The Orioles have not yet announced their pitching rotations for three of their four full-season minor league clubs. But at this point, it's worth taking an educated guess at what we might see on the mound starting next Thursday. A few days ago, O's skipper Dave Trembley told reporters that Chris Tillman, Jake Arrieta, Brandon Erbe, Troy Patton and Alfredo Simon would begin the year in the Norfolk Triple-A rotation. The order of the rotation has not been announced. Here are some guesses at...

The Orioles are not confirming anything yet, but it appears there have been internal discussions about moving Billy Rowell from outfield back to the infield. Rowell, who played third base his first three seasons in the organization, played right field last year for the Class-A Frederick Keys. The 21-year-old Rowell struggled at bat the last two years with Frederick, but also had a tough time last season adjusting to right field. The O's 2006 first-round draft pick, he made 15 errors with a...

Mike Cuellar, one of the greatest pitchers in Orioles history, died today in Orlando, Florida. The Cuba-born Cuellar, who won 143 games with the Birds, was 72. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Cuellar had been in failing health since January and was dealing with the effects of a brain aneurism and stomach cancer. Cuellar was a mainstay in the Orioles rotation during some of the club's glory years and pitched in three straight World Series from 1969 to 1971. He was nicknamed "Crazy...

X-rays taken on Felix Pie's right ankle came back negative. Pie was nailed by a Mariano Rivera pitch in the sixth inning and limped off the field. He returned to Sarasota for the X-rays. Rivera was off his game today, walking the leadoff batter and lacking his usual pinpoint control. I doubt that he targeted Pie with two outs and a runner on first base as retaliation for Jeremy Guthrie hitting Mark Teixeira earlier this week, though it spiced up an otherwise nondescript Grapefruit League...

As the Orioles introduced Garrett Atkins to the media earlier today, they still couldn't commit to him as a first or third baseman. His position will depend on what moves follow before spring training opens in two months. Andy MacPhail, Orioles president of baseball operations, noted that the club has "internal options we could live with based on what position Garrett plays." He mentioned Michael Aubrey, Rhyne Hughes and Brandon Snyder and first base, and Ty Wigginton and Scott Moore at...

Garrett Atkins is undergoing his physical exam in Baltimore, and his signing should become official later today. The only real news would come if he failed it, which would be an upset of major proportions. The only drama for me - and this is purely for selfish reasons - is whether I'm driving to the warehouse for another media gathering in the Jay Payton Room, as I refer to it, or introducing myself to Atkins via conference call. A trip to the warehouse would occur later this afternoon. The...

Pitcher Rich Hill told me last night that he's heard from a "pretty good amount of teams" that are interested in signing him, but he's still waiting for a major league deal that will return him to a 40-man roster. Hill estimated that he could make a decision within the next two weeks, and the Orioles remain in the mix. He elected to become a free agent after being outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, but they're apparently open to re-signing him to a minor league deal. "Anything is...

This little nugget probably won't make you feel any better about those 12 straight losing seasons that are continually thrust into our faces, but did you know that the Orioles are the fifth-best trading team of the 20th century? I doubt that the 2000 season is included in this survey. I received an e-mail earlier today from ACTA Sports that credits statistical consultant Doug Decatur for using "Win Shares," a statistic developed by baseball guru Bill James to determine how many wins a...

As I scrolled through the comments yesterday, I noticed a little back-and-forth among fans regarding pitcher Erik Bedard. And since the forecast doesn't call for an avalanche of news to bury the blog this week, I'll gladly take the opportunity to turn the discussion into an entry. (Before you ask, nobody is getting a check in the mail for giving me the idea. Nice try, though.) Bedard carries the reputation as a guy who asks out of games early, who doesn't shoulder enough of the workload...

A neighbor was nice enough to lend me his snow shovel so I could dig out my car. It was falling apart, and the crack running through it widened by the time I finished, so I'll buy him a new one to show my gratitude. He'd rather have Jason Bay, but he'll settle for a shovel. Does anyone want Bay? The Mets look like they're the only bidder, though I still expect another team to jump out of the shadows, similar to the Yankees with Mark Teixeira last winter. Bay apparently wants a fifth year...