Aubrey Huff Traded to the Tigers

Looks like Andy MacPhail was not done after all. The Orioles dealt their first baseman, Aubrey Huff, to the Detroit Tigers for Brett Jacobson, a reliever in single-A.

Obviously this is another move for MacPhail's vision of the future. Huff had his struggles this year, hitting just .253 and hitting 13 home runs. Last year was one of his best seasons, as a MASN defining moment often reminds us, going .304 with 32 home runs and 108 RBI. At one in the season, it was expected that Huff could be a big mover at the trade deadline, but with his sudden dropoff, his value dropped with it.

I understand this move, though I did wish Huff could have finished out the season. With his departure, more and more the Orioles rest of the season looks like it will be real rough. Luke Scott looks like he'll be taking up first base for now. I'm not sure what the Orioles plan to do for the short term at the corner infield positions, and I hope MacPhail has an answer to that. If Mora is not returning next season, it would be very unlikely that Wigginton and Scott will reside at third and first respectively.

Brett Jacobson, a former Vanderbilt player, has done well in high-A ball for Detroit, pitching in 35 games with a 3.74 ERA and six saves. In 55.1 innings, he has 44 strikeouts to just 17 walks, though allowing six home runs is alarming. But, another prospect to add to the minors for the Orioles, which is important.

Good luck to you Aubrey Huff, and thank you for your performance here in Baltimore.

(Photo credit: Getty Images)

Anyone Want an Overpaid Veteran?

Andy MacPhail and the Orioles may not be done dealing players. According to the Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, Aubrey Huff, Melvin Mora, and Danys Baez have all cleared waivers, but no one has claimed them.

Times are tough for the Orioles. They have not won a series since before the All-Star Break, and now are relying on four or five rookie starters to carry them through the rest of the season. Not to mention that the team is looking like it is going through the inevitable late season collapse that seems to happen each year. And that the Nationals have won seven in a row, which can't be good for Orioles fans to think about.

For the Orioles, they should better hope they will get something for these three. The only person of the trio that has any chance of being an Oriole next year is Huff, and that would require re-signing. Mora and Baez have next to no chance of being on the team next year, but the reality is probably all three will be gone after the 2009 season.

But do the Orioles realistically think they can get anyone for these three? Obviously there is no harm putting them through waivers, but it would be amazing if the Orioles got prospects for them. The trades that were offered to them before the deadline were not good enough for the Orioles to take. Huff had a terrible July, and even though he is doing better in August, he still has not regained his power, with just 12 home runs this year. Mora's only value to an opposing team is his great defense at third base, which teams do not go after in a playoff race. And despite that Baez has decent numbers, he has three losses in the past five appearances and is not worth his price tag.

But, MacPhail is trying to make moves with players that will not be on the roster. Hopefully for the Orioles, one of the above can get dealt for a prospect. Even if it is for a rookie level player that is hitting .190. But, likely the O's will not get anything for these guys.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

Any More From MacPhail on Deadline Day?

Today is the non-waiver trade deadline day in baseball, so by 4:00 PM the deals must be done.

Already the Orioles have been players in the trading. George Sherrill was traded to the Dodgers yesterday for prospects Josh Bell and Steve Johnson, and Oscar Salazar was traded to the Padres for Cla Meredith. Andy MacPhail has said that the Orioles "will not be anyone's farm system," but is willing to trade players that are not part of the Orioles future to fill the farm system, which needs more future prospects.

But Sherrill and Salazar were not the only players talked about, so for MacPhail, will he trade any other player?

Possible players for trade:
Aubrey Huff
Huff has long been speculated for trade, and the Orioles left-handed first baseman has attracted attention by others teams. Huff, who will be 33 at the end of the year, has had a very bad July, putting him at .250 for the season. He has only 11 home runs to this point, where as he had 32 last season. It is hard to gauge what the Orioles will get for him, considering he is in the last year of his contract plus he's struggling, but his potential could earn a prospect or two. But my guess is he'll stay in Baltimore for the rest of the year.

Luke Scott
Scott is also a valuable target, a left-handed outfielder that is hitting .275 with 18 home runs. He was having a lot of success in the first half and has cooled off since then, plus the fact he has been a DH for most of the season with the left field situation may lower his value. Rumor is the Tigers have interest in him, but again, like Huff, I expect Scott to be here on August 1st.

