True confession: I left the power cord to my laptop at the MASN studio in Hunt Valley last night, which means I'll have to power-write this blog entry before my computer dies. The one day that I don't have to drive to Hunt Valley ... I'll have to drive to Hunt Valley. Welcome to my world. Anyway, you know that the Orioles need a veteran starting pitcher and you know they're not going to hand out a long-term contract and spend mega-bucks on one, so how can they bulk up the rotation?...

Right-handed reliever Cole Kimball was claimed off waivers Wednesday by the Toronto Blue Jays, ending his tenure with the Nationals after only 12 big league games. Kimball made a quick rise to the Nationals early last season before a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder shut down his year. He finished with 14 innings, 1-0 record and a 1.93 ERA, including 11 strikeouts. So when Kimball received the call Wednesday morning, he understood it was a business move, but that did not make it any...

I just had a quick phone conversation with executive vice president Dan Duquette before I'm needed in studio for "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" on MASN. This is frantic multi-tasking. Duquette continued to meet with clubs and agents today, and he'll remain busy through the night. He's hoping to sign a few free agents by early next week "to fill out our bench." Asked specifically about the type of reserves he's targeting, Duquette said, "Infield help and backup catcher." The GM...

This week's announcement of changes in the Orioles' uniforms for 2012 - most notably the return of orange jerseys and caps bearing the smiling visage of the cartoon bird - has been overwhelmingly well received. And those new-look lids are going to pop up on some A-list celebrities in short order. The club timed its announcement with a Tuesday morning delivery of the retro-style caps to about a dozen or so celebrities with ties to Baltimore and/or the Orioles. Actor Josh Charles, who spoke so...

Remember those rumblings about the Orioles doing something more concrete at Camden Yards to honor their six Hall of Famers? Turns out those plans are finally out in the open - and the finished products will be in bronze. A club source has confirmed the Orioles will erect bronze statues of their players enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. - Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer, Earl Weaver, Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr. - in an area beyond the bullpen...

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette - man, we really need to shorten that title - confirmed this morning that he met last night with agent Fernando Cuza. When I brought up David Ortiz's name and the assumption that the veteran designated hitter was the focus of that meeting, Duquette paused before replying, "He represents Vladimir Guerrero, too, by the way." Duquette said the Orioles need to decide "what we're doing with him." That also could mean...

In case you thought executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has spent the entire day comparing cartoon birds and making sure the script on the road jerseys is no longer tapered, he's been sitting down with agents and rival executives at the GM meetings in Milwaukee. And according to one report, he's got an appointment tonight with agent Fern Cuza. The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham tweeted that Duquette is meeting with Cuza, who represents free agent David Ortiz. Abraham...

If Major League Baseball is looking to limit spending on draft picks in the new collective bargaining agreement, I am strongly against that. Clubs should be allowed to spend whatever amount they choose on the draft. It is one area where the so-called small market teams can spend with the big boys. They can't match the 25-man roster payrolls of the Yankees and Red Sox, but they can outspend them for draft picks. Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports published this story last night. Here is an excerpt...

With the Winter Meetings fast approaching, the Orioles must set their 40-man roster by Friday while determining which players to leave exposed in the Rule 5 draft. The roster currently holds 38 players. I'll publish the list at the bottom of this entry. Keep in mind that once the Orioles finalize the roster, they can't add other players from within the organization before the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 8. They can, however, add players obtained from other organizations, which would necessitate...

Cal Ripken Jr.'s diplomatic mission is Japan is almost over. But before he jets back to the United States, the Iron Man will host a live chat via Livestream on Facebook at 7 p.m. tonight. Fans are encouraged to submit questions in advance, and those without access to Facebook can access the chat here. Here is Ripken's last blog post from Japan, and his final video blog entry appears below.