Early buzz involves former Oriole

Sounds like another story about Sidney Ponson's drinking escapades, but you would be wrong. It appears that former Oriole Ty Wigginton has agreed to a two-year deal with the Colorado Rockies. So much for leaving that door open. Wigginton will serve as a right-handed bat off the bench, which would have been a nice role for him in Baltimore. I knew he would hold out for a multi-year deal, but I assumed he would wait to find out whether he could find a starting job at first or third base. A reader asked me about Brendan Ryan. The Cardinals are looking to trade him after acquiring Ryan Theriot from the Dodgers. I haven't heard the Orioles linked to Ryan, but I talked to a guy in St. Louis who says Ryan is the best fielding shortstop in baseball. And Ryan also plays second and third base. Ryan's average dropped from .292 to .223, and he's totaled 73 RBIs in the last two seasons. It would be a glove story if a team wanted him. The Cardinals reportedly are done with their middle infield besides possibly trading Ryan. They're no longer interested in Jason Bartlett or J.J. Hardy. The Orioles and Rays continue to talk about a potential deal involving Bartlett, but Tampa Bay really wanted reliever David Hernandez. I talked to someone in the Orioles organization yesterday who noted how teams keep asking for the same three or four players, and one of them (Hernandez) is gone. I wouldn't be surprised if we learn today that the Orioles have signed a reliever. Just a hunch. We'll see if it plays out. Meanwhile, the White Sox are on the verge of re-signing Paul Konerko, which should surprise no one. Reminder that manager Buck Showalter will meet with reporters this afternoon. Every manager at these meetings is made available at a certain time over a two-day period. Showalter's turn comes at 4 p.m.