To follow up on a tweet that I sent earlier today (@MASNRoch), the Orioles most definitely are in the market for another outfielder. Signing Endy Chavez as a free agent didn't end their search. Coco Crisp isn't coming to Baltimore. Put that rumor to bed and turn out the lights. One official termed a report that they were close to signing the veteran free agent as "speculation," but he confirmed that the Orioles are looking for another outfielder. What should we read into it? Does this...

Yes, some of us were burning the midnight (and early morning) oil with rumors of a possible Orioles acquisition of free agent outfielder Coco Crisp. Now his O's acquisition seems unlikely but fans sure rushed to Twitter and message boards, including MASNsports.com last night, to discuss this. Most had one key question: What would that mean for Adam Jones? Would he move to left field? Would he be traded? Whenever there is talk of trading a key Oriole like Jones, some fans always ask a...

Well, that was fun. I've heard from a team source that the Orioles spoke to Coco Crisp's agent a while ago, but nothing significant came from it. Another source shot down any possibility that the Orioles were on the verge of signing Crisp. Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com sent two tweets early this morning that read as follows: While Orioles talked to Crisp's agent, it sounds like its not them (I need a new crystal ball). Not a perfect fit for Baltimore. Orioles are looking for a...

Free agent outfielder Coco Crisp reportedly is close to signing with a new team, and a hot rumor tonight links him to the Orioles. Jon Heyman from CBSSports.com is speculating that the Orioles have emerged as the mystery team. Crisp's agent, Steve Comte, recently told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that his client had made a decision. The Orioles already have Adam Jones in center field, and they signed Endy Chavez as a fourth outfielder. However, Heyman is speculating that...

I've been pleading with the Orioles to do something this week. Trade a player. Sign a player. Announce their minor league staffs. Release the names of all the six-year minor league free agents that are under contract. Anything to make my job a little easier. Purely for selfish reasons. I admit it. Perhaps we'll find out today that outfielder Coco Crisp has signed with the Orioles. That's the hot rumor, which I couldn't get confirmed late last night. If it's true, executive vice...

The Nationals are expected this week to hold a press conference to introduce their newest acquisition, left-hander Gio Gonzalez. At the rate the Prince Fielder rumors are swirling around D.C., however, this might be the more likely line of questioning, and little has to do with the southpaw late of the Oakland A's: General manager Mike Rizzo, handing Gonzalez his new Nats jersey and cap: "We're thrilled and happy to welcome Gio Gonzalez to the Nationals family." Gonzalez, fumbling with...

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette, still searching for another starting pitcher and also committed to increasing the club's presence in the international market, remains interested in Japanese right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, according to an industry source. Iwakuma's name has been floated in the media over the past few months as one possibility for the Orioles, who signed Japanese left-hander Tsuyoshi Wada to a two-year deal in December. The Mariners also are in the hunt for...

Before we leave 2011 completely behind, I wanted to share a few items from the Orioles' season summary that I brought home from the Winter Meetings. Nick Markakis fell out of the 40-doubles club, but he became only the eighth player in baseball to record 30 or more doubles in each of the last five seasons. He's recorded 180 or more hits in five seasons, the most in club history. Jeremy Guthrie became the 11th pitcher in Orioles history to start 30 or more games in four seasons....

I have been reading that free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson wants a four-year contract and it's no surprise that Scott Boras is shooting for the moon here. This is a pitcher that has already played for six different teams and has a career ERA of 4.46. Jackson did have a solid 2011 season, going 12-9 with an ERA of 3.79 between the White Sox and Cardinals. But he gives up a lot of hits and his WHIP of 1.437 last year (better than his career number of 1.476) would have ranked second among O's...

Matt LeCroy played for the Nationals. He is the one who made former Nationals manager Frank Robinson cry once - after Robinson was forced to removed the catcher in the middle of an inning because the opposition was running wild on him. But aside from that infamous moment more than five years ago, LeCroy is quickly becoming a critical asset to teaching the franchise's prospects how to get better. The Nationals believe in LeCroy so much that they gave him the keys to teaching the best of their...