Danys Baez
Baez has had an interesting season in terms of his trade value. Earlier in the year he was considered very valuable, then a big slump destroyed, then he rebounded and again drew interest, but then had some issues to pull it down again. The righty reliever is 4-4 with a 4.41 ERA. The 31-year-old's contract is up after the year, and a trade would likely get nothing more than one prospect, but it would be worth it. But some of the struggles may keep teams away.

Mark Hendrickson
After he was terrible as a starter, Hendrickson's performance in the bullpen with a sub-3 ERA in non-starts has drawn interest from the Rockies, according to the Denver Post. Hendrickson is a useful player to trade, a low-paid lefty reliever than can go for a long amount of innings that is not part of the Orioles future. Even if means just one prospect, the Orioles may pull the trigger on the 35-year-old, and my guess is the deal will be done.

So Andy MacPhail has a lot of work to do before the clock strikes four, but he has some people that could bring in prospects, and the trigger could be pulled on a few of them.

Prediction on the trade deadline:
--To be traded: Hendrickson to the Rockies
--Remaining as Orioles: Huff, Scott, Baez

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

Free Kicks

Yea, no particular edition today, but I am on a half-day at work so I need to catch up before the day even starts. With AC Milan and Chelsea FC ready to do battle in Baltimore, let's celebrate by lining up for the kick...

Perfection for Mark Buehrle
Rarely do we get to see the magic of a perfect game. It requires precision not only by the pitcher but by the defense, who have to cleanly field every ball even as the pressure mounts and the possibility of a perfect game becomes more and more definite. Buehrle can thank Dewayne Wise for making that play in the top of the 9th, making a leaping grab at the wall and recovering the ball as it slipped out of his glove to preserve the no-no. Heck, I get nerves when my softball game is close, I can only imagine the poise Wise must have had as he went up to make the catch. This is actually Buehrle’s second no-hitter of his career, the first coming in 2007 when he narrowly missed a perfect game due to a walk drawn by Sammy Sosa in the fifth inning of a 6-0 win by the Sox. I guess I can’t blame the Orioles for losing to Buehrle last week if he was warming up for this outing.

Perhaps the White Sox pitcher will begin to receive credit as one of the better pitchers in the majors. His accelerated pace on the mound, mowing through batters and getting crowds home in time for primetime TV, certainly helps him keep the opposition off balance, but it is a skill that he is able to work his pitches so quickly without minutes of preparation before each one. He has also been the hallmark of consistency, his ERA never exceeding 4.99 en route to a career mark of 3.73. No, it isn’t in Randy Johnson or Tom Glavine territory, but he ranks annually among the tops in the majors in quality starts, showing that he rarely has an outing where he comes completely unraveled. If he made his starts with the Yankees, Red Sox, or Cubs we would surely hear more about this All-Star pitcher. In the meantime we will have to appreciate this unique athlete on another team that is oft-overshadowed by neighboring markets.

At Least One Place is Still Hiring
The Ravens were greatly in need of receiver help before Derrick Mason retired, but with his return still greatly in doubt the need has become dire. This very well could be the position that prevents Baltimore from returning to the playoffs, and certainly will likely end any hope of a title if 2nd year quarterback lacks a reliable set of receivers. Opposing secondaries will be able to rely on man-to-man coverage or a very broad zone defense if Flacco can’t make them pay deep. The same argument that can be made about the inability to stretch a defense without a quality quarterback can be repeated when the quarterback is lacking targets.

Ozzie Newsome did bring in a group of 4 wideouts to try out for the team, a move the front office claims they decided on before Mason’s sudden retirement (which shows you how dire they see the situation to be). Drew Bennett seems to be leading the group, but it isn’t as though the ravens have a whole lot of options. Bennett served as a solid 2nd receiver earlier in his career, but faded when he was asked to be the leading man. In Baltimore he wouldn’t have that role by a long shot, and his speed (if he can stay healthy) would make him a valuable deep option if Demetrius Williams is hurt or simply doesn’t have the ability we have all been waiting for. I am lukewarm on DJ Hackett, who was made to look halfway decent by a resourceful Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle and struggled in Carolina. The other two receiver’s names aren’t known at this point, but there is a reason these guys are unemployed on the eve of training camp. Either of these players could have a resurgence, but neither of them will make the Ravens much better.

