Orioles Rumors

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Manny Ramirez?

By Mike Axisa | February 4, 2012 at 11:43am CDT

Manny Ramirez’s comeback attempt isn’t your typical feel good comeback story. He abruptly retired last April following a second failed PED test, and several of his former employers had grown tired of his Manny Being Manny act. His offensive production started to wane with age, and he never had much defensive value during his career.

Ramirez, 40 in May, is one of the best hitters of his generation however, a .312/.411/.585 career hitter with 547 doubles and 555 homers. He reached base just once (a single) in 17 plate appearances with the Rays last year before calling it quits, but his comeback attempt is sincere. He’s open to a minor league contract and was scheduled to work out for teams last month. Given his career earnings — nearly $207MM according to Baseball-Reference — it’s hard to believe Ramirez is trying to get back in the game for money.

Manny is reportedly deciding between three teams at the moment: the Athletics, Blue Jays, and Orioles. All three clubs need a DH-type bat, but he would have to serve a 50-game suspension before playing. The suspension will begin once he signs a contract. The Yankees, Rangers, and Mariners could all conceivably add a DH as well, but none of those clubs have been connected to Ramirez this offseason.

Orioles Links: Manny, Additions, Larish

By Mike Axisa | February 3, 2012 at 9:58pm CDT

Here's the latest from Baltimore…

“[Manny Ramirez] is looking for a second chance. I think it is a good story, but that’s about all I can say about it right now," said Orioles GM Dan Duquette to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun. The O's are one of three teams in the mix for Manny, though Connolly says it's unlikely the two sides are far along in process because there's so much baggage.
Duquette also told Connolly that he's not necessarily done adding players to the big league roster. “We’re still talking to teams and there are a couple players we are interested in, but at this time of year people generally want to see what their (rosters) look like,” said the GM. “There are a couple unsigned players that might fit for us.”
The Orioles signed utility man Jeff Larish according to his Facebook page. MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports (on Twitter) that it's a minor league contract without an invite to Spring Training. Larish, 29, hit .240/.330/.449 for the Phillies' Triple-A affiliate last year before breaking his leg. He's a .224/.308/.380 career hitter in 276 big league plate appearances, though he hasn't appeared in the show since 2010.

Manny Ramirez Deciding Between A’s, Orioles, Jays

By Mark Polishuk | February 3, 2012 at 4:16pm CDT

FRIDAY: Ramirez is deciding between the Orioles, A's and Blue Jays, Enrique Rojas of ESPNDeportesLosAngeles.com reports (link in Spanish). Once he decides on a club, his agents will negotiate a possible deal.

THURSDAY: The Athletics and Orioles are the teams who are "most interested" in signing Manny Ramirez, tweets FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The extent of either team's interest is unknown, as Rosenthal notes it's "unclear" if either team has made Ramirez a contract offer. In a follow-up tweet, Rosenthal says it's possible other teams could also be pursuing Ramirez.

The A's have been linked to Ramirez on a few occasions since the slugger announced he was returning to the Major Leagues. Both managing partner Lew Wolff and assistant GM David Forst have said the team is open to signing the embattled Ramirez, who will face a 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy should he sign a new contract. Rosenthal notes that the A's are also still looking for relief help.

Oakland already has Chris Carter, Jonny Gomes, Seth Smith, Collin Cowgill and others in the mix for DH at-bats, so they could use Spring Training and the 50-game suspended period to evaluate what Ramirez has left in the tank. The O's, likewise, have Wilson Betemit, Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds as DH candidates, so Ramirez wouldn't be a pressing need for them either. Baltimore (and Toronto) sent scouts to see Ramirez hit in a batting cage last month.

One advantage in Ramirez's favor is that his asking price would be little more than $1MM, whereas other DH-types like Johnny Damon and Vladimir Guerrero are said to be looking for $5MM contracts.

Orioles Release Rick VandenHurk

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 3, 2012 at 12:59pm CDT

FRIDAY: VandenHurk cleared waivers and was released, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets.

