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Cubs Claim Jason Berken

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The Cubs have claimed Jason Berken off of waivers from the Orioles, Doug Padilla of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). Baltimore had designated the right-hander for assignment four days ago in order to free up roster space for Zach Phillips.

Berken spent most of the 2012 season at Triple-A, where he posted a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 starts. The 28-year-old appeared in just one game with Baltimore this year, but he was a fixture in the Orioles' rotation in 2009 and in their bullpen from 2010-11. The Cubs claimed right-hander Miguel Socolovich off of waivers from Baltimore less than a month ago.

Orioles Designate Jason Berken For Assignment

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The Orioles have designated right-hander Jason Berken for assignment, according to Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).  The move will create space for left-hander Zach Phillips on the 40-man roster.

Berken threw just one big league inning this year while posting a 3.50 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 26 starts for Triple-A Norfolk.  The 28-year-old made 24 starts for the O's in 2009 and 81 relief appearances in '10 and '11 and owned a 5.40 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 during that stretch.

Orioles Sign Randy Wolf

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FRIDAY: The Orioles officially announced the deal (on Twitter).

TUESDAY: The Orioles will sign free agent left-hander Randy Wolf, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Brewers released the veteran starter last week.

Wolf, a Wasserman Media Group client, led the National League in hits and earned runs this year, the final season of his three-year, $29.75MM contract with Milwaukee. The 36-year-old started 24 games for the Brewers in 2012, posting a 5.69 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 43.4% ground ball rate in 142 1/3 innings. The Brewers will be responsible for most of Wolf's $9.5MM salary, with the Orioles covering the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.

MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli first reported that the sides were nearing a deal (on Twitter).

Quick Hits: Hardy, Soriano, Rangers, Clemens

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Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy admitted that Manny Machado's presence makes him wonder about his own future with the club, tweets Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.  The veteran, who is under contract through 2014 for $7MM per season, says that he is focused on playing his best at shortstop and won't let the uncertainty hinder him. "Does it cross my mind? Yeah. I’m not going to lie. I was in the same situation in Milwaukee with Alcides Escobar coming up. I don’t know what’s going to happen," said Hardy.  More Thursday night linkage..

  • Cubs outfielder Alfonso Soriano has gone from one of baseball's most overpaid players to one of its most underrated, tweets Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  The Cubs have one day to find a deal for Soriano if they hope to move him this season.  Last week it was reported that Theo Epstein & Co. are unlikely to deal him this month.
  • In his latest mailbag, a reader asked MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan if the Rangers made a mistake in extending Derek Holland before working out a deal with Matt Harrison.  He writes that the club should have the financial flexibility to get both extensions done and can be expected to hammer something out with Harrison this winter.  The left-hander will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season.
  • It's becoming more and more obvious by the day that the Astros and Roger Clemens are set for a reunion, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (video link).  Rosenthal opines that the idea is embarrassing for both parties, but possibly worse on the team's end.  Despite Clemens' tarnished reputation, he is still a well-liked figure in Houston who should serve as a strong gate attraction if he makes a return.
  • After being cut loose by the Brewers just over a week ago, veteran Randy Wolf says that he is excited to hook on with a young Orioles squad, writes Kevin Cowherd of the Baltimore Sun.  The Brewers are on the hook for most of his $9.5MM salary, with the O's covering the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles, Sanchez

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A look at the latest out of the American League East..

  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports updated his list of winners and losers of the trade deadline to include the deals that have gone down in the month of August and put the Red Sox at the top of the winners column.  He writes that while Boston certainly won’t win the division, they came away as winners this month with their quarter-billion-dollar purge.  The Orioles also made it to the winners circle thanks to their pickups of Nate McLouth and Omar Quintanilla.
  • The Blue Jays had "all kinds of offers" for minor league right-hander Aaron Sanchez at the deadline, one veteran talent evaluator told Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun.  However, Toronto held on to the 20-year-old as he continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with his velocity climbing from the 92-93 mph range to 94-96.  Sanchez has a 2.29 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 5.2 BB/9 in 86.1 innings for Single-A Lansing this year.
  • Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe believes that the Red Sox owners are irked that Theo Epstein managed to leave the club without blame for the club's struggles this year.  Owners John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino have taken a great deal of criticism in Boston for the club's direction over the past twelve months while the former GM has recieved little, Shaughnessy writes.

Orioles Links: Bundy, Bedard, Roster Moves

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The newly-acquired Joe Saunders makes his Orioles debut tonight against the White Sox as the O's look for their fifth straight victory.  A Baltimore win would put the Orioles just 2.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East.  Here are some notes from Charm City…

  • Dylan Bundy won't be called up for the Orioles' pennant drive, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli).  The right-hander will instead pitch in the instructional league once the Double-A season concludes.  While Showalter "couldn’t ask for a better progression” of Bundy's minor league development, he and the team feel that the 19-year-old Bundy isn't yet ready for Major League hitters.
  • The Orioles don't appear to be interested in left-hander Erik Bedard, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  The Pirates released Bedard yesterday after the southpaw posted a 5.01 ERA, 8.5 K/9 rate and a 2.11 K/BB ratio in 24 starts in Pittsburgh.  Bedard spent five seasons with the O's before being traded to the Mariners in 2008 in the deal that brought Adam Jones and Chris Tillman (among others) to Baltimore.
  • Showalter also told reporters (including Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore) that the team is looking at Randy Wolf as a starting pitcher, though he isn't ruling out using Wolf out of the bullpen.  The Orioles will sign Wolf and activate him before Friday but the deal hasn't yet been officially finalized.
  • GM Dan Duquette hasn't been afraid to make moves this year, as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal notes how the Orioles' willingness to shuffle their roster has helped the team to their surprising record.

