Roch Kubatko

Matusz and lots more (and more and more)

January 19, 2012, 6:54pm

Orioles

Matusz and lots more (and more and more)

One of the most memorable moments from my night at Sports Legends Museum, where I served as emcee for "An Evening With Buck Showalter," is when the Orioles' manager said that pitcher Brian Matusz looks to be in excellent condition. The crowd let out a collective sigh of relief that almost fogged the windows. Everyone understands Matusz's importance to this club, and that includes Brady Anderson, who's been training the young left-hander in California. Showalter and Anderson offered high...

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Orioles reach agreement with Villarreal on minor league deal

January 19, 2012, 3:30pm

Orioles

Following up on a tweet that I sent out earlier today, the Orioles have reached agreement on a minor league deal with right-hander Oscar Villarreal that includes a spring training invitation. Villarreal, 30, hasn't pitched in the majors since 2008 with the Houston Astros. He's 24-15 with a 3.86 ERA in parts of six seasons, including stops in Arizona and Atlanta. He's made only five starts among his 258 appearances. Villarreal was 9-1 with a 3.61 ERA in 58 games, including four starts, with...

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Orioles announce front office promotions and restructuring (updated)

January 19, 2012, 9:18am

Orioles

The Orioles confirmed today that Brady Anderson has joined the front office as a special assistant to executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. He will assist with player relations and player development, and oversee conditioning throughout the organization. Also, John Stockstill has been promoted from director of player development to director of player personnel. In his new role, he will oversee the day-to-day operation of the minor league system and help to procure...

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A few leftovers (and one more)

January 18, 2012, 5:49pm

Orioles

Yoenis Cespedes belted his first home run last night in the Dominican Winter League, giving him three hits in 24 at-bats with the Aguilas CibaeÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â±as. You can watch his home run right here, courtesy of Baseball America. Now that the Rangers have invested at least $111.7 million in Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, who hasn't thrown a single pitch in the majors, they're not considered serious players for Prince Fielder unless his price drops considerably. That puts the Nationals...

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Orioles' international efforts stretch to New Zealand (updated)

January 18, 2012, 12:38pm

Orioles

The Orioles continue to focus a lot of their energies on the international market, the latest example being the reported signing of New Zealand native Pita Rona. Rona, 17, is a former softball player who switched codes so he could concentrate on baseball. The Orioles apparently scouted him this week and signed him to a "seven-year major league deal," according to this report. The Orioles reportedly will send Rona to their developmental program In Australia. A seven-year major league deal?...

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Talking about Bordick, Chen, rotation and promotions

January 17, 2012, 4:19pm

Orioles

Talking about Bordick, Chen, rotation and promotions

Now that I've managed to slow my heart rate after the excitement of the Orioles exchanging salary figures with their four arbitration-eligible players - it can't be over-written enough - it's time to move onto another topic. Let's go back to former shortstop Mike Bordick, who will serve as a MASN analyst on 81 Orioles games this season. He accepted the job last Thursday, as first reported here. Bordick expressed some concerns over finding enough time to handle his on-field duties with the...

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Orioles exchange salary figures with four players

January 17, 2012, 1:55pm

Orioles

The Orioles and pitcher Jeremy Guthrie are $3 million apart after exchanging salary figures earlier today. Guthrie is requesting $10.25 million, and the Orioles countered at $7.25 million. He earned $5.75 million last season while going 9-17 with a 4.33 ERA in 34 games and 208 innings. Adam Jones submitted a figure of $7.4 million, and the Orioles countered at $5 million. Jones made $3.25 million last season and was named Most Valuable Oriole after batting .280/.319/.466 with 26 doubles, two...

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Joe Saunders off the board (Orioles sign Galarraga to minor league deal)

January 17, 2012, 11:47am

Orioles

Free-agent pitcher Joe Saunders has agreed to a one-year deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Steve Henson of Yahoo! Sports. The Orioles were interested in Saunders, a native of Falls Church, Va., who was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks, and they had discussions with his agent. Shortstop J.J. Hardy works out with Saunders in Arizona, and he mentioned on Jan. 3 during a phone interview on "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" that Saunders confirmed how the Orioles made "recent"...

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Duquette talks about Peterson, arbitration and Cespedes (updated)

January 17, 2012, 7:21am

Orioles

Duquette talks about Peterson, arbitration and Cespedes (updated)

Executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed earlier today that the Orioles hired Rick Peterson as the organization's director of pitching development. Peterson signed a one-year contract. He'll basically replace former minor league pitching coordinator Alan Dunn, with expanded duties. "We've been talking to Rick since early November," Duquette said. "I was looking at my phone the other day. We've been talking to him since around Nov. 15. He's an accomplished pro. We want him to...

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Cespedes, arbitration, Chen and Cordero

January 16, 2012, 6:08pm

Orioles

Because you can't get enough of the Yoenis Cespedes updates, I'll pass along that he went 1-for-4 last night for Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League. He was removed for a pinch runner in the ninth inning. Miguel Tejada started at second base. I'm serious. Actually, Tejada made four starts at second base for the Giants last season - the only four of his career. As for Cespedes, he's 2-for-19 with six strikeouts in five games. He's gotten two balls out of the infield. I'm facing...