THURSDAY: The Orioles have placed Rick VandenHurk on release waivers, Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). The right-hander, who was designated for assignment last week, could be claimed by another team before his release becomes official tomorrow.

VandenHurk, 26, has experience in five big league seasons, but he appeared in just four games for the 2011 Orioles. He spent most of the season as a starter at Triple-A, where he posted a 4.43 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 154 1/3 innings. The 6'5" native of the Netherlands has a 5.97 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 4.7 BB/9 and a 27.9% ground ball rate in 181 career innings with the Marlins and Orioles.

AL East Notes: Chavez, Ethier, Jones, Orioles, BoSox

By Mark Polishuk | February 2, 2012 at 8:32pm CDT

Here's the latest from the AL East…

Brian Cashman said there is still a chance Eric Chavez could return to the Yankees, reports ESPN New York's Andrew Marchand. Chavez could have the edge over other DH types like Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui since Chavez can still play the field.
Mike Axisa of the River Avenue Blues blog sees Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier as an intriguing trade deadline possibility for the Yankees. Ethier would ideally be paired with Andruw Jones as a lefty-righty DH platoon.
The Yankees still see Phil Hughes as a starting pitcher long-term and aren't likely to trade Hughes given that his trade value is "at a low point," writes MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Last month for Roto Authority, I wrote that Hughes could be a nice dark horse fantasy option if he's healthy and able to win the No. 5 spot in New York's rotation.
Orioles GM Dan Duquette tells MASNsports.com's Steve Melewski that he wants to get Adam Jones' 2012 salary settled before exploring a multiyear extension with the center fielder. "I've said several times that we like Adam Jones as a player and if we were to consider a long-term deal, that is something that we can certainly consider," Duquette said.
Melewski also reports that Jones' arbitration case is set to be heard on February 17. The Orioles' other two outstanding arb cases (Jeremy Guthrie and Brad Bergesen) are scheduled for February 6 and 8, respectively.
The Orioles are still looking for another bat, and it will probably have to come through the free agent market, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. The O's had "tepid interest" in Casey Kotchman but had already moved on before Kotchman agreed to terms with the Indians today.
The Red Sox have hired veteran scout Gary Hughes as a special assistant to the club, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Hughes has spent 45 years in a variety of different scouting and front office positions for numerous teams, including the last nine years as Jim Hendry's special assistant with the Cubs.
The New York Times Co. has sold 100 shares of its ownership stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Red Sox, reports MLB.com's Evan Drellich. The sale will net $30MM for the Times Co. Between this and a larger sale in July, the Times Co. is down to roughly a third of the 750 units it bought in Fenway Sports Group in 2002. Major League Baseball still has to approve the sale.

Minor Moves: Fossum, Sanchez

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 1, 2012 at 9:22pm CDT

Here's where we'll keep track of the day's minor moves…

The Orioles have agreed to sign left-hander Casey Fossum to a minor league deal, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun tweets. Fossum, 34, last pitched in the Major Leagues with the 2009 Mets. He spent the 2010 season in Japan, before posting a 6.56 ERA in 35 2/3 innings at Triple-A in 2011. Orioles general manager Dan Duquette selected Fossum in the first round of the 1999 draft when he was Boston's GM.
Astros infielder Angel Sanchez cleared waivers and will be a non-roster invitee at Spring Training, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart tweets. The 28-year-old appeared in 110 games for the Astros in 2011, playing shortstop, second and third. He posted a .240/.305/.285 line in 328 plate appearances, and the Astros designated him for assignment last week.