Rosenthal On Baker, Medlen, Orioles

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Melky Cabrera missed out on a free agent payday of at least $50MM by testing positive for an elevated amount of testosterone, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports writes. Baseball is focused on improving ways of detecting testosterone and expanding tests for human growth hormone, Rosenthal reports. Here are some highlights from the remainder of his column…

  • Dusty Baker might not have much leverage in contract talks with the Reds unless a managerial opening or two emerges, Rosenthal writes. Baker, whose contract expires after the season, earns $4-4.5MM per year and Rosenthal argues he deserves a raise. The Astros will be looking for a manager this offseason and jobs could open up in Boston and Anaheim.
  • There’s no talk of the Braves shutting Kris Medlen down, even though he underwent Tommy John surgery at the same time Stephen Strasburg did. The Braves limited Medlen’s innings by starting the season with him in the bullpen.
  • The Orioles are able to add payroll, but they didn’t do so in their recent trade with the Diamondbacks. Arizona sent about $300K to Baltimore to account for the difference in the salaries of Matt Lindstrom and Joe Saunders. 
  • The Orioles put in a claim on Joe Blanton earlier in August, Rosenthal reports. The Dodgers won the claim on the right-hander, who had nearly $3MM on his contract at the time he was placed on waivers.

J.C. Romero Granted Free Agency

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MONDAY: Romero has been granted free agency, tweets Rich Dubroff of CSNBaltimore.com. Romero will be free to sign with any team if he decides against retirement.

FRIDAY: The Orioles have designated left-handed reliever J.C. Romero for assignment, Britt Ghiroli of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Baltimore acquired Romero from the Indians 11 days ago and purchased his contract from the minor leagues the following day. The 14-year veteran said he's now considering retirement, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports (on Twitter).

Romero appeared in two games for the Orioles before getting removed from their roster. The 36-year-old has spent considerable time at Triple-A, where he posted a 2.74 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 23 innings for the International League affiliates of the Indians and Orioles this year.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

Orioles, Randy Wolf Nearing Deal

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The Orioles are nearing a deal with free agent left-hander Randy Wolf, MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli reports (on Twitter). The Brewers released the veteran starter last week.

Wolf, a Wasserman Media Group client, led the National League in hits and earned runs this year, the final season of his three-year, $29.75MM contract with Milwaukee. The 36-year-old started 24 games for the Brewers in 2012, posting a 5.69 ERA with 6.1 K/9, 2.8 BB/9 and a 43.4% ground ball rate in 142 1/3 innings. If Wolf signs with the Orioles, the Brewers will be responsible for all of his $9.5MM salary less the pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum.

This post was first published on August 28th, 2012.

Quick Hits: Dodgers, David Ortiz, Dylan Bundy

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With the calendar ready to turn to the final month of the regular season, there are still 15 teams in contention for a playoff spot. From the surprises (Athletics, Pirates, Orioles) to the big spenders (Dodgers, Angels, Tigers), the addition of a second Wild Card to each league has take the race for the playoffs to another level. Let's take a moment to catch up on the latest stories and news making headlines from around baseball…

  • It took him awhile, but FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal finally understands why the Dodgers' trade with the Red Sox actually makes sense for Los Angeles. The addition of Adrian Gonzalez to man first base gives the Dodgers the game's biggest Mexican-American star as well as an upgrade both offensively and defensively. Even though Los Angeles paid a large sum for its package of stars, Rosenthal suggests the team wouldn't have had many desirable options to pursue this offseason.
  • Another star player appears to be done in Boston – at least for this season – write Evan Drellich and Austin Laymance of MLB.com. Slugger David Ortiz, enjoying a strong season at the plate, may find himself on the disabled list come Monday as he continues to struggle with his right Achilles tendon. "We're talking about it, because I just can't really play like this," Ortiz said. "I don't want to be thinking about my foot while I'm facing the opposition, which is what happened to me after I hit that double [on Friday]."
  • Prospect Dylan Bundy can't help but wonder what it would be like if the Orioles call up the right-hander to join the big league club in Baltimore this September, writes Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com. The 19-year-old isn't afraid of the bright lights of the big city as he doesn't think there's much of a difference between playing at Double-A and facing Derek Jeter amidst a playoff race. "Not any pressure at all, it's just the same game. Little bit better hitters. Someone told me the other day, it's the same distance between the rubber and home plate no matter where you are. Just little bit bigger stands, little bit better hitters in the box. More media, but it's all the same."
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