Whining in a Winter Meetings land

The day has arrived.

The Winter Meetings officially begin on Monday, but I'm boarding a flight this morning for Nashville. Get used to the dateline because you're going to see plenty of it until I return home Thursday night.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette is expected to meet with the local media crew later today - if we can locate the elevators that take us up to his suite. I'm thinking of hiring an Uber driver to transport me around the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center.

Go straight ahead for five miles and hang a left at the gift shop.

Duquette won't be linked to another job during today's flight. The drama should be limited to pretzels or peanuts. And no, that's not what the Orioles are offering free agents. I'll make the jokes around here.

It's common practice to remind fans of their team's shopping list heading into these meetings. You should have it memorized.

Duquette wants a starting pitcher. He's described it as a No. 1, 2 or 3, which tells me no reclamation projects. That's fine for rotation depth, but not Wei-Yin Chen's replacement.

In other words, no Justin Duchscherer 2.0s for the opening day rotation. But go ahead and sign another Johan Santana with the understanding that he starts out at Triple-A Norfolk and is called up by his opt-out date if healthy and productive.

I've been given no indication that Chen must be replaced with another left-hander. The Orioles are looking at Scott Kazmir, but they're also interested in right-hander Yovani Gallardo and may consider right-hander Doug Fister - a name I keep pushing as if I pocket 10 percent of his next contract.

Duquette is searching for an outfielder, with maybe a preference for someone who also can move to first base. A second version of Mark Trumbo. He also wants another reliever, and that may be the case no matter what happens with Darren O'Day.

The Orioles need left-handed hitters, the deficiency more glaring if Chris Davis doesn't return. I'd expect Duquette and the rest of the contingent to reach out to Pedro Alvarez, who was non-tendered by the Pirates. He could fit as the primary designated hitter.

Again, hide his glove. Dig a hole. Attach explosives to it. Bake it in a casserole. Just get rid of it.

By the way, does anyone have a clear read on the market for Davis? I'd settle for one that's slightly out of focus.

How many teams are willing and able to back up the truck for him? And I'm talking about teams that also intend to start him at first base. Davis can play the outfield, but he really doesn't want to make it his primary position, from what I've been told.

Given the choice, his first preference is first.

Keep any eye on outfielder Will Venable, a left-handed hitter who also interested the Orioles last winter. The Padres held onto him until consummating a trade with the Rangers in August.

Venable owns a career .317 on-base percentage, which doesn't really solve a need for the Orioles, but they still like him.

They also like outfielder Denard Span, who has a career .352 on-base percentage but brings concerns about his durability. He could move atop the order.

Henry Urrutia must be jumping up and down with his hand raised. He's a left-handed hitting outfielder who's on the 40-man roster and wondering if he's still in their plans. From what I've gleaned - that word again - he's in the mix, his chances obviously improving if the Orioles come up empty at or following the meetings.

Be prepared again for some crazy rumors to surface in Nashville, the probability running higher because so many eyes are fixed on the Orioles this winter due to their high-profile free agents and assorted needs.

Don't believe everything you hear.

Remember the report that surfaced last winter about the Orioles wanting to trade for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes? Turns out a reporter saw Duquette in the hallway and asked for his thoughts on Cespedes. Duquette claims that he replied, "He's a nice player," which somehow turned into the Orioles and Red Sox talking trade.

A report surfaced the previous winter about the Orioles having interest in a specific player because they were known to have met with his agent. I ran it past a team official, who reminded me that the agent also represented another player who actually was the topic of conversation.

There also was the rumor that the Orioles were on the verge of trading Felix Pie to the Royals in a one-for-one deal. I ran it past a source who texted back that it couldn't be further from the truth.

There's a rumor floating around now that I live for these meetings, that I can't wait to log hundreds of miles wandering through the hotel lobbies and getting lost repeatedly on my way back to the workroom. That I thoroughly enjoy inhaling my meals at odd hours while in a constant state of panic that I'm going to miss breaking news.

Couldn't be further from the truth. But I vow to keep the whining to a minimum starting ... right ... now.