Moeller update

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail confirmed that the Orioles have granted catcher Chad Moeller his release. The Orioles hoped that Moeller would accept an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, and they would have released him later if another team expressed interest in adding him to its 25-man roster. However, the veteran wanted to seek a job on his own. The Orioles were willing to let Moeller go because they expect Michel Hernandez [fractured right index finger] to be ready in a few weeks. Meanwhile, MacPhail would not confirm the Julio Lugo trade, which must be approved by the commissioner's office. The Orioles would only owe Lugo the minimum on his contract, while the Red Sox are on the hook for the remainder of his $9 million salary. The commissioner's office already approved Lugo's trade to the Cardinals, so it won't be an issue. I'm looking forward to writing about something that actually happens to Port Charlotte, since I drove here to be closer to the team.