Figuring out which free agents to put in the discard pile

Figuring out which free agents to put in the discard pile
As we learned a long time ago, the offseason is open season on free agent speculation. The Orioles are fairly quiet while the World Series plays out. Dana Eveland and Ronny Paulino elected to become minor league free agents. Third base coach DeMarlo Hale interviewed for the Red Sox managerial job. The Sporting News named Buck Showalter American League Manager of the Year. The Diamondbacks received cash to complete the Joe Saunders/Matt Lindstrom trade. That's about it. Nothing to grab the...

Another look at the spring training schedule

Another look at the spring training schedule
The Orioles haven't released their 2013 spring training schedule, but I'll pass along some tentative dates off the Grapefruit League's master list, put together by SpringTrainingOnline.com. Plan accordingly. The home games, of course, are held at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Feb. 23: Twins at Orioles Feb. 24: Orioles at Blue Jays (Dunedin) March 2: Orioles at Rays (Port Charlotte) March 3: Phillies at Orioles March 4: Orioles at Yankees (Tampa) March 8: Orioles at Pirates...

Wieters fails to repeat as Fielding Bible winner

Wieters fails to repeat as Fielding Bible winner
The 2012 Fielding Bible Award winners have been announced, and Orioles catcher Matt Wieters is excluded from the list after being selected last year. Wieters lost out to the Cardinals' Yadier Molina. Here are the winners, chosen by a panel of 10 "experts," including Peter Gammons, Bill James, Joe Posnanski, Doug Glanville and John Dewan: First Base: Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees (first-time winner) Second Base: Darwin Barney, Chicago Cubs (first-time winner) Third Base: Adrian Beltre,...

Which Orioles were the most clutch?

Which Orioles were the most clutch?
Looking back on the 2012 season, it's worth mentioning again that the Orioles had only one losing month, not counting their 1-2 record in October. They were 14-9 in April, 15-13 in May, 13-13 in June, 13-14 in July (but 10-7 on the road), 18-9 in August and 20-11 in September/October. The Orioles were above .500 on every day of the week except Mondays, when they were 7-13. That's a case of the Mondays. They were 17-8 on Tuesdays, 12-12 on Wednesdays, 10-6 on Thursdays, 15-11 on Fridays,...

Showalter named Sporting News AL Manager of the Year

Showalter named Sporting News AL Manager of the Year
Buck Showalter has been named the Sporting News American League Manager of the Year for 2012. The Nationals' Davey Johnson made it a clean beltway sweep by winning the National League honor. Showalter and Johnson were chosen by a panel of 17 major league managers. The Orioles improved from 69-93 in 2011 to 93-69 in 2012, winning the wild card game in Texas and pushing the Yankees to a fifth game in the American League Division Series. The Orioles hadn't posted a winning season or made the...

Who's next to debut for the Orioles?

Who's next to debut for the Orioles?
The cutoff for Super Two status this offseason is two years and 139 days of service time, according to The Associated Press. The cutoff would have been two years and 144 days under the old collective bargaining agreement. Super Two status enables a player to obtain a fourth year of arbitration eligibility. Jim Johnson qualified in 2010, Brad Bergesen in 2011. None of the Orioles were impacted this year. Brian Matusz has two years, 155 days of service time. Again, here's the list in...

Answering the PTBNL question

Answering the PTBNL question
The August trade that sent reliever Matt Lindstrom and a player to be named later to the Diamondbacks for left-hander Joe Saunders and cash has been completed. The teams couldn't agree on a PTBNL. The Orioles instead will send an undisclosed amount of cash to Arizona. It's a done deal. The PTBNL was supposed to be determined after the season. In the meantime, Saunders went 3-3 with a 3.63 ERA in seven starts after the Aug. 26 trade and allowed two earned runs in 11 1/3 innings in the...

Orioles don't have many decisions to make on their own free agents

Orioles don't have many decisions to make on their own free agents
A few days ago, I gave you the rundown of arbitration-eligible Orioles and educated guesses on which players could be non-tendered. There are enough names on the list to keep any team executive busy. The Orioles don't have nearly as many pending unrestricted free agents. The 40-man roster includes outfielders Nate McLouth and Endy Chavez, pitcher Joe Saunders and designated hitter Jim Thome. Pitcher Randy Wolf and first baseman Nick Johnson are on the 60-day disabled list. This group can...

Showalter staying busy this month (spring training note)

Showalter staying busy this month (spring training note)
Because so many fans wanted to know, I'll pass along that manager Buck Showalter's knee surgery was a success and he's rehabbing at home. No complications. No fun, either, if you've ever rehabbed a knee. Here are a few more Showalter-related notes: A week after being the honorary captain at a Ravens game, Showalter will appear on this season's first episode of "Basketball and Beyond with Coach K," co-hosted by Duke men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and Dave Sims, at 7 p.m....

Looking back on Zach Clark's season

Looking back on Zach Clark's season
Zach Clark managed to do the impossible this season. He won 15 games, posted an ERA below 3.00 and went largely ignored. It's the Dylan Bundy factor. And later, it became the Kevin Gausman factor. Top pitching prospects who garnered most, if not all, of the media's attention. Until 2012, Clark was best known for having pitched at UMBC. He was "local." He also was an organizational guy who kept getting moved from one affiliate to the next whenever a spot opened up. Clark, 29, was signed...

