There was a blanket of snow on the ground here in Indianapolis this morning, which reminded everyone that there was a time when the Winter Meetings took place in warm weather locales. In 1982, for instance, they were held in Honolulu. That year, the winter tradefest lasted five days, but I didn't get home for nearly three weeks. Told the office my flight was delayed.

Of course, it really doesn't matter what it's like outside. These meetings are an indoor affair, and the lobby at the Downtown Marriott was packed early this morning with baseball people and media. Everybody is trying to figure out what everyone else is doing, which is all part of the fun, if you want to call it that.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has been involved in Hall of Fame stuff all morning. He'll get back to club business this afternoon and will brief the media at 6 p.m. I'll lay 8-1 he says the word "ongoing" a lot and dances around all our questions about potential free agent signings and trades. That's also part of the fun.

The closest thing to news out of the Orioles camp: Club officials are still interested in Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman and are expected to make contact with agent Alan Hendricks in the next 48 hours. The O's met with Chapman several weeks ago, but Hendricks apparently is embarking on a new round of conversations with interested clubs this week.