Yesterday's fury of inactivity

Brad Bergesen didn't get the win last night because Billy Butler hit a two-run homer off David Hernandez in the eighth inning. Painful, yes, but not the same as taking a Butler line drive off your shin. If you put it in perspective...well, never mind. It still hurts. It's just a different kind of hurt. The Orioles need to avoid playing the Royals around the non-waiver trade deadline. Bad things happen. Speaking of the deadline, yes, I'm aware that ESPN gives the Orioles a failing grade for their inability to trade Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott. For the few people who missed it: We did like the Orioles' Will Ohman-for-Rick VandenHurk deal. We'll get that out of the way fast. But how could a team that's on pace to finish 30 games out of next-to-last hang onto so much dead weight? Kevin Millwood destroyed all his value. And Jeremy Guthrie didn't help market himself, either. But how Ty Wigginton and Luke Scott could still be working there, we have no idea. "Everyone wanted Ty Wigginton," grumbled an official of one club. "I know they could have moved Luke Scott. And I think they could have moved Guthrie in a bad pitching market. They might be the biggest losers of all." My thoughts: You can't judge any trade this soon, so there's no point debating Ohman-for-VandenHurk unless you're torn to pieces over losing your left-handed specialist on a team with the worst record in baseball, and you already know how VandenHurk will turn out. Ohman signed a minor league deal. He was decent this year. How much did you expect to get for him in a trade? The Marlins didn't want to part with VandenHurk, but finally relented with about four minutes left before the deadline. Saying that Guthrie "didn't help market himself" is accurate only if you ignore his second-half numbers. And why, exactly, would you ignore his second-half numbers? As for Scott and Wigginton, it doesn't make much sense to keep them unless the Orioles were being offered little more than low-level prospects. Why give them away? They can still be moved this month if they get through waivers (doubtful) or a deal can be struck with the team making the claim. And the Orioles have all winter to trade Scott, which president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail suggested as a possibility last night. We don't know what offers were out there. I'd love to see the list. If anyone has it, please forward it to me. If the Orioles passed up a quality bat, a shortstop who's ready in 2011, a top-of-the-rotation pitching prospect, they should have their collective heads examined. Does anyone know? Maybe we'll find out more tomorrow when everyone from the warehouse gathers for Buck Showalter's press conference. One last thought: ESPN has no problem with the Nats holding onto Adam Dunn, pointing out that the slugger could be moved in August or signed to an extension. I'd love to know what they turned down these last few days, because plenty of teams were lined up for him. You can expect the Orioles to put most of their roster on waivers this month, and that certainly includes their pending free agents. Players can be pulled back if claimed. Perhaps some of the talks involving Scott yesterday will allow a trade to materialize over the winter. It seemed to come as a surprise to MacPhail that Scott was in such demand, possibly more than Wigginton. The Rays certainly had interest after giving up on Dunn. Scott reportedly was one of the five bats that the Rays targeted. None of them changed teams yesterday. I guess the Orioles couldn't pry Evan Longoria from them. Heck, I would have settled for Wade Davis. So what should the Orioles do with Scott while he's on the roster? Play him every day at first base as part of the evaluation process under Showalter? Use him as the DH and keep Wigginton at first? Put him in left field and see if he can take the proper route on fly balls? Stack wood for him while he chops down trees? I'm so excited about watching Kevin Millwood and Bruce Chen square off today, I can't think of anything else. Win one for Juan! It's his last game as manager. Let him leave on a high note. Samuel is supposed to meet with MacPhail tomorrow to discuss his immediate future in the organization. The club wants him to coach third base, but Samuel hasn't decided. Meanwhile, Gary Allenson wonders whether he'll be riding buses again or flying on the Orioles' charter.