Twitter strikes again. We had a young reporter tweet yesterday that the Blue Jays signed Carlos Delgado - that supposedly was the "word out of Puerto Rico" - but their general manager and Delgado's agent, David Sloane, quickly denied the report. Delgado, it seems, is still a free agent. There's no need to fact-check anymore. Just get the rumor out there and worry about the details later - like whether it's false. I saw plenty of examples at the Winter Meetings. Man, this business...

The Orioles have invited 12 non-roster players to spring training: Left-handers Chris George and Mike Hinckley; right-handers Jake Arrieta, Frank Mata, Josh Perrault, Alfredo Simon and Ross Wolf; catchers Michel Hernandez, Caleb Joseph and Chad Moeller; outfielder Jeff Salazar; and infielder Scott Moore. The Orioles will have to create room on the 40-man roster if anyone from this group makes the club. Moeller is the most likely candidate. Moore has an outside shot if the Orioles don't sign...

The Orioles have engaged in talks with pitcher Hisanori Takahashi and retain interest in the Japanese left-hander, but they're unsure whether he'll join former teammate Koji Uehara in the organization. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said the club has talked to him "in general terms about what we'd offer and whether he'd be interested." Takahashi is claiming that he's received a major league offer, according to various reports, but he won't reveal the team. MacPhail...

I'll open the morning with a quick thought on Japanese pitcher Hisanori Takahashi: A few readers here are disturbed that the Orioles would bother pursuing Takahashi, but team officials aren't doing it with the same intensity that marked their negotiations with Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami. They're obviously intrigued by him. He's a lefty with an assortment of pitches, including a screwball. He has experience as a starter and reliever. And he's friends with Uehara, which might make...

Looking at the list of spring training invitees, I have to wonder what happened to infielder Blake Davis. Davis made a solid impression last spring before fracturing a bone in his foot and undergoing surgery that limited him to 55 games with Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles regard him as being ready defensively at shortstop. They just wonder how much he'll hit. I know the minor league camp in Sarasota is close to the major league facility, so the Orioles don't need to fill their roster with...

It's time once again to tackle the questions that keep popping back up after I've launched myself into them and been flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit. You know the routine. I answer them, you ask me again, I answer them, you ask me again. It's the School of Roch dance. Dim the lights and let me lead. • Do you think the Orioles have any interest in Ben Sheets? Nope. That's mostly because he doesn't have any interest in them. It's like telling everyone you...

I have the unfortunate task of passing along some sad news. The Orioles lost another member of their family when former outfielder Curt Motton died last night at age 69. Only a year ago, Motton appeared to be in good health. Friends were shocked when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and his courageous battle ended last night. Motton played eight seasons in the majors, seven of them with the Orioles. He was a part of the 1969, '70 and '71 World Series teams. Motton also served as a...

The Hot Stove Show returns to 105.7 The Fan and ESPN 1300 tonight at 8 p.m., with Jim Hunter sitting across from your favorite blogger. I'm referring to myself, in case there was any confusion. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is scheduled to call into the program at the top of the hour. Left-hander Brian Matusz will join us at 8:30 p.m. Once I learned that MacPhail had been confirmed, I wondered if he was going to make a grand announcement. Maybe break a little news for us....

The Orioles won't be introducing a new acquisition at tomorrow's FanFest. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail pointed out during the Hot Stove Show on 105.7 The Fan that a player would have to pass a physical first, and since the club hasn't reached agreement with a free agent, "the likelihood of somebody being announced and then popping out from behind a curtain is about zero at this stage." Makes sense. MacPhail sounded encouraged that he'll find another player within the...

The Orioles retain interest in left-hander Erik Bedard after going over his medical records, but they don't sense that he's on the verge of signing with anyone. "We have had conversations, we have reviewed the medical stuff," president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said earlier tonight. "We remember Erik the way he pitched for us, which was just positively dominating over the course of the 2007 season. We have confidence in the human being and his competitive nature. "They've...