Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has issued the following statement regarding 17-year-old Korean pitcher Seong-Min Kim: "On behalf of the Orioles organization, I offer a sincere apology to the Korea Baseball Organization and the Korea Baseball Association for the club's unintentional breach of protocol in failing to tender a status check in the process of signing Seong-Min Kim. The Orioles respect Major League Baseball's recruiting policies and the...

Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette has issued the following statement regarding Seong-Min Kim: "On behalf of the Orioles organization, I offer a sincere apology to the Korea Baseball Organization and the Korea Baseball Association for the club's unintentional breach of protocol in failing to tender a status check in the process of signing Seong-Min Kim. The Orioles respect Major League Baseball's recruiting policies and the governing bodies and people that...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette indicated tonight that the Orioles won't sign veteran designated hitter

Outfielder Matt Angle was designated for assignment today to make room for reliever

The Orioles also announced that they have signed infielder Nick Johnson to a minor league contract with a spring training invite. Outfielders Xavier Avery, LJ Hoes and catcher Dane Sardinha have also been invited to big league camp. Johnson, 33, played in 55 games for Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus in the Cleveland organization in 2011. He owns a .401 on-base percentage over nine seasons (794 games) in his major league career. Avery, 22, batted .259/.324/.343 in 138 games for Double-A...

The Orioles today announced that they have signed right-handed pitcher Luis Ayala to a one-year contract with a club option for 2013. Ayala, 34, posted a 2.09 ERA (56.0 IP, 13 ER) in 52 appearances for the Yankees last season. In seven major league seasons, he has gone 31-41 with a 3.47 ERA (446.1 IP, 172 ER) for Montreal/Washington, the Mets, Minnesota, Florida and the Yankees. To clear room for Ayala on the 40-man roster, outfielder Matt Angle has been designated for assignment. Angle, 26,...

The Orioles are planning to bring some of their minor league players to Sarasota for an early spring training and there could be 30 or more players asked to report Feb. 23. They are several reasons to do this. In the case of some players, like outfielder Trent Mummey, who will report early, he was hurt and missed a lot of last year and could use some extra work. In the case of some pitchers, like Bobby Bundy, they could potentially be used in one of the early major league exhibition games to...

I had the opportunity to speak with New York Yankees president Randy Levine, who was in town to announce a new strategic plan to improve the athletics and recreation programs at his alma mater, George Washington University (class of 1977). As the subject turned to baseball, Levine was complimentary concerning the Nationals as the Yankees prepare for their first trip to Nationals Park in June. Here is my audio interview with Levine on the Nationals and Yankees. Levine was especially...

Predictably enough, there's been some discontent from the City of Brotherly Love about the Nationals' announcement of the "Take Back the Park" initiative, a well-intentioned effort to put tickets for the team's May 4-6 series against the Phillies at Nationals Park in the hands of D.C.-area fans instead of having the park packed with Philly Phanatics. In a series of Thursday afternoon tweets, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania, fired off the following plea: "I'm...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette found another late-inning reliever without making a trade. The club has reached agreement with right-hander Luis Ayala, and the deal will become official once his physical is completed and the results are known. It's believed to be a major league deal, which would require a corresponding 40-man roster move. Ayala, 34, was 2-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 52 appearances with the Yankees last season. He's 31-41 with a 3.47 ERA in seven seasons with six...