Yeah I think if the Orioles make it to 500 or better, Brady Anderson is hands down the MVO. It will be because of him and the work ethic and work out regiment that he put players like Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Tommy Hunter and others through.

Predictions are given by everybody and everybody has a different view, but I felt from the gates the Jays and Rays where gonna be the two teams fighting for first place and that the Yanks and Os would be fighting to get out of the basement. I just think the age has caught up with the Yanks. A Rod, Jeter, Rivera all are towards the ends of their careers and you dont just replace that production. Tex was hurt last year and quite honestly if anything happens to Cano they are done IMO.

Simmer down there Devil. LOL. I like Brady being here as well as the next guy, but other than Matusz everybody stayed healthy for at least a couple weeks last year. Let's wait and see how healthy we stay. I think the pitching staff is good enough to win their share if they stay healthy. I also would give some credit to Peterson and even Adair if this staff approaches a league average ERA.

I completely agree about Adam Jones and argued with somebody on here about us not having a true clean-up hitter. I think Adam is the prototype clean-up hitter. If he takes his time he hits for power and average. it will not be long before he is considred protection for the #3 guy whoeve that is, and if it is Markakis with his new stronger swing, it could be a huge year for Nick as well.

Unlike many I think Hardy plays at least 140 games and has another good year at the plate, and I am willing to wait a little while before slamming Reynolds as for me when he is on, he is worth it offensively compared to even his errors. Errors don't always lead to runs given up, but HR's always score. An even when he is striking out a lot, the guys in front him is doing very well if you look at that spot all last year. So pitchers, even though they know he is a strike out candidate, are still afraid to pitch to him with runners on base. I don't think this is a 500 club, but I have been wrong every year for a long time so who knows. LOL. So far even with our success the leadoff spot has been disappointing, but I do think we are better in LF than last year no matter who is out there. I think Weiters, Markakis, Jones, all feed off each other. Hardy just does his thing the same all the time. if w could get any regular help form Davis or Reynolds then .500 is at the upper end of our reach. The next 6 games will tell us a lot I think. If we are 6-3 after Toronto, and we didn't get blown out, then we can start to really begin to speculate a little. 2 series later the season is 10% over. LOL

Actually, I think Boston is the most likely team to be in the basement this year. Beckett has some injury, Aceves is the closer (who blew a late inning lead on opening day) due to Andrew Bailey needing thumb surgery and Beckett is also having thumb issues. They lost Epstein and blamed Francona for last season, so he's gone. They let Papelbon go and didn't have much of a backup plan, Crawford is on the DL and they have no more immediate-impact talent in the minors. At this point, Buchholz and Lester are all they've got starter wise. If anything happens to them or they faulter, it'll be even worse. Make no mistake, Boston has the worst pitching staff in the division right now and Valentine is already irritating Boston fans. This is now a team that may end up on the basement of the division this year. The Yankees aren't in nearly as bad of shape as Boston, but I don't think NY is the best team in the division anymore and I don't think they will win it either. There is certainly a shift of power on the horizon in this division. Boston and NY are on the fall, the Rays are still the Rays and the O's and Jays are on the rise. I think this will be an interesting season in the AL East and we'll see some unexpected things that will surprise the baseball world and shake this division up. We'll just have to see how this all plays out.

I agree with Sess.  And, to add to that, there still seems to be some bitterness between Boston players from last year's issues.  It seems as though some of the players are not getting along (just from reporting on that team), which could have huge issues, especially if they continue to lose.

Valentine is a very stuck up manager who can't handle the press. I listened to him on "The Herd" yesterday and he refused almost half the questions Colin Cowherd asked him. You're the Boston manager and you refuse to answer questions because you think they don't need to be answered....good luck getting out of Boston alive.

I still really can't believe what's happened in Boston. They ended their curse, but it seems they may have started a new one. They chased Francona out of town to the point he doesn't want anything to do with Boston or the team anymore, they let Epstein leave and let Papelbon walk and now they are stuck with a bad team with almost no pitching. Granted, they started badly last season too, but I too don't think Valentine will survive in Boston. They seem to have become an all offense/no pitching team with a loopy manager. I'm glad he didn't take the job here now, but wouldn't it be hilarious if we finished higher than they did in the standings this year? Valentine said the job here in Baltimore was a mess, but it looks like he's stepped into a bigger mess in Boston.

i agree with everything you guys have said, but to be fair, I have first hand knowledge that the reason he stepped out of the Baltimore process was that his friend Buck Showalter told him he wanted this job more than the other openings. That did happen. Second I believe Valentine really wanted a job in Atlanta or Florida and thought he would be the first candidate for that job, and last, from his interview he knew he was not going to be offered the job here as PA was fairly chilly with him because he to had already made up his mind that that the job was not going to him. It was already at that point Buck or the mope from Cleveland. So call that sour grapes. he couldn't reach them so they must be sour.

