DALLAS - Chicago White Sox general manager Kenny Williams told reporters today that he's not getting suitable offers for his pitchers, so he's inclined to hold onto them at the moment. This news impacts the Orioles, who are looking for pitching - in case you hadn't heard - and might have made a run at Gavin Floyd or John Danks. Of course, Williams could change his stance with one phone call, meeting or elevator ride. I'm just giving you the current update. Also, I heard earlier today...

DALLAS - If the Nationals moved any closer to trading for a center fielder at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, general manager Mike Rizzo isn't tipping his hand. The lobby scuttlebutt at the Hilton Anatole had the Nats linked to several potential center fielder/leadoff hitter types - the Yankees' Brett Gardner, the Rays' B.J. Upton, the Angels' Peter Bourjos and the Orioles' Adam Jones among them - but Rizzo was his usual conservative self when he met with reporters seeking an update on his...

DALLAS - A major league source said the Orioles are willing to trade Adam Jones. I would say there is a big gap between "are willing to trade him" and "an actual deal happening," so it's a little premature to jump that far with this development. It makes perfect sense to me for the team to listen to offers for Jones. He's a 26-year-old talent whose best years are likely ahead of him and several teams would have to be very interested in the Orioles center fielder. They could possibly get...

DALLAS - Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Nationals' pursuit of a center fielder has taken them to conversations with the Tampa Bay Rays about B.J. Upton. Now this isn't the first time the Nats have entertained the notion of trading for Upton, who was one of their targets at the July 31 non-waiver deadline. The 27-year-old Upton has underperformed in St. Petersburg, where the emergence of outfielder Desmond Jennings has probably numbered his days. The Rays figure to sell high,...

The United States Postal Service is asking for your suggestions for a new stamp. For years, the post office wouldn't put someone on a stamp that hadn't been dead for at least five years. That appears to be changing. According to this piece in The Washington Post, one person that could be on a new stamp is Hall of Famer and longtime Oriole Cal Ripken Jr. Ripken's competition includes Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Billy Graham, former president Bill Clinton, Jerry Lewis and President Barack...

DALLAS - Just to keep the rumor mill from spinning completely out of control, I'll try to slow it a little by passing along confirmation that the Orioles aren't interested in Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano. The Cubs reportedly are trying to convince the Orioles to take Soriano and are willing to absorb most of the $54 million he's owed. I'm told that the Orioles will pass on that offer. Keep in mind that the Cubs approached the Orioles. I never heard that the Orioles initiated talks....

Left-hander Sammy Solis has seen a doctor in Los Angeles to check discomfort in his throwing elbow, a club source confirmed. As first reported in the Washington Times, Solis has consulted with Dr. Lewis Yocum and team doctor Wiemi Douoguih the past few weeks after feeling soreness in his elbow during Arizona Fall League competition. Rizzo told the Times they are not considering Tommy John yet, but they always have to be take precautions when dealing with the elbow of a pitcher. During his...

DALLAS - The Nationals are shopping for a center fielder at the Winter Meetings. How about the Orioles' Adam Jones? Here's a proposal: The Orioles trade Jones to the Nationals for a pitcher, John Lannan or Ross Detwiler, second baseman Steve Lombardozzi and centerfielder Roger Bernadina. The Nationals could get one more player, but basically, the players named would be the foundation of the proposal. The trade would be good for the Orioles because it would boost their pitching staff and...

DALLAS - Dmitri Young strolls through the Hilton Anatole lobby at the Winter Meetings, stopping to greet old baseball friends. An effervescent grin has replaced the frustrated scowl that Young wore as his major league career wore down, and he's a shade of his former self, having pared his more than 300-lb. frame down to a svelte 230 lbs. "Cap and gown," he cracks wise when asked when the last time he was at this weight. The 38-year-old Young last played in 2008 for the Nationals, when...

DALLAS - The Chicago White Sox and Tampa Rays have pitching to spare. The Orioles want a frontline starter to stabilize their rotation and take a little more pressure off the young arms. So how exactly are they supposed to match up? That's the burning question here at the Hilton Anatole. As I wrote earlier, White Sox general manger Kenny Williams would move Gavin Floyd or John Danks, but he wants young pitching in return. He's also in the market for an outfield prospect. The Orioles are...