Orioles Rumors

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Braves, Scutaro, Carroll

By Mike Axisa | February 12, 2010 at 9:58am CDT

On this date eight years ago, Major League Baseball acquired the Montreal Expos from owner Jeffrey Loria for $120MM, who then purchased the Marlins for $158MM. Loria took everything not nailed down in Montreal with him to Florida, including manager Jeff Torborg. MLB ran the Expos for the next four-plus years until ownership was transferred to Ted Lerner in July 2006.

Here's a look at what's being written around the web…

Capitol Avenue Club analyzes the players the Braves are bringing to Spring Training as non-roster invitees.
The Bottom Line wonders if Marco Scutaro is going to be the next Julio Lugo.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness thinks the Dodgers jumped the gun when they signed Jamey Carroll.
Mets Merized looks at the best of what's left on the free agent market.
Camden Crazies tries to make sense of the Orioles' interest in Jarrod Washburn.
U.S.S. Mariner breaks down the incentives in Erik Bedard's contract.
TAUNTR touched on the Tigers' reported offer to Johnny Damon.
Fantasy Rundown links to every prospect ranking you can think of.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Teams That Could Use Rotation Depth

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 11, 2010 at 5:07pm CDT

There isn't much choice for teams in search of starters, but some remaining free agens will provide rotation depth, if not dominance. Mike Hampton, Livan Hernandez, Braden Looper, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, Chien-Ming Wang and Jarrod Washburn are among the starters looking for jobs. Let's take a look at some of the teams with the least rotation depth:

The Nationals have limited depth after John Lannan, Jason Marquis and Scott Olsen. Stephen Strasburg may be the most talented pitcher the Nats have, but he'll presumably have to prove it before they hand him a rotation spot. Washington is considering Wang and if that falls through, they figure to move on to others.
The Mets haven't solidified their rotation this offseason. Smoltz is a possibility, but he's seeking $4MM, which would be an obstacle for Omar Minaya & Co.
If the D'Backs aren't comfortable with Ian Kennedy and Billy Buckner in their rotation, they could look to free agency. They have been linked to Todd Wellemeyer and Dana Eveland recently, which suggests they would consider cheap depth options.
The Orioles haven't been in touch with Wang or Washburn recently, but the club may want to supplement its trio of young starters. Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman and Brad Bergesen are all 24 or younger.
Kyle Farnsworth will compete for a job in the Royals' rotation, which tells you that they don't have tons of starting pitching depth. Their interest in Erik Bedard also suggests they are open to adding arms.
It's no secret that Jarrod Washburn would return to the Mariners, but they haven't made the lefty an offer. After Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee, the Mariners don't have tons of certainty in their rotation.

Odds & Ends: Hart, Dukes, Moreno, Farnsworth

By Tim Dierkes | February 11, 2010 at 3:17pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

MLB.com's Adam McCalvy has the details on the Jim Edmonds contract. Bottom line: Edmonds earns at least $850 if he makes the team. He can make $1.75MM more in incentives if he makes 525 plate appearances.
O's righty Armando Gabino cleared waivers, according to a team press release.
MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch points out the intricate points system behind the incentives in D.J. Carrasco's minor league deal with the Pirates.
Maury Brown says the Giants' three-year $37MM offer is good, but probably not enough to tempt Tim Lincecum.
Corey Hart and the Brewers didn't come to a last-minute agreement before today's arbitration hearing, according to the AP. We can expect a ruling tomorrow.
Elijah Dukes, who is not yet eligible for arbitration, agreed to a $444K salary this season, writes MLB.com's Bill Ladson.
The Mets signed 22 year-old shortstop Rylan Sandoval out of the Arizona Winter League.
The White Sox signed 32-year-old righty reliever Orber Moreno to a minor league deal, reports Billy Russo of El Universal. Said Moreno: "Oswaldo Guillen told me that he believes in me and that he will give me the opportunity." Thanks to Nick Collias for translating.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports chatted with free agent outfielder Jermaine Dye, who noted that the Cubs offered $3MM. Dye says it's not about the money, but "there are still guys getting money that I feel I'm better than."
Dave Cameron of FanGraphs applauds the Royals for giving Kyle Farnsworth a shot at starting this year.
MASN's Roch Kubatko runs through the worst Orioles rumors of the offseason.
Bill Plunkett of the O.C. Register talked to free agent Darin Erstad, who still wants to play but hasn't found the right opportunity yet.

Odds & Ends: Lincecum, Jackson, Blalock, Bedard

By Mike Axisa | February 9, 2010 at 9:51pm CDT

Some Tuesday night links…

Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports tweets that neither Tim Lincecum nor the Giants have budged in their negotiations, and his arbitration hearing is set for Friday.
MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports (via Twitter) that the Diamondbacks and Edwin Jackson still haven't made any progress towards an agreement. Their arbitration hearing is now just eight days away.
In addition to having interest in Russell Branyan and Jermaine Dye, the Indians are also talking to Hank Blalock, reports Rosenthal. He adds that the Blue Jays are also in on Branyan.
In a pair of tweets, Rosenthal passes along the incentives in Erik Bedard's contract. They lefty could bring in $500K each for 14, 17, 20, 23, and 26 starts, plus $600K for every 25 innings after 75.
Meanwhile, Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com report that Damon hasn't moved off his demand of a two-year deal. Good luck with that, Johnny.
Morosi and Rosenthal also report that the Rangers and Mets appear to be "hamstrung by complications at the ownership level," meaning they're approaching their payroll limits.
ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets that Astros' GM Ed Wade said the team has some interest in bringing Willy Taveras back on a minor league deal. Oakland released Taveras today.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun (via Peter Schmuck) spoke to Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, who indicated that the team has not had recent talks with the agents for Jarrod Washburn or Chien-Ming Wang. The O's were linked to both pitchers earlier today.
MLB.com's Corey Brock says (via Twitter) that it's "highly unlikely" that the Padres will sign Japanese lefty Hisanori Takahashi. Several teams reportedly offered the southpaw a minor league contract.

