Notes from Jeff Zrebiec

Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun shared some notes on the Orioles.

-Carlos Pena has interest in Baltimore

-He hears that GM Andy McPhail has called teams with starting pitching depth. He would feel more comfortable with another veteran pitcher behind Jeremy Guthrie.

-He says the Orioles are "pretty interested" in Kevin Gregg, and that they have an offer out to Koji Uehara, and one other reliever.

-The Orioles aren't actively shopping Nolan Reimold, but are trying to gauge his value.

Mark Reynolds Notes

SI's Jon Heyman tweets that Chris Tillman's name has come up in Mark Reynolds trade talks.

The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro says that the D'Backs "seem to like" David Hernandez more, but that he would be just one pitcher in a "pitcher-centric package" that the D'Backs would seek in return for Reynolds.

Piecoro also thinks that the Orioles are the most likely landing place for Reynolds.

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.

Trade News: Orioles Rumored to be After Reynolds

The Orioles are rumored to be in discussions with the Arizona Diamondbacks about acquiring third baseman Mark Reynolds. Reynolds is a power threat, but strikes out often. He led the league in the department each of the past 3 seasons, and holds the top three all-time records for strikeouts in a single season. But, the Orioles lack a true power hitter, other than Luke Scott, so adding that big bat to their lineup will help create a deadly top of the lineup.

The Diamondbacks have apparently asked for Chris Tillman or David Hernandez. They, among other clubs, think highly of both, and particularly Hernandez. Watch for these talks to get serious as the GM meetings start, and don't be surprised if Mark Reynolds is at the hot corner for the Birds come 2011.