By adding Yovani Gallardo to their rotation, the Orioles also would create a few questions that I'll pose here. It's too bad that I don't have the answers to go with them. They would be a nice accompaniment, but it's just too soon. Let's start with the fact that the rotation would consist of five right-handed starters, with Gallardo joining Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Miguel Gonzalez and Kevin Gausman. Executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter agree that it's...

Are the Orioles going all-in on the 2016 season? First came reports yesterday of their pursuit of free agent pitcher Yovani Gallardo. His signing would cost them one draft pick. Then reports surfaced that if the O's signed Gallardo, they could then also sign free agent outfielder Dexter Fowler and lose a second draft pick. The O's lost two picks for signing Ubaldo Jimenez and Nelson Cruz before the 2014 season. It was a season that ended with 96 wins and an American League East championship....

The Orioles no longer are committed to keeping their first pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft, showing a willingness to part with the 14th overall selection to sign pitcher Yovani Gallardo. But what about their next selection? I've been told that the Orioles also are discussing outfielder Dexter Fowler, who would cost their compensatory pick after he turned down the Cubs' qualifying offer. FOXSports.com also confirmed the club's interest in Fowler. The Orioles currently hold the...

One power hitter that could make a nice move this year is Drew Ward. The high Single-A Potomac third baseman was able to play in the Arizona Fall League at the end of his 2015 campaign. He got the chance to play twice a week as a taxi squad participant for the Salt River Rafters. That experience was huge for the 21-year-old, who rubbed elbows with top prospects and learned from their game-to-game routine. "(That was) really good for him experience-wise being around a lot of good players,"...

The Orioles have signed right-hander Dale Thayer to a minor league deal that also includes an invitation to spring training. Thayer is represented by O'Connell Sports Management, which tweeted the agreement this afternoon. Thayer, 35, is 11-17 with a 3.47 ERA in seven major league seasons. He's made 264 appearances, all in relief, with the Rays, Mets and Padres. The Orioles were in the market for another reliever and expressed recent interest in free agent right-hander Carlos Torres. They...

The Orioles' talks with the representative for free agent pitcher Yovani Gallardo have progressed to the point where they appear to be the favorites to sign him, according to an industry source. FOXSports.com reported today that the sides were "making progress," and multiple reports have the Orioles offering three years. The Orioles weren't comfortable going four years for Gallardo and five were never a consideration. However, his price has dropped as spring training approaches, along with...

New Nationals manager Dusty Baker was the subject of MLB Network's one-hour documentary, "Dusty: A Baseball Journey," which aired Tuesday evening. The show details Baker's early life growing up in Riverside, Calif., and then eventually moving to Sacramento, Calif., where he experienced racial divide in the mid-1960s. Baker, a gifted athlete from an early age, and his friends eventually found an outlet in music. After attending the famous Monterrey Pop Festival in 1967, the group briefly...

Spring training must be getting close. The Orioles crossed off two more items from their to-do list this week by announcing their non-roster invitees and sending out season ticket invoices. What's left besides finding another starter, a left-handed bat for the outfield and maybe another reliever? The Orioles may want to check whether they can trademark the phrase "bounceback season," because I feel as though I owe them money each time I use it. There are starters in the rotation who need...

The Orioles have a few players that they are counting on to perform better in the 2016 season than they did last year. It is pretty easy to point to starting pitchers Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez, and shortstop J.J. Hardy as players who can clearly upgrade from their 2015 statistics. In the three seasons from 2012-2014, Tillman went a combined 38-16 with an ERA of 3.42. In those years, he ranked tied for 11th in the American League in wins and was 15th in ERA. But last season, he went...

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in only nine days, the Orioles are sending out their season ticket invoices this afternoon via email. It's the same arrangement as last year. There is one change which has been anticipated for most of the winter. Fans are going to notice an increase in ticket prices. This is the third time in the past 12 years that the cost has risen for season plan holders. The average ticket price at Camden Yards runs about $30, an increase of $5 from...