LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - There wasn't much news to come out of tonight's media session with Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette. He went over the same shopping list that's been published here - starting pitching, closer, left fielder, left-handed bat - and he didn't bring up specific free agents despite his earlier appearance on MLB Network Radio. When I mentioned how Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden tweeted the Orioles' interest in Raul Ibanez, and their apparent lack of interest in...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - After Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette met with the Baltimore reporters during a pre-Winter Meetings briefing tonight, he took a few minutes to answer a few more questions with MASNSports.com What is the top priority right now? "The Orioles are going to look to build their pitching staff. So that means we are trying to sign a starter and reliever, and we are also looking for a left-handed hitter." You mentioned that some offers have been made to...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Hello from the 2014 Winter Meetings, where the climate is slightly different than it is in the Washington D.C., area. I was lucky enough to make it down here with only a slight delay on my flight, but others leaving out of D.C. and other points north weren't so fortunate. People will still be rolling in throughout the night, meaning the crowd in the lobby at the Swan and Dolphin Resort isn't anywhere near its peak. I've got some minor news to pass along, which is...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette and other team officials were on my flight to Orlando today. We made it out of Baltimore despite the heavy snow. Duquette will meet with the local beat writers at 7:30 p.m., but he already dropped a little information on his cousin, Jim Duquette, and former general manager Jim Bowden during an interview on MLB Network Radio. According to a series of tweets, Dan Duquette indicated that the Orioles are interested in Raul...

I'm sitting at Gate B-4 at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, having decided it's better to arrive early for a 1 p.m. fight with a wintry mix in the weather forecast than to risk getting shut out of my Airport FastPark, my preferred long-term parking destination for business excursions. Better safe than sorry, right? My friends who are trying to fly out of Reagan National or Dulles bound for Orlando (and, eventually, Lake Buena Vista, Fla., site of the annual...

Well, here we go. The most hyped four days of the offseason officially begin tomorrow, and so for myself and the rest of the MASNsports.com staff, it's off to Orlando today, a day ahead of the start of the Winter Meetings. Don't let the location of the meetings fool you, however. If I see sunlight for a total of 30 minutes during the entirety of the Winter Meetings, I'll consider it a victory. This isn't exactly the trip you take if you're interested in working on your tan or hitting the...

When the 2014 season begins, will Kevin Gausman pitch as a starter or reliever for the Orioles? If he begins the year in the major leagues, I would expect that to happen with him in the rotation. I would guess Buck Showalter and Dan Duquette feel that way too, but Duquette did not 100 percent rule out a bullpen role for Guasman when asked about that earlier this week. "We can decide that in spring training," Duquette said. "I think long-term, he is more valuable to the club as a starting...

I'm not sure whether the timing of my trip to Orlando, Fla., this morning is perfect or dubious, considering the "wintry mix" that's predicted in the area. I'm leaving it behind. That's perfect timing. I'm driving in it and facing the possibility of a delayed flight. That's dubious timing. The Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., stretch over five days, counting today, but the busiest period is Monday through Wednesday. The local beat crew will sit down tonight with executive...

The Orioles today announced that they have signed free agent outfielder Francisco Peguero to a one-year contract. Peguero, 25, spent the majority of the 2013 season with Triple-A Fresno in the San Francisco organization, batting .316/.354/.408 in 70 games. He also appeared in 18 major league games, going 6-for-29 with his first big league home run. In eight minor league seasons in the San Francisco organization, Peguero is a career .306/.337/.427 hitter in 690 games. He has appeared in 35...

Outfielder Francisco Peguero passed his physical and has signed a one-year contract with the Orioles, who made the announcement this morning. The deal is worth $555,000. Peguero, 25, batted .316/.354/.408 in 70 games with Triple-A Fresno. He also appeared in 18 games with the Giants, going 6-for-29 with his first major league home run. His at-bats during 2013 were limited because of a concussion sustained in June that shelved him for a month. The Giants non-tendered Peguero and attempted to...