Despite the great name Wheeler isn’t that great of a player. He’ll be 25 this season and only has 17 career games above AA. More minor league infield depth to go along with Tolleson, Adams, Bell, etc. Hes mainly a third baseman but has experience at second and short as well. One thing he does well is get on base with a career .371 OBP, .100 points above his career average. Not much power and no apparent base stealing ability. He had a decent 2011 campaign but I’m not sure what he provides other than potential utility man depth. The bigger issue is Eveland being DFA’d. Dan Duquette traded LHP Jarrett Martin and OF Tyler Henson for him at the winter meetings and talked about him as a “big league arm”. Neither Martin or Henson were much of a loss but Martin did have a good arm. This just solidifies the point that we could’ve signed a similar player to Eveland through free agency on a minor league deal and not lost two of our minor leaguers. I guess the silver lining is Duquette didn’t force Eveland onto the team to save face. He struggled this spring and was cut bait. I expect he’ll probably clear waivers and report to AAA Norfolk as decent depth that can start or relieve in a pinch.

Other news: Brian Roberts and Zach Britton were placed on the 15 day disabled list to start the season. Roberts is no surprise and Britton could’ve been worse. He went to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his shoulder which usually brings bad news of surgery, but instead he was told a couple plasma injections and some rest should do the trick. He’ll miss the month of April and make rehab starts for AAA Norfolk in May but its better than missing at least a year due to shoulder surgery and the possibility of never being the same again.

I actually like this signing despite it giving the Orioles something like 35 candidates for 7 bullpen spots. Its not so much that I think Ayala is great but I like the contract and I think signings like these are how you build a good cheap bullpen, a la the Tampa Bay Rays. After starting his career with four very good seasons he had two poor seasons in a row and didn’t even pitch in 2010. The Yankees signed him to a minor league contract last season and he put up a 2.09 ERA over 56 innings with 39 strikeouts and 20 walks. I don’t think we can expect a season like that but hes a solid veteran should help stabilize the bullpen. The Kevin Gregg signing last year would’ve been much more acceptable if it was for around $1 million instead of $5 million. If Ayala goes back to pitching like he did in ’08 and ’09 we can release him without losing much money but if he keeps pitching like he did last year and the first four seasons of his career then we got great value for a good reliever. Spring training is going to be crazy competitive for spots in the rotation and the bullpen.

I’m not sure about this trade. I was fine with dealing Guthrie but I was expecting a better return than this. Lindstrom is basically a dime a dozen reliever. Hes not bad and he has experience closing games but he’ll be making $3.6 million in 2012 and sports a 3.81 career ERA. He had a good year last season putting up a 3.00 ERA over 54 innings with 36 strikeouts and 14 walks. He’ll be an asset to the bullpen for sure but for a guy that doesn’t strike out many batters I feel like there was a better way to allocate that kind of money. The real “prize” of the trade however is Hammel, a guy that has a career 4.99 ERA. He started his career in Tampa Bay where he bounced between the rotation and the bullpen and struggled. He was then traded to Colorado where he was given a chance to start regularly and he responded well with two good years in 2009 and 2010 before struggling last season. He was 7-13 with a 4.76 ERA over 170.1 innings with 94 strikeouts and 68 walks. Its obviously tough to pitch in Colorado so he should be better once he gets out of that environment. I think his upside is that he can be the new Jeremy Guthrie over the next two years but there is a chance that he ends up in the bullpen which would make this trade even worse. We didn’t save any money and we didn’t get any high upside prospects so I’m just confused. I would’ve preferred to hold onto Guthrie until the trade deadline if this was the best offer out there.

On the same day the Detroit Tigers signed Prince Fielder to a ridiculously stupid 9 year, $214 million contract the Orioles sign who will probably end up being their primary DH. I would’ve liked to have seen Fielder here, but I think we can all agree hes not worth what he got and the O’s had no reason to top it. Betemit is a guy that has played all four infield positions and can give you innings at first, second, and third in a pinch but his best tool is his bat. Last year he followed up the 2010 season (when he had a .889 OPS over 315 plate appearances) with a line of .285/.343/.452 with 22 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homeruns, 46 RBI, and 4 stolen bases over 359 plate appearances split between the Royals and Tigers. As a switch hitter he is more effective from the left side of the plate (.817 career OPS against RHP, .684 against LHP) so he’ll get most of the at bats from the DH slot against righties with, I assume, one of Mark Reynolds/Nolan Reimold/Jai Miller being the DH against left handed starters. Betemit’s vesting option guarantees him a third year after 700 plate appearances. That doesn’t appear that hard to reach but it allows the Orioles to release him before then if hes not performing up to their expectations. The 2012 Orioles are starting to come together. There could be another minor signing or two and maybe a trade before spring training but I wouldn’t expect