Roch Kubatko

No closer to a decision on a closer

April 02, 2010, 2:16pm

Since the Orioles don't appear to be in any hurry to sign a closer, we can debate the merits of another one that hit the market yesterday, right-hander Matt Capps, who was non-tendered by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Capps has accumulated 66 saves over the past three seasons on bad teams. His ERA was 2.08 and 3.02 in the two previous seasons before jumping to 5.80 in 2009. He also served up 10 home runs, matching his combined totals in '07 and '08, and he allowed 73 hits in 54 1/3...

Brian Bass non-tendered

April 02, 2010, 2:15pm

The Orioles have tendered contracts to their last two arbitration-eligible players, pitcher Jeremy Guthrie and outfielder/designated hitter Luke Scott. Guthrie and Scott can agree to terms or counter with their own proposals. If the two sides can't get a deal done, they'll go to arbitration later this winter. Neither negotiation figures to reach that point. The Orioles have non-tendered reliever Brian Bass, making him a free agent. Bass went 5-3 with a 4.90 ERA in 48 games. "It didn't...

Two down

April 02, 2010, 2:15pm

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail just confirmed that relievers Matt Albers and Cla Meredith have agreed to terms, leaving Jeremy Guthrie and Luke Scott as the only arbitration-eligible Orioles without contract offers before the midnight deadline. Shouldn't be much drama there. MacPhail could still choose to non-tender a few players who aren't eligible for arbitration. There's been some speculation in the past about Brian Bass and Dennis Sarfate. We'll know for sure later...

The Atkins diet

April 02, 2010, 2:14pm

MLB.com is reporting that the Colorado Rockies thinned their roster (see what I did there?) by non-tendering third baseman Garrett Atkins, a move that had been anticipated for months Atkins, who made $7.05 million this season, was offered a multi-year deal two years ago. He should have taken it. Now he's a free agent and anyone can sign him. The Orioles have some interest and didn't engage in serious trade talks with the Rockies because they anticipated that he would hit the open...

A little housekeeping

April 02, 2010, 2:14pm

Before we move on from the winter meetings, let's take a look back. Try not to get misty. DECEMBER 7 Atlanta Braves - Designated OF Ryan Church for assignment. Colorado Rockies - Released OF Matt Murton. Detroit Tigers - Acquired a player to be named later for LHP Clay Rapada. Milwaukee Brewers - Signed C Gregg Zaun to a one-year contract. Claimed INF Luis Cruz off waivers from the Pirates. Minnesota Twins - Designated RHP Boof Bonser for assignment. New York Yankees - Acquired a player to be...

A Marquis pitcher on the market

April 02, 2010, 2:13pm

President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail told reporters before leaving Indianapolis that he'd still like to add another pitcher despite the trade for Kevin Millwood. The Orioles, he reminded us, are in the pitching business. A recently published report includes the Orioles among the teams interested in veteran right-hander Jason Marquis, but they're more likely to sign a pitcher who's coming off injury to an incentive-ladened deal. Marquis' agents are Sam and Seth Levinson, who...

Leaving Indy

April 02, 2010, 2:13pm

I arrived at my gate at 5:30 a.m. for the flight home. Time once again to question why I didn't go to medical school. The guy working security kept struggling to pronounce my first name as he studied my drivers license. I finally assisted him after wondering why it mattered. I'll naturally be away from the laptop for a large chunk of the morning, but I'll get to your comments as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'm pretty much out of Orioles news at the moment. Agent Adam Katz told me...

Getting to third base

April 02, 2010, 2:12pm

As I walked through the lobby of the Westin around noon today, I saw president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail and other team personnel gathering for the drive to the airport and their trip back to Baltimore. I was tempted to ask whether MASNsports.com could shoot video of him going through security, but I figured he needed a break from us. MacPhail believes in letting the market play out at certain positions if Player A isn't deemed significantly better than Player Z. Pedro Feliz,...

And so it ends (almost)...

April 02, 2010, 2:11pm

It feels like I just got here. The 2009 Winter Meetings are drawing to a close. That 5 p.m. Southwest flight back to Baltimore will be packed. Unfortunately, I'm not on it. Roch and ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick recap the 2009 Winter Meetings Maybe it's just paranoia, or bad planning, but I'm staying here in case something breaks late. It's not expected, but I'm always reminded of the meetings a few years ago when shortstop Miguel Tejada, interviewed in the Dominican, "suggested" that a...