Think there is any chance the Sox void Youkilis contract after this year? They have a 1 million dollar buyout and he will be 34. They have been known to sh8 players down the river when they feel they have maximized their usefullness.

I think they have rung a bell that they simply wont be able to since Bobby Valentine is a clown and I could see the Orioles being very interested in Youk if he is tossed away much in the manner they did to Kevin Millar. Due to his age he wouldnt be a long term answer by any means but he could still be a contributor and with him being versatile and a good defender it could by them time at the hot corner.

I could see Youks contract being voided. He hasn't been healthy since 2009 and while he's good for the 120 games he plays, that's not a full season. Also, his best years are clearly behind him. That's why his power and also his BABIP dropped in 2011. He still has a good eye, but it looks like he's about ready to become a major bust.

I could see him wanting maybe 3 and 24 and I can see him not being worth what he gets. I wouldn't go after him although if he's willing to settle for 2 and 12 or better yet sign a one year deal, then maybe you take a chance and hope he has something left. But he's likely to become an albatross.

What are the Giants going to do with Lincecum? Now that they've got Cain and MadBum signed for the foreseeable future, will they decide that they simply can't keep Lincecum? To be fair, they've had three pitchers signed at large contracts for the past few years(Cain, Zito and Lincecum) but their payroll has also ballooned up to 125 million. If that's sustainable, they may be able to keep all three. Otherwise, Lincecum will have to go soon and it may make sense to trade him now to get value. I think the Sox or Yankees may be interested.

I throw up everytime I see Lincecum s name. Knowing the Orioles took Billy Rowell a spot ahead of Lincecumb. Yuck and now they are gonna convert Rowell to a pitcher. Double Yuck.

CHICAGO - The Orioles have claimed catcher Luis Exposito on waivers from Boston Red Sox. To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Josh Bell has been designated for assignment.

Bell's been on the 40-man bubble. It finally popped.

Exposito, 25, is a career .268/.324/.420 hitter in seven minor league seasons, all of them spent in the Red Sox's farm system. He was a 31st-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft.

Bell, 25, batted .200/.221/.264 in 79 games with the Orioles in 2010 and 2011. He was 3-for-32 with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, seven walks and eight strikeouts at Triple-A Norfolk this season.

Bell hadn't been playing third base. He served as the Tides' designated hitter and made starts at first base and right field.

The Orioles acquired Bell and pitcher Steve Johnson from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30, 2009 for left-hander George Sherrill.

Exposito can join John Hester at Norfolk. Ronny Paulino was supposed to be down there, but he's become Matt Wieters' backup while Taylor Teagarden remains on the disabled list.

I really think Teagarden goes to AAA when he returns. There's no reason to take Paulino's job, he's been playing great for us as a backup/DH. As for Josh Bell, it's like he was never here.. well, except when he hit two home runs off of Cliff Lee. Exposito doesn't seem like anything special. The Red Sox system is barren as far as I know, so I doubt they'd just let someone decent go. That minor league line of his isn't really impressive at all. He did good in A ball, fell off a bit at AA and has been completely outmatched at AAA. I don't see Exposito amounting to anything.

Exposito isn't anything special, but if you need a backup in AAA there are worse guys to have. You don't want him starting, but he's acceptable as a backup playing 30 or 40 games in the bigs. For free, he's a good get.

Boston has a few good prospects in the upper levels of the minors. They have Iglesias, Lavarnway and Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks is a highly regarded 3B prospect and will likely push Youk out the door. He has a good bat, but he has plate discipline issues. If he can figure out how to strike out only 20% of the time, he'll have a good chance at being a major league regular. If not, he'll bust. Iglesias has an excellent glove. His problem is that he doesn't hit well enough to be a pitcher in the NL. Lavarnway can be good if he is able to be a catcher. However, it seems like he can't do that in the bigs and he doesn't have the bat to be a DH.

The problem that Boston has is that they have a good number of their players (5) on the 15 day-DL and they have a few prospects (3) in hi A that are on the forty man. That makes it hard for them to field a team while protecting everyone. So, fringe guys like Exposito get taken off.

Orioles To Sign Bill Hall

By Ben Nicholson-Smith[April 23 at 4:38pm CST]

The Orioles will sign utility player Bill Hall to a minor league deal, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Hall will replace Josh Bell at Triple-A, according to Rosenthal.

Hall had signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in February, but elected free agency earlier this month. The 32-year-old played for the Astros and Giants in 2011, posting a .211/.261/.314 line in 199 plate appearances. He played second base and left field last year, but has MLB experience at a wide array of other positions.

Doesn't seem like Hall has anything left. Just depth.

Hall isnt any worse than they are getting out of the 2 stooges at this point and time. How many people thought J.J. Hardy was done when the Os traded for him, or at least his power stroke was gone? Hall and Hardy where teammates in Milwaukee and I wonder if Hardy was opinioned of him. It could be purely a depth signing, but its clear the Os dont want to stand pat with what they have on any level. They clearly want competition and players capable of pushing others.

