Orioles acquire Teagarden

Orioles acquire Teagarden
I just returned home from today's video chat with Steve Melewski at the MASNsports.com Web studio, and I wanted to pass along a quick update on the Orioles' catching situation. The Orioles are on the verge of trading for a backup, and it appears to be Taylor Teagarden, a former third-round pick of the Texas Rangers who's a career .220 hitter in parts of four major league seasons. Manager Buck Showalter has ties to Teagarden, who turns 28 later this month, from their days together in...

Corner infielders aren't on Duquette's shopping list

Corner infielders aren't on Duquette's shopping list
The Winter Meetings begin Monday in Dallas, and the common perception among reporters is that Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is more likely to swing a trade or two than sign a free agent. "Well, I hope we do both," Duquette said yesterday. "I hope we can make some trades to help our team, and then also sign some free agent players to help our team. Hopefully, we can do both next week." Duquette indicated during his introductory press conference that the Orioles wouldn't...

Orioles interested in Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes

Orioles interested in Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that the Orioles are interested in Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and will watch him work out in the Dominican Republic. A date hasn't been set for the workout, but it's on the club's agenda. Cespedes worked out yesterday for Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo and international scouting director Johnny DiPuglia. Several other teams have watched him, including the Yankees and Marlins. Cespedes is a 26-year-old right-handed...

Anderson talks about Beerer

Anderson talks about Beerer
I told you earlier this month that the Orioles signed six-year minor league free agent Scott Beerer, 29, a former second-round pick of the Colorado Rockies, and how Brady Anderson helped him make the transition from pitcher to outfielder. Now here's more of the story. Anderson initially had doubts that Beerer could succeed as a position player until watching him launch baseballs off a tee during their first workout together. That's when Anderson, the former Orioles outfielder, changed his...

Orioles release spring training schedule

Orioles release spring training schedule
The wait is over. No more piecing together the Orioles' spring training schedule. The club released it today. The Orioles will face 10 different opponents at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, including the Boston Red Sox three times and the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays twice each. The Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals will each make one visit. The Orioles will play 15 games on the road,...

Orioles interested in Pinto, other notes

Orioles interested in Pinto, other notes
The Orioles have expressed interest in Venezuelan left-hander Renyel Pinto, 29, a free agent who spent parts of five seasons with the Florida Marlins. David Stockstill, the Orioles' director of international operations, scouted Pinto over the past week in the Venezuela Winter League and recently met with him. I'm told that a deal isn't done, but it's a possibility. In his first seven starts for Caribes, Pinto was 5-0 with a 1.42 ERA, 28 hits allowed, 16 walks and 42 strikeouts in 43 2/3...

Coaching staff closer to being finalized

Coaching staff closer to being finalized
I wrote this morning that former Brewers pitcher Bill Castro had emerged as a leading candidate to become bullpen coach, and nothing has changed. He's still the top choice at the moment, but I'm told that a final decision hasn't been made. Castro twice served as bullpen and pitching coach with the Brewers before being fired on Aug. 12, 2009. He was the pitching coach for the Dominican Republic's entry in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He would give manager Buck Showalter a desired...

Lee MacPhail being reassigned in organization (with quotes)

Lee MacPhail being reassigned in organization (with quotes)
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that director of professional scouting Lee MacPhail IV will be reassigned within the organization. MacPhail will be given a major league scouting position, according to Duquette, who passed along the news to reporters during a conference call to introduce Gary Rajsich as the new director of scouting. MacPhail's duties included overseeing professional scouting, advance scouting and major league video coaching. He also went on the...

Rajsich hiring official (still waiting on Chong)

Rajsich hiring official (still waiting on Chong)
The Orioles just confirmed in a press release that Gary Rajsich has been hired as director of amateur scouting. "We have added a very good, veteran baseball man with this hire," executive vice president Dan Duquette said in a statement. "Gary is an excellent judge of talent at all levels." Rajsich's name is pronounced "Ray-sitch." Here's more from the press release: Rajsich, 57, began his scouting career with the Boston Red Sox, serving in both the amateur and professional...

Bordick not expected to join coaching staff

Bordick not expected to join coaching staff
The Orioles are expected to reveal their coaching staff within the next few days, and it seems more likely that they go outside the organization to fill at least one opening. Having talked to a few people this morning, it appears that Mike Bordick will probably remain in his role as coordinator of offensive fundamentals instead of being hired as a base coach. He would join the team during home games as a seventh coach who wouldn't be in uniform after batting practice. Bordick doesn't have...

