Morning notes from camp (updated)

Morning notes from camp (updated)
SARASOTA, Fla. - The temperature at the Ed Smith Stadium complex won't climb above the low 50s this afternoon and players are dressed accordingly, with hooded sweatshirts the uniform of the day. There's no snow on the ground, but it still qualifies as cold in Florida. Shortstop J.J. Hardy, counted among the early arrivals, said he's taking batting practice indoors, but it's not entirely due to the weather. There's a long wait to step into the cage with so many players already in...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
SARASOTA, Fla. - With Orioles pitchers and catchers officially reporting to spring training this morning, the clubhouse will open to the media for an hour beginning at 8 a.m. The report dates aren't as significant these days with so many players showing up early. It's not like in the past when I'd stand inside an empty clubhouse waiting for guys to start trickling in, only to find out later that many of them posted at night or just phoned a team official to confirm their arrival. The...

Wrapping up the first day at the Ed Smith Stadium complex

Wrapping up the first day at the Ed Smith Stadium complex
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter couldn't comment today on the pending one-year deal with shortstop Everth Cabrera because it hadn't been finalized. Cabrera took his physical and the Orioles are waiting on the results. They were thorough, as usual, due to past hamstring and shoulder issues. Also, Cabrera was charged in November with resisting arrest after being stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana two months earlier. A trial is set for April, and...

Showalter on Wieters' spring schedule

Showalter on Wieters' spring schedule
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed today that catcher Matt Wieters will serve as the designated hitter in the first intrasquad game and "more than likely" the March 3 exhibition opener against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Wieters won't move behind the plate until March 17 as he continues his recovery from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. "I told him to break out his gray pants because he will make some road trips, as will Manny (Machado), which they...

Orioles nearing deal with Everth Cabrera

Orioles nearing deal with Everth Cabrera
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are close to signing free agent shortstop Everth Cabrera to a one-year deal, according to sources. A few issues need to be resolved before it becomes official. Cabrera has taken his physical, but that's not the only holdup. Cabrera, a career .248/.319/.333 hitter in six seasons with the Padres before they non-tendered him, was charged in November with resisting arrest after being stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana two months earlier....

Can Janish win utility job?

Can Janish win utility job?
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles should have enough utility infielders after yesterday's signing of veteran Jayson Nix to a Triple-A deal with an invitation to spring training. It's time to say "when." Nix, who can earn $750,000 if he makes the team, is a career .212/.282/.345 hitter in seven major league seasons with eight teams and a .259/.330/.415 hitter in 14 minor league seasons. He's a former first-round pick, which always brings a certain appeal to executive vice president Dan...

O's sign Jayson Nix to minor league deal (plus Duquette quotes)

O's sign Jayson Nix to minor league deal (plus Duquette quotes)
Executive vice president Dan Duquette had been seeking another infielder to bring to Sarasota and added one this afternoon, signing Jayson Nix to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The Orioles now have 57 players coming to camp, including 16 non-roster invitees. Nix, 32, was selected in the first round by the Rockies in 2001, and has played seven major league seasons with eight different clubs and at seven different positions. He is primarily an infielder, having...

Mills moves up to Bowie (plus full O's minor league staff)

Mills moves up to Bowie (plus full O's minor league staff)
Former Orioles reliever Alan Mills has moved up two levels in the farm system to become pitching coach at Double-A Bowie. Mills continues a climb that began at short-season Single-A Aberdeen, where he spent two seasons. He served last summer as pitching coach at Single-A Delmarva. "It's just a job," said Mills, who pitched for the Orioles from 1992-98 and again in 2000-01. "Wherever I am, it's my job to help them make progress. I really don't focus too much on where I am or where I'm...

Wondering about Wieters if he isn't ready to catch (with note)

Wondering about Wieters if he isn't ready to catch (with note)
Has it stopped snowing? My Southwest flight is listed as questionable. I may need a place to crash, so let me know if you've got a spare bedroom or an unoccupied couch. Whatever happened to the Orioles announcing their minor league staffs? I understand that it's not the kind of news that keeps fans awake a night, but I'm still waiting to cross it off my list. One of my goals in spring training is to find out whether the Orioles are willing to let Matt Wieters serve exclusively as the...

Jeffrey Maier's infamous glove being auctioned

Jeffrey Maier's infamous glove being auctioned
Should Orioles fans start a collection to buy Jeffrey Maier's glove and burn it in a ceremony on opening day at Camden Yards? Just a thought. Maier's black leather Mizuno glove is up for auction, in case you missed the news. The current bidding is listed at $13,000. A small price to pay to watch it smolder. In case you've been living under a rock, Maier used the glove to deflect Derek Jeter's fly ball to right field in Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series at Yankee...
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Tillman leftovers for breakfast

Tillman leftovers for breakfast
If the Orioles are going to add another player to their camp roster before pitchers and catchers report, it's got to happen within the next few days. A reliever and utility infielder remained on executive vice president Dan Duquette's shopping list as he addressed the crowd at FanFest on Jan. 31. He wanted more depth in both areas. Time also is running out for me to get rid of any items in my refrigerator that will spoil while I'm gone. I've come home to a few unintended science...

