According to MASN's Roch Kubatko, the Orioles are simply looking for "any kind of pitching" as the club winds down its winter shopping. While corner infield help ostensibly remains at the top of Baltimore's shopping list, O's GM Andy MacPhail told Kubatko that it isn't a critical priority given the club's organizational strength at the corners (i.e. prospects Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder).
As for pitching, however, MacPhail said, "we'll always sort of stay in the hunt for pitching." Here's what MacPhail had to say about two potential free-agent targets…
- Erik Bedard. We've heard some rumors about the O's looking to bring the left-hander back to Baltimore, but the lack of activity should not be taken as a decline in interest on the club's part. Bedard "doesn't seem to be in a rush to sign" with anyone, and MacPhail noted that Bedard was likely to sign "a late-January type deal anyway, if that." Given how Bedard's probable contract will be a one or two-year, incentive-laden deal, it makes sense that clubs would wait to see how the rest of the offseason pitching market shakes down before making Bedard an offer. MacPhail added that based on some preliminary medical information the Baltimore staff has received about Bedard, the southpaw will be able to pitch before midseason, contrary to what some reports have suggested.
- Mark Hendrickson. It's been widely assumed that Hendrickson would re-sign with Baltimore, and the pitcher himself said he was hoping to get a deal done quickly back in October. But now we're a third of the way through January and the left-hander is still a free agent. MacPhail said the team is still interested in bringing Hendrickson back, but they have been waiting "to see how some of these other things play out, as far as what we do and how extensive it's going to be and how our roster shapes up. So we can't quite commit yet, but we never pretended that there wasn't interest."
Kubatko also reported that the door seems to be closed on Ben Sheets joining the Orioles. Sheets fit the Bedard mold as a pitcher who would sign a short-term deal, but Kubatko said Baltimore asked for (and never received) Sheets' medical records. Sheets "apparently wants to be paid as if he isn't a health risk," which is a pretty firm negotiating stance for a pitcher who hasn't appeared in a Major League game since 2008.
I’m really surprised with the way Sheets has been having his off season handled. Maybe I’m just crazy, but I would want people to see my records to see I’m healthy. To me, that would seem like the best way to get a decent contract. I guess the agents know better than me.
As for Bedard going back to the Orioles. It would be interesting, I wouldn’t call it good or bad until I saw the contract. How much was guaranteed and how much was incentive.
Honestly. Why hide the records unless there’s something on there you don’t want teams to see? Don’t mope when you don’t get that extra $2mil because of you/your stubborn agent…
I don’t think the O’s should of given up on it, if that’s what they did. At least make another inquiry for him.
Exactly, hiding your records like that after you haven’t pitched for a year is just way too suspicious. He would have probably been signed a month ago if his agents were a little more flexible. I know if I was any team then I would definitely want to see how his arm looks from a doctor’s point of view before I even thought about bringing him on.
i think bedard is destined to have a comeback season
I’d like to see Erik come back to Baltimore. I was upset when he was traded and always hoped that he would get the opportunity to return, and this is it. If McPhail wants to be serious about getting that pitching in there then he needs to get on the jump and sign Bedard a 1 or 2 year deal with incentives. Don’t give up on Sheets either, ask again. Show you’re serious about it. Same with the DH/Infield corners situations. What happened with persuing Vlad? I’d love to see him come to Baltimore. They have the money to make the team competitive, so spend a few bucks and don’t “wait” for the players to get away.
In all seriousness though. What the Orioles got in return for Bedard, nobody in their right mind could turn down.
Oh absolutely. I’m just saying it was a shame to see him go and I was hoping we would have a chance to get him back if he didn’t resign with Seattle. This is the chance, I just think they need to stop waiting things out. I know there are a lot of free agents out there, but the headliners the O’s were supposedly “linked” to have either been signed, offers weren’t enough to show seriousness or proved to be false information.
The acquisitions of Atkins, Millwood and Gonzalez are nice. But I wouldn’t jump up and down over it and act as if it’s a huge step forward. Definitely going the right direction though. I just hope, as a fan, we’ll see at least 3 more good names signed – including Bedard.
It would have to be a largely incentive based contract for Bedard. It’s not his stuff that is in question, it’s his durability. It would definitely have to be based off of IP.
What I’m actually really surprised with is that the Orioles haven’t looked into bringing in Vlad as a DH for a year or two. Unless there is someone filling Huff’s shoes that I’m unaware of.
I’m waiting to hear that news as well. There has to be interest in Vlad, but they would probably look to trade Scott before attempting to sign him. Thing is what potential trades are lined up outside of the Uggla trade? And he doesn’t want to play 3rd. Acquiring Gonzalez from San Diego I think would be nice also, but that would be a long shot, and honestly who knows if a trade with any team will come out of that for what they want in return. We’ll see. I know the O’s can pull some sneaky moves. I just hope everyone will be surprised by the end of the month.