Deadline Dealings for O’s?
I am not sure how I feel about trade deadline deals. They rarely work out for the contending team that picks up the player- his impact that season is generally minimal compared to the high-end prospect(s) they give up in return- and the value the struggling team gets is not usually has high as it could be when the bidders feel like the team has to move the player somehow. Luckily for the Orioles, they have Andy MacPhail, which means that every other General Manager in the majors knows that no decision will be made quickly or without more than adequate compensation.

Which is why, when I look Baltimore’s current trade chips, I doubt any of them will be moved in any sort of blockbuster deal. Sure a Gregg Zaun or a mid-level prospect might be shuttled around at the deadline, but I doubt that the big deal that is built up to every season will actually take place this year. The asking price for Sherrill has always been based on closer-value while bidders are offering set-up man value, and the value of players like Aubrey Huff and Danys Baez have been watered down by recent struggles. At the end of the day I just don’t see MacPhail getting what he wants, and I don’t see any big names on this team getting moved in the next week.

Now watch Sherrill get moved for 2 top level prospects and make me eat crow… I’ll take it if it makes the Orioles that much deeper in the minors.

O's Sweep World Champs, Have Won Five Straight

Jeremy Guthrie is struggling. Brian Roberts isn't showing enough energy. The starting pitchers are not lasting. They are playing with a backup shortstop. This team has no power. Get a lead against them into the ninth, and Baltimore has no chance.

Despite all of these criticisms the Orioles seem to be getting by outside sources, the Birds are responding with victories, winning five straight including sweeping the World Champion Phillies as two come-from-behind wins in the ninth inning after having zero such games before Thursday.

Of these five wins, only one was by more than two runs. The bullpen was stellar for the most part, with pitchers from Mark Hendrickson to George Sherrill doing very well. The bats are coming alive with more home runs and key hits from leaders Brian Roberts and Aubrey Huff. Interleague play has been good to the Orioles, who have a 9-3 record against National League teams this year, the best in the AL East. Some strange things have been happening. Robert Andino has been playing very well in place of the injured Cesar Izturis both offensively and defensively. Gregg Zaun hit a home run in the comeback win against the Angels. Guthrie finally had a big start. And finally, people other than Luke Scott and Nolan Reimold hit home runs.

Even though the Orioles are still in last place in the division, this five-game win streak is important in other ways. Not just for the morale of the team, but also for possible trade deadline deals. Names that have been thrown around include Aubrey Huff, Danys Baez, Melvin Mora, among others. Andy MacPhail has stated that there will not be any salary dumping, so if any trades go down, it will be because they get prospects in a good deal. But the cornerstones of the franchise and the potential young guns will still be here.

For now, the Orioles should enjoy the winning. The Orioles have two series left in interleague play, at Florida and the second round of the Battle of the Beltway with the Nationals.

(Photo credit: AP)

Free Kicks: O's, Golf, & a Somber Note Edition

I have a lot to say, so no unnecessary intro. Let's just line up for the kick...

Huff, Puff, and Blow the Mets Away
Well, Aubrey Huff did it again- but I can’t give him all the credit for winning the game last night as the Orioles came back to win in the bottom of the ninth. Francisco Rodriguez did not have his best stuff last night, and clearly was struggling to get the ball in the zone. When K-Rod finally forced one in the strike zone Aubrey Huff found it and made it count. Now, if the Orioles had a winning record all the analysts would say how the 9th inning shows that the team “knows how to win,” but I will hold myself back from rehashing that rant at this particular moment. However, all that said this team put together one heck of a comeback, and there is no way to take away from their performance. Against one of the top closers in the game, the O’s didn’t hurry their swings or get over-anxious at the plate. There are more than a couple major leaguers who would start swinging away after getting into a pitcher’s count like Adam Jones did in the at-bat that sent in the tying run. Instead, he patiently watched balls miss high, miss away, miss down, and finally give him the walk. Nor was he unique- the same team that was pressing a week ago is taking long, thoughtful at-bats.

What surprised me most about this game is how it happens to be the first 9th inning comeback of the season for the Orioles. It certainly seems odd to me, especially for a team that became known for their late-inning comebacks a couple years ago. Oh well, I am sure O’s fans will take it however they can get it.

