Duncan could be a 25 HR guy with 500 at bats. We've got nothing to lose by giving him a shot in a low pressure environment.

Shelly Duncan? Good dancer but only got one good eye. Tough to hit with limited vision.

Oops...Sandy Duncan my mistake

Duncan's a goon.

One thing is of they go after Pudge (low end/short deal let's hope) is they could get him some time at first, platooning between 1B and DH with Aubrey Huff when Wieters is ready. He had a down year last year, but was hitting .295 when he got traded. And the guy has always been a quality hitter. I doubt he'll put up Sosa numbers, and he'll be a better bat than Zaun. Will probably take a 2 year deal but should be able to trade a guy like him no problemo.

As for Duncan, I'd rather see Reimold or one of the other guys already in the organization take up that roster spot. But could be good help for Tides.

Wasnt She Diane on CHEERS?

Pete,

Any interest between the O's and Adam Dunn?

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Pete's reply: Not that I know of.

There's a 29 yr old out there who
s hit 40 hr's 4 yrs in a row. He'll cost about 1/3 of what Tex would've cost. Why would the O's want him ? He's a bonafide player and will require a legit salary. The O's prefer retreads as opposed to real players with upside. If the O's keep pretending that they're broke long enough, it will become a fact sooner or later, right?

Shameful

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Pete's reply: I don't think he's going to sign for $7 million per year.

Hey, remember this guy being dealt with Adam Laroche for BRob and Hayden Penn, but menacing Angelos mucking it up?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3814702

yeah? were are we now? Well, I guess Angelos did screw it up. He should have just done Giles straight for BRob. Maybe with a little Smoltz thrown in. Im sure that would have flown.

Always has to be something. Big Oil, Big Corporations, or in this case BIG ANGELOS! That damn Big Angelos.

Pete,

There was some guessing on how to pronounce Uehara's name in the last post.

For what it's worth, I'd go with "oo-eh-ha-ra". The 'ha' sound is going to be the same as the 'ha' we use for laughter (or close enough). 'ra' rhymes with 'ha'.

All I can claim for expertise is having taken Japanese 101, so take it with a grain of salt.

If we are looking for just offensive numbers then Dunn might make sense, but we have lots of young pitchers. Young pitchers do not need to see routine plays botched by the fielders. Adam Dunn is a poor defensive player. We need to put the best defensive players we can on the field to help the pitchers build their confidence. I would rather see us lose a bunch of well pitched 3-2 games and have growth in the pitchers then win a few games 10-9 but destroy the young guys.

P.S. I seem to remember Shelly Duncan being a bit of a dirty player last year with NY.

Pete,

IROD is a much better option than Zahn, He can play first, DH and bats RH enough to stay in the line-up. Don't see him being the mentor type to Matt, as his style is very unique behind the plate, but the idea of getting him as a transition is a good move.

At the expense of repeating myself, Adam Dunn would be the MOST productive bat in this years free agent market per dollar spent and the O's should jump on him immediately! Even if Huff has a first half and gets traded, Dunn or Pudge could play first/DH.

I think they should take a flyer on Shelly Duncan if he has no minor league options left! Further he has to hit better than Shelly Winters or Johnathan Winters for that matter!

HELP WANTED, LOOKING FOR A PART TIME PITCHING COACH. Must be able to speak fluent Japanese. Please contact The Baltimore Orioles. ASK FOR ANDY !!!

Am I missing something, the O's need a first baseman? What's wrong with Millar? Rather have him than Shelley Duncan. Better personality, better defensively, better eye at the plate.

Hey Pete, Did you hear Tex on ESPN Radio NY Today, after his introduction at Yankee Stadium. Just gushing about how happy he was to be a Yankee. He made it sound like he never had any interest what so ever to be an Oriole. He went on and on and on about how much he love Don Mattingly as a kid, and would wear a Yankees cap to O's game and didn't mind getting heckled for it. What a tool. I hope he never wins a World Series. Maybe it was fate. He can pick up the curse Mussina is dropping off. May Texiera the traitor never win a World Series in a Yankee Uniform. Know any good gypsy's or psychics?