A-Gon is going to be a circus by the trade deadline, probably similar to Halladay last season.
I personally think the Os will be possible contenders this year. All they need from the way I look at it is another pitcher and a decent bat. If they could land Bedard on a low contract based off of incentives and look into Vlad they would be set. If they do go and pull the Uggla trade though, Vlad probably wouldn’t be necessary. Unless they just do away with steals and small ball. Worked for them in the 90s, don’t see why it wouldn’t work now.
I thought Scott was their DH.
I thought they essentially put Scott there just to hold the place until they got a replacement for Huff.
they put him there to make room for Pie / Riemold at LF. Huff was the full-time 1B last season (until he got traded obviously), so his fate wasn’t really tied to Scott.
Scott is obviously one of the O’s best trade chips (along with Guthrie), but he’s still got a couple of arb years left, and his contract isn’t gonna be huge (seeing as his offensive numbers are average at best for a corner OF / DH). so we’re not really in a rush to trade him. I’m guessing any deal at this point would have to revolve around a B/B+ shortstop / pitching prospect, and I’m not sure any team would be willing to give that up for him.
I completely forgot about Pie. Well that ruins the whole layout I had in my head.
Especially since Pie hit .296 over the second half and started putting all those tools that made him a (two time) top prospect in the Cubs organization to use. Just the other day Trembley said he was looking into ways of getting Felix in the lineup more often, especially against righties I believe. I personally see little to no value in signing Vlad because he is stuck as a DH. Versatility seems to be key in all their signings recently (Wigginton, Atkins, etc)
No doubt about that. Very strategic well thought out signings. The value I see with Vlad on that team is just a guaranteed bat more than anything else. Of course I would change my mind if the Uggla trade ever happened. Vlad isn’t a necessity by any means for the team. Atkins could come back into form and start crushing the ball again. The downside obviously being that he would be a permanent DH, but given his production the downside isn’t that bad. I’m not trying to knock Scott, but with the pitching and all coming together so well the only thing the Os seem to lack to me is an impact bat. I just think Vlad would bring that. They really could sit right where they are right now to be honest. Though I don’t think they are done yet.
He is, but they have looked into upgrading. In which Vlad would be perfect. They are scouting Delgado in the next few weeks, but I’d still prefer Vlad.
It hurt my knees to watch Vlad try to run last year. I think he’s very, very close to the point in his career where he turns into Jim Thome: every at bat is a walk, a single, a homer, or an out. I distinctly remember last season watching Thome smack a ball off the wall in the gap at Camden Yards, and stopping at first base. Since Vlad has never been one known to walk much, I think his offensive skills will start to degrade even further. I’d be too afraid that his numbers will start to look like Hank Blalock to be worth much. In addition, you have to look at the fact that he CANNOT play the field anymore. IMHO the Orioles cannot afford to have such a player on their team. Even Luke Scott, if he is the DH this coming season, can play the outfield passably and can play 1B in a pinch.
Doesn’t matter now, looks like the Rangers signed him to a 1 year deal. Now imo, the O’s are definitely going for Delgado.
Honestly, I think that they should rate defense over offense in any infield acquisition. supposing Pie gets significant time in left “Camden Yards is where triples will go to die” (Buster Olney). Improving the infield defense would go along with that philosophy… Good defense helps young pitchers, and helping the young pitching get wins was essentially the only motivation on signing Gonzalez (although resigning him if he performs well could be one too).
You’re certainly right about good defense and young pitching. That’s why I was hoping the O’s would sign Beltre. With Weiter, Beltre, Izturis, Roberts, Markakis, Jones and Pie/Reimold (and whoever at first base) playing the field, you would have had one of the best defensive teams in the game in Baltimore.
I’m hoping the O’s round out the offseason by signing Delgado and Hank Blalock to platoon at 1B/DH and Bedard to reenforce the rotation at midseason. Then they can try to use Luke Scott to snag Kevin Kouzmanoff from the Padres to play third.
Are the Tigers interested in trading MCab? He is under team control for 6 more years, so he isn’t a “short term fix”. And he is a RH masher. Consistantly hits over .300, over 25 HR and 100+ RBI.
the os are looking to resign hedrickson to sum kind of deal and that should help also Brandon Snyder is probably going to come up after the break and tejada will move back to short the orioles have been looking at delgado and eric badard for a while my say on that is i think the orioles will get bedard on the down low like they got tejada and if delgado is good threw the league he is in now the orioles will pick him up as well