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As Tuesday at the Winter Meetings came to a close, GM-analogue Dan Duquette spoke with members of the Orioles media and dropped this bombshell:
Orioles have made an offer to a FA, Duquette said.
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) December 10, 2013
I wonder whether he paused after making that statement to grin as every Baltimore reporter started tapping out that information into a tweet on their phones. I have seen this phenomenon in action.
Making an offer does not amount to a hill of beans in this crazy mixed-up world.
Duquette also took a field trip into the 1970s in addressing the O's search for a closer:
Duquette said closer speculation today was pretty "far out"
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) December 10, 2013
The beat writers relayed that the offer that was made was not to a closer, so whatever the Orioles level of interest is on Grant Balfour, it's not to the point where they've made a formal offer. So just who did they make an offer to? No clue, but there was this:
Os made ground today on getting a LHH. Tweeted earlier they were ramping up efforts on that front. #orioles
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) December 10, 2013
This is probably more meaningless winter meetings mumbo jumbo, but there's always a chance that the offer was connected to this left-handed hitter, whoever it is. Perhaps they did some discussion of a trade. The O's were reported to have had some discussions with the Marlins about Logan Morrison, though so have several other teams. He is left-handed. Then again, so is Shin-Soo Choo. Then again, so is Raul (expletive deleted) Ibanez.
Nelson Cruz is not left-handed.
Have you been harboring hopes that the Orioles would hash out a contract extension with either Matt Wieters or Chris Davis? Don't expect any movement this week:
Duquette said there's a time to talk extensions but its not now. #orioles
— Eduardo A. Encina (@EddieInTheYard) December 10, 2013
Ryan Webb passed his physical and that signing is now official, giving the Orioles 38 players on the 40-man roster. Duquette has insisted that the Orioles will add a player other than with the Rule 5 Draft on Thursday. If that's the case, they would leave the winter meetings with a full roster.
The evening news dump with reporters seems to signify the close of official business for the day, though there is always the chance that as people get drunk and schmooze, interesting rumors will bubble to the surface as the night progresses. Some of them may even have a kernel of truth, and some may even involve the Orioles doing something other than nothing.