A little more on Rajsich and the coaching staff

A little more on Rajsich and the coaching staff
Within the next few days, it should become official that Gary Rajsich has emerged from a pool of five finalists to replace Joe Jordan as the Orioles' new director of scouting. So who is Gary Rajsich? Rajsich is 57, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, and a graduate of Arizona State University. He's been working as the Blue Jays professional scouting crosschecker after joining their organization in 2009 and previously served as a scout for the Red Sox while Dan Duquette was in their front office....

Gary Rajsich expected to be named Orioles scouting director (updated)

Gary Rajsich expected to be named Orioles scouting director (updated)
According to two industry sources, the Orioles are prepared to hire Toronto Blue Jays professional scouting crosschecker Gary Rajsich as their new scouting director. An announcement is expected this week. Rajsich would replace Joe Jordan, who left the organization to take a job as the Philadelphia Phillies' farm director. Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed that Rajsich is one of five finalists, and an announcement should be made before the Winter Meetings that begin Dec. 5 in...

Giving Kelly Johnson a second base thought

Giving Kelly Johnson a second base thought
It's been a quiet weekend, as least as far as news leaking to the media. No other executives left the organization. No free agents came to Baltimore to sign a contract. No one on the international market flew here to take a physical exam. The coaching staff still has two vacancies. The scouting director and director of baseball operations need to be replaced. Maybe the Orioles are waiting to send out one long press release. I just know that it won't arrive today. We were scrambling...

More on the rotation

More on the rotation
Let's just say for a moment that the Orioles don't trade Jeremy Guthrie. Let's say they acquire a veteran starter at the Winter Meetings. And let's also say they change Jim Johnson's role again and move him into the rotation. I'm counting three starters, though my math is sketchy. Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton figure to be penciled into the rotation. It would take a total collapse in spring training for them to be optioned before opening day. Now I'm counting five, which completes the...

Klentak: "Ultimately, it's an opportunity I just felt like I couldn't pass up"

Klentak: "Ultimately, it's an opportunity I just felt like I couldn't pass up"
For Matt Klentak, it took a perfect storm to carry him from the Orioles' front office to the one in Anaheim. Klentak did his research on Jerry Dipoto while the Orioles conducted interviews for Andy MacPhail's replacement. Dipoto did his own research on the Orioles' executives, which allowed him to learn plenty about Klentak. Both men came away impressed, and now they'll reunite with the Angels, who announced on Wednesday that Klentak had been hired as assistant general manager and will...

Dealing with a lack of depth in the rotation

Dealing with a lack of depth in the rotation
I hope everyone has recovered from yesterday's festivities and all the leftovers haven't been devoured for breakfast. Try to make them last. Yes, I know cold stuffing is quite the temptation. I can't walk past the refrigerator without grabbing a handful of it. And I only eat cranberry sauce over the holidays, so it qualifies as a real treat - as long as it jiggles out of the can. You can keep your homemade concoction. I'm not a yam guy, but I'd fill the bathtub full of mashed potatoes...

Leftovers on Thanksgiving

Leftovers on Thanksgiving
I want to start my day by wishing all of you a very happy Thanksgiving. Let's agree to be thankful for everything we have, both big and small, for more than just one Thursday in November. The Orioles would like to give thanks to Chong Tae-Hyon for signing with them, but it hasn't happened. As I told you yesterday, executive vice president Dan Duquette said no deal would be announced before next week. Nothing's going to happen over the weekend. Duquette told me that he's hoping to...

More from Duquette on Klentak

More from Duquette on Klentak
I just taped a phone interview with Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette that will air later today on "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" on MASN, and he commented on Matt Klentak's decision to accept a job as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels. I asked Duquette how big a loss it is for the front office, and he replied, "I don't know if I would term it a loss. It's certainly a transition, and Matt has done a good job from what people told me here. I enjoyed...

Klentak named Angels assistant GM, Chong and Guerrero updates

Klentak named Angels assistant GM, Chong and Guerrero updates
UPDATE: The Angels announced that they've hired Matt Klentak as assistant general manager. Klentak signed a multi-year deal and will focus on all aspects of baseball operations, as he did with the Orioles. He'll work with general manager Jerry Dipoto, who interviewed for the Orioles' job. Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed this morning that Matt Klentak, director of baseball operations, interviewed for a front office position with the Los Angeles Angels. ESPN's...

Making the 'pen and rotation mightier

Making the 'pen and rotation mightier
As further proof that you can find odds and place bets on just about anything, I bring you the following from Bodog: What position will the first player who tests positive for HGH play? Pitcher 1/1 Outfielder 7/4 Infielder 7/2 Will a MLB player test positive for HGH before June1, 2012? Yes 1/1 No 5/7 Where will the first MLB player to test positive for HGH come from? American League 1/1 National...