Showalter on Duquette and Wieters on his throwing progression

The Blue Jays' announcement yesterday that Paul Beeston would return in 2015 as president and CEO shouldn't be viewed as breaking news. We heard about it as far back as the Winter Meetings. The team simply was offering confirmation.

I'm not ready to close the door on the Dan Duquette saga. The Jays will need a replacement for Beeston in 2016 and beyond.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter was the first call-in guest last night on "The Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 Tjhe Fan. He wasn't going to escape a few Duquette-related questions.

"These types of things happen it seems like in different capacities, but nothing quite like this," Showalter said. "I kind of know what's out there and being said, and obviously I know a lot more than I'm going to sit here and talk about, but it's not something that's affected our business in any form or fashion.

"With the exception of Nelson (Cruz) really last year, we didn't really have a whole lot of activity, and that didn't really happen until right before spring training. We go through some periods where we bottom fish a little bit. There's a lot of people that nobody thought anything of last year that ended up being very integral parts of our club.

"I do know this: Dan has been working very hard and nothing's changed. He's been very engaged and he's done a great job here. I enjoy working with him. I hope he stays if there is an option there for him. But I try not to delve into those things.

"I want to talk to our players as much as possible as we go forward and make sure we're prepared."

Showalter added that he spoke with Duquette yesterday about "a potential move."

"We'll see where we go," he said. "Nothing that's going to look like anything significant to the Yankees and Red Sox type, but things where we're constantly looking for ways to improve the club. But where Dan's (concerned), I understand what's out there and I'm not going to blow right by it, but those type of things, when you've got good people they're going to be coveted by other clubs. But Dan's very committed to the Orioles and we'll see where life takes us."

As the story kept gaining momentum, did Showalter have growing concerns about possible distractions or fan perception that moves weren't made because Duquette had one foot out the door?

"I think fan perception, but reality is April and the start of the season. There's a reality, " Showalter said. "Thank God we do something that people like to talk about and prognosticate. Let's keep in mind why here in Baltimore, because it's very important to a lot of people, and me, too. Anything that's going on that's not productive to us getting a chance to get back to October and roll the dice again doesn't make me happy, but at the same time I understand how those things happen.

"We've got a lot of really good people in place, obviously Dan included, that do a lot of things behind the scenes that people don't see. They're very well adept at taking care of things, and there's an ebb and flow to it. But the offseason is a very important time for us and right around the corner we'll be held accountable about what we did."

And what they didn't do.

The Orioles have four arbitration-eligible players without contracts for 2015 - pitchers Zach Britton and Miguel Gonzalez and outfielders Steve Pearce and Alejandro De Aza. Showalter offered a prediction on the signings.

"I think we'll hopefully get them all done," Showalter said, "with the exception of one may go."

Feel free to speculate.

Catcher Matt Wieters revealed that he expanded the distance on his throws yesterday to 150 feet. He had been playing catch at 120.

"The rehab's going well and going how it's supposed to from all the talk I've gotten with Dr. (James) Andrews and my physical therapist down here and Richie (Bancells)," Wieters said. "Everything's kind of moved along and we're preparing for me to be ready for opening day. We still have a good couple of months before we're there, so it's still going to be a lot of work to put into it, but that's what I'm preparing for. We're trying to get all the steps checked off before we get there.

"We'll see when I'm actually going to be able to get behind the plate and catch in games during spring training, but it's just a matter of making sure the arm has been tested enough to where when we do get into games with adrenaline and a little bit of pressure that we're ready to go."

Wieters said getting the shoulder strong is a big part of the rehab process following elbow surgery.

"Today we went out to 150 just to test it out a little bit," he said, "and everything has kind of checked out and we've had nothing really major to set back the progression."