Will/Should the Orioles Make A Legitament Run At The Prince?

A few days ago, the Orioles signed Derrek Lee to a 1 year contract. People wondered why the Birds would get Lee on a one year deal, instead of signing Adam LaRoche to a 2 or 3 year deal. Then, speculation came up that it may very well be because the Orioles have plans to make a push for Prince Fielder next offseason. We've seen that the O's are not afraid to spend cash, when they offered Mark Texiera a 7 year, $165 million contract. They were outbid by the Nationals, Yankees, and Red Sox, and Texiera ultimately signed with the Yankees, but the fact that the Orioles made that big a push gives fans hope that they will continue to pursue these top-tier free agents. So, why not Prince?

Derrek Lee is out after this season. So, unless the Orioles see very big potential from Brandon Snyder, or more likely, from Josh Bell or Nolan Reimold, the Orioles will likely pursue another free agent first baseman. To compete in the AL East, they will need all the pop they can get in their offense. So, they need to pursue Prince to compete with the Yankees, and the reguvenated Red Sox. Adding Prince to an offense with Brian Roberts, Matt Weiters, Mark Reynolds, and Adam Jones will make for as good an offense as the Rays have, about as strong as the current Yankees, and atleast closer to the Red Sox offense than they are now. Also, with young pitchers like Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton, and Chris Tillman on the rise, they will have a strong pitching staff coming with the offense. So, Prince is the missing piece to the puzzle that is the new, competing Orioles in 2012 and beyond.

Orioles Agree to Sign Kevin Gregg

The Orioles have added to their bullpen by signing Kevin Gregg to a two-year, 10 million dollar contract with an option. Gregg saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last year, and will battle with Koji Uehara for the closer role for next year. Gregg joins Jeremy Accardo as two former Blue Jays who will likely contribute to the Baltimore Bullpen this coming year. Although Gregg has Type-A status, the Orioles will not lose their draft pick, as it is protected. The Blue Jays will instead get a supplemental first round pick.

Alfredo Simon Primary Suspect in Shooting

Orioles relief pitcher Alfredo Simon is a primary suspect in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old man Michael Castillo Almonte. Castillo Almonte's half-brother, Starlin Castillo Hernandez, was also injured in the incident and remains hospitalized. This incident occured in the Dominican Republic, and today, Simon surrendered himself to the Dominican Police. Simon, his lawyer, Carlos Olivares, and former Orioles utility-man, Julio Lugo, met with the police chief, Jose Polanco today in Santo Domingo. Simon is being charged with manslaughter, and if he is found guilty, he could serve up to 2 years in prison. Victor Mueses, a Dominican public prosecutor, told the Associated Press that he'll request that Simon remain in detention for three months while the case is investigated further.

Information from the NY Daily News and the Associated Press was used in this report.