Shelley Duncan is terrible. He can be a decent fielder, but I remember some dirty play and some dirty comments coming from him. I sincerely hope we aren't considering him as an option when we have people like Huff and Salazar who can man the position and still be decent human beings. It might not hurt to give Luke Scott a chance to man first base either.

hey peter, I found this link on youtube of the O's newest pitcher...

check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuqAVK0puYA

hey peter, I found this link on youtube of the O's newest pitcher...

check it out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuqAVK0puYA

If the O's could get Pudge for 1 Yr. at a reasonable price, I say go for it. There are no guarantees that Matt is going to be able to handle the role full time this season, so you have a good option of not having to rush him if he is isn't ready.

Kudos to Andy and John on getting Uehara. Regardless if he succeeds or not, this is a great first step. I am just as impressed that Andy and John, did this in less than a year of having any presence in Japan.

Pete, do you think the O's still go after Looper or another SP since Hendrickson is being looked at as the long man/spot starter or do you think they will wait to see if Garland's asking price drops over the next several weeks?

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Pete's reply: I'm guessing they like Garland the best, but no one thinks the price will come down enough to make him a likely option.

what's next Pete is bRob low balled out of town("he wouldn't extend"or some other spin). Markakis might then be villified as "greedy". Nick might cost them 2-3000 fans per game if he doesn't sign and add 2-3000 fans per game if he signs. At about 50$ per fan per 80 games, he's worth close to 20 million this coming year(he, alone, can become the face of PA business as usual or AM wisdom). These two players are where the two roads diverge and PA needs to take the road that he has less travelled in the past. Don't expect preemptive commentary from MASN employees or ESPN ratings boosters. The Sun is the fan's only uncoopted ally.

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Pete's reply: Let's not get carried away. They need to sign Nick, and I think they will, but if he's such a great draw why aren't they drawing already.

I Loved Shelly Duncan in the movie I Am Legend!

Mark Teixeria quote:
"I think it says a lot that a kid who grew up in Baltimore, whose family had season tickets in Baltimore, would cheer for . . . Mattingly. People would say, 'Why not Eddie [Murray], why not Cal [Ripken]?,' but there was just something about Don Mattingly. My dad would take me to O's games and I'd wear a Yankees hat, which wasn't too safe in Baltimore back in the '80s. But it was worth it. There's something about being a Yankee, no matter where you are there are Yankees fans, and I'm glad to be a Yankee today."

It is now very easy to wear a Yankee hat at Camden Yards. This upcoming season it will be hard to get tickets for Yankee games here. I'd say 75% will be Yankee fans.

Shelley Duncan is just the type of player you find in the minor leagues of really bad teams...or good teams who need to fill a AAA roster and at the end of the day need to care little if at all about their minor league system. Don't the O's have their version of him at AAA already? And who hasn't had a million guys that can't hit a curveball come thru their system?
Maybe they can bring him to camp and throw him nothing but curveballs to see if the Curve Ball Fairy taught him anything at all during his 57 game cup of coffee...Hey, who doesn't like to catch some lightning once in a great while?

The O's don't have lots of young pitchers. The last 2 guys they signed were 34 and 35, and when I talked to them last, they too hate shoddy fielding. But neither blamed that for their 5 ERAs.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but games this yr at OPACY might resemble cricket matches.
Speaking of that, there is this crafty Indian lefty who throws tons of strikes and coincidentally has just lost his software engineering job...

Duncan certainly seems a better organizational option then Sexson. Let him battle it out with Salazar in spring training, the loser would be off to Norfolk. Sexson would probably choose to be released rather than go to Norfolk.

Pudge could also be the best mentor for our young pitchers available..especially after Ramon the terrible. SIGN NICK NOW!

Is that all we're good for... signing over the hill has beens and never have beens ? No wonder the baseball world laughs at us.

i rod would be a good pick-up. rather have salazar or lou hernandez at first or even millar than shelly berman or duncan donuts or percy shelly (the famous poet for o's fans who have no clue) Uehara coming to o's could mean a new sushi bar at the yard to compete with boog's bar b q. glad he's not vietamese

Am I wrong or do the Os have two starting pitchers right now? Shouldn't we get on the other three?

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Pete's reply: I think the O's are going about their other business to see which way the market goes with the pitching. They aren't done there.

HELLLOOOOOO!!! We have a guy already on the team who keeps the clubhouse loose and does a decent job at the plate - Kevin Millar!!!

If we're going to lose more than we win this year (and we will) I'd sure as heck rather be entertained by Millar than just about anyone out there.

Pudge? Please. We don't need another veteran superstar at the tail end of their career who takes a bounty of confederate money from the Orioles, but is showered, dressed, gone, and sucking up suds at Power Plant Live before they finish dragging the field at the end of the game. One Sammy Soas-like experience is enough.

