Who is Next?

The Orioles lost out on Victor Martinez (Tigers) and Adam Dunn (White Sox), but they are still being aggresive, and trying to find pitchers, corner infielders, and a shortstop. They have been rumored to be in talks with the Diamondbacks about acquiring Mark Reynolds, and were also rumored to be in talks with the Minnesota Twins about acquiring J.J. Hardy, but it seems as though those talks feel through. The Pirates appear to be the front-runners in the talks for Hardy. The Orioles are also pursuing options on the free agent market. They made a "significant" offer to Paul Konerko, and have also made offers to some un-named Type A relief pitchers. Konerko is probably heading back to Chicago, but the Orioles haven't given up hope. But, if they do miss out on Konerko, they will likely turn their attention to the likes of Carlos Pena and Adam LaRoche. I think LaRoche makes the most sense for the Orioles, because he will be the most affordable effective option. He was good for 25 dingers last year, while setting a career high 100 RBIs while playing in the desert for the D'Backs.