From the Baltimore Orioles:

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with CF Adam Jones on a one-year contract, thus avoiding arbitration.

Jones, 26, batted .280/.319/.466 in 2011 for the Orioles, setting career-highs in games (151), doubles (26), home runs (25), RBI (83), stolen bases (12) and total bases (264) on his way to being named Most Valuable Oriole.

Dan Connolly tweets that the deal is for $6.15M with up to $50K in incentives.

Orioles would eat Kevin Gregg’s salary to make him go away | HardballTalk
Stat that makes me want to punch the Orioles: In fact [Gregg's] 4.07 ERA is the second-highest among all active pitchers with at least 100 career saves ahead of only Danys Baez (4.25)

Vladimir Guerrero wants to DH for Yankees | Scoop Du Jour - Yahoo! Sports
And I want a billion dollars!

Steve Melewski: From Albuquerque to the AL East: Can Eveland make the leap?
I'm gonna say no. Hope I'm wrong, though.

Amber Theoharis: Prospects find new outlet in social media
Amber's thoughts on the Twitter, with a little bit of Bryce Harper bashing thrown in.

Orioles and Jones have had prelim extension talks - baltimoresun.com
Doesn't really sound like they've had much discussion. Jones will go to arbitration if they don't get a deal done by Friday. Just give him $6.2M and call it a day, Duquette.

This Week in Chat: 2/13/2011 | Dempsey's Army
DA searches the chats for O's content so that you don't have to.

Camden Depot: Jorge Arangure Jr. on the Orioles' International Effort
Comments on the O's efforts in Latin America and Asia.

Last night the Orioles released a statement from Dan Duquette regarding the whole banned from South Korea thing. Here is that statement:

"On behalf of the Orioles organization, I offer a sincere apology to the Korea Baseball Organization and the Korea Baseball Association for the club's unintentional breach of protocol in failing to tender a status check in the process of signing Seong-Min Kim. The Orioles respect Major League Baseball's recruiting policies and the governing bodies and people that contribute to the growth of baseball around the world."

Oh, well, as long as you're sorry.

School of Roch: Duquette on Ramirez and other topics
"Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette has pretty much dismissed the possibility that he'll sign veteran designated hitter Manny Ramirez." Woooo!!!

Signing Cespedes should be the priority | Baltimore Sports and Life
$60M for a guy who has never played a day in the majors is pretty risky, no?

Camden Depot: Cup of jO's: Orioles Pitcher Whiff Rates
It's a pretty chart!

Obscure Oriole Spotlight: Chris Tremblay
Read about someone you might not have even known existed.

Local baseball governing body bans Baltimore's scouts after controversial signing | YONHAP NEWS
From now on the Orioles will have to find their Asian talents in places other than South Korea. Wow, they're salty. (h/t to Westie)

Orioles Trade Jeremy Guthrie to the Rockies | Dempsey's Army
DA weighs in with a well-reasoned analysis.

Camden Depot: Cup of jO's: 2012 Composite Orioles Prospect Rankings
An average of the rankings from multiple sources.

School of Roch: Orioles interested in Nick Johnson (updated)
The almost always injured Johnson would be a good guy to have stashed in the minors.

How is everyone doing the morning after the Guthrie trade? Now that I've had a day to think about it, I'm not so steamed. Actually I am steamed, but not at the trade. If that really was the best offer for Guthrie, Dan Duquette did what he could do. The real fault lies with Andy MacPhail for not trading him when he had more value. Now, none of us knows what "more value" was, but it had to be more than what came in return for Guthrie yesterday. Wasn't it MacPhail himself who said he'd rather make a move too early than wait until it's too late?

Popular veteran Guthrie recalls his five season with O's after trade - baltimoresun.com
Quotes from Guthrie that we've pretty much all heard, but a few things from the new O's, Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom, as well.

Jeremy Guthrie Trade Reactions - MLBTradeRumors.com
MLBTR did a nice job rounding up some reactions on yesterday's trade.

Who Are You, Dan Duquette, and What Is Your Vision For Our Orioles? | The Loss Column
Unable to make sense of Duquette's moves so far, Neal wants to know what Duquette sees in the O's future.

Orioles Card "O" the Day: Jeremy Guthrie, 2011 Topps Diamond #321
Brotz says farewell to Guts.

Jason Hammel is Jeremy Guthrie | Camden Depot
"Young, cost-controlled talent would be preferable even if that talent had a low probability of being a difference maker."

Orioles Trade Jeremy Guthrie For Hammel, Lindstrom | Camden Crazies
Daniel's take on the trade along with some analysis on Hammel.