Another look at the lineup and what to do with Pearce

Another look at the lineup and what to do with Pearce
I was messing around with another projected Orioles lineup yesterday during "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN. We had two hours to kill. Manager Buck Showalter can go in many directions, depending on the opponent's starting pitcher. Here's one possibility: Alejandro De Aza LF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C Steve Pearce DH Travis Snider RF J.J. Hardy SS Jonathan Schoop 2B I'm fully aware of the free-agent losses this winter, but that's still a nice...

Davis shifting his strategy at the plate

Davis shifting his strategy at the plate
Major League Baseball has officially awarded the 2017 All-Star Game to the Miami Marlins. It's also convinced that the Orioles moved back to St. Louis. That's three straight National League cities, and Washington could make it four in a row in 2018. However, MLB is trying to be "fair" by alternating which league bats last, since these games determine home-field advantage in the World Series. Meanwhile, the scream you heard earlier this week was Ubaldo Jimenez reacting to MLB's interest in...

Which Orioles bring the most spring curiosity?

Which Orioles bring the most spring curiosity?
To borrow another one of manager Buck Showalter's favorite expressions, our curiosity will be satisfied in spring training. I'm curious about a handful of the 56 players reporting to Orioles camp. For instance: * Dylan Bundy: He's going to be treated like any other pitcher in camp, according to Showalter. No reason to hold him back any longer. He's healthy and on a regular schedule. No half-mounds for Bundy. Will his stuff be electric? It would be a shock - yes, you see what I did there -...

Tillman removes drama over opening day starter

Tillman removes drama over opening day starter
Spring training will provide its share of storylines, but I don't anticipate much drama when it comes to naming the opening day starter. Is it really a mystery? The past five seasons brought five different starters, but Chris Tillman will go back-to-back by taking the ball on April 6 at Tropicana Field. The only question is how long it takes for manager Buck Showalter to confirm it. "I don't let that enter my mind," Tillman said earlier this week on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan....

Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury

Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury
The Orioles crossed another item off their to-do list yesterday by announcing their camp roster, which included 15 non-roster invitees. Manager Buck Showalter counts 59 available lockers at the Sarasota complex and he uses that number as his cutoff while constructing the roster. There's room for three more players if the Orioles want to occupy the entire space. The group of instructors includes Kevin Bradshaw, who replaces Dave Anderson as minor league infield coordinator. Anderson was...

Orioles announce spring training roster

Orioles announce spring training roster
The Orioles are inviting 15 non-roster players to spring training, including pitcher Hunter Harvey, veteran left-hander Mark Hendrickson and outfielder Dariel Alvarez. Just as manager Buck Showalter stated at the minicamp, pitcher Suk-min Yoon isn't included among the non-roster invitees. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski also was excluded after moving up from low Single-A Delmarva to Double-A Bowie last summer. The Orioles could still sign another player to a minor league contract with an...

Orioles notes, games against Cuban team and Davis' highway heroics

Orioles notes, games against Cuban team and Davis' highway heroics
The Orioles are expected to announce their minor league coaching staffs this week, much later than in previous winters. Most of the holdup was attributed to the hiring of Keith Bodie as hitting coach at Double-A Bowie. Bodie spent the past three seasons as manager at Double-A Corpus Christi in the Astros organization. One more coach could be added at the lower level of the system. Otherwise, the Orioles finally are done. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said he's still working on the...

Reimold: "I just want to prove them right for bringing me back"

Reimold: "I just want to prove them right for bringing me back"
Nolan Reimold is planning to arrive in Sarasota next week for the start of spring training, well ahead of the Orioles' report date for position players. A minor league deal brought him back to the organization, and he's not wasting any time getting to work. "Obviously, I'm very happy to be back," Reimold said. "I never wanted to leave in the first place. But coming back to an organization like Baltimore that is and has become, doing great things, it's good to be back. And I want to be a...

Orioles discussing exhibition game in Cuba

Orioles discussing exhibition game in Cuba
An Orioles official confirmed today that the club is interested in playing an exhibition game in Cuba this spring. "The club is looking at the possibility," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "Peter (Angelos) has contacts there and it's something we're looking at." Duquette wouldn't qualify the chances of a game being held in Cuba this spring, though it may be more realistic in 2016 with pitchers and catchers reporting to the Sarasota complex next week. "It's something we've...