I made it to Ocean Pines without having to pull off the road and blog about a trade. I won't bother to ask president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail whether he's close to making another deal. One phone call changes everything, and I'd need to sit next to him all day to make sure his original answer holds up. He hasn't extended the invitation. We've figured out that Josh Bell is the primary replacement for Miguel Tejada at third base, but who becomes the No. 2 hitter? Nick...

The Orioles have now agreed to terms with 31 of their 49 draft picks from last month. Thursday they came to terms with 10th-round pick, right-handed pitcher Clayton Schrader, from San Jacinto Junior College in Texas. He was the 298th overall selection. Today, the O's have come to terms with 8th-round pick Wynston Sawyer, a catcher from Scripps Ranch high school in San Diego. He is a 6'3", 185-pound, right-handed hitter that is 18 years old and was taken with the 238th pick. He had a...

Nationals Also Acquire Lefthander Joe Testa, Send Matt Capps to Minnesota The Washington Nationals tonight acquired catcher Wilson Ramos and left-handed pitcher Joe Testa from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for right-handed closer Matt Capps and cash considerations. The Nationals then optioned Ramos to Syracuse of the Triple-A International League and assigned Testa to Potomac of the Single-A Carolina League. Nationals Senior Vice President and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the...

A few observations before I load up my car for another weekend trip to Ocean Pines, where my family will be celebrating my sister's birthday. That would be my older sister. My opinion of the Miguel Tejada trade? The Orioles weren't going to get much for him and they ended up with a Double-A power arm, belonging to Wynn Pelzer, who was ranked the seventh-best prospect in the Padres' organization by Baseball America. They could have done a lot worse. Not a ringing endorsement, but that's...

Interim manager Juan Samuel isn't playing around. His days in charge are numbered, but he's still calling the shots. Samuel removed Brian Matusz tonight after 3 1/3 innings. Matusz took a no-hitter into the fourth, walked three of the first four batters he faced, and eventually was charged with five runs. Only two runs had crossed while Matusz was on the mound. The rest came home with Mark Hendrickson pitching. MASN's cameras caught Matusz and pitching coach Rick Kranitz heading down the...

Well, not really, but the Oriole lead, 3-0, in the third inning after manufacturing two runs and getting another on Nick Markakis' homer. Or maybe the Orioles are trying to win one for Juan! Brian Roberts doubled to lead off the first inning, took third on Nick Markakis ground ball and scored on Ty Wigginton's fly ball. Orioles 1, Royals 0. Felix Pie singled with one out in the second, moved up on a wild pitch, held as Matt Wieters walked, moved up again on another wild pitch, held on...

I interviewed O's president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail for tonight's Orioles radio network pre-game show. Click below to listen to the entire interview. He talked about the hiring of Buck Showalter, what it means for the current coaches, how he and Showalter will work together and the trade of Miguel Tejada. Audio: If you didn't have time to hear the entire interview here is what MacPhail said on a few topics: Why hire Showalter now and not wait until next year? "The plus of...

The Washington Nationals have invited Katherine Connors, Miss Iowa USA, to throw out a Ceremonial First Pitch before the team opens their series against the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow, Friday, July 30, at 7:05pm. The invitation was coordinated after Tuesday evening's game against Atlanta, when the Nationals' Miguel Batista replaced rookie pitcher Stephen Strasburg for the start of the game. Following a successful performance which included 6 strike outs in 5.0 shutout innings, Batista...

The Orioles announced that they have acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Wynn Pelzer from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Miguel Tejada and cash. Pelzer, 24, is 26-23 with a 3.83 ERA and has 330 strikeouts in 79 games (68 starts) over three minor league seasons. The right-hander is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA (94 1/3 IP, 44ER) and 83 strikeouts in 22 games (18 starts) for the Double-A San Antonio Missions this year. In 2009 with Single-A Lake Elsinore, Pelzer went 11-8 with a 3.94 ERA...

The Orioles announced that they have acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Wynn Pelzer from the San Diego Padres in exchange for 3B Miguel Tejada and cash. Pelzer, 24, is 26-23 with a 3.83 ERA (364.1IP, 155ER) and 330 strikeouts in 79 games (68 starts) over three minor league seasons. The right-hander is 6-9 with a 4.20 ERA (94.1IP, 44ER) and 83 strikeouts in 22 games (18 starts) for the Double-A San Antonio Missions this year. In 2009 with Single-A Lake Elsinore, Pelzer went 11-8 with a...