Tony LaCava has decided to remain with the Toronto Blue Jays as assistant general manager, and the Orioles are discussing the possibility of bringing in more outside candidates. Apparently, LaCava was ready to accept an offer from the Orioles until flying back into Baltimore yesterday for a second meeting. I'm told the issues that cropped up for LaCava didn't involve ownership or manager Buck Showalter. However, a deal couldn't be reached. The Orioles have interviewed four candidates,...

Two of the topNationals prospects, Bryce Harper and catcher Derek Norris, have been named to the East squad for the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game set to be played Saturday night in Surprise, Ariz., according to the league's Twitter account. The AFL Rising Stars game is Saturday at 8:10 p.m. Eastern time at Surprise Stadium. The game will be broadcast on the MLB Network. Norris has had a tremendous fall season behind the plate for the Scottsdale Scorpions, batting .356 in 13 games...

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters can add "Gold Glove winner" to his expanding resume. Named to his first All-Star team over the summer, Wieters just learned that he's also won his first Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Wieters beat out American League finalists A.J. Pierzynski and Alex Avila for the award, which was announced on ESPN2. He's the first catcher to win the award in club history. Nick Markakis also won his first Gold Glove in right field, beating out the Angels' Torii Hunter and the...

Scottsdale Scorpions right-hander Patrick Lehman believes the mechanical adjustment recently implemented by pitching coach Paul Menhart is having a positive effect on his delivery. "(Menhart) observed a bad habit coming from where my legs were positioned," Lehman said. "I needed to throw in more of a downhill plane instead of a straight line. My focus was to stay tall and throw down more." He did not see the results instantly, but said sometimes it takes time for an adjustment to...

Because of a death in the family, I reconnected with an old friend this morning. Seeing news that longtime Baltimore newspaperman and author James H. Bready had died at 92 on Saturday made me long for the pre-Internet days when baseball hungry minds had to crack open a book if they wanted to learn a batting average, ERA or the principals in a trade. Bready wrote one of the best tomes to Orioles baseball, "The Home Team," an oversized paperback - thin by today's standards - that holds a...

If the Orioles wind up shocking the baseball world and signing free agent first baseman Prince Fielder this winter, I would have no problem getting on board with that. He would give the team a feared middle-of-the-order slugger who, at 27, could be heading into the best years of his baseball life. People always question his weight, but the guy has played 157 games or more for six straight years. He would provide the team with some needed star power. Since their first-round draft pick is...

Maybe the Orioles will hire their president of baseball operations today or tomorrow. I can't see this process dragging out much longer, but you've heard that one already. As you know, Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava met with owner Peter Angelos yesterday. You can read plenty into LaCava's return trip to Baltimore, though it's important to note that Angelos wasn't present for LaCava's first interview. He met with Dodgers executive De Jon Watson, so it's not like he's...

Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, shortstop J.J. Hardy and catcher Matt Wieters are finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. Markakis, the Angels' Torii Hunter and the Royals' Jeff Francoeur are the finalists among American League right fielders. Ichiro, a 10-time winner, didn't make the cut. Hardy, the Angels' Erick Aybar and the Indians' Asdrubal Cabrera are the league's finalists among shortstops. Wieters, the White Sox's A.J. Pierzynksi and the Tigers' Alex Avila are the...

Nationals left-hander John Lannan, coming off his first 10-win season, was very pleased to hear that Davey Johnson will return as manager for 2012. Lannan said he was impressed with the way Johnson kept the Nationals going after Jim Riggleman abruptly resigned in late June. "It is great (to see Davey back)," Lannan said. "Davey inherited a tough situation. He said he was never a man to quit. He stuck with us. The way we played at the end of the season (winning 15 of our last 20 games),...

Blue Jays assistant general manager Tony LaCava is back in Baltimore today, meeting with owner Peter Angelos as the club draws closer to naming a new president of baseball operations. LaCava already has interviewed once for the job, along with Jerry Dipoto, De Jon Watson and John Stockstill. Dipoto dropped off the list after being named the Angels general manager. LaCava was the second candidate to interview for the job after Dipoto, and he's been viewed as the most likely hire. Today's...