The Orioles aren't expected to make any announcements tonight. I've been told it's "status quo," with a lot of executives and agents traveling today. I guess it's harder to leave Lake Buena Vista, Fla., than I realized. Nothing new to report on closer Grant Balfour, who continues to put the Orioles and other teams on hold. "There are plenty of closers on the market," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "I'm not that concerned about it. We'll see how things go. We're...

I'm not going to point out that it's still early in the offseason. Not with the Winter Meetings behind us and the Orioles' best acquisition being reliever Ryan Webb. Let me stress again that I really like the Webb signing. The Orioles stepped up with a two-year, $4.5 million deal for a quality sinkerballer who will be a valuable option in the sixth-to-eighth innings. He was in great demand and the Orioles acted quickly, which certainly goes against their reputation. Unfortunately, they...

When you look back, there is always that moment, that moment where you are that close. It might happen in your personal life, your job or in your day-to-day activity. For a baseball player, it is always about that moment when you get the call to the majors or you don't. It happens quickly for some, takes a long time for others, and most never get that coveted call, the call to the big leagues. For right-handed pitcher Josh Wilkie, he believes he was close to a possible call at the end of the...

The Nationals have announced the signing of three players to minor league contracts: first baseman Brock Peterson, right-handed reliever Manny Delcarmen and catcher Brian Jeroloman. All three players also receive invitations to big league spring training. Peterson is an interesting signing. A former 49th-round pick back in 2002, he appeared in 23 games with the Cardinals in 2013, his first taste of the big leagues at age 29. He went 2-for-26 (.077) with two RBIs, two walks and 11...

The Winter Meetings have come and gone. Our Dan Kolko and Pete Kerzel chased rumors and news around the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and the Nats returned from Florida with left-handed reliever Jerry Blevins and a signed Nate McLouth contract. Add this to the Doug Fister trade earlier in the offseason, and the Nats have had a very successful offseason, one that Buster Olney calls the best in the majors. To make room for McLouth on the 40-man roster, Corey Brown was designated for assignment. This...

The Winter Meetings have come and gone. While Dan Duquette said Monday that the Orioles "should be adding more players by the end of the week," they returned from Florida with just two Rule 5 draft picks. Although rumors swirling around had the Birds linked with many names, including Raul Ibanez and Nelson Cruz, they left without much to show. In an attempt to fill the void left by the Jim Johnson trade, the Orioles put a two-year offer on the table for closer Grant Balfour. In addition,...

After five days down in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., for the madness that is the Winter Meetings, I'm back in the comfort of the mid-Atlantic region. As soon as I had started to finally get comfortable with navigating through my massive hotel and getting to my room, it was time to go home. As soon as I had figured out the quickest way from the lobby at the Swan and Dolphin Resort to the media work room, I had a cab waiting for me to send me off to the airport. Happens every year. I'd like to...

The Orioles may have reached the point in the offseason where they have to overpay to get what they want. They seem to want Grant Balfour to be their closer, and it looks like they are going to have to outbid other clubs to get him. The time has come for the Orioles to do just that. The Orioles need help with their starting pitching. Bartolo Colon signed a two-year, $20 million dollar deal with the Mets. Tim Hudson signed a two-year, $23 million dollar deal with the Giants. Those deals...

I left the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., yesterday and realized that the temperature had been in the 80s during my entire stay. I never ventured outside the hotel until hailing a cab for the return trip to the Orlando airport. Quite a shock to the ol' system when I stepped off the plane at BWI. The Orioles announced their acquisition of minor league catcher David Freitas as the PTBN in the Jim Johnson-Jemile Weeks trade a few minutes before I boarded my flight. Timing is...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Now that the Rule 5 draft has been completed, the Orioles received minor league catcher David Freitas from the Athletics as the player to be named in the Jim Johnson trade. Freitas, who turns 25 on March 18, is the exact kind of hitter Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is looking to add to the organization - a high on-base guy. The backstop has a career .377 on-base percentage in 373 minor league games spanning four seasons since he was a 15th-round pick of the...