front office is working hard to bring in another bat? "Everybody is," Showalter replied. "That's why the 'trade deadline' is not really a pure deadline. But everybody is. People who don't see themselves as part of it are trying to make a deal now that really sets them up in the future, so there's a lot of things going on. The Red Sox are claiming people. Everybody is. "There's a lot of things going on behind the scenes. I get the e-mail every day from our guys about guys on trade waivers. If you sit there and look at it every day, you're like, 'Oh my gosh, they put one of the best players in the game on trade waivers today.' No, you don't have a chance for him. I'm not real sure why they do that, but there's got to be some good reason." The Orioles have been awarded waivers claims on Minnesota's Josh Willingham and Seattle's Michael Morse, which may separate them from the rest of the baseball pack. Does Showalter think the chances of his club adding another player have increased over the past few days? "I haven't talked to Dan (Duquette) today," he replied. "Talked a little yesterday. That would be a good question for Dan. I'm trying to figure out a way to beat (Jon) Lester. "I have had nothing happen between the time I talked to Dan yesterday about some of the things he was looking at and today to make me feel like anything is ahead or behind." Showalter always prefers focusing on his own players, and he continues to do so, as evidenced by his response when asked whether the Orioles need another bat. "I look at it like it's right here," he said. "I think it's right here. It might be a Wilson Betemit. It might be a Henry Urrutia coming back. It might be whoever. We've got a whole pecking order of when they're coming, who and when and staff. There's a lot of things moving. Until somebody tells me there's something else coming, I think it's right here and I think it's the people we have." The Orioles have lost three of their last four games and five of eight. They now trail the Athletics by four games for the second wild card spot. Oakland lost to the Tigers today 7-6. "I like our guys. I do," Showalter said. "I'm telling you, 30-whatever games is an eternity. I'm just going to tell you that. I've already had a conversation with some people (at MLB Network) who are doing our game tonight. They've got a little different view on it than I do. Let's put it that way. "I like that people are counting us out. Thirty games is an eternity." Get the idea that Showalter likes his guys? "What's not to like about them?" he said. "I've been with them for a while. I know them. I know what they're made of. Just go ahead and count them out. It's all right. These guys have got a lot of piss and vinegar in their blood." That must really throw off the folks at the MLB office who are testing them. In other news, Wei-Yin Chen threw his bullpen session today in Sarasota. He's scheduled to start Sunday in New York. Jason Hammel is making his first injury-rehab start tonight at Double-A Bowie. Showalter said the club is deciding whether to add left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada to the expanded roster once Triple-A Norfolk's season ends or send him down to Sarasota and keep him ready for a possible call-up later.