Four of the Orioles' six coaches are under contract for 2013. Pitching coach Rick Adair has agreed to a new deal, leaving hitting coach Jim Presley and third base coach DeMarlo Hale as the only members of manager Buck Showalter's staff without contracts. Presley and Hale have been offered new contracts, and the Orioles are waiting to hear back from them. They're expected to remain in the organization, though I've heard that Presley has attracted interest from another club. Hale...

Taxi squad member Jason Martinson hit a ball so hard and so far in his first game in Arizona last month that pitching coach Mark Grater said the umpires did not know how to rule it and called it foul. But it definitely was close to being fair. There was no doubt Thursday for Martinson, who crushed a two-run shot in the eighth as a pinch hitter, capping off a 7-3 regular season finale win for the Salt River Rafters over Surprise. Designated hitter Brian Goodwin had a double and run scored,...

When it comes to selecting baseball players for your team, should character count? I say a big yes to that, and in a sport that seemingly has a stat for everything, how can you rate how much having players of solid character helps your team? Do you believe in having a strong clubhouse? I don't know how to rate it, but I think it's important and was a crucial element in the success of the 2012 Orioles. Before he hit his 100th career homer on Aug. 28, Adam Jones went through a long homerless...

Nolan Reimold doesn't check the blogs and scroll the tweets. He relies on friends and family for Orioles updates. Many times, the information is unsolicited. Occasionally, it's unwanted. Reimold has been made aware that the Orioles are trying to acquire a left fielder, which is out of his control. All he can do is get ready for spring training, and he's supremely confident that he'll be a full-go when he reports to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. There have been no complications...

Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera did more than win the Triple Crown this season. He also was named American League's Most Valuable Player by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, finishing ahead of Angels rookie outfielder Mike Trout, 362-281, in one of the most hotly debated competitions in recent memory. Cabrera received 22 first-place votes, compared to six for Trout. Not as close as the experts predicted. The Orioles were well-represented in the voting, with Adam Jones...

Giants catcher Buster Posey claimed National League Most Valuable Player honors, getting 27 of the 32 first-place votes handed out. The 25-year-old Posey has had a decent year; he won the batting title, got himself a World Series ring and now has taken home the NL MVP award. The Nationals, meanwhile, were well-represented in the MVP voting. Five Nats received MVP votes. Adam LaRoche finished tied for sixth with the Mets' David Wright in the voting, accumulating 86 points. LaRoche received...

The Orioles will hold their annual FanFest on Jan. 19 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Plan accordingly. The event will run from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. However, season ticket holders will be treated to a special preview from 10-11 a.m. More details will be released at a later date, including which players are scheduled to appear and the times that they will sign autographs. I just wanted to pass along the confirmed date. I'm sure the Orioles will arrange another media forum. In the past, I've...

Orioles manager Buck Showalter called into "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" yesterday on MASN in his latest round of interviews. The guy had more privacy while his team was still playing, but he's in demand after being a finalist for American League Manager of the Year. Showalter addressed a topic that came up here immediately after news broke that the Toronto Blue Jays were acquiring half of the Miami Marlins. Do the Orioles need to make a big move to counter it? "They took on a lot...

On Tuesday night, shortly after Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton expressed his frustration with the monster trade which shipped five of his teammates to the Blue Jays, Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper sent a tweet Stanton's way. The message, which has since been deleted, read: "you can always come play for the Nats! We will take you anytime! Get some red, white, and blue in your life!" Last night, Stanton replied to Harper via Twitter with the following: "Dang bro, If only my...

Some quick takes today and please jump in with comments and opinions as you provide your takes on mine. The Toronto Blue Jays, 2013 American League East champs?: Pardon me if I wait for them to play the season before attending the Blue Jays' victory parade. No, the Orioles don't need to counter this move. This is not chess, or the Red Sox and Yankees. The Orioles need to make moves to try and improve their team and that held true before the big Miami-Toronto trade and still does. I'm...