Wang Has Offers, Could Sign Soon

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 5:04pm CDT

5:04pm: MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports that the Nationals are "aggressively pursuing" Wang, and that they are one of the finalists for his services. Ladson adds that it's unknown if they've made him an offer, though.

4:02pm: Chien-Ming Wang has received offers from two clubs and could sign soon, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The Mets and Dodgers are not among the teams to offer Wang a contract. Rosenthal hears that the 29-year-old Wang would like to play for Joe Torre again, but Torre's Dodgers are lagging behind in their pursuit of the right-hander. As for the Mets, they're even further behind than the Dodgers.

The Orioles have discussed Wang and the Cardinals, Nationals and Phillies have all been connected to him this offseason. Rosenthal says the Blue Jays were in on Erik Bedard and wonders if they could pursue Wang, too.

Wang, who is recovering from arthroscopic shoulder surgery, will likely make a decision within a week or ten days.

Orioles Have Some Interest In Jarrod Washburn

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 9, 2010 at 3:49pm CDT

The Orioles have some interest in Jarrod Washburn, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. However, Morosi's source says that Scott Boras would have to lower his client's price "pretty far" for the Orioles to become serious bidders for Washburn.

We've been hearing for a while that Washburn would prefer to pitch for the Twins or Mariners. Playing in the AL East would be a difficult way for the lefty to re-establish his value.

The Orioles are unlikely to add Todd Wellemeyer, Braden Looper or John Smoltz, according to Morosi's source. Two clubs who are looking for bargain starters: the pitching-deep Blue Jays and the Mets.

Orioles Sign Mark Hendrickson

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:35pm CDT

The Orioles officially re-signed lefty Mark Hendrickson to a one-year, $1.4MM deal today. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun first reported the agreement on January 28th. The deal pays $1.2MM in 2010 and includes a $1.2MM club option for 2011 with a $200K buyout. The 35-year-old will take on a relief role in 2010, though the contract contains bonuses for games started. The Orioles made room for Hendrickson by designating reliever Armando Gabino for assignment.

As a reliever in 2009, Hendrickson posted a 3.44 ERA, 6.1 K/9, and 2.3 BB/9 in 55 innings.

Orioles Designate Armando Gabino For Assignment

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:32pm CDT

The Orioles designated righty reliever Armando Gabino for assignment to make room for Mark Hendrickson, according to a team press release. Gabino, 26, posted a 2.94 ERA, 5.9 K/9, and 2.2 BB/9 for the Twins' Triple A club in '09 before Baltimore claimed him off waivers in November.

Orioles Sign Will Ohman

By Tim Dierkes | February 9, 2010 at 12:25pm CDT

The Orioles signed lefty reliever Will Ohman, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The 32-year-old tallied only 22.6 pro innings last year for the Dodgers due to a shoulder injury, and they declined his $2.2MM option after the season. Ohman didn't sign with the Dodgers until March 30th, so he didn't have much of a Spring Training.

Ohman can be very tough on lefties – he held them to a .200/.257/.314 line in 114 plate appearances in 2008. The Blue Jays and Royals also showed interest in Ohman this winter, reported Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Odds & Ends: Startup, Rays, Reds, Dye, Mauer

By Mike Axisa | February 8, 2010 at 9:53pm CDT

A few links for Monday night…

Morosi reports (via Twitter) that the Orioles have signed lefty reliever Will Startup to a minor league contract. The 25-year-old missed all of 2008 and most of 2009 with injuries, though prior to that he had a 2.56 ERA and held lefties to a .206 batting average in 175.2 career minor league innings. He spend last season in the Padres' system.
Marc Topkin of The St. Petersburg Times passes along some quotes Rays' vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman made during his appearance on 620-AM this evening. He basically said the team is keeping an eye on the market, though it's difficult to say if they'll be able to act on anything given their current financial situation.
After losing out on Erik Bedard, the Orioles are still looking to add an arm according to Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com (via Twitter).
MLB.com's Mark Sheldon lists the Reds' players who are out of options. Wladimir Balentien appears to be the biggest question mark.
Dave O'Brien of The Atlanta Journal Constitution tweets that the Braves are not interested in Jermaine Dye, but they could still make another addition if Johnny Damon's (or another free agent's) price falls.
Unsurprisingly, Twins' CEO Jim Pohlad declined to talk about contract negotiations with Joe Mauer, though he did say that they try to stay away from deferred compensation.
In a mailbag, MLB.com's Matthew Leach says the Cardinals are likely done spending until Spring Training.

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