Good Morning Mr. Phelps;
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to bring a winning season to an organization that hasn't had one in nine years. Some of the members of the coaching staff are older than Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and Greg Morris (oops, I think he's dead.) You will be expected to bat fourth, hit 30 HRs and drive in 100 runs. This message will self destruct in 5 seconds, unless you self destruct first. By accepting this mission you will help the Orioles continue on the WRIGHT track.

The Orioles aren't gonna get a big name pitcher or Soriano/Lee/Teixeira are they, Roch? Gonna be another miserable season at the yard.

How about, "Just Joshing?"

They're making an offer to Mike Stanton? How many teams has he played for in the last two seasons?

No puns Roch? ... Tell me you’re just Josh-in’ us!

Tell Flanagan to talk with Ken Rosenthal about the Jenkins rumor. He was the one the reported it.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/6168854

What if it isn't at all possible that Nomar stay on the West Coast?

Ah Lindsay, you beat me by one lousy, miserable minute!

Tiffee is a good addition for the Orioles. He has a decent bat, and above average defense. Only reason the Twins cut him loose was they just didn't have any room for him on the roster. I'm sorry to see him leave the Twins

Me again ...

Did anyone hear the Patriots announced they just signed Vinny Testaverde today? I think that there's a shiny new bingo hall in Foxboro attracted him to the area.

Seriously, as I get older (38), I shouldn't scoff too much as there are fewer and fewer pro athletes older than me ... it's an ever-loosening grip to claiming I still have youth.

It's clear the Orioles can't compete for the big dollar free agents (and with good reason: would YOU sign with the O's right now?). It's also clear that it takes more than one big signing to turn around a franchise (just ask Miggy). So why not spend their money on things that can make a difference? Shouldn't they be signing every prospect with pulse coming out of Latin America? Making every effort to ensure that as more and more top-notch players come from Asia they have the Orioles at the top of their list? That's what these minor league free agents are: talented guys who haven't lived up to expecations. If that sounds familiar look no further than center field and Corey Patterson. Sure Carlos Lee would look good in the black and orange (assuming they make uniforms in his size, of course - though I guess if one fit Chris Britton...), but it's not going to happen. They need to take the route of the Twins, Tigers, A's, Braves, Marlins, and just about every other contender this side of the Empire State Building and develop lots and lots of young pitching, hope it all comes together at the right time and supplement a few key spots through the free agent market. There is no point tying up long-term dollars on a free agent if there's no one who can get outs from innings 6 through 8, play first base, left field or fill in if guys get hurt.

It's been a promising offseason thus far (one new starter, the front office is moving boldly to upgrade the bullpen, and they understand you can never have enough talent in the minors) and I hope it continues. But I won't despair if the Orioles don't sign Soriano, Lee, Zito, etc.

Roch, I like the O’s going after relievers like Speier and Walker (top AL relievers), since fixing the bullpen should be their top priority, but what are their chances of getting him if, as rumored, the Red Sox are after him as well and can offer him a closer spot since Papelbon is supposedly moving to the rotation?

I want them to go after the big guys like Soriano, but how much better would the current squad be with a solid bullpen?

Screw Nomah..... let him sit on someone else's DL next year.
Jenkins??? He got platooned the last half of last year...next.
Turnbow?? Turn & run...
Phelps... now there is a potterism move (cheap, no risk). IF he can hit some, he can be the lefty in the Millar/Phelps platoon at 1B. I know, it makes me ill too, but that is what will happen folks. Not a bad two headed , cheap monster though. Hopefully they find a better lefty option , but he is a fallback option. He'll LOVE Va Beach! Notice how many of these guys are jumping up & signing to play AAA ball now for the O's. Norfolk/Va Beach has it all over Ottawa!
Lee ain't coming here, but I like him. He is a Cecil Fielder with some speed.
No more Meche please, we had enough Meche last year.

Kevin, at 23, it was hard for me to adjust to the fact that there are players on the major leauge roster who are younger than me.

Roch, you're just lucky that we're not discussing Boof Bonser. With that one, you'd laugh every time, but know the reason why.

I think that between Millar and Phelps, the O's might have a pretty good platoon situation at 1B. Phelps has hit lefties well in the past, and Millar, even though he hits righty, is much better against RH pitching. Those two guys combined could easily hit .290 with 25 HR and an OPS of .850. Not great, but good (and cheap). That leaves money to fix up the bullpen and get a cleanup hitter.

