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Orioles May Fire Trembley Soon

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10:48pm: The Orioles may already have fired Trembley, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter). Olney's source says the change was "inevitable."

9:36pm: Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun passes on word from Connolly that "it's not normal for [MacPhail] to meet the club when it returns home from a road trip," but that's MacPhail did this evening.

1:35pm: The Orioles may fire manager Dave Trembley soon, though nothing is official. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail will likely meet with Trembley before tomorrow night. A source familiar with MacPhail's thinking told Connolly that a meeting between MacPhail and Trembley could take place tomorrow morning or even tonight, when the Orioles return from Yankee Stadium.

Connolly hears that the O’s will hire from within the organization if they make a change, so Juan Samuel and Jeff Datz are options. Connolly expects the interim manager to be “a placeholder” to steer the team while MacPhail looks to hire someone permanently.

The Orioles are 15-39 under Trembley this year and they have lost eight consecutive games. In parts of four seasons, the team is 187-283 under Trembley. This afternoon the Orioles lost to the Yankees in New York, so it's not getting any easier for the 58-year-old Orioles skipper.

Draft Notes: O’s, Harper, Pomeranz, Grandal

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The countdown is on for MLB scouting directors. The draft is just days away, so it's time for them to rank hundreds of players. Here are the latest links on the 2010 draft:

  • The Rangers' ownership problems means the team will be focusing on easily-signable players, reports Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Steve Gilbert of MLB.com thinks the Diamondbacks will look to add pitching after spending most of their early picks in the 2009 draft on position players.  He also doesn't think Arizona will pay above slot to sign a player.  
  • Lou Montanez, Matt Wieters and Nick Markakis tell MLB.com's Spencer Fordin what they remember about being drafted.
  • Bryce Harper may have played his last amateur game and it's not just because the draft is approaching. He received a two-game suspension after being ejected, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale (Twitter link). MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has video of the ejection.
  • ESPN.com's Jason A. Churchill hears that the Mets are high on Drew Pomeranz and Josh Sale. The Mets' decision could come down to players' asking prices, however.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law says the Mets could have a shot at Manny Machado, since the clubs picking between Pittsburgh and New York haven't shown clear interest in the high school shortstop.
  • Rival scouts and executives expect the Red Sox and Blue Jays to be big spenders in the draft this year, according to Law.
  • Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian that the Jays will not shy away from tough signs.
  • An MLB executive told Law that catcher Yasmani Grandal is looking for "Buster Posey money." Posey received a $6.2MM bonus from the Giants.
  • If you're wondering who your team might select, check out this mock draft by three Baseball America writers.

Millwood, Wigginton Open To Playing For Mets

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Kevin Millwood and Ty Wigginton told Dan Martin of the New York Post that they are open to playing for the Mets if the Orioles become sellers. Though Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey have been effective for the Mets recently, the club may look for starting pitching depth later this summer. That idea that appeals to Millwood.

"I woludn't mind pitching in New York," Millwood said. "It's a great city, but it's not really up to me whether I do or don't."

That's not quite true, since Millwood has a limited no trade clause. If the 15-37 Orioles start selling, Millwood, who makes $12MM this season in the last year of his contract, would appeal to teams in search of veteran starters. Though he's still winless, the right-hander has a 3.89 ERA this year with 7.1 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.

Wigginton, who makes $3.5MM this year, is also in the last year of his contract. He has played first, second and third for the Orioles in 2010, but his versatility isn't his only appealing trait. The former Met has 13 homers already (partly since 25% of the fly balls he hits leave the park). Like Millwood, Wigginton says he would be open to playing in New York.

Odds & Ends: Trembley, Konerko, Oswalt, Athletics

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Links for Tuesday, as Scott Rolen's big season continues…

Odds & Ends: Angels, Willis, Oswalt, Jones

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Memorial Day linkage, as Ubaldo Jimenez continues to amaze…

Orioles Place Jim Johnson On Disabled List

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The Orioles have called up injured reliever Jim Johnson from Triple-A, and immediately placed him on the major league disabled list according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun. Johnson was pitching in the minors when he came down with a case of elbow inflammation.

The move is significant because Johnson will now accrue service time and be paid a major league salary while on the DL, something he could not do on the minor league disabled list. He was headed toward his first year of arbitration eligibility after the season, so he'll continue to move closer to that career milestone despite not being on the field. Zrebiec says the team likely worked out a deal with Johnson's agent, Michael Moye, to allow the move to be made. 

Johnson, 26, posted a 6.52 ERA and allowed 19 men to reach base in 9.2 innings this April before being demoted to Triple-A. He appeared in just one game with Triple-A Norfolk earlier this month before suffering the injury.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Gordon, Winn, Brewers

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Some Thursday notes from around the majors…

