Orioles News - Is Roberts Outta Here?

Could Baltimore Oriole second baseman Brian Roberts be leaving Baltimore? Apparently talks between the Orioles and the Chicago Cubs have gotten very serious. The talks have gotten so serious that the O's have actually contacted Rocky Hall, the agent of free agent second baseman Tadahito Iguchi. They have done this to see if Iguchi would be interested in playing for Baltimore, so the O's know they would have an option at second base should Brian Roberts be traded. It could be a three player deal, including a starting pitcher coming to the O's. But, this could be all talk. Roberts is a fan favorite, and owner Peter Angelos has killed deals in the past that would send Roberts to another team. I say that the Orioles should hold onto Brian, unless the deal being offered is too good to pass up. Roberts is a great player, (one of the few good players on the O's), and a fan favorite. Without him, what player would people come to Camden Yards to see? Erik Bedard could likely be traded, and he only plays every 5 days anyway, so what player would put the fans in the stands? Nick Markakis can't do it alone...

Bottom line: Keep Roberts unless the Cubs are giving some top pitching prospects away. - John T.

Orioles News - Most Wanted

Erik Bedard could be Major League Baseball's most wanted. Most wanted pitcher, that is. Yes, Johan Santana is still on the market, but it appears as if only the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees are the remaining candidates. The Yankees appear to be the front runner, though. At the Winter Meetings in Nashville Tennessee, the Baltimore Orioles have apparently had discussions with several teams about Erik Bedard and/or Miguel Tejada. The O's aren't currently negotiating with Bedard and his agent, but the door is still open to go back and sign Bedard to a deal.

Also, catcher Guillermo Quiroz was signed by the Orioles to a Major League contract. He will be the back up for catcher Ramon Hernandez. The O's also met with a few agents of free agent Relievers. - John T.

Orioles News - Great News For O's Fans

There is some great news for Baltimore Orioles fans right now. Slugger Miguel Cabrera has been traded. Cabrera was on the Florida Marlins, and almost every team was focused on getting him. (He was traded to the Detroit Tigers along with Dontrelle Willis as 6 players were sent to the Marlins.) Now that he is off the market, that means that Miguel Tejada could very well be the best 3rd baseman on the market. (Miggi has said he will play 3rd base, just for a winning team.) That means that the O's will be getting more interest in Tejada now, and they can hopefully pull off a deal soon an the Winter Meetings in Nashville Tennessee. Great news for the Orioles and their fans. - John T.

Orioles News - Not Again...

Why? Why can't the Baltimore Orioles stop scaring teams away? The O's have had several teams that have had interest in Miguel Tejada, but the Orioles have scared away most of those teams. Don't believe me? Then look at this: The O's have mainly been asking for two high-level prospects from teams that have had interest in Tejada. The Orioles scared away the St. Louis Cardinals, the San Fransisco Giants (They didn't want to give up either of their two top pitching prospects), and many more teams. Can't the O's just settle for one high-level prospect and a lower prospect too? Honestly, what team would give up two high-level prospects for an aging shortstop who has declining range and isn't all that great in the field? Not to mention that Miggi has 26 million dollars left on his contract over two years, and the fact that his power is declining too... It's upsetting when another team has interest in a player you NEED to get rid of and you scare them away. (Sigh.) - John T.

Orioles News - Winter Meetings

A slight change has been made to my blog. I will no longer put yesterdays date in the title, a habit that was useful during the season when the O's were still playing games. From now on, my blogs will not include a date in the title.

For all of Major League Baseball, the Winter Meetings will begin Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. So, what are these Winter Meetings? It's where GM's and top executives from all of the Major League teams go and talk baseball. They talk about trades, rumors, etc. So, which Baltimore Orioles players could be moving? Well, Andy MacPhail has said that no Orioles player is untouchable, but there are a few leading candidates to go. Disgruntled Oriole Miguel Tejada will probably be traded at the meetings. Ace Erik Bedard could also be traded. Several teams have offered good packages for him, and since contract negotiations between his agent and the O's have stalled, it is more reason to believe that he will be dealt. Also, Aubrey Huff, Jay Payton, Ramon Hernandez, and Melvin Mora could also be traded. What will the O's be looking for in return? The Orioles will most likely try to add a few relievers. The O's had their worst bullpen ERA in franchise history last year. Plus, Dany Baez and Chris Ray will be out for most of this year, leaving the O's short two more relievers. The O's will probably try to add some young arms. That's a good start... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/30/07 - Arbitration Deadline Approaches

As the arbitration deadline looms, it is appearing more and more likely that the Baltimore Orioles will not offer any of their free agents arbitration. The arbitration deadline is at 11:59 P.M. ET on today, Saturday. The O's aren't likely to receive any compensation draft picks for their free agents leaving. A main reason for this is that none of the Orioles free agents are ranked as Type A or Type B free agents. So, whats that mean? It means that the O's aren't losing any great players, so they won't get a free compensation draft pick. It is true, the O's really aren't losing anyone big. Their biggest loss to free agency will be Center Fielder Corey Patterson. Patterson had speed and could field very well, but he couldn't hit all that well. It won't be a huge loss, so the Orioles won't get compensation. Oh well. I guess that's a good thing... - John T.

Orioles News - 11/29/07 - Bedard Contract Talks Cool

Baltimore Orioles ace Erik Bedard's contract extension talks have stalled. For the moment, at least. The O's have been having recent contract talks with Bedard and his agent, Mark Pieper. The talks really haven't gotten serious, because it has been said that the O's and Pieper haven't even discussed figures. But, any start is a good start I guess. Anyway, it is unlikely that the O's will sign Bedard anytime soon. The O's just want to know what it would take to re-sign him first. Bedard is locked in a contract until 2009, and it's doubtful that the O's will continue contract talks anytime before or during the winter meetings for GM's. There is a lot of interest in Bedard, though. The New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers are all reported to have interest in Erik. That's good news. Unfortunately, that's about the only good news the O's have had this off season... - John T.