Bethpage Blunders
The fact that they played at all yesterday was incredible given the conditions out on the course, but I worry a great deal about how the PGA is handling the fallout from the course being rained out after one group got even 11 holes in. I understand there isn’t anything they can do about the weather, but why not just push the whole event back a day now that one day was all but rained out entirely? Instead they are looking at certain players having to play 36 holes today while some will only be playing 25 and forcing a 7:30 tee time for those who already had to trudge through the muck yesterday and sacrifice shots to the weather while those who didn’t start were waiting in the clubhouse. In golf every shot matters; so don’t tell me it will all balance out when you go out in the rain, get soaked and exhausted trying to make it through 9 holes, then have to get up at 5:30 in the morning the next day- oh yea, and they are starting Round 2 at 4:00 PM.

And then the fans who actually came out and sat through that mess of golf yesterday won’t have their tickets recognized today by the course. I am sorry, but these people paid to see the first round of the U.S. Open, not to see half the players go half the course and go home. When tickets are going for about $100 a head, this isn’t a small expense for people. This act shows a complete disregard for their fans at a moment when their fans are the ones committed to coming out and seeing the game despite the conditions. Moreover, when they extend the Open through Monday (and they will), I am sure they will have a whole other set to tickets to sell, just to put a little more money in their pocket. In this economy it is good to know that golf hasn’t lost its elitist streak entirely.

A Question of Values
Donte Stallworth killed someone. It was dark. He killed someone. The guy was running across the street. He killed someone. Stallworth allegedly flashed his lights to notify the guy he was coming. He killed someone. Stallworth is going to give the family a lot of money for their pain and suffering. He killed someone. Is there something I am not understanding about this process that makes it okay for someone to kill another human being and only get 30 days in jail? I know Donte is paying out money to the family but they could easily get the money through a civil suit if they wanted to. Furthermore, why do we care whether his family is content with the settlement; why should it matter?

I will never understand what makes someone drink and get behind the wheel of a car, and I will never understand why there are people who think that it is alright to get off with a slap on the wrist. I do understand that this was an accident and that he didn’t do anything intentionally- except for drive drunk, which was all he had to do to take a life. Any time someone makes that kind of “mistake” and someone else winds up dead, it is time for more than 30 days in prison. His conscience should make him want to go to jail, but unfortunately we don’t live in a world where accountability matters. This man would be more vilified in this society if he was a baseball player who used legal steroids when the game didn’t even ban them. There is something very wrong with our values when Manny Ramirez's steroid use invokes more outrage than running someone down in your car.

Are we so inured to death that a dog’s life (see Michael Vick’s 18 months in prison) is that much more valuable than a human’s life? I understand that what Vick did was intentional, but when Donte Stallworth got behind the wheel of his car he was just as responsible as Vick was for the death that occurred on his watch. He may not have meant to fire, but he loaded the gun and took the safety off.

Why don’t we care?

West Coast Brings Birds Batting Down to Earth

It had been nice for the Orioles, defeating the Nationals two out of three, sweeping AL East rival Toronto, then taking two of four from AL Central leading Detroit. But on the west coast against Seattle and Oakland, the Orioles bats fell silent, losing five of six games and scoring a combined 10 runs in those games. Only once did the Orioles score more than two runs in those games.

Things came front and center when Aubrey Huff got in a tirade in the dugout after another close hit. The last five games certainly have been frustrating, but the problems with the Oriole bats were clear on the west coast.

A number of combined factors came into this. Brian Roberts has gone two for his last 30 at-bats. No one other than Luke Scott or Nolan Reimold has homered in the last 10 games. A number of Aubrey Huff's hits have been close to home runs, but not close enough. Cesar Izturis was put onto the DL, so a .260 bat is out of the lineup. Early struggles with Matt Wieters and current ones with the Orioles bench also do not help.

With the struggles of the rotation, the Orioles need the bats to succeed. Jeremy Guthrie has not looked good at all lately and the young arms of the rotation can only do so much. Although the bullpen has been good, the fact is this team will normally need to win by establishing strong leads and holding on to them in the late innings. Very rarely with this squad can the starting pitching win games on their own. So when the bats are silent, like this west coast trip, the Orioles will not win.

With Oscar Salazar coming up for Izturis, more Norfolk players are coming up. Although they have been doing well, in the long term for the season they will probably struggle. There really is not much the front office can do about this. The Orioles are not in competition mode and should not sign anyone, and the Orioles would not benefit much by bringing up more Tides players. So this will come down to the veteran bats doing well. Roberts and Huff will need to get out of their slumps plus some of the other players will need to step up in the wake of injuries.