I'd also like to see Chris Gomez play a lot at 2B against lefties. I'd stop short of a strict platoon, but given the fact that Roberts can't hit lefties and Gomez can, I'd start him there 20-25 games.

I also think the team is desperate for a legitimate backup catcher. Hernandez pretty much ground down to nothing during the summer, so you need someone who can start 40 games there and not kill you. Hernandez chushes LH pitching, so preferable the O's would get someone who hit righties better, like Boston has with Josh Bard.

Hopefully Perlazzo is devoting the offseason to playing 5,000 games of Strat-O-Matic so he can figure some of this stull out.

Finally, I think the O's would be crazy to trade Tejada. You win by having great players (which he is) not by giving them away for 75 cents on the dollar.

Roch: C'mon Roch, stop feeling so iffy about Tiffee. You know you want to say something spiffy.

Phelps hits lefties pretty well. He may be a nice platoon player / bat on the bench.

Where is the outcry from baseball over the signing of the traitor Mussina to an under market value contract with the Spankees? 2 years at about $11M a year...peanuts for a P of his caliber. I don't care if he is 38 or 28.... IF he can "only" get $11M then maybe we can get one of the other available FA P's for potterlike confederate $$....

Do you think Josh will hang out at Phelps' point?

They aren't guys that will get the fan base excited but adding Tiffee and Phelps are solid moves adding much needed depth at the AAA level.

the O's stink. they are talking the right bullpen names, but every team in the league that wants to contend are talking to the same guys. the only reason the O's get half a second of attention from these guys is to drive the price up a little bit more.

i'd be shocked--shocked, if ANY impact FA signed here. Josh Phelps?!? the same one that couldn't start for TB?!? c'mon people, this is what they call an organizational signing. it makes Norfolk competitive (something the O's didn't do with Rochester the last couple years or the Ottawa outpost), and gives them a guy with experience in case the regular 1B breaks his leg. except in this case, sadly, there is no regular 1B. one of the fantasy websites depth charts for the O's doesn't even LIST a 1b. pathetic.

what i can see this team doing is making a deal for the slider-allergic Pat Burrell (who the Phils would give away for a song to get the bulk of his paycheck off the books) and hope his D isn't too damaging in left.

2b Roberts
3b Mora
rf Markakis
ss Tejada
lf Burrell
1b Gibbons/Millar
c Hernandez
dh Phelps?
cf Patterson

looks like a 78-win lineup to me. better hope those pitchers all make the leap like Bedard did last year.

Speaking of JR House, he was actually the 2nd string QB for West Virginia last year in an attempt to return(or start) a college football career. didn't last long, as a guy by the name of Patrick White passed him on the depth chart!

Kevin,

All I have left is Julio Franco. May he never retire.

Why hasn't anyone mentioned FRANK THOMAS? He's your basic big-money 1b/DH (OK, basically DH), and he can still rake the ball. More importantly, check his OPS in 32 AB's vs. Boston (1.244) & 19 AB's vs NY (1.023). Let's not forget that he OWNS Mike Mussina (& to a lesser extent Randy Johnson & Schilling); has a better OPS vs. Lefties; is a perfect hitter to protect Tejada (tough out, chews up AL East pitchers); and is a better bargain, even missing 80 games, than any big name FA out there.

Dave... burrell has a 100% no trade clause. unless he waives it he won't be coming here... and besides he nixed us last year and has said flat out he has desire to play here.

At baseball-reference.com, the 5th most similar batter to Josh Phelps is Sam Horn. That can't be good.

Jake,

I remember looking at ages from the other end of the spectrum at 23 or so. Griffey Junior is the first superstar I remember being younger than me.

Not that it was anything more than a pipe dream, I remember imagining my window to a pro career was closing now that they were younger than me.

Trade ya ... ?

KG,

You may want to take the fifth most simliar batter on baseball-reference with a grain of salt . . . the fifth most similar batter to Alfonso Soriano is John Valentin. I don't foresee a John Valentin bidding war.

KG,

Baseball-reference.com is one of my favorite sites, though. It's like having a baseball almanac on your computer.

Phelps will be missed in Toledo, he was solid all year, good glove and hit for avg. and power. Detroit should have called him up. After shelton and young flamed out...!! instead they go with overpriced free agents, instead of giving Phelps a chance.