I have the sense the Orioles will make more than one move during next week’s winter meetings. I think one will be a trade of some note. And I think Orioles’ fans will be, for the most part, underwhelmed by the moves. I just don’t see a splash in Dallas or at all this winter, for that matter. But I have been wrong plenty of times.

There are still plenty of huge names out there in free agency. It’s going to make for a wild week of speculation. My guess is the Orioles may be tossed in the mix once or twice, but I don’t think they’ll be a focal point of rumors. And many years they are. Trust me, I’ve lost days off my life proving that an Orioles’ winter meetings’ rumor was untrue.

Here’s another prediction: I’m pretty sure at some point I’ll be in a scrum of reporters attempting to hear what agent Scott Boras has to say. And I’m pretty sure you’ll see a picture of that scrum in a newspaper or sports web site at some point during the next week.

The Orioles’ athletic training staff – Richie Bancells and Brian Ebel – have been named the Major League Athletic Training Staff of the Year by their peers. It’s funny. Bancells and Ebel have received their share of criticism from fans in the past year or two for the number of injuries the Orioles have endured. That’s sort of like blaming your mechanic when your 10-year-old car blows up. Bancells and Ebel have tireless work ethics and are often heralded by the players. Nice to see them get recognized.

I have been told Chong Tae-Hyun, the South Korean submariner, is still considering the Orioles’ offer as well as a lucrative one from a team in the Korean Baseball Organization. The Orioles’ offer is rumored to be two years and in the $3-plus million range. So the team in the KBO must really want him to stick around Korea.