masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgDALLAS – Another huge domino fell today when the Marlins agreed to terms with left-hander Mark Buehrle on a four-year, $58 million contract.

The Orioles were in no danger of having their toes crushed. They weren’t anywhere near Buehrle.

New executive vice president Dan Duquette says he won’t go more than three years for a free-agent starting pitcher. Never has, never will.

I wanted the Orioles to jump into the Buehrle bidding, but he held out for a fourth year and got it from a team…DALLAS – Another huge domino fell today when the Marlins agreed to terms with left-hander Mark Buehrle on a four-year, $58 million contract.

The Orioles were in no danger of having their toes crushed. They weren’t anywhere near Buehrle.

New executive vice president Dan Duquette says he won’t go more than three years for a free-agent starting pitcher. Never has, never will.

I wanted the Orioles to jump into the Buehrle bidding, but he held out for a fourth year and got it from a team that’s now spent $191 million on three players in less than a week.

The Marlins better fill that new ballpark every night and sell lots and lots of caps.

I guess Buehrle has an attachment to Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen. Wherever Guillen goes, he goes.

The Nationals were the other finalist for Buehrle, according to multiple reports. Perhaps they’ll redirect their attention to Roy Oswalt, since they don’t appear to have as much interest in C.J. Wilson.

Does the Buehrle signing take the Marlins out of the Albert Pujols derby? Does that mean he’s staying in St. Louis, as a few reporters have speculated today?

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal was the first to report the Buehrle deal.

Going back to the Orioles, I’ve often stated that they have a better chance of trading for a pitcher than signing one, but I’m beginning to change my stance like I’m Cal Ripken Jr. They don’t have much to offer if they’re not going to dangle their core players or young pitchers, or if they’d rather hold onto Jeremy Guthrie.

I’m not a huge Edwin Jackson fan – though I’d love to own the moving company on his speed dial – but you’ll find plenty of scouts and executives here who consider him a good fit for the Orioles and someone who’s more attainable.

NOTE: Former executive Jim Bowden tweeted that the Nationals have interest in Orioles center fielder Adam Jones. I have interest in Salma Hayek, and that’s not going anywhere, either.

There’s a clear match between the “beltway rivals.” The Nationals want a center fielder and they have pitching to spare, though not as much after failing to sign Buehrle. They also have second baseman Steve Lombardozzi. But executive vice president Dan Duquette keeps telling reporters that he wants to build around Jones, and suggested that talks on a contract extension could begin after the holidays.

The Nationals like Jones, Plenty of teams like Jones. That doesn’t mean he’s in play.

And neither is Hayek. I keep checking.