The Orioles are on the verge of naming Dan Duquette their next general manager. Here's the latest on that, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, as well as a couple other items of note:
- The Orioles won't allow Duquette, who is meeting with owner Peter Angelos tonight, to leave Baltimore without a contract. The O's let Blue Jays exec Tony LaCava return home before making their offer, which LaCava eventually declined.
- Duqette is unlikely to object to retaining some personnel, opines Kubatko, considering he hasn't worked in the Majors since 2002.
- Angelos wanted to avoid hiring a GM who had recently been fired by another team, a source tells Kubatko.
- Former Pirates GM Dave Littlefield, who was relieved of his duties in September 2007, came up in conversation, but his dismissal was deemed too recent, tweets Kubatko.
- If Duquette is hired, he'll have to hire a new scouting director and a minor league pitching coordinator. Both positions are presently vacant.
- The Orioles would be taking a risk in hiring Duquette, opines Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com, but he could give them exactly what they need considering his success as the GM of the Expos and Red Sox, and his background in player development.
- Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com wonders whether the O's will sign free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. After 14 consecutive losing seasons, signing Prince would show that the O's are serious about winning again, opines Dubroff.
