ESPN's Keith Law posted his top 50 free agents, which you can read by clicking here (you need to be an insider).
The top three shouldn't surprise you: Matt Holiday, Jason Bay and John Lackey.
Law ranks third baseman Adrian Beltre at No. 27, with the following comment: The last time Beltre entered his walk year, he had a career season, with 48 home runs and a .388 OBP in 2004, levels he had never seen before and wouldn't see during the course of his five-year contract with Seattle. This...
The Orioles have claimed catcher Craig Tatum off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds and designated pitcher Chris Waters for assignment.
Tatum, 26, batted .239 with three homers and 21 RBIs in 64 games at Triple-A Louisville. He appeared in 26 games with the Reds and went 11-for-68 (.162) with one homer and six RBIs.
Tatum is a former third-round pick who will compete for a backup spot in spring training. Baseball America rated him as the best defensive catcher in the Reds' system in...
My ears are still ringing from the Springsteen concert last night, so I'm having trouble hearing this blog.
At least I still have my voice, though I tried my hardest to destroy it during Thunder Road.
There's nothing like a 3 ½-hour show from The Boss to leave you exhilarated and drained at the same time. I could have sprinted all the way back to my car, but I would have collapsed on the hood and slept for days. (And the only redemption I can offer is beneath this dirty...
Orioles farmhand Josh Perrault served up a two-run homer to White Sox prospect C.J. Retherford in the bottom of the eighth inning, giving Peoria Javelinas a 5-4 win over the Phoenix Desert Dogs in the AFL championship game.
The Desert Dogs had won five straight titles before today.
Perrault was charged with two runs and three hits. He also struck out two.
Matt Angle, leading off and playing center field, was 2-for-4 with a triple and run scored. Third baseman Josh Bell, batting sixth, went...
The Rays keep playing that exaggerated infield shift with Matt Wieters at the plate. Second baseman Sean Rodriguez drops into shallow right field, shortstop Jason Bartlett swings around to second and third baseman Evan Longoria occupies the shortstop position.
It's an interesting perception of Wieters, considering that one of the most common questions posed to him last year was, "When are you going to pull a ball for a home run?" He kept going to the opposite field.
Wieters flied to...
It looks like we'll start on time tonight. The tarp's off the field, players are warming up and the lineups are being introduced over the PA system.
Closer Mike Gonzalez is the proud father of a baby girl, Arianna Marie Gonzalez. She's 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and she's 19 1/2 inches long.
Gonzalez claims that she's "gorgeous."
Aren't they all?
Manager Dave Trembley commented on Monday's record-low crowd at Camden Yards.
"I think it's always nice to have a lot of people, but you...
Is Mike Gonzalez the closer tonight?
Not if his mechanics still need to be ironed out.
I wouldn't count on Gonzalez getting the ball in the ninth inning unless the Orioles have a comfortable lead, but you decide.
"I'm not sure when I would use him, whether that be the seventh inning or eighth inning or ninth inning," manager Dave Trembley said. "He came here to be the closer. Like I said before he left to attend the birth of his child, I thought it was in his best interest and in the...
This might comes as a total shock to many of you, but the lineup was the primary topic in manager Dave Trembley's pre-game media session.
No lie.
"Let's do what we can to get the offense started and score some runs," he said. "Changing it up is a good idea. Change the routine a little bit."
Trembley won't commit to batting Miguel Tejada second, Matt Wieters fourth and Adam Jones fifth for an extended period. He's taking it on a game-by-game basis. In fact, you can expect Craig Tatum...
Here's the Orioles lineup:
Felix Pie LF
Miguel Tejada 3B
Nick Markakis RF
Matt Wieters C
Adam Jones CF
Nolan Reimold DH
Garrett Atkins 1B
Ty Wigginton 2B
Cesar Izturis SS
Brian Matusz LHP
Koji Uehara was scheduled to throw another bullpen session today in Sarasota. He was expected to throw 25 pitches, duplicating Sunday's count.
Here's the Rays lineup:
Bartlett SS
Rodriguez 2B
Zobrist RF
Longoria 3B
Pena 1B
Upton CF
Aybar DH
Navarro C
Kapler LF
Niemann RHP
The strained abdominal muscle that forced Brian Roberts out of Friday's home opener has improved enough that it's no longer a concern for him. His lower back, however, continues to disrupt the first month of his season and leave a gaping hole atop the order.