Orioles Notes: Out Of Options Players, Trade Chips

By Tim Dierkes | February 1, 2012 at 1:35pm CDT

New Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette spent about $24MM on free agents this winter, mainly adding to his pitching staff with Wei-Yin Chen and Tsuyoshi Wada. He also added a few role players via trade. The latest on the Orioles:

The Orioles have 11 players on the 40-man roster with less than five years of service who are out of options: Robert Andino, Chris Davis, Dana Eveland, Jim Johnson, Jai Miller, Troy Patton, Clay Rapada, Nolan Reimold, Alfredo Simon, Pedro Strop, and Taylor Teagarden.
Out of Baseball America's top ten Orioles prospects, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun finds only L.J. Hoes and Xavier Avery to be legitimate trade targets for other clubs.
MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli speculates that the Orioles could add a veteran bat on a one-year deal, such as Johnny Damon, Raul Ibanez, or Casey Kotchman.
The Orioles have three remaining arbitration cases. They face a $3MM gap with Jeremy Guthrie, $2.4MM with Adam Jones, and $400K with Brad Bergesen, as our arbitration tracker shows.

AL East Notes: Ortiz, Kim, Longoria

By Dan Mennella | January 31, 2012 at 7:16pm CDT

A few notes to share coming out of the American League East …

An arbitration hearing appears likely for the Red Sox and David Ortiz, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com. When the sides exchanged salary proposals earlier this month, the Red Sox offered $12.65MM, while Ortiz and his representatives at SFX request $16.5MM, so a pretty sizable gap exists. The 36-year-old DH posted a sharp .309/.398/.554 line and slugged 29 homers in 2011.
The Korean Baseball Organization is displeased by the Orioles' signing of 17-year-old lefty Seong-Min Kim to a minor league deal because of his age and is threatening to petition Major League Baseball, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Orioles GM Dan Duquette said he doesn't understand the complaint, as Kim and his family were both in favor of the move, and he is closer to 18 than to 17.
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said during an appearance on MLB Network's Intentional Talk that he has no regrets about the club-friendly extension he signed in April 2008, according to Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. "I can honestly say that I’ve never regretted doing it. I can look at myself in the mirror and say that I made the right decision. You never know, who knows, one or two years in I might’ve hurt myself and not been the player that I am today." The six-year deal includes three club options for what would have been free-agent years for Longoria. It could be worth as much as $45MM and will expire after Longo's age-29 season.

One-Year Deal Likely For Edwin Jackson

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 31, 2012 at 2:45pm CDT

2:45pm: The Red Sox offered a one-year deal in the $5-6MM range and remain in the hunt for Jackson, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports.

1:09pm: Edwin Jackson has multiple three-year offers, but clubs are being told that the free agent right-hander is much more likely to sign a one-year deal than a multiyear contract, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. The Orioles like Jackson and have made him an offer, but Connolly suggests it won't be enough to sign him.

The Orioles would consider a four-year deal for Jackson, though they seem more comfortable with a three-year deal that includes a fourth option year, Connolly writes. If Jackson seeks a one-year deal, Baltimore would seem to be an unlikely destination given its hitter-friendly park, remote chances of contending and division.

Howard Megdal compared Jackson and Jason Schmidt earlier today, suggesting that Jackson could be a bargain signing.

AL East Notes: Jones, Red Sox, Yankees

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | January 31, 2012 at 8:33am CDT

On this date last year, the Rays signed Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez to one-year deals. Damon put together a successful season in Tampa Bay, but MLB suspended Ramirez for violating its drug policy and he appeared in just five games for the Rays. Here are today's AL East links…

Though the Orioles have some interest in extending Adam Jones, they haven’t begun extension talks with the center fielder, the Baltimore Sun reports. Jones is one of Baltimore’s three unsigned arbitration eligible players, along with fellow CAA client Jeremy Guthrie and right-hander Brad Bergesen. MLBTR's Tim Dierkes previewed a possible Jones extension last summer.
Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said it seems like compensation for his departure to Chicago should be determined sometime soon, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports. The commissioner’s office will determine what the Red Sox obtain from the Cubs as compensation.
Larry Koestler of River Ave. Blues says the Yankees should target Zack Greinke at least as much as they target Cole Hamels next offseason. Both pitchers are set to hit free agency within the year, assuming they don't sign extensions first.

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