I don't expect the Orioles to begin the season with Michael Aubrey at first base, but I also didn't expect the Jets to play in the AFC championship game or the snow to finally melt in my yard. If the Orioles decide to sift through their inventory, which isn't their first choice, Aubrey would have to rank as the favorite to emerge with the job. He appeared in 31 games last season after having his contract purchased on Aug. 18, batting .289 with seven doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs in 90...

I'm predicting that the Colts and Saints meet in the Super Bowl, and we'll be bombarded with stories about Peyton Manning facing his father's old team. That won't get tired. If you want Jose Offerman to be your team's next manager, keep in mind that he's liable to deck the plate umpire during the exchange of lineup cards. This isn't the first time that Offerman has gone down swinging. FOX Sports' Tracy Ringolsby gives his slam-dunk last-place finishers for 2010, and he's got the...

If I had to wager, I'd put my money on Joe Crede playing third base for the Orioles over former shortstop Miguel Tejada. Just don't refer back to my NFL picks this season. I understand that things change as the market plays out. I also assumed that Tejada would be off the board three weeks into Janauary, but he's still on it. And interest in him is limited. What does that tell you? Each time that I've asked president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail about bringing back Tejada,...

The Orioles have reached agreement on a one-year deal with Luke Scott on the day that arbitration-eligible players had to submit their salary figures. The Orioles tendered Scott a contract last month and figured to avoid a hearing with him. The team still needs to reach agreement with pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, who also was tendered a contract last month.

Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz, who will be in Baltimore this weekend for FanFest, was interviewed by phone earlier today on the Scott Garceau and Anita Marks Show on MASN and 105.7 The Fan. Matusz would like the Orioles to sign veteran left-hander Erik Bedard, who remains on the free-agent market and continues to draw interest. "That would be another great addition if we could end up landing him," Matusz said. "That's a guy that I could look up to, a veteran left-handed pitcher,...

Twitter strikes again. We had a young reporter tweet yesterday that the Blue Jays signed Carlos Delgado - that supposedly was the "word out of Puerto Rico" - but their general manager and Delgado's agent, David Sloane, quickly denied the report. Delgado, it seems, is still a free agent. There's no need to fact-check anymore. Just get the rumor out there and worry about the details later - like whether it's false. I saw plenty of examples at the Winter Meetings. Man, this business...

The Orioles have invited 12 non-roster players to spring training: Left-handers Chris George and Mike Hinckley; right-handers Jake Arrieta, Frank Mata, Josh Perrault, Alfredo Simon and Ross Wolf; catchers Michel Hernandez, Caleb Joseph and Chad Moeller; outfielder Jeff Salazar; and infielder Scott Moore. The Orioles will have to create room on the 40-man roster if anyone from this group makes the club. Moeller is the most likely candidate. Moore has an outside shot if the Orioles don't sign...

The Orioles have engaged in talks with pitcher Hisanori Takahashi and retain interest in the Japanese left-hander, but they're unsure whether he'll join former teammate Koji Uehara in the organization. President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said the club has talked to him "in general terms about what we'd offer and whether he'd be interested." Takahashi is claiming that he's received a major league offer, according to various reports, but he won't reveal the team. MacPhail...

I'll open the morning with a quick thought on Japanese pitcher Hisanori Takahashi: A few readers here are disturbed that the Orioles would bother pursuing Takahashi, but team officials aren't doing it with the same intensity that marked their negotiations with Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami. They're obviously intrigued by him. He's a lefty with an assortment of pitches, including a screwball. He has experience as a starter and reliever. And he's friends with Uehara, which might make...

Looking at the list of spring training invitees, I have to wonder what happened to infielder Blake Davis. Davis made a solid impression last spring before fracturing a bone in his foot and undergoing surgery that limited him to 55 games with Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles regard him as being ready defensively at shortstop. They just wonder how much he'll hit. I know the minor league camp in Sarasota is close to the major league facility, so the Orioles don't need to fill their roster with...