Orioles Rumors

Heyman On Rizzo, Rangers, Webb, Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 6, 2012 at 3:42pm CDT

The Cubs acquired Anthony Rizzo from the Padres today, but they weren’t the only team with interest in the first base prospect. The Indians, Blue Jays and Rays also had some interest in Rizzo, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Here are more notes from Heyman (they all go to Twitter):

The Rangers would like to lock Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton, Mike Adams and Colby Lewis to extensions if possible, according to Heyman. Ian Kinsler and Derek Holland are among the Rangers’ other extension candidates.
Brandon Webb started throwing again in late December and his arm is “strong and loose,” according to his agent. Webb signed with the Rangers last offseason, but didn't pitch at the Major League level and underwent right shoulder surgery in the summer. He hasn't appeared in an MLB game since April of 2009.
The Orioles have interest in Edwin Jackson, according to Heyman. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun explained in December that Jackson's upside intrigues the Orioles.

Red Sox, Mariners Interested In Maholm

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 6, 2012 at 2:45pm CDT

The Red Sox and Mariners are among the teams interested in Paul Maholm, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Cubs and Orioles are still in on the free agent left-hander and the Pirates remain in touch with him. The Padres have also been linked to Maholm, a Bo McKinnis client.

Maholm, 29, posted a 3.66 ERA with 5.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and 49.9% ground ball rate in 162 1/3 innings for the Pirates in 2011. He spent the end of the season on the disabled list recovering from a shoulder injury and the Pirates chose a $750K buyout over a $9.75MM club option in October.

The Red Sox could use rotation depth behind Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and Daniel Bard. The Mariners, who locked up Hisashi Iwakuma yesterday, are open to the idea of adding another veteran arm if the price is right, according to Rosenthal.

Orioles, Cubs Discussed Alfonso Soriano

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 6, 2012 at 8:11am CDT

The Orioles and Cubs have discussed a trade involving Alfonso Soriano, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reported yesterday that a couple of teams have inquired about Soriano and at this point there's no indication that Baltimore GM Dan Duquette is close to adding Soriano to the left field/designated hitter mix.

Soriano posted a .244/.289/.469 line with 26 home runs last season and is under contract through 2014. There’s $54MM remaining on the 35-year-old left fielder's contract and his no-trade clause allows him to block trades. The Cubs would presumably have to absorb upwards of $40MM to facilitate a deal. Earlier in the week, they sent Carlos Zambrano to the Marlins, absorbing $15.5MM of his $18MM salary in the process.

Quick Hits: Manny, Braves, Oliver, Tejada

By Mike Axisa | January 5, 2012 at 11:37pm CDT

Some links as Thursday turns into Friday…

As part of his comeback attempt, Manny Ramirez will work out for teams later this month according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). Manny was officially reinstated last month, and he indicated that the "doors are open" for a minor league contract.
Braves GM Frank Wren told MLB.com's Mark Bowman that he feels both Jair Jurrjens and Martin Prado will be with the team at the start of Spring Training. They still have interest in Adam Jones and could continue to pursue the outfielder if the Orioles lower their demands.
The Yankees never inquired on lefty reliever Darren Oliver before he signed with the Blue Jays, reports MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith (on Twitter). New York has brought in southpaws Hideki Okajima and Mike O'Connor on minor league deals this offseason.
Miguel Tejada is training in Miami as he looks to make a comeback, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). The 37-year-old was designated for assignment by the Giants in August after hitting .239/.270/.326 in 343 plate appearances.
Matt Eddy of Baseball America recapped the last three weeks of minor league transactions. We've covered all the significant moves here, but you can check out which low-level minor leaguers your favorite team recently released.

Orioles Notes: Jones, Hardy, Fielder, Saunders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 4, 2012 at 2:47pm CDT

Orioles executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette recently told Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com that he's not sure if this year's everyday second baseman is currently on the team's roster. The Orioles are also looking for starters and outfielders while considering trades. Here's the latest…

Talks between the Braves and Orioles about Adam Jones are “nowhere,” according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter links). The Braves won’t trade a top young starter for Jones, so there’s no momentum for a deal. However, talks remain fluid and Martin Prado and Jair Jurrjens could be involved. The Braves are understandably reluctant to part with pitchers such as Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Arodys Vizcaino and Randall Delgado.
Shortstop J.J. Hardy said yesterday on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Report that he thinks former teammate Prince Fielder would "help [the Orioles] out a lot," according to Kubatko.
Free agent lefty Joe Saunders confirmed to Hardy that he’s been in contact with the Orioles recently. Baltimore has interest in Saunders, who could land a multiyear deal.
Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun doesn't expect former Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail to take over Joe Torre's recently vacated position at MLB, but he expects the longtime executive will "eventually take a position of significance within the sport."

Orioles Acquire Jai Miller

By Tim Dierkes | January 4, 2012 at 7:38am CDT

WEDNESDAY, 7:38am: The A's received $45K for Miller, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

TUESDAY, 1:06pm: The Orioles acquired outfielder Jai Miller from the Athletics for cash considerations, according to a press release. Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said in a statement, "Jai Miller has the power, speed, base stealing skills and good athletic ability to be an asset in our outfield as he competes for a spot on our ballclub this spring." With the Orioles' trade of Brandon Snyder to the Rangers, their 40-man roster remains full.

