SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have their third free-agent signing in a week. Outfielder Nelson Cruz passed his physical and signed a one-year, $8 million deal that includes another $750,000 in possible incentives. A press conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and will include executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. Same arrangement as the other two press conferences. It's become a familiar scene. The Orioles designated left-hander Chris Jones for...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Nelson Cruz won't work out with the Orioles today, according to executive vice president Dan Duquette. Cruz is listed on the practice sheet, but he isn't on the field. The Orioles are expected to announce Cruz's signing later today, though Duquette said the club is still "working on some things." That probably means the corresponding 40-man roster move. Outfielder Quintin Berry left the workout today with members of the athletic training staff. He may have an issue with...

When I asked Dan Duquette back at the Winter Meetings if the Orioles would consider signing a player that had a PED-related suspension, he indicated they would consider doing that. "We do our due diligence on all the players," Duquette said then. "I think that, you know, being part of Major League Baseball, there is program in place that deals with that. Once it's dealt with, I think the players can go back to work." It may not be the most popular stance, but that is pretty much my...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Nelson Cruz is taking his physical today in Sarasota, but a confirmation on his signing won't come before Monday. The Orioles are waiting to get the results before announcing Cruz's one-year, $8 million deal, which includes a possible $750,000 in incentives. Dylan Bundy increased the activity in his throwing program today. Not only did he move up from 150 to 90 feet for extra throws, he "pitched" off flat ground from 60 feet to team executive Brady Anderson. Anderson put...

SARASOTA, Fla. - If Nelson Cruz takes his physical today as scheduled, the results may not come back until Monday, which would likely push back a press conference to the following day. One of Cruz's former teammates with the Rangers is glad that the veteran outfielder is joining the Orioles after agreeing yesterday to a one-year, $8 million contract. Chris Davis has been a strong and outspoken opponent of steroid use. He resents the suspicions and outright accusations that his 53-homer...

Less than two weeks ago, everyone was buzzing when Korean pitcher Suk-min Yoon tweeted a selfie of himself in an Orioles hat. That late night photo feels like it happened ages ago. Let's recap how we got here, shall we? At the time, the Orioles still had not made a big offseason move, leaving the Baltimore fan base frustrated as the O's began spring training. A few days later, the Orioles officially announced a three-year, $5.575 million deal with Yoon, but national writers were already...

Well, we heard and read that the Orioles were all in on A.J. Burnett. They went from that to actually adding Suk-min Yoon, Ubaldo Jimenez and Nelson Cruz. Of course, the Cruz deal is not official yet. Yes, the free agent season had some twists and turns over the last few days, weeks and months. When it becomes official, Cruz's addition would give the Orioles six players on their roster that were on the 2013 American League All-Star team. The Orioles certainly used the system to their...

SARASOTA, Fla. - During his session yesterday with the media, Orioles manager Buck Showalter challenged me to come up with a starting lineup. That's what happens when you sit in the front row. Showalter won't reference Nelson Cruz by name until the deal becomes official, but he clearly intended for a projected lineup to include the veteran outfielder/designated hitter. Cruz has hit in every spot, but it's safe to assume he won't lead off in Baltimore. My initial thought was batting him...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles will play intrasquad games on Wednesday and Thursday next week, with the innings tentatively set for eight and four, respectively. No word on whether the games are open to the public. Manager Buck Showalter had to cancel a pop-up drill today because heavy rains soaked the outfield. However, he praised the grounds crew for getting the practice fields in good shape in a short amount of time. Showalter wouldn't comment on the team's agreement with Nelson Cruz on...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis has been one of the more outspoken opponents of steroid use in baseball, accusing cheaters of stealing money and pushing for harsher penalties. With news breaking today that the Orioles reached agreement with Nelson Cruz on a one-year contract, Markakis figured to draw a crowd of reporters at his locker. "It doesn't change my opinion toward anything," Markakis said. "He's my teammate now, so I've got to be a teammate. No matter if...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Outfielder Nelson Cruz is flying from the Dominican Republic to Miami this afternoon and is expected to drive to Sarasota tonight. Cruz and the Orioles reached agreement today to a one-year, $8 million contract with another $750,000 possible in incentives based on time spent on the major league roster. In keeping with their policy, the Orioles won't comment on the deal until Cruz passes his physical. However, multiple industry sources confirmed it this morning. Because...

At the start of free agency, MLBTradeRumors.com projected that slugger Nelson Cruz could get a three-year contract worth $39 million. As we know, things change, and so did this free agent market. Today, the Orioles agreed to a one-year deal with Cruz worth $8 million plus incentives. Was that a deal the Orioles simply had to take? Sure seems so, and after earlier giving up their first-round pick next June (17th overall) for Ubaldo Jimenez, they will now part with the 55th pick for Cruz. That...

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles were supposed to take the field at 10 a.m. for their pre-workout stretch, but it's been pushed back another hour. Players are still busy with photo day. Executive vice president Dan Duquette walked through the media workroom earlier this morning. I asked whether he had anything to say, my fingers on the home row of my keyboard. "Still working on it," he replied with a grin. The Orioles are working to finalize a deal with outfielder Nelson Cruz, according to...

It sure seems like one signing has energized a fanbase. The Orioles signed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to a four-year deal and suddenly no one is posting here that the team will finish in last place, is cheap, is too slow to act or will win just 70 games this year. Will that one signing make the difference for the Orioles on the field this year? I guess we will find out, but it sure has made a difference, at least so far, with the enthusiasm of a fanbase that was waning. Now fans seem to be...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Orioles' search for a veteran starter with an affordable contract could lead them back to Jason Hammel. I've heard that the Orioles maintain interest in Hammel, provided that he will accept a contract heavy in incentives. That's the latest buzz from the lobby of the Swan and Dolphin Resort. The Indians also have expressed interest in Hammel, according to FOX Sports. However, ESPN reports that the right-hander's price has gone up and the Indians are moving in...