The season continues to be a struggle, but the team has plenty of bright spots, and there is time to get back to winning ways. At the very least, they will not be going back to the west coast until the start of July.

(Photo credit: AP)

Orioles Win Series Against Yankees, Looking For a Sweep

The Orioles have started their season off well, winning their first two games of the season against the hated New York Yankees at sit in first place in the AL East. Now they look to sweep the Evil Empire tomorrow night. Yes we all know this is only two games out of 162, but Baltimore sure is happy tonight. They have the chance to win their first three games for the first time in over a decade.

The two Baltimore starters, Jeremy Guthrie and Koji Uehara, both earned wins. Each game involved a destruction of the Yankee starter, either C.C Sabathia or Chien-Ming Wang. Neither lasted more than 4.1 innings and neither notched a strikeout. The O's bullpen has had its shaky moments, but in the end they have at least held to win each game.

But this team seems to have developed some character and an image. Some were wondering if the departure of Kevin Millar and the depression of last season would hurt the clubhouse. But this team seems to be having a good time. From Gregg Zaun learning some Japanese to help Uehara to Adam Jones smiling in the outfield to a strange Aubrey Huff catch, to Dave Trembley working well with the team, this team seems to be enjoying themselves and not being afraid of their opponents. This could be because of the winning, but it is a nice sight to see considering last season. The fans are also getting more into the game. Despite that it was clear a Yankees contingent was in Camden Yards, the park was clearly in the hands of the Orioles fans. The constant booing attack on Mark Teixeira has clearly bothered him during this series. All in all, this has the look of a different Orioles team.

But make no mistake, this season has just started. Guthrie and Uehara are Baltimore's most reliable starters, and the O's don't have anyone else that is proven in the long term. Starters like Alfredo Simon and Mark Hendrickson will need to be ready. The bullpen has held on in the end in both games, but if the back of the rotation does not hold up, then the bullpen will fall with it. The Orioles look good to start, let's hope they can continue the success.

Tomorrow Alfredo Simon gets the call against A.J. Burnett as the O's go for the sweep.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

After Sluggish Start, O's Offseason Surprisingly Successful

Congratulations Orioles fans, after a frustrating start to the offseason, things have certainly picked up. The long quiet after the Hernandez trade left many O’s fans feeling frustrated, as though Andy MacPhail was done and standing pat on a farm system that looked to have way too many young players pulled up before they were ready (particularly with Jeremy Guthrie being the only starting pitcher we were assured of having a starting role). Once again however, with the acquisitions since, Baltimoreans have been left surprised and should be very happy with what they see.

Despite having nothing of value to trade, the O’s managed to bring in former Cubs star prospect Rich Hill, who until recently was projected to become one of the better young pitchers in baseball. He will rejoin former coaches Rick Kranitz and Alan Dunn in attempting to regain his command, which had dropped to Daniel Cabrera-esque levels over last season and into the winter league. However, we at ATH won’t waste your time on stuff you can read on the Sun. We are here for analysis. This is a win-win situation. The Orioles, with the acquisitions of Hill, Dave Pauley, and Koji Uehara and the return of a healthy Matt Albers, Hayden Penn, and even Troy Patton (possibly), now have a glut of pitchers to take up those last starting spots. In fact, so many of them are in their last chance to make the major league roster before having to pass through waivers that this should be one incredible competition in Spring Training. The competition is wide open, and these arms will be fighting for all three spots. Who could have seen this coming back in December? These small moves might not seem like much at the moment, but taken together it looks as though MacPhail has made a series of low-risk, high reward chances on pitchers that might form out into a halfway decent rotation of young arms.

The situation amongst position players should be even more reassuring. No, they don’t have many star hitters, but what they lack in production they make up for in depth. The acquisition of Ty Wiggington and Felix Pie, along with Cesar Izturis and Ryan Freel earlier in the offseason, leaves the Orioles with a stacked bench of veteran talent and young potential. I don’t know where Wiggington will play, or if he will come off the bench and play a utility role, but I can see that Andy is taking the same approach with his position players as he is with his pitchers. He is trying to put as many decent players as he can in spring training to compete and see how it all shakes out. If Aubrey Huff struggles defensively at 1st, or if Melvin Mora’s age starts to show at 3rd, Wiggington will be able to take over there. In fact, even if Brian Roberts is traded (increasingly unlikely but possible), Wiggington could act as a short-term replacement there as well- and not as though the Orioles needed more outfielders, but he could go there too.

