masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgI can’t promise that the Orioles will make news again today, but executive vice president Dan Duquette continues to work the phones in an attempt to finalize the roster by the start of spring training.
If it takes a little longer, so be it.
They completed a trade with the Padres for right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne. You can spell “San Diego Padres” using the letters in his name and still have a few left over. Anyone got a Scrabble board?
They designated left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser for…

I can’t promise that the Orioles will make news again today, but executive vice president Dan Duquette continues to work the phones in an attempt to finalize the roster by the start of spring training.

If it takes a little longer, so be it.

They completed a trade with the Padres for right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne. You can spell “San Diego Padres” using the letters in his name and still have a few left over. Anyone got a Scrabble board?

They designated left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser for assignment to make room for Despaigne on the 40-man roster, continuing a trend of adding guys and subtracting them before getting to camp. The Rays traded Riefenhauser on Nov. 5, the Mariners traded him on Dec. 2 and the Orioles DFA him yesterday.

They were able to get outfielder L.J. Hoes through waivers and outright him to Triple-A Norfolk. He’s already received an invitation to spring training.

They avoided arbitration with left-hander Brian Matusz by signing him for $3.9 million. Only Zach Britton remains.

They missed again on pitcher Gavin Floyd. The Severna Park native reached agreement last night with the Blue Jays. The Orioles’ physical may have been an issue anyway following his latest elbow surgery.

duquette-smiles-sidebar.jpgI guess it just isn’t meant to be despite the club’s yearly interest in the Severna Park native and Mount St. Joseph graduate. As one fan wrote to me on Twitter last night, “Just like A.J. Burnett. Two ideal dance partners that never seem to find each other on the floor.”

The Orioles retain interest in Yovani Gallardo, according to multiple reports, despite the first-round draft pick attached to him. Duquette has made it clear that he’d prefer to hold onto it, but what if Gallardo’s price drops?

There may come a point where he’s suddenly a bargain by today’s standards. We can debate whether it makes more sense to surrender the pick if you’re going to have him under contract for a longer period.

I was told yesterday that the Orioles have expressed interest in bringing back Alfredo Simon, as FOXSports.com reported earlier in the day. It’s clear that Duquette is ready to go in a few directions here. It’s just as evident that he wasn’t done after trading for Despaigne.

Simon won 13 games for the Tigers last season, but he also lost 12 and registered a 5.05 ERA and 1.439 WHIP in 31 starts. He was 15-10 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.207 WHIP in 32 starts with the Reds in 2014.

The Orioles selected Simon in the Rule 5 draft in 2006 and traded him to the Phillies later that day for catcher Adam Donachie. They signed him out of the Mexican League in 2008 and he saved 17 games during the 2010 season. He’s recorded two saves over the next five years.

Simon pitched under the name of Carlos Cabrera from 2001-2004. I’m also pretty sure that he returned from Tommy John surgery in, like, six weeks. It’s been an odd career.

Simon was acquitted of an involuntary manslaughter charge in 2011 after the New Year’s Eve shooting death of 25-year-old Michel Castillo Almonte in the Dominican Republic. He faced up to two years in prison if convicted.

On the list of stories I didn’t enjoy covering, that one ranks way up high. I could do without the reminders.

Getting back to Despaigne, I wrote yesterday that Mark Trumbo is 5-for-14 with a double and home run against him. I sought a scouting report from Trumbo last night during the “Hot Stove Show” on 105.7 The Fan.

“He’s interesting, if you watched him a little bit,” Trumbo said. “He’s totally different than anybody that I really faced throughout the year. I mean, the stuff kind of plays. You’re going to find comps there, but he has a really good time out there on the mound. He’s kind of got a different look sometimes to him and he’s smiling all the time and just having a ball.

“He can kind of lull you to sleep. He’s proficient in pitching backward. He’s not a guy who it really pays off to look for any one pitch. He can throw all of them. He’ll throw sidearmed. You’ll get a curveball in the weirdest count. He’s one of those guys that, it can really frustrate you, and when he gets on a roll, he can just go up and down lineups and give you some really quality innings.

“He doesn’t mess around a lot. Goes right after hitters. And I think he’s a nice, nice pickup.”