MacPhail talks about the Rule 5

April 02, 2010, 2:11pm

Seventeen players were selected in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Most Orioles fans only care about one. Pitcher Steve Johnson, acquired with third baseman Josh Bell from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the George Sherrill trade, was selected by the San Francisco Giants with the 23rd pick in the first round. "We knew it was a possibility," said Andy MacPhail, president of baseball operations. "The kid is clearly a prospect. I don't think there's any question about that. The...

More minor picks

April 02, 2010, 2:09pm

The Orioles lost another player in the Triple-A phase of the draft. The San Francisco Giants selected pitcher Jake Stevens from Double-A Bowie's roster. Keep in mind that these players don't have to stay on the major league roster. That's what distinguishes the minor league phase from the major league phase. Stevens will be placed on the Giants' Triple-A roster. The Orioles declined to take a player in the Double-A phase of the draft.

More on Johnson

April 02, 2010, 2:09pm

The Orioles gambled that Steve Johnson, the son of former Orioles pitcher and current 105.7 broadcaster Dave Johnson, would slip through the Rule 5 draft because he isn't a power arm. Wrong. To me, it wasn't necessary to protect infielder Pedro Florimon. He's a definite prospect, but it's hard to imagine a team trying to stash him on it's 25-man roster all season. Keep in mind that Johnson could easily end up back in the organization. That's a common occurrance. And Johnson is looking...

More Rule 5

April 02, 2010, 2:07pm

The San Francisco Giants used the 23rd pick to take pitcher Steve Johnson from the Orioles. More on that later. This won't be well-received in Baltimore.

Rule 5 results

April 02, 2010, 2:06pm

The Orioles used the third pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft to select left-hander Benjamin Snyder from the San Francisco Giants' system, who will be flipped to the Texas Rangers as the PTBNL in the Kevin Millwood trade. That's why you were advised not to get too attached to him. More to come.

Getting caught in the draft

April 02, 2010, 2:06pm

The Rule 5 draft is about one hour away, and you can feel the electricity in the air. Actually, that's just static from the carpet. More than a few reporters here wonder why the draft isn't conducted online. Do we really need to gather in a conference room and listen to team reps bark out names or pass on their selections? This one's taking place at the Westin instead of the downtown Marriott, which is convenient for guests like myself. I can just roll out of bed and stumble to the...

More from MacPhail (w/ more video)

April 02, 2010, 2:04pm

On not making an injured pitcher the first acquisition: "I don't think the first move we could make to improve our rotation would be somebody that really had some medical concerns and took a higher than customary risk on the medicals. You needed somebody that you felt was going to be pretty solid and provide you that base of innings. Now, we have some latitude to take a flyer." Andy MacPhail announces the Kevin Millwood trade from the media room at the Winter Meetings On whether Kevin...

Millwood's Place

April 02, 2010, 2:03pm

Orioles

Pitcher Kevin Millwood heard the rumors about a pending trade to the Orioles. He wasn't exactly blindsided by the news. "I'm a little surprised," he said. "I can say that, but it wasn't a total shock." Winter Meetings Audio: Kevin Millwood calls in to talk about being traded to the O's It became a reality late this afternoon, as reporters gathered at an elevator that would take us to Andy MacPhail's suite at the Westin. Millwood was placed on a conference call after we interviewed...

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Orioles winter meetings

Random quotes (w/ Trembley video)

April 02, 2010, 2:02pm

Andy MacPhail on how the trade unfolded: "This is something we were aware of a couple days before we got here. We got some prep work done, and the more we looked at it, the more we liked it. We went through give and take with names for really a couple days. There were names going back and forth to try to work this out. Money was also an issue, quite honestly. There was, 'All right, I put in this much cash, I get this player. I take this cash out, I get this player.' There was that balance...

Quick hits (with video added)

April 02, 2010, 2:01pm

I'll send along transcription later from interviews with president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail, manager Dave Trembley and newly acquired pitcher Kevin Millwood. But first... * MacPhail said Millwood wasn't on the club's original "target sheet," but talks heated up in frigid Indianapolis. Andy MacPhail talks with Roch Kubatko about the Kevin Millwood trade * The Orioles are still interested in adding a few more pitchers, including one starter. "Absolutely," MacPhail said....

PTBNL included

April 02, 2010, 2:00pm

Along with Chris Ray, the Orioles also will send an undisclosed player to the Rangers for pitcher Kevin Millwood. It will not be a significant player off the major league roster or from the farm system.