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Peterson accepts position with Orioles (Johnson update)

January 16, 2012, 3:14pm

Orioles

It took a while, but former major league pitching coach Rick Peterson has accepted a job with the Orioles. An announcement has been anticipated for more than a month. Peterson met with team officials on at least three occasions, the first time Dec. 1, before an agreement finally was reached today. Peterson basically will replace Alan Dunn as minor league pitching coordinator, though his title is expected to be director of pitching development. Peterson was named pitching coach in Oakland...

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O'Day signs, update on Hudson

January 16, 2012, 10:01am

Orioles

The Orioles are down to five unsigned arbitration-eligible players. They reached agreement with reliever Darren O'Day last month, according to a team official, so his name should have been crossed off the list I provided over the weekend. O'Day, claimed off waivers from the Texas Rangers on Nov. 2, earned $1.25 million last season while going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in 16 relief appearances. He had a much better and healthier 2010, going 6-2 with a 2.03 ERA in 72 games. The Sun is reporting...

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Who's the next player to come off the 40-man?

January 15, 2012, 5:46pm

Orioles

Who's the next player to come off the 40-man?

In 32 more days, I'll be boarding a flight to Sarasota for my 16th spring training on the Orioles beat. The players, managers and top executives have changed along the way. So have the home complexes and my employers. But I'm pretty sure that I get stuck with the same rental car every year. Executive vice president Dan Duquette hasn't crossed every item off his to-do list. He still needs to add at least one more hitter, and we're not sure whether he's done searching for starting...

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Hoiles is still waiting for a chance to rejoin the Orioles

January 15, 2012, 5:50am

Orioles

Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is 1-for-11 with an infield hit and five strikeouts in three Dominican Winter League games. He hasn't gotten a ball to the outfield. At this rate, the Orioles will be able to sign him to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. I had a nice conversation a few nights ago with former Orioles catcher Chris Hoiles. He's looking to get back into the organization where he played from 1989-1998. And he's pretty much willing to work in any...

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Orioles purchase Fatse's contract from independent team

January 14, 2012, 12:30pm

Orioles

In case I failed to mention this transaction in a previous entry, I'll pass along today that the Orioles have purchased the contract of infielder/outfielder Peter Fatse from the Newark Bears, according to the independent league team's Web site. It's more minor league depth, and another player from Massachusetts (Hampden, to be exact.) Here's what I know about Fatse after doing a little research: He's 24 and a former 24th-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers out of the University of...

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A few quick hits

January 13, 2012, 7:50pm

Orioles

So much for the Yankees being quiet this winter. I blinked last night and they acquired two frontline starters. It must be nice to slot Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda behind CC Sabathia. The Yankees are about seven deep in starters right now, and they'd love to dump A.J. Burnett. They'll gladly drive him to your front door. Last night's activity takes the Yankees off the market for free agent Edwin Jackson. I'm still loving the idea of a Scott Boras package-deal involving Jackson,...

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Fielder not slated to visit Charm City

January 13, 2012, 1:27pm

Orioles

USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported earlier today that free agent first baseman Prince Fielder and agent Scott Boras are in Dallas to visit with the Texas Rangers. Apparently, the Fielder/Boras Tour is cranked up again. This will come as no surprise, but I'm told that the tandem isn't scheduled to meet with Orioles officials. At least not yet. We'll leave the door a little cracked, but that's it. The Rangers are viewed as one of those teams that's been lying in the weeds, waiting for...

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Cespedes, Jones and a new question (updated)

January 12, 2012, 5:44pm

Orioles

Cespedes, Jones and a new question (updated)

Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, playing his first game last night with Aguilas in the Dominican Winter League, struck out three times and was hit by a pitch in four plate appearances. One observer noted on Twitter that Cespedes had trouble with the slider. That does it. He's overrated. You'll recall that the Orioles scouted Cespedes during a private workout in the Dominican immediately after the Winter Meetings. They aren't commenting on him, perhaps waiting until he establishes...

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Alan Mills returns to organization

January 12, 2012, 12:03pm

Orioles

Former Orioles reliever Alan Mills, who never met a brawl he didn't like, is returning to the organization as pitching coach at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. Mills, who pitched for the Orioles from 1992-1998, and again from 2000-2001, will replace Scott McGregor. The former Orioles' left-hander has been reassigned to a position in Sarasota. Mills found out about his hiring shortly after Jan. 1. I wrote about his interest in coming back to the Orioles on Nov. 29, and again shortly after...

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Bordick accepts analyst job at MASN (updated)

January 12, 2012, 9:46am

Orioles

Bordick accepts analyst job at MASN (updated)

Former Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick has accepted a job as analyst at MASN after meeting earlier today with network officials. Bordick will sign a multiple-year deal with the network. He'll work 81 games, splitting commentary duties with Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. Bordick also has been offered a chance to do some on-field work for the club, including infield coordinator and baserunning instructor at the minor league level. Bordick said he'll need to talk further with John Stockstill,...