The Orioles have released their 2013 spring training schedule, which includes the Feb. 23 opener against the Minnesota Twins in Sarasota. They also will host Team Brazil on March 6 in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. Pitchers and catchers will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Feb. 12, and position players will report on Feb. 15. The WBC really has caused some major adjustments to the usual routine. The Orioles will face eight different opponents. They will host the Red...

In case you missed yesterday's edition of "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" - and there's no excuse, since MASN replayed it at 11:30 p.m. - former executive Jim Duquette speculated that free-agent outfielder Josh Hamilton might have to settle for a deal in "the four-year range," which could make the Orioles a potential suitor. I immediately thanked Duquette for stirring up the masses again. Then we shared a laugh. You should have been there. "Right now there are a bunch of teams sitting...

If you are expecting the Orioles brass to try and manage or downplay the high expectations for their top pitching prospects, Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman, don't. Simply put, the Orioles have two of baseball's best young pitchers in that duo and everyone knows it. When Baseball America releases its next list of the sport's top 100 prospects in February, they could rank among the top 20-25 in the game and Bundy could be No. 1, as he was in the publication's 2012 mid-season listing. Even...

Scratch B.J. Upton off the list of free agent outfielders. And get ready to see him in the National League East for the next few years. The Braves have signed Upton to a five-year deal worth a shade over $75 million, according to multiple reports. That not only gives the Braves their center fielder and a middle-of-the-order bat, but it also pushes Michael Bourn out of Atlanta. Bourn now has a benchmark contract off which to work and a host of teams which will be calling, looking to fill a...

Right-hander Ryan Perry was pleased with his season and the progress he made, moving from reliever to starter, trying to become a pitcher instead of just a thrower. He not only was able to find success at his new job with Double-A Harrisburg, but also received an invitation to pitch in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. His season wrapped up with the starting pitching spot in the Arizona Fall League title game, and although he did not go out the way he wanted, he still was happy with where...

The Orioles continued to beef up their stock of infielders today, acquiring Danny Valencia from the Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. The 28-year-old Valencia batted .188/.199/.299 in 44 games for the Twins and Red Sox last season, but is a career .316/.359/.472 hitter in 326 plate appearances against left-handed pitching. He is only a year removed from hitting .246 with 15 home runs and 72 RBIs for the Twins in 2011, when he led the majors in games played at third base (154) and...

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...