Will Orioles coaching staff stay intact?

Will Orioles coaching staff stay intact?
The Red Sox did exactly what had been rumored pretty much since their former manager, Bobby Valentine, criticized Kevin Youkilis earlier this year. They arranged for John Farrell to become their new manager. Orioles third base coach DeMarlo Hale interviewed for the job, but the Red Sox made their decision a long time ago. They just needed to complete the rare player-for-manager trade with the Blue Jays, which they did by sending Mike Aviles to Toronto. The first time I ever heard of such a...

Starting to wonder about the rotation

Starting to wonder about the rotation
Yesterday, we kicked around ideas for second base. Today, we'll ponder whether the Orioles need to upgrade the rotation or play the hands - right and left - that they've been dealt. The Orioles' starters posted an ERA under 4.00 after Aug. 1 and a 2.00 ERA in the playoffs. The pitching staff finished with a 3.90 ERA that ranked 14th in the majors. Their 3.73 ERA after the All-Star break tied them with the Giants for 11th. The staff's 3.35 ERA in September ranked eighth in the majors, and...

Who's on second?

Who's on second?
While the left side of the infield is set for 2013, the right side is open for business. The Orioles probably won't pick up Mark Reynolds' $11 million option. They could non-tender him and attempt to re-sign him, rather than risk going to arbitration. Second base is especially unsettled, with Robert Andino and Omar Quintanilla non-tender candidates and Ryan Flaherty a possibility to start the season at Triple-A Norfolk, now that he's no longer a Rule 5 player. Nobody knows what to expect...

Trembley back in the majors (with quotes)

Trembley back in the majors (with quotes)
The Houston Astros announced today that former Orioles manager Dave Trembley has been hired as a coach. Trembley, 60, will join new manager Bo Porter's staff. His position hasn't been determined. "I'm real appreciative," Trembley said in a phone interview. "Bo is still sorting through where he's going to place everybody. He's got a couple more hires to make, so he's kind of holding off on what we're going to do for him." Trembley had been working as the Atlanta Braves' minor...

Orioles will be kept busy with arbitration decisions

Orioles will be kept busy with arbitration decisions
There isn't a team in baseball with more arbitration-eligible players than the Orioles, who lead the field with 15. Too bad they can't be exchanged for runs. The list in alphabetical order reads as follows: Robert Andino Chris Davis Lew Ford Jason Hammel Tommy Hunter Jim Johnson Brian Matusz Darren O'Day Troy Patton Steve Pearce Omar Quintanilla Nolan Reimold Mark Reynolds Taylor Teagarden Matt Wieters Executive vice president Dan Duquette was asked on Saturday about the large...

Do you feel better or worse?

Do you feel better or worse?
The bad news for the Yankees is they were swept by the Tigers in the American League Championship Series. The good news is Alex Rodriguez now has a date for Saturday night. Have the Orioles ever been swept in the postseason? Don't think so. Watching the Yankees stumble out of the ALCS like a drunk after last call should bring pleasure to fans here, but I can't get past how the Orioles almost certainly would have put up more of a fight. They didn't hit in the Division Series and still...

A split decision in left field

A split decision in left field
The Orioles are settled at most positions for the 2013 season, with Adam Jones set in center field, Nick Markakis in right, Manny Machado at third, J.J. Hardy at shortstop and Matt Wieters behind the plate. They would like to retain first baseman Mark Reynolds, but they must decide at what cost. Left field is a moving target, to borrow one of manager Buck Showalter's favorite expressions. Do the Orioles attempt to re-sign Nate McLouth? Do they roll the dice again with Nolan Reimold, who was...

Steve Johnson talks about his season and upcoming clinic

Steve Johnson talks about his season and upcoming clinic
It doesn't seem that long ago that Steve Johnson was deciding whether he should re-sign with the Orioles. And later, whether he should become a minor league free agent if the Orioles didn't place him on the 40-man roster. Now he's still washing champagne out of his hair. Johnson's professional life took some crazy turns, including the one that pointed him toward the playoffs. He won all four of his major league decisions, posting a 2.11 ERA and striking out 46 batters in 38 1/3 innings....

Eveland, Paulino elect free agency (and notes)

Eveland, Paulino elect free agency (and notes)
Pitcher Dana Eveland and catcher Ronny Paulino, among the 52 players who appeared in games with the Orioles this season, have filed for free agency. Eveland, acquired from the Dodgers on the last day of the Winter Meetings for Jarret Martin and Tyler Henson, went 0-1 with a 4.73 ERA in 14 appearances with the Orioles, including two starts. He cleared waivers twice this summer - he didn't pitch for the Orioles after July 13 - and accepted outright assignments rather than forfeit the rest of...

Is Thome's time up in Baltimore?

Is Thome's time up in Baltimore?
Just when I'm convinced that I've kept up with all the firsts with the Orioles this year, I stumble across another one. On Sept. 26, Jim Thome became the oldest player to homer for the Orioles at 42 years, 30 days. Thome was 11 days older than the previous record older. Can you name him? Answer below. No fair looking it up or scrolling down. While I'm focusing on Thome, I'll mention again that the Orioles don't know whether he wants to continue playing in 2013. That's because Thome...