But this move could cause some anxiety in the club house, with Luke Scott wanting to start in left despite the acquisition of the talented former top prospect Felix Pie, and Aubrey Huff determined to start at 1st and respond to questions of his defensive capabilities. The Warehouse has put perhaps too many bodies in this competition, and it is possible that in this traditionally positive clubhouse, we could have some disgruntled players come April 1st. Luckily for Andy MacPhail, this will be Dave Trembley’s job to sort out. Hopefully Trembley will have the tools to forge a somewhat respectable club out of the pieces he’s been given.

Orioles Strategy: Trade Deadline

As the July 31st trade deadline approaches, the Orioles may be big players in the market for prospects. They have already made one deal, trading Mike McCoy for Juan Castro, a Triple-A shortstop. But, the Orioles are going for the long term. So, what are the Orioles needs, and will they move anyone to fill them?

Keep a few things in mind. The only teams that will trade for Major League roster players are teams that competing for a playoff run and not in the AL East division. This will limit options, but teams will still seek players to fill-in needs. Also, if the Orioles make too many moves, then big name free agents won't believe the Orioles will win in the near future; Mark Teixeira comes to mind. If the Orioles don't make any moves, then the value for current players may go down and the Orioles possible prospects would not be as talented. This happened with Miguel Tejada. It isn't an easy process for anyone to deal with.

Orioles primary needs- shortstop, first baseman
Secondary- third base, left field, starting pitching

(Note: All stats are as of July 18th and according to Yahoo Sports)


Will B-Rob stay in B-more?
Tale of the Tape: .292, 49 extra base hits (7 HR), 27/36 SB
Salary: $6.3 million
Brian Roberts is probably the most wanted player on the O's. A very consistent player the last few years, the 30-year-old second baseman is a solid leadoff hitter. History has shown that Peter Angelos is very protective of Roberts. The Cubs had shown interest before the beginning of the season, but there would have to be a big deal for the face of the franchise to be traded.

By George, is he leaving?
Tale of the Tape: 2-4, 3.98 ERA, 40.2 IP, 29 SV
Salary: $980,000
The 31-year-old George Sherrill has been quite the surprise for the O's. Southpaw relievers are prized since there a few of them in the majors. No contender would want Sherrill as a closer, so they won't trade talent equal to a closer's worth. Likely by this season's end, he'll have never pitched more innings in a season. The counter: there is no telling whether Chris Ray would be ready next year or if Baltimore could replace Sherrill with another lefty.

Will the O's huff, puff, get "blow your house" down deal?
Tale of the Tape: .289, 19 HR, 61 RBI
Salary: $8 million
Aubrey Huff has become the Orioles best power hitter. The 31-year-old is mainly a DH but can play third or first base. Though he's had two decent years with the Birds, he hasn't shown power like this the last few years; no telling if he'll be consistent. The Orioles probably wouldn't get much from a trade with Huff except a dump of salary, which isn't a huge deal to Angelos right now.

Will the submarine launch from the harbor?
Tale of the Tape: 3-3, 2.62 ERA, 34.1 IP, 11 K
Salary: $3,666,667
Chad Bradford is a solid short relief pitcher: a righty submariner who forces many ground balls. The 34-year-old has only given up a 4+ ERA one season since 2001. He normally can't go longer than an inning during an outing. Like Sherill, Bradford's value is limited due to the fact that he wouldn't be a closer to a contender, but his services could be useful to team with bullpen needs.

Is it Millar Time for someone?

Tale of the Tape: .239, 12 HR, 47 RBI

Salary: $3.8 million

Kevin Millar wouldn't get traded for his potential numbers or for the future (he's 36). But Millar is the undesputed leader of the clubhouse, and a few teams might want his presence to help morale of a team. He is in a contract year and isn't part of the Orioles future. But, the fact that the Birds wouldn't get much for him and that he's such a great teammate might keep him here.

I believe at least one of the above will be traded before the deadline, but Andy MacPhail will not make a deal unless he believes it is very helpful to the future of the franchise.

(Photo credits: Major League Baseball)