So what is your take on FanFest and what is your take on getting baseball autographs? With Friday's announcement of the lineups for autographs for FanFest, it's a good time to revisit these topics. Feel free to share some stories and opinions here this weekend. For those FanFest veterans, what do you like most about the day? What advice would you give fans that are going for the first time? How could the Orioles improve the event and make it even more fan-friendly? The aspect of getting...

The Orioles have reached out "informally" to free-agent first baseman/designated hitter Lance Berkman, according to a team official, but there are still doubts whether he's going to play in 2013. This may be another case of kicking the tires, a phrase that never gets old. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported earlier today that the Orioles were one of the teams expressing interest in Berkman, who told the paper that any club pursuing him would have to talk him out of retirement. "I know...

Here it is: the much-anticipated autograph lineup for Orioles FanFest, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (with season plan holders getting a jump on the rest of the crowd with a special 10 a.m. admission). It's a nice mix of current Orioles, top prospects and notable alumni from the team's storied past. We've already gone over the steps you need to take to purchase autograph vouchers, which go on sale Saturday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m at...

The Orioles have added a fourth catcher to their 40-man roster, claiming Luis Martinez off waivers today from the Texas Rangers. Martinez, a 12th-round pick by the San Diego Padres in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, joins Matt Wieters, Taylor Teagarden and Luis Exposito on the Orioles' 40-man roster. Martinez, 27, is a career .272/.362/.364 hitter in six minor league seasons in the Padres (2007-11) and Rangers (2012) systems. In 2012, he batted .270/.350/.386 in 65 games with Triple-A...

The Orioles today announced that they have claimed catcher Luis Martinez off waivers from Texas. Martinez, 27, is a career .272/.362/.364 hitter in six minor league seasons in the San Diego (2007-11) and Texas (2012) systems. In 2012, Martinez batted .270/.350/.386 in 65 games with Triple-A Round Rock and also appeared in 10 games for the Rangers, going 2-for-18. He was originally drafted by San Diego in the 12th round of the 2007 First Year Player Draft. With the move, the 40-man roster is...

I saw a report yesterday that the Royals had signed first baseman Chad Tracy to a minor league deal and immediately did a double take. Had I blacked out for a few days and missed something? Nope. Turns out former Rockies manager Jim Tracy has a son. That son happens to play first base. That son also happens to have the name Chad. The Nationals' Chad Tracy still is a first baseman ... on the Nationals. This is the point we're at in the offseason - where other teams' minor league...

The value of the Nationals having a Gulf Coast League team shows itself each spring when many of the young stars move up to take spots at low Single-A Hagerstown or more likely at short-season Single-A Auburn. Looking down the list of GCL Nationals offensively, several position players put up good offensive numbers as they gained crucial professional experience in the rookie league. Second baseman Matt Foat hit .333 in 43 games, with six doubles, one triple, one homer and 20 RBIs. GCL...

Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos and Buck Showalter are meeting again today to discuss the manager's contract extension, and an announcement could be made early next week, according to an industry source. Showalter is flying into Baltimore today after spending the holidays at his home in Dallas. He met several times with Angelos last month, and it's been anticipated that he would sign a new contract in January. The deal, covering multiple years, should be in place within a few days if...

Before I tackle the blog topic of the day, I wanted to pass along that I heard late last night that manager Buck Showalter's contract extension will cover three years, extending his commitment to the Orioles through the 2016 season. No real surprise here. I think three years was the expected length. The announcement is still likely to come early next week. And then we can get on with our lives. Meanwhile, the Orioles are looking for another veteran starting pitcher and Joe Saunders is...

When a member of the Miami Marlins front office said the club would listen to trade offers for Giancarlo Stanton, it set off a mild firestorm around baseball. To me, all it meant was the Marlins' brass was doing its job. I am not a believer in the concept that certain players are "untouchable" meaning they are 100 percent unavailable via a trade. How can a team say never? Every GM has a price on every player and if some team overwhelms the Marlins with a deal too good to pass up, maybe...