The Orioles today announced that they have acquired infielder Danny Valencia from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Joe Mahoney has been designated for assignment. Valencia, 28, appeared in 44 games for Minnesota (34G) and Boston (10G) in 2012, batting a combined .188/.199/.299. He is a career .316/.359/.472 hitter in 326 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. In 2011, Valencia led the major leagues in games played at...

The 2013 Hall of Fame ballot is out, released today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Members with 10 years under their belts get a vote, and 75 percent of the votes is the threshold necessary for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Last year, the first National appeared on the ballot: third baseman Vinny Castilla. He received only six votes among 573 ballots cast, meaning he's no longer eligible, relegated to the answer to a trivia question....

The Baseball Writers' Association of America has released its 2013 Hall of Fame ballot, and the group of newcomers includes former Orioles Jeff Conine, Steve Finley and Jose Mesa. Other former Orioles on the ballot include Rafael Palmeiro, Tim Raines (Sr., not Jr.), Curt Schilling, Lee Smith, Sammy Sosa and David Wells. Sosa, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are counted among 24 newcomers to the ballot. So is Craig Biggio, a member of the 3,000-hit club who has a much better chance of being...

December is a month for holiday celebration, but for baseball writers, it's a time for Hall of Fame debate. Once again, the issue is performance-enhancing drugs, with Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa coming on the ballot for the first time. There are no updates or guidelines on how to handle players linked to steroids, so the 575 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America will be left to decide. Results are to be announced Jan. 9. The voting members of the BBWAA have...

With every deal signed by a prominent free agent reliever, Sean Burnett's price goes up a bit more. As a result, his chances of returning to the Nationals could be decreasing. The Reds have agreed to a three-year deal with right-hander Jonathan Broxton, a contract which will pay the hard-throwing reliever $21 million, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The deal also includes a $9 million club option for 2016 with a $1 million buyout. This comes after the Giants signed left-hander...

In case you're wondering how the process works for the Orioles to hire a new third base coach, executive vice president Dan Duquette explains it. Keep reading. "We're working on that this week. Buck (Showalter) is working on that," Duquette said. "Buck asks for my input, but he's going to decide who he wants for third base coach." Showalter is compiling a list and contacting candidates. And he wants someone who's coached third base in the past. "Teams generally prefer experience in...

Luis Pujols, who has a famous cousin and who once managed in the major leagues, has agreed to terms to work on the Orioles' minor league coaching staff for the 2013 season. The 57-year-old Pujols, whose cousin Albert has hit 475 big league homers, is a native of the Dominican Republic. He played 15 pro seasons and spent nine years as a backup catcher in the majors with Houston, Kansas City and Texas. He hit .193 with six homers and 81 RBIs in 850 career at-bats. While the Orioles have yet to...

The Phillies had a rough 2012 season, but catcher Carlos Ruiz helped them fight through the tough patches, batting .325 and posting a .935 OPS, both career highs. He was arguably the Phillies' top position player over the course of the season. This upcoming year, the Phillies will be without Ruiz for nearly the first month of the season. Major League Baseball has announced that Ruiz has been suspended for 25 games for testing positive for amphetamines. The suspension means that Ruiz has...

Uncomfortable with the possibility of going to arbitration with Mark Reynolds, the Orioles are attempting to reach agreement on a new deal with their first baseman before Friday's deadline for tendering contracts. They've already declined to exercise Reynolds' $11 million option for 2013 after he made $7.5 million this year. He's expected to be non-tendered if a new deal isn't in place. Reynolds struggled mightily at the plate in the first half and hit .221/.335/.429 with 26 doubles, 23...

As expected, former Rockies third base coach Rich Dauer and former Rangers and Indians third base coach Steve Smith are confirmed outside candidates for the Orioles job. Dauer was fired following the 2012 season, his fourth in Colorado, and the Indians decided not to retain Smith after hiring Terry Francona as manager. Dauer, 60, has local ties, though no connection to Orioles manager Buck Showalter. He spent all 10 seasons of his major league career with the Orioles and played on the 1979...