There has been much lamenting the loss of Jeremy Guthrie and a lot of head scratching regarding the return on the trade, but the fact is that Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom are Orioles now, so let's cross our fingers they play well and that Dan Duquette knows something we don't.

Andrew Fisher from Purple Row, the SB Nation Rockies blog, was kind enough to send us a few observations on the two newest Orioles. First up, Jason Hammel (Andrew's comments are in block quotes, mine are not):

Hammel is one of my favorite players to ever put on a Rockies' uniform. In a field where athletes are likely not even conscious during interviews, Hammel provides unique dry wit and self-deprecating honesty in interviews. His dorky humor is enough to make a fan chuckle even after a tough loss. When he pitches well, he says so. When he pitches like dog excrement, he says so. When he pitches well and is undone by rotten luck, he says that too. (He has one memorable quote about being undone by a 27-hop home run...an inside the parker that was grounded down the 1B line.)

If there is one thing we like here at Camden Chat, it's dorky humor. Hopefully we'll be laughing along with Hammel instead of throwing things at our TV.

He's a fascinating player to analyze, as his 2009 and 2010 seasons rank #1 and #2 in Rockies' franchise history in terms of K/BB rate. He hit a home run off Zack Greinke. As a fan of baseball analysis, he has been an ideal case study to parse through. His 2009 and 2010 were nearly identical seasons in every statistical way...except for an ERA of a half run higher in 2010. And yet in well over 700 IP, his career ERA is much much higher than his FIP/'xFIP etc.

If his career ERA is much higher than his FIP then he's basically the opposite of Jeremy Guthrie, who always performed better than his FIP. I guess there's hope that Hammel might even out here in Baltimore. I mean, we have to hope for something, don't we?

Continue reading this post »

It's being reported by the Baltimore Sun, MASN, and Jeremy Guthrie himself on Twitter: our defacto ace and fan favorite Jeremy Guthrie has been traded to the Colorado Rockies for pitchers Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom.

Ok, so the first thing is that I understand the front office doesn't have the luxury of thinking like a fan when it comes to making trades. As a fan, I'm sad that Jeremy Guthrie is gone. He's a good baseball player and a nicer human, and he's been good to the city of Baltimore in his time here. But even I know that he most likely wasn't going to be on the next good Orioles team, so if a good deal could be made for him, it should have been.

The question is: is this a good deal?

Jason Hammel is 29 years old and started his career with the Devil Rays, but has spent the last three seasons in Colorado. He's pitched about 170 innings in each of the last three seasons, and in 2009 and 2010 was pretty good, putting up an fWAR of 3.9 in each of the years. His ERA was inflated quite a bit over his FIP in those years, but took an opposite turn in 2011. After a poor showing in the rotation, Hammel was demoted to the bullpen on August 20th and made seven appearances for the rest of the season.

Hammel isn't a horrible pitcher, that's for certain. He'll be getting out of Coors Field which could help him, and he could conceivably be productive for the Orioles this year. Will he be as productive as Guthrie? Sure, maybe, if he can pitch like he did a few seasons ago. And he won't be a free agent until 2014 so there's an extra year than the O's would get from Guthrie.

The other piece of the trade is Matt Lindstrom. When the season begins, Lindstrom will be 32 years old. He is a serviceable bullpen arm and nothing more. His current contract has a $4M option for 2013, or else he'll be a free agent after this season.

So, is it a good deal? I think as far as strict exchange of talent goes, it's not awful. But that's not what the Orioles need. If this deal ends up making the Orioles a better team, it will only be a marginal difference and it will be short term. The Orioles need to make changes that will help them down the road, not maybe for this season. I have no way of knowing if a Guthrie trade could bring back something that would help the Orioles long term, but if it's determined that the best you can do for him is this deal right here, then I wish they would have just let Guthrie stay an Oriole.

We don't have much as Orioles fans, but we have a few players we love to root for. Guthrie is one of them, and getting rid of him for this return just doesn't feel right.

Short and sweet today, folks. Happy weekend!

School of Roch: Should Manny be Manny in Baltimore?
Roch says NO.

Oriole Rotation Projected to Improve | Dempsey's Army
I can't imagine they could get any worse, can you?

Some Orioles notes on Manny Ramirez, roster additions, Jeff Larish, Jeremy Guthrie - baltimoresun.com
The O's signed Jeff Larish to a minor league deal, could work out a deal with Jeremy Guthrie before they go to a hearing on Monday, and they had better not sign Manny Ramirez.

Orioles: Ex-big league pitcher Fossum signed to minor league deal - baltimoresun.com
Casey Fossum isn't Asian, but he did play in Japan in 2010.