Hall is a good depth play and we need infielders in the minors. It's a good call although it shows that Adams isn't ready for the bigs just yet.

The interesting thing so far about the Orioles is the AL East. It looks like it has lost a step. Toronto and Boston have no pitching and their offenses are overachieving.

The only decent starting pitcher Toronto has is Romero who worryingly is striking out fewer guys than last year. Their starters strike out few guys and some walk a good number. Drabek is doing well at this point solely due to a low BABIP and a stunningly high LOB%. Eventually, Drabek is going to give up a homer with guys on base and his ERA is going to balloon. The fact that they called up a starter from AA indicates they have no depth in the minors. The bullpen isn't very good. The offense has four above average guys. It may just be me but they look dreadful.

Then you have the Redsox who are surviving because Salty and Cody Ross are on pace to hit 40 HRs(neither are historically power hitters), Aviles has turned into a monster who is on pace to hit 50 doubles and 30 HRs at SS (also not historically a power hitter), Sweeney has somehow gotten magical powers to have a .470 BABIP, be on pace to hit 100 doubles and hit .400, while Ortiz is hitting over .400. Gonzo(already doing tolerably well) and Youk will probably pick it up some but some of these bums are going to revert back to their normal selves. With Crawford and Ellsbury out for a long while, they need these guys to put up crazy numbers because they are the reserves.

The pitching is going to improve (Lester won't have a 6.00 ERA for the whole season) but Bucholtz and Beckett are both throwing 3 MPH slower than last year and don't seem right. Meanwhile, Doubront and Bard are doing about as well as you'd hope. I think this team should have trouble breaking .500.

If the AL East gets easier to play in, it makes it easier for us to do well.

I think we'll ultimately regret not going after Darvish. Did anyone see what he did to the Yankees? He was two outs away from a complete game shutout against them. I wonder if we'll see a Darvish vs. Chen matchup this season?

Cafardo On Broxton, Phillies, Span, Orioles, White Sox

By Zach Links[May 6 at 8:57am CST]

In today's column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes that Mariano Rivera is arguably the most important player in the American League East.  The Yankees will look to in-house solutions in the back of their bullpen for now, but other teams in need of relievers will start combing the market for answers.  The Cubs would obviously part with Carlos Marmol.  The Pirates could move Joel Hanrahan, but the price would be steep. The White Sox might trade left-hander Matt Thornton and the Astros could be willing to deal Brett Myers. 

Teams are looking to see whether the Mets would deal Bobby Parnell and whether the Royals move Jonathan Broxton.  Kansas City, however, would need to receive his permission since he was signed as a free agent and otherwise couldn’t be moved until after June 15th.  Here's more from Cafardo..

• Phillies people insist that they are not on the lookout for a third baseman/left fielder with Placido Polanco struggling.  "We’re just trying to hold our heads above water until we get our guys back," a Phillies official told Cafardo.
• Twins center fielder Denard Span remains on the Nationals' radar, but with closer Drew Storen sidelined, a deal is on hold for a while.
• According to an Orioles source, they have received calls on Kevin Gregg and Matt Lindstrom.  The O's would love to move part of Gregg's $5.8MM deal for 2012.  Lindstrom, meanwhile, will earn $3.6MM with a $4MM option for 2013.
• The Astros will hang on to Wandy Rodriguez until late July when they can get the best possible deal for him.
• Even though White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski is reaching the end of his contract and is 35, don’t be surprised if the club talks about keeping him for another year or two.  Many in Chicago feel the mantle will be passed to Tyler Flowers, but Jerry Reinsdorf is very loyal to his veteran players.
• First baseman Derrek Lee is definitely on the Brewers’ radar with Mat Gamel out for the season.  They’re thinking about moving Corey Hart from right field to first, but there may be outside options.  The Red Sox’s Lars Anderson and the Orioles’ Mark Reynolds could be two names to consider.
• The Red Sox expect to have Andrew Bailey, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carl Crawford, Kevin Youkilis, and Daisuke Matsuzaka back at some point this summer.  General Manager Ben Cherington believes, "that would be better than anything we could do in a trade deadline deal."

Orioles Acquire Steve Pearce, DFA Bill Hall

By Zach Links[June 2 at 1:23pm CST]

The Orioles have acquired first baseman Steve Pearce from the Yankees and designated utility man Bill Hall for assignment, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter).  The Yankees will receive cash considerations in return, tweets Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com.

Pearce, 29, signed a minor league deal with the Yanks in late March after spending the first seven seasons of his career with the Pirates.  In 52 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Pearce hit .321/.422/.574 with eleven homers.

Hall, 32, was just added to the club's 25 and 40-man rosters yesterday after having his contract purchased.  The veteran was also DFA'd by the team on May 25th before clearing waivers.  Hall has a .221/.272/.372 slash line with three home runs in 21 Triple-A games this year.