Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said he feels free agent pitcher Joe Saunders, who started two playoff games for the Orioles last October, will be making a decision soon on which team he will pitch for this year. "Joe is not here, but he did a great job for us last year," Duquette said. "He's probably going to make a decision this week." Is Duquette confident that Saunders will re-sign with the club? "I don't have a real sense of it," Duquette said. "We'd like to have...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette shared his thoughts on Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver, who passed away last night at 82. "I have to be grateful that Earl was with us for the legends series and we got a chance to spend time with him, like every single statue unveiling," Duquette said. "He was terrific and his simplicity and the clarity of his leadership and his passion for baseball, he's unmatched. And he's a treasure for the Orioles and we're so grateful that we had the...

There is a bit of concern regarding the left-handed depth available out of the Nationals bullpen heading into the 2013 campaign. Zach Duke and Bill Bray are the top names that will get the best shot to be the lefty specialists out of the 'pen. Duke did well in his work last season with the Nationals and despite some injuries, Bray had success with the Cincinnati Reds. And he also was with the Nationals before he was traded away in 2007. But do the Nationals need more depth at the spot? Ross...

Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth is looking forward to his second season with the team. He told reporters at FanFest today that he felt this was his best fit when he was a free agent and he had that in mind as much as the dollars when sizing up where to play in 2013. "Things were started to materialize with other teams. It just came down to this is where I wanted to be," he said. "I wanted to jump on the opportunity before they started looking at somebody else. Luckily it happened the way it...

The Orioles haven't made a final decision on Mark Hendrickson, but it appears that they're going to invite him to camp and let him compete for a job in the bullpen. Manager Buck Showalter and executive vice president Dan Duquette continue to discuss it. Hendrickson threw at the minicamp on Wednesday, breaking out his new sidearm delivery. The Orioles remain intrigued by it. Players are starting to filter into the backstage area at the Baltimore Convention Center. I'll pass along a few...

At the beginning of their forum with Orioles season ticket holders, which kicks off FanFest each year, executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter each made comments about Hall of Famer Earl Weaver, who died this morning. "Earl obviously was a great manager," Duquette said. "I was grateful last year we got to share a lot about his career when he was with us last year. You could see the love between the players and Earl. Earl was a simple guy. You pitch it, catch it, hit...

At Thursday's press conference at Nationals Park, Nats general manager Mike Rizzo said he feels "very fortunate" to have gotten the package that he did in return for Michael Morse, who was under contract for only one more season. That package consisted of right-handed prospects A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen, and a player to be named later, who will be selected from a list of a couple of guys the Nationals and Athletics agreed upon. Cole is the big name in the group acquired from the A's, a...

FanFest began with a moment of silence in memory of legendary Orioles manager Earl Weaver. As the assembled season ticket holders hushed in reverence, one fan, attired in an O's T-shirt and cap, at the Convention Center tapped his heart, pointed skyward, thrust four fingers in the air and yelled, "We love you, Earl!" Memories of the Hall of Fame skipper, nicknamed "The Earl of Baltimore" and revered as a favorite son in Charm City, are flooding through FanFest today. The mood is a little...

At the beginning of their forum with Orioles season ticket holders, which kicks off FanFest each year, executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter each made comments about Hall of Famer Earl Weaver, who died this morning. "Earl obviously was a great manager," Duquette said. "I was grateful last year we got to share a lot about his career when he was with us last year. You could see the love between the players and Earl. Earl was a simple guy. You pitch it, catch it, hit...

I will never forget a weekend I spent with friends in Cooperstown, N.Y., in August 1996. We made the drive north for the Hall of Fame induction of Earl Weaver. So many memories of No. 4 come rushing to the forefront today with news that Earl died last night. He was 82. I was there not to work as a reporter, but as a fan to honor a man who was a big reason that my childhood was a happy one. When you are a young kid and baseball means so much to you, it's pretty cool that your boyhood team...