Steve Melewski: Is this the year that Davis, Reimold get 500 at-bats?
To answer Melewski's question of should Nolan Reimold and Chris Davis play every day this year, I of course say yes to Reimold. I have a lot of trouble even caring that Davis exists.

Beat reporter Brittany Ghiroli answers Orioles fans' questions in the Inbox | orioles.com
Britt on Brian Matsuz's chances, signing a big name (Raul Ibanez??), and signing Adam Jones long term.

O’s Q&A with Marc Normandin, SB Nation | Baltimore Sports and Life
If you wanted to know what SBN/Over The Monster writer Marc Normandin thinks of the Orioles, here's your chance.

Orioles Card "O" the Day: Cal Ripken, Jr., 1994 Upper Deck Collector's Choice #240
Cal and his giant phone.

Is Casey Kotchman A Fit With The Baltimore Orioles? - MLB Daily Dish
I agree with this writer that Kotchman would be a bad decision, but don't think he knows what he's talking about when it comes to Nolan Reimold.

Trade demands currently too high for Orioles - baltimoresun.com
Apparently the price is too high because there is no minor-league depth.

Armando Galarraga, Pat Neshek and Ronny Paulino among Orioles' non-roster signings | MLB.com
If Armando Galarraga makes the team, what is the over/under for how many times in April Gary Thorne calls him Andres?

High school sophomore joins Orioles, drawing ire of KBO | The Korea Times
So concerned are KBO officials over MLB taking their talent that they are going to file an official complaint with MLB.

Just three weeks until pitchers and catchers report! And of course, that day is very exciting but then we all get bored again waiting for Opening Day, which is still 68 days away.

Adam Jones Says He’s Hungry To Win In Baltimore | Baltimore Sports Report
Adam says he wants to win in Baltimore, and also that he doesn't like crab cakes.

The Wisdom of Signing Wilson | Dempsey's Army
DA thinks Betemit as DH isn't so bad at all.

Steve Melewski: Some thoughts from the new Orioles minor league hitting coach
Mike Boulanger gives some insight into his coaching philosophy.,

Yesterday in the open thread someone mentioned the Camden Chat Facebook page and a number of people were unaware that such a thing exists. So now I'm telling you! Like us! It's good for my ego. And while we're at it, you can follow us on the Twitter if you want as well. @CamdenChat, @EatMoreEsskay, @gibsonandrew.

WBAL Radio To Broadcast 16 O's Spring Training Games - WBAL Baltimore
We just have to make to March 5th and then we can again hear the soothing voice of Joe Angel.

Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy represent Orioles well on MLB.com's 2012 Top Prospects list | orioles.com
MLB.com has named its top 100 prospects list. Manny Machado was named the sixth-best prospect in baseball, and Dylan Bundy was awarded the #10 spot. Nice!

Orioles agree to terms with Robert Andino - baltimoresun.com
The hero of Birdland will make $1.3M in 2012.

Orioles may find fit with players represented by agent Scott Boras - baltimoresun.com
According to this the Orioles aren't willing to give out four-year contracts to many pitchers, but would to Edwin Jackson. Really? He's the one they'll make an exception for?

Signing Prince Fielder would have been fun, but it would not have been wise | Roar From 34
I know that Matt is saying that it would have been a bad idea to sign Fielder, but reading his description kind of makes me wish he had become an Oriole.

Baltimore Orioles a playoff contender? Why not? | Through The Fence Baseball
The first thing about this is that the guy who write is says that if you're an "older" Orioles fan then you'll remember the 1988 season. The second thing is that he's HIIIIIGH.

Prospect Watch: Top 10 second basemen | MLB.com
Jonathan Mayo continues his list of top prospects at each position and has named Jonathan Schoop the second best second base prospect in baseball.

Why Wilson Betemit makes sense for the Orioles - baltimoresun.com
Because he can hit right-handed pitching. My favorite line of the article: "For those of you thinking about it, the acquisition of Betemit won’t affect the Orioles’ stance on Fielder."

What Do The Orioles Want With Prince Fielder? - Baseball Nation
The Orioles are bad because they don't have enough good players. They should acquire more good players. This Fielder fella is a good player, and he should be for a few years yet. The Orioles acquiring Fielder would fit with that whole "acquire good players" strategy.

Orioles FanFest: A Recap | I Hate JJ Redick
Meghan, aka @QweenofDiamonds, gives a FanFest rundown from a parent's perspective.

Steve Melewski: The pitchers say they are ready for rotation battle in camp
Melewski lists ten guys who will try to make the five-man rotation and leaves Alfredo Simon in the bullpen category. Personally I'd rather have Simon in the rotation than Brad Bergesen.