Miller, 26, hit .276/.368/.588 with 32 home runs in 475 Triple-A plate appearances this year, his fourth stint at the level. He spent most of his time in center and right field.

Miller was originally drafted by the Marlins in the fourth round in 2003. He was designated for assignment in April of 2010, claimed a few days later by the A's, designated again that same month, claimed by the Royals a few days later, and outrighted in November of 2010, at which point he signed back with the A's as a free agent. The A's then designated Miller for assignment in late December of 2011 after trading Gio Gonzalez.

Coco Crisp Decides Where To Sign

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 3, 2012 at 2:29pm CDT

2:29pm: An announcement from Crisp's new team should come today or tomorrow, Comte tells Joe Stiglich of the Bay Area News Group. Comte ruled out the Cubs, while Stiglich gets the impression Crisp could return to the A's.

TUESDAY, 7:33am: Though the Orioles talked to Crisp's agent, Heyman does not believe they are the team he chose. The O's are looking elsewhere for a leadoff hitter.

MONDAY, 8:55pm: The Orioles have been talking to Crisp in recent days and they’re interested in signing him, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. However, it hasn’t been confirmed that the Orioles are the mystery team.

7:19pm: Coco Crisp won’t be on the open market much longer. The free agent outfielder has decided which team he’ll sign with, agent Steve Comte told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Basically, we just have to let that team know," Comte told Slusser.

The Athletics want to re-sign Crisp, according to Slusser. They’ve been in touch with him all offseason, but 12-13 other teams have discussed Crisp with Comte. The A’s have also spoken to free agent Ryan Ludwick, according to Slusser. Oakland selected Ludwick in the second round of the 1999 draft and traded him to the Rangers three years later.

The switch-hitting Crisp led the American League with 49 stolen bases in 2011, hitting .264/.314/.379 with 27 doubles as Oakland's center fielder. The California native seems to prefer West Coast teams, but explained in September that he’s also looking to play on a winner and find a good "financial situation" for himself.

Orioles Rumors: Adam Jones, Tommy Hanson, Fielder

By Tim Dierkes | January 3, 2012 at 2:27pm CDT

The Orioles acquired Jai Miller today and also sent Brandon Snyder to Texas. The latest on the team…

Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette told Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com he wants to improve the Orioles' "on-base capability from top to bottom." Duquette isn't sure he currently has a .380 OBP guy, and isn't sure if his second baseman is currently on the roster. The free agents with the best 2011 OBPs include Casey Kotchman, Chris Snyder, Carlos Pena, and Pat Burrell.
The Orioles haven't made contract with Luke Scott since non-tendering him on December 12th, reports Kubatko.
The Orioles are fairly confident they will add another outfielder, though that wouldn't necessarily portend an Adam Jones trade, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The Orioles were not overly intrigued by the Braves' offer of Jair Jurrjens, Martin Prado, and a minor league pitcher. Connolly doesn't see Jurrjens as a centerpiece for a Jones trade. Instead, the Orioles are intrigued by Tommy Hanson.
Connolly notes that an extension remains possible for Jones, who is under team control for two more years. January is always a big month for extensions.
An Orioles source told Connolly they would not offer Prince Fielder the seven-year, $140MM deal Mark Teixeira rejected three years ago. For the Orioles to sign Fielder, Connolly feels that his market would have to completely collapse, and he finds that highly unlikely. Connolly reiterates that agent Scott Boras and Fielder "did not meet with [Orioles owner] Peter Angelos despite being in the area – which I thought should demonstrate once and for all that the Orioles really aren’t anywhere near the frontburner of this issue and Fielder's side isn't forcing it."

Rangers Acquire Brandon Snyder

By Tim Dierkes | January 3, 2012 at 1:07pm CDT

The Rangers acquired infielder Brandon Snyder from the Orioles for cash considerations, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. Snyder, 25, was drafted 13th overall by the Orioles in 2005, a first round that has become legendary for the talent produced.

Snyder gave up catching after the 2006 season and now plays the infield corners. In 2011 he hit .261/.312/.406 in 494 Triple-A plate appearances, his third stint at the level.

Orioles Eyeing Chen, Jackson, Maholm

By Tim Dierkes | January 3, 2012 at 7:44am CDT

Wei-Yin Chen, Edwin Jackson, and Paul Maholm are among the pitchers of interest to the Orioles as they seek to further upgrade their rotation, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Their interest in Chen has been known for a while, and last Thursday Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun linked the Orioles to Jackson and Joe Saunders. I added Hisashi Iwakuma to the list yesterday.

Last week, Connolly wrote that Jackson's upside intrigues the Orioles, though Duquette and the team have historically been reluctant to give pitchers four-year deals. Today, Rosenthal writes that the Orioles expect Jackson will be beyond their price range. He notes that Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda are not realistic for Baltimore given their desire to sign with contenders.

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