Sporting News/ESPN baseball dude Ken Rosenthal's newest Inside Dish column talks about Jason Schmidt and the Orioles. From the article:
Schmidt, 32, threw eight shutout innings in his most recent start against the Tigers, but a scout who attended the game warns that his results were deceptive; Schmidt's velocity remains down, and the Tigers are undisciplined offensively, ranking last in the A.L. in walks and 11th in runs per game.
So, basically, this anonymous scout still has the same worries about Schmidt I do. A dip in velocity is a big problem and Schmidt seems like a huge risk considering the package it would likely take to get a Proven Ace Pitcher.
Rafael Palmeiro was also mentioned, as he says that retirement is "a realistic possibility" at the end of this season. I would think so, yes.
I also found the following to be one bizarre thing to read:
GM J.P. Ricciardi says he will not move corner infielder Shea Hillenbrand, saying that Hillenbrand is "everything I want . . . a good fit on our club."
Ricciardi had nothing to do with building those A's teams, I don't think.