Rangers trading Koji Uehara to Toronto? | Yahoo! Sports
Aw, man.

From Dan Connolly:

#Orioles have agreed to terms, pending physical, with INF Wilson Betemit, on a 1-year, big-lg deal, acdng to an indstry srce.

Wilson Betemit is a thirty-year old infielder who has spent time with Braves, Dodgers, Yankees, White Sox, Royals, and Tigers. He's mostly a third baseman but can play any infield position. He's not an abysmal hitter, but doesn't have the bat of an everyday player.

Betemit is now thrown into the mix of utility-type infielders that already includes Robert Andino, Matt Antonelli, Ryan Flaherty, and Ryan Adams. Of course that's not including presumed starters Mark Reynolds, Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, and the injured Brian Roberts.

Weird signing.

UPDATE:

Dan Connolly is now reporting that this is a two-year deal with an option for a third year. What?

Prospect Watch: Top 10 shortstops | MLB.com
For the second year in a row, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has named Manny Machado the #1 shortstop prospect in baseball.

Baltimore Orioles Complete Organizational Chart - MLB Daily Dish
This is fantastic. A complete org chart from the front office down to A ball. It includes salary, arbitration, and option details.

Orioles talking to Armando Galarraga; haven't signed righty | orioles.com
Dan Duquette realized that Galarraga isn't Asian and therefore needs to think twice before signing him.

Camden Depot: Trading Adam Jones: AL Central Edition
More Adam Jones trade-y goodness.

Orioles tap New Zealand for 17-year-old prospect - baltimoresun.com
So it's not just Asia, it's everywhere in the Pacific. Also, this guy played softball until last year.

Steve Melewski: How should the Orioles handle the DH spot?
"[T]he Orioles finished 10th in slugging, 11th in OPS, and 12th in on-base percentage and RBIs from the DH spot in 2011." \

Announcement! Announcement! If you listened to EME and Andrew's latest podcast you already know this, but for those that haven't, don't miss your chance to see EME on stage this Saturday at FanFest. The blogger panel will be held at 5:25, so if you stick around to the end of the day you can see him along with other local bloggers and hear his brilliant thoughts on the 2012 baseball season.

Prospect Watch: Top 10 right-handed pitchers | MLB.com
MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo has named Dylan Bundy the fifth best RHP prospect in baseball.

Camden Depot: Is Reynolds Going Back to Third the Best Move?
After Andrew posted his opinion on Mark Reynolds at third base, Camden Depot chimes in with some thoughts.

Orioles have some interest in Francisco Cordero - baltimoresun.com
Why would the Orioles have interest in this? I don't know, although there is a tidbit about them eating salary to get rid of Kevin Gregg. Why would any other team want him? I don't know that either.

School of Roch: Peterson accepts position with Orioles (Johnson update)
Rick Peterson is officially the minor league pitching coordinator, and Jim Johnson gets a nice raise.

Are you ready for some football? After an exciting game in San Francisco, I didn't even bother watching most of the Denver-New England game. So much for Tebow Time.

It's again a light day for O's news, enjoy these two links and Go Ravens!

Camden Depot: Orioles sign Yoshihiro Doi to a Minor League Deal
Some info on the latest minor-league signing.

School of Roch: Orioles purchase Fatse's contract from independent team
I'm glad I didn't grow up with the last name Fatse.

Minor Notes: Yoshihiro Doi, Alfredo Amezaga, Nevin Ashley - MLB Daily Dish
The Orioles signed Yoshihiro Doi to a minor-league contract. Dan Duquette has decided that Asians are the new market inefficiency and he won't stop until he has all of them.

2011 Orioles Retrospective: Jake Arrieta | Camden Crazies
Verdict: still handsome (OK, so Daniel doesn't say that)

Steve Melewski: An interview with new Orioles' scout Danny Haas
Chatting up the new scout.

Short list today, friends. Baltimore is too busy talking Ravens football, so until the O's make a move or the playoffs are over, it'll probably stay light.

2012 Team Prospect Lists: Baltimore Orioles | Seedlings to Stars
This site picks the best O's prospect at each position.

Should Scott and Damon swap teams? | Amber Theoharis
Yeah, I'm gonna disagree with Amber on this one.

Melvin Mora says he isn't retired from major league baseball | baltimoresun.com
Melmo IS retired, even if he refuses to admit it.

Orioles Sign Lefty Wei-Yin Chen | Camden Crazies
Daniel analyzes the Chen move.