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Pete's reply: Kevin is not, technically, on the team any more. They would have to sign him.

Just about every team in the NL Central and East needs relief pitching. The Os have plenty of relief pitchers. Couldn't the Os trade for a catcher who can start 60 - 120 games this year? Why sign another free agent.

Pete,

Really meant to say NL Central and West. Sorry.

I've been taking my vitamins and praying everynight that Mark Teixeira becomes the new Albert Belle and gets hurt in his 2nd game of the season against us then just sits back and collects check after check from the Yankees. Wouldn't that be nice? yea I'll keep praying. hope he breaks his arm

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Pete's reply: I would never hope for someone to get injured. Instant Karma, my friend, will get you every time.

Pete,
The O's can be one of the places where people can come for sports entertainment at reasonable cost with a "good" feeling. In the coming year, cost and good feeling may need to go hand in hand or else people will discover other places to go. Nick and, to a lesser degree bRob,are the face of good feeling for the future. Lack of their faces may represent a drop in the fan base attendance as well as a general disinterest in MASN broadcasts because of lack of hope for the future. Together, the presence of the two players may allow the fans to advance PA some credit for future considerations. Without Nick, foreclosure. Let's not let PA play this one out without fans reflecting on the future $$$'s for the warehouse vs advancing "credit" for "The Plan".

What a sad state of affairs. It's January and we're talking about Uehara, Hendrickson, Duncan, Sexton and a washed-up IRod.
I'll choose to dream about Wieters, Tillman and the other minor league "studs" who are on their way to save this franchise. Please wake me when it's 2010.

Can Salaazar play first? Why not give him a chance. All he did was hit well when he came up from AAA. I really hope Montanez and Salaazar get a legit shot at making the team. Salaazar might be a little old but if Montanez finally puts it together at the plate in the BIGS then he could really help the team out.
How are the talks going with the other Japanese pitcher?

Cool YouTube clip! Korea vs Japan with Chinese (Mandarin) announcers.

What about Daric Barton from the A's (if they sign Giambi)? Rob Neyer seems to think he's be available and a good fit. I know he's a lefty but he reminds me of Adrian Gonzalez and Carlos Pena.

Look out last place here we come.

I just do not see what Greg Zaun brings to the table, other than a shaky bridge until Weiters is ripe...

Pete: Any word on them bring Millar back?

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Pete's reply: I'm not feeling that.

OK, Here's what the Orioles need to do, but won't. Sign Adam Dunn, I-Rod and Oliver Perez. Trade Roberts (+Pedro Beado and another low-level prospect) for Gavin Floyd. Trade a minor league pitcher (maybe Olson and/or H. Penn) for someone like Clint Barmes to play 2B. Here's your lineup w/projected BA/OBP/SLG and HRs:

1. Markakis RF 300/400/490 20 HRs
2. Mora 3B 285/350/450 20 HRs
3. Weiters C/DH 300/380/480 20 HRs
4. Huff 1B 295/360/550 35 HRs
5. Dunn DH/LF 240/390/500 40 HRs
6. L. Scott LF 250/340/470 25 HRs, or
I. Rodriguez C/DH 270/320/400 7 HRS
7. A. Jones CF 275/330/420 15 HRs
8. Barmes 2B 290/325/450 12 HRs
9. Izturis SS 260/320/310 1 HR

Bench: R. Freel, D. Murphy, L. Montanez. Others: Reimold, Salazar, Fahey, S. Moore, Quiroz.

SP IPs/ERA/WHIP
1. Guthrie 200/3.50/1.25
2. Floyd 200/3.80/1.27
3. Perez 200/4.10/1.39
4. Uehara 180/3.85/1.23 (should be similar to Kuroda of Dodgers)
5. Patton (if Healthy) 150/4.10/1.39

Bullpen
1. J. Johnson 70/2.45/1.17
2. C. Ray 60/2.55/1.15
3. Sherrill 50/3.00/1.29
4. B. Bass 90/4.35/1.40
5. Albers (if healthy) 80/3.60/1.38
6. Hendrickson 105/4.90/1.47
7. Hennessey 70/3.90/1.40

Others: Waters, Jim Miller, David Hernandez, Bergeson, Mickolio, McCrory, Hoey.

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Pete's reply: Sounds like you have it all figured out, except the Floyd deal. The White Sox aren't trying to trade him.