  • Aroldis Chapman recorded seven strikeouts while allowing three hits and a walk over five shutout innings for the Reds' Triple-A affiliate in Louisville tonight, reports John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.  Chapman is in the midst of a 10 2/3 inning scoreless streak.
  • Fangraphs' Jack Moore looks at Alex Gordon's ongoing demolition of Triple-A pitching and says "there’s no excuse if he’s not back in Kansas City by June."
  • Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets that "many people believe" the Yankees will designate Randy Winn for assignment when Curtis Granderson returns from the DL.  Feinsand believes the Yanks should keep Winn and instead send Kevin Russo back to the minors.
  • MLB.com's Adam McCalvy reports (via Twitter) that the Brewers have signed right-hander Eduardo Morlan to a minor-league deal.  The Brewers selected Morlan from Tampa Bay in the 2008 Rule 5 draft but he was designated for assignment and returned to the Rays during spring training of that year.  The Rays just released Morlan two days ago.
  • ESPN's Insider Rumors section (subscription required) speculates that Rickie Weeks could be a trade candidate if Milwaukee doesn't want to pay his likely arbitration raise in the winter.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes explored the Brewers' trade options last week, and noted that Weekes' arbitration salary bump might also cause teams to shy away from acquiring him.
  • John Schuerholz chatted on the air with Sirius XM Radio's Jim Bowden today.  Bowden tweeted that Schuerholz feels the Braves have enough pop in their lineup and don't "need to make a Fred McGriff type trade."  The Crime Dog was acquired by Atlanta in July 1993 for Donnie Elliott, Vince Moore and Melvin Nieves — don't you always need to make a deal like that?
  • Bowden also had Baltimore president Andy MacPhail on his show, and speculates (via Twitter) that the O's will look to draft Jameson Taillon based on MacPhail's description of his club's wants.  Bowden also tweeted that MacPhail didn't offer an endorsement of manager Dave Trembley, and instead just noted that it's still early in the season.
  • Omar Minaya said the Mets might look to trade for a starter later in the summer, reports Kieran Darcy of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Fanhouse's Ed Price explains how Philadelphia's unheralded signings of Jose Contreras and Danys Baez have bailed out their bullpen over the first two months of the season.
  • Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com answers Cleveland-related fan questions in a mailbag about such topics as when Michael Brantley will return to the majors, the recent release of Scott Lewis, and how the Tribe passed on Jason Heyward in the 2007 amateur draft.

Mets Claim Justin Turner

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The Mets claimed infielder Justin Turner off waivers from the Orioles, tweets Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.  The O's had designated Turner for assignment on Friday to make room for Scott Moore.  Connolly notes that Mets executive Wayne Krivsky drafted Turner as Reds GM back in '06.

Turner, 25, hit .300/.362/.388 in 441 Triple A plate appearances last year.  He's failed to match that production in 95 PAs this year.  Turner has mostly played second base this year, but he's also spent time at third base and shortstop.

Heading into the '09 season, Baseball America ranked Turner 27th among Orioles prospects after he came over in the Ramon Hernandez deal.  BA wrote that Turner is a competitive "baseball rat" who has a shot at becoming a utility player in the bigs.

Odds & Ends: Rangers, Resop, Trembley, Harper

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Links for Monday, as Edwin Encarnacion and the Blue Jays swing away in Anaheim…

  • Michael Young told MLB.com's Chris Cox that he was relieved to hear that the Rangers' sale won't affect the team's regular spending.
  • As MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan explains, the Rangers' sale will go before a judge to speed up the process. In the meantime, the Rangers should be able to spend normally.
  • The Rangers probably won't be drafting players who demand over-slot money this year, according to Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Jon Paul Morosi expects Chris Resop, who has a June 15th opt-out clause, to be in the majors within a couple weeks (Twitter link). The Braves could trade him or call him up.
  • Dave Trembley is still the Orioles' manager after today's meeting with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, writes Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. 
  • Bryce Harper keeps making the Nationals' decision easier. The 2010 draft prospect slugged four homers, a triple and a double in one game over the weekend, writes John Manuel of Baseball America.
  • In a mock draft for ESPN.com, Keith Law has the Harper going first overall to the Nationals, because "there's no argument left for taking anyone else."
  • MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo shows that the D'Backs and A's have drafted many major league contributors this past decade.
  • The Koji Uehara signing was a regrettable but not unforgivable move by the Orioles, writes Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Former Astros manager Phil Garner told Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that he thinks Roy Oswalt would prefer to play near his Mississippi home. Garner, who hasn't spoken to Oswalt in three years, believes Brad Ausmus and Jake Peavy could draw Oswalt to the Dodgers and White Sox, respectively.

Rosenthal On Oswalt, Kearns, Dunn

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports leads his latest column with an imagined conversation between Astros owner Drayton McLane and GM Ed Wade, in which Wade attempts to educate McLane on the realities of Roy Oswalt's trade value.  Rosenthal's hot stove notes…

  • Like most people, Rosenthal can't see the Reds splurging on Oswalt.  He finds the Mets "an even less serious contender" due to limited finances.
  • Rosenthal points out that Carlos Zambrano hasn't shown himself to be worthy of replacing anyone in the current Cubs' rotation.  At the moment, the Cubs appear to have a surplus.
  • Rosenthal notes that the Majors' current home run kings – Jose Bautista, Paul Konerko, and Ty Wigginton – could be available at the trade deadline.  Who would've predicted these three would top the leaderboard on May 24th?  With Kelly Johnson tied for fourth?  The Jays acquired Bautista in August of '08 without much fanfare, sending catcher Robinzon Diaz to Pittsburgh.  The Pirates designated Diaz for assignment last November.
  • Austin Kearns would be a nice match for the Giants, suggests Rosenthal.  The 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .304/.377/.487 in 130 plate appearances for the Indians this year.  Nate Schierholtz hasn't been much worse, though he's dealing with a bruised shoulder at the moment.
  • Rosenthal feels that the Nationals will strike a deal to keep Adam Dunn in Washington before he reaches free agency.
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