The current offseason for the Orioles may not seem typical with hires pending in the front office, no manager in place and promises to revamp the entire scouting operation. This isn't business as usual across the board. However, there are certain tasks that await the club and aren't influenced by other circumstances. Building up minor league depth is one of the priorities. Trying to find hidden and inexpensive gems. The Orioles also might try to keep a few of their own. The list of Orioles...

OAKLAND, Calif. - Second baseman Jonathan Schoop has reported to Triple-A Norfolk to continue his injury rehab assignment and he's batting second for tonight's game. The Tides are home against Louisville. Schoop went 0-for-2 with a strikeout last night at Double-Bowie and a rain delay removed him from the game. The forecast prompted the Orioles to send Schoop to Norfolk. The Orioles intend to activate Schoop from the 10-day disabled list before Tuesday night's game against the Royals at...

BRADENTON, Fla. - The spring stats meant nothing to manager Buck Showalter. The runs and hits allowed by Dylan Bundy didn't reflect his readiness to break camp. Improvement today? For Showalter, Bundy has always been on his game. The numbers just didn't support it. Bundy today became the first Orioles starter to go five innings this spring. He allowed one run and seven hits, walked none and struck out five. He was done after 84 pitches. Bundy had surrendered 10 runs and 11 hits over 4 1/3...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Agreeing to terms with slugger Pedro Álvarez on a minor league deal is the latest move made by the Orioles since they arrived at spring training. Toss him into the same sack as pitchers Andrew Cashner and Chris Tillman and outfielders Alex Presley and Colby Rasmus. Corban Joseph and Sharlon Schoop get their own container over at Twin Lakes Park. The Orioles aren't done attempting to upgrade their roster, with a source confirming yesterday that they remain in contact with...

SARASOTA, Fla. - With a left-handed hitting outfielder on their shopping list and the first full-squad workout held later today, the Orioles announced that they've signed veteran Alex Presley to a minor league deal and invited him to camp. The Orioles have 62 players at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Presley is a career .263/.306/.388 hitter in eight major league seasons with the Pirates, Twins, Astros, Brewers and Tigers. He appeared in 71 games with the Tigers last season and batted...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter knew it wouldn't take long today for reporters to deliver the first question about Ubaldo Jiménez's status in the rotation and on the roster. Asked whether he might tweak his rotation by skipping a starter due to Thursday's off-day, Showalter replied, "Are you talking about Jiménez?" Well, as long as you mention him ... "You brought it up, really, because that's where we're going," Showalter said. "I'm going to give these guys the extra day with...

Led by their manager, former Orioles outfielder Luis Matos, Puerto Rico beat Mexico 1-0 in extra innings Tuesday night to win its first Caribbean Series title since 2000. "Being my first year as a manager in Puerto Rico and knowing that Puerto Rico has not won in 16 years brings a lot of joy," Matos told reporters. "I'm very happy and I'm very excited. We've been down in every series. We were 0-3 and we came back with three wins, and we are champions right now." The Orioles drafted Matos...

Death, taxes and PECOTA projecting the Orioles for a losing season. The Orioles may have two promising young pitchers to join Chris Tillman heading up their rotation and a bullpen that led the American League in ERA last year. Despite that, PECOTA predicts that they will give up the most runs in baseball this season and finish with the third-worst record in the majors as they finish last in the AL East. The annual PECOTA projection from Baseball Prospectus is out and a tradition continued with...

Orioles pitchers will be subjected to the usual drills in spring training, whether it's pop-ups, bunts or rundowns. They're going to throw on flat ground and off mounds, including one that has strings running across it to emphasize command. Certain pitchers will be given instructions tailored to their needs, others may take the initiative and do a little experimenting. Left-hander Donnie Hart will attempt to perform a balancing act. Hart will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex feeling...

I've arrived at Camden Yards, appreciative that the 38-minute rain delay allowed me to take my usual seat in the press box before first pitch. My 12:15 p.m. flight out of Raleigh, N.C. was cancelled "due to weather." Except that it would have arrived in Baltimore while the sun was out. Purchasing a rental car and driving here was sound in theory, except that multiple accidents in Northern Virginia turned I-95 into a parking lot and the trip into a seven-hour excursion from hell. The airline...

A quick quiz to start your morning: Name the Padres manager. Answer to follow. The Orioles and Padres are set to begin a two-game series tonight at Camden Yards. They haven't met since 2013, when the Orioles won twice in San Diego and the Padres won twice in Baltimore. The Padres' only other visit to Camden Yards came in 2002, when the Orioles won two of three games. Tony Batista hit a walk-off home run in the 10th inning. Nate Colbert wasn't on the Padres roster, but we're still going back...

The Orioles aren't expected to announce their new deal with first baseman Chris Davis until the end of the week. As always, patience is a virtue and a requirement. Davis must undergo a physical, which he should pass as soon as he's done powerlifting the team doctors. A player will come off the 40-man roster to create room for Davis. The Orioles could drop infielder Joey Terdoslavich, claimed off waivers from the Braves on Jan. 8. There's also catcher Fernando Pena, acquired from the Royals...

Add another Schoop to the Orioles organization. The Orioles announced this afternoon that they signed Jonathan's older brother, infielder Sharlon Schoop, and outfielder Ronald Bermudez to minor league contracts. Sharlon Schoop, 26, signed with the Royals as a minor league free agent on Nov. 25, 2011. He didn't play this year. Schoop is a career .256/.322/.353 hitter in eight minor league seasons, never rising above Double-A. The Giants signed him as a non-drafted free agent in 2004 and he...