An Adam Jones Trade Would Test My Orioles Fanhood | The Loss Column
This is a few days old, but here's one man's opinion that an Adam Jones trade would be a terrible idea.

Markakis' Injury Continues Black Cloud Thought Over Orioles: A Fan's Take - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
In the first paragraph of this article the writer says, "As a loyal follower of the Baltimore Orioles, I sometimes have to wonder: Is this team just in a 15-year run of bad luck or has this franchise become cursed?" The answer, of course, is neither.

Quiet Orioles Offseason – Remaining Free Agents | Baltimore Sports Report
A list by position of possible free agents who could help the Orioles.

From the press release:

The Orioles today announced that they have named RAY POITEVINT as Executive Director, International Baseball.

"I am delighted to have Ray Poitevint return to the Orioles where he began his career and to have his veteran baseball leadership as part of our global recruiting and marketing efforts," said Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations DAN DUQUETTE.

Now entering his sixth decade working in baseball, Poitevint began his career as an Associate Scout with the Orioles in the early 1960s. He was promoted to Area Scout and then Supervisor over the course of his 12 years with the Orioles, where he recommended and signed Hall of Fame 1B EDDIE MURRAY and RHP DENNIS MARTINEZ, among others.

Poitevint was an original member of the "Dalton Gang" who worked with former Orioles GM HARRY DALTON in Baltimore, California and Milwaukee. After a brief stint as Farm and Development Director with the Angels, he joined the Brewers in 1978, serving as Scouting and Farm Director and eventually Vice President of International Operations in 15 years with Milwaukee. CA BJ SURHOFF and LHPs TED HIGUERA and JUAN NIEVES were among his notable signings with the Brewers.

He spent over nine years with the Red Sox as the Executive Director of International Operations beginning in 1992. Poitevint recommended and signed RHPs HIDEO NOMO as a major league free agent and TOMO OHKA from Japan. He was also instrumental in acquiring SUN WOO KIM and JIN HO CHO from Korea in his time working with Duquette in Boston.

Poitevint also worked with the MLB Scouting Bureau for two years in the mid-70s and has placed over 50 players from American baseball clubs on Japanese teams.

I don't know anything about Ray Poitevint, but I did a little googling, just for you. He played two seasons of minor league baseball in 1949 and 1950, which makes him at least 80 years old. I'm not bashing old people, I'm just saying that's how old it makes him. He was also involved in that awesome reality show where two Indian pitchers won the right to play in the minors for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Before becoming a scout for the Orioles, he fought in the Korean War and played baseball in Japan.

Contest: Guess the 2012 Opening Day Lineup! - Camden Chat
Tomorrow is the last day for the contest. Get your entries in now!

Orioles FanFest 2012 | orioles.com
If you're interested in autographs at FanFest, go here to buy your vouchers.

O’s Q&A with Dan Duquette, EVP Baltimore Orioles | Baltimore Sports and Life
Great job by Chris as Duquette talks about the O's present and future. No earth shattering information revealed, but good stuff all the same.

Adam Jones, Unfinished Product | FanGraphs Baseball
Dave Cameron explains why the Orioles think Adam Jones is more valuable than his numbers so far have shown.

Why The O's Haven't Traded Adam Jones | Baseball Nation
And Rob Neyer offers his opinion on Cameron's article here.

Orioles sign Korean pitcher, three others to minor league deals | baltimoresun.com
Eun Chul Choi is now an Oriole. Or a Tide, whatever.

Good morning! In case you missed it, there is a Guess The Opening Day Lineup Contest going on now! It ends Sunday.

Melvin Mora career highlights | Hardball Times
Did you know that Melvin Mora played in the Bobby Valentine fake mustache game? Neither did I!

Introduction to The Sun's newest Orioles reporter - baltimoresun.com
Welcome to Eduardo Encina, the new O's beat reporter for the Sun. He's a local guy, back in Maryland after seven years covering sports in Tampa Bay.

O's sign Amarillo Sox outfielder Lee Cruz.
Woo-hoo!!!! "The 28 year-old was originally drafted in the 10th round of the 2006 draft by the Chicago White Sox....Cruz had a stellar 2011 with Amarillo, leading the team in batting average (.324), home runs (18), RBI (94), hits (144) and doubles (38). Cruz's doubles and hits totals rank second all-time in Amarillo independent baseball history." YOWZA! -zk

O’s Q&A with Jason Parks, Baseball Prospectus | Baltimore Sports and Life
Jason Parks likes Matt Wieters and thinks Dan Duquette is smart.

The Greatest Animated Sports GIFs Of 2011 - SBNation.com
No Orioles-related GIFs, but enjoyable nonetheless.