Roberts received another epidural yesterday to ease the discomfort in his lower back. He's been told to rest before being re-examined by a specialist in three days.
"Initially, I came out of the game because of my stomach, but the...
Following last night's loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, which might not have actually happened since nobody was there to see it (you know, the ol' tree falling in a forest), manager Dave Trembley suggested that he might shake up the lineup.
"Yeah, I probably should do something," Trembley replied when asked if he'd consider it. "You lose your leadoff hitter, that isn't the greatest news in the world when that happens. And then you've probably got eight other guys trying to make up for his...
I knew that Mike Gonzalez left the team to be present for the birth of his daughter in Arizona.
I didn't know he took most of the city with him.
You probably can't blame last night's record-low attendance entirely on the Orioles' lousy start. Monday night games against the Rays aren't a big draw. But it's still painful.
Brian Matusz takes the ball tonight, and I'm asking him again to behave like a veteran anchor of the pitching staff and end this skid.
No pressure, kid.
Matusz...
Brandon Erbe took the loss tonight in his Triple-A debut.
Erbe allowed four runs and six hits, with three walks, in 4 1/3 innings in Norfolk's 6-3 loss to Charlotte. Erbe struck out three, but his pitch count soared to 85 before Jim Miller replaced him.
Charlotte starter Dan Hudson allowed a leadoff homer to Jeff Salazar before retiring 14 in a row.
Josh Bell had an RBI double in the ninth, and he scored on Rhyne Hughes' single. The rally ended when former Oriole Greg Aquino retired...
During his post-game session with the media, Orioles manager Dave Trembley said, "I think for the most part guys are doing the best they can."
Dave Trembley talks with the media after the O's 5-1 loss to Tampa Bay
I'd love to hear the exceptions.
Jeremy Guthrie turned in a solid start, one that was worthy of a victory. His ball has more movement than last season. He's not pitching up in the strike zone as much. His slider is better.
His record would be better if the Orioles would score...
Tonight's attendance: 9,129. That's the smallest crowd in the history of Camden Yards.
Just when it appeared that Garrett Atkins would come up with a big hit in the seventh, Carl Crawford raced into left-center field and made a sensational diving catch.
Crawford looked like an NFL receiver laying out for a pass, except he only used one hand to make the grab and it was covered with an outfielder's glove. So it wasn't exactly like an NFL receiver. No shoulder pads, either.
Luke Scott...
Ben Zobrist just tripled in the sixth inning to score Carl Crawford and break a 1-1 tie. Zobrist came home on Evan Longoria's fly ball.
Rays 3, Orioles 1.
Jeremy Guthrie retired eight in a row before Crawford doubled with one out, making him 3-for-3. Guthrie's completed six innings, but his pitch count has exceeded 90 and the bullpen is busy.
The Orioles are 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position tonight, including two chances in the second inning, to leave them 9-for-58 on the season....
Felix Pie led off the bottom of the first with a home run off Tampa Bay starter Matt Garza.
Orioles 1, Rays 0.
Pie could get a lot of opportunities to bat first while Brian Roberts stays on the disabled list, though it's less likely to happen when the Orioles face a left-handed starter. And you never know what you'll get with Pie, as manager Dave Trembley has pointed out.
Pie could jump on the first pitch and hit it a long way. He could work the count in his next at-bat. He could swing at...
You can include Juan Samuel, who works with the infielders, among the observers who rank second base as Justin Turner's best position.
"To me, his best position from what I've seen is second base," Samuel said.
See, I told you.
"He's got a good bat and he can turn the double play at second base," Samuel added. "He came up last year and played a little third base for us. I haven't seen him play much at short, but his best position is second base."
Shortstop is Turner's third-best...
Orioles manager Dave Trembley confirmed that second baseman Brian Roberts received another epidural on his lower back today after an MRI didn't reveal any new information.
Roberts has been told to rest for four or five days before attempting to work out. He'll probably go on an injury rehab assignment before being activated from the disabled list.
The question is, when will Roberts be ready? And are we back to worrying more about his back? What about the strained abdominal muscle?
Fifteen...
Justin Turner and his Norfolk teammates were watching the Orioles' home opener on a clubhouse television when Brian Roberts left the game with a strained abdominal muscle.
Turner knew about the injury. He just wasn't sure how it would impact him.
It wasn't until yesterday morning that Turner found out about his promotion to Baltimore, the news coming in a meeting with Tides manager Gary Allenson about an hour before their game.
"I knew Brian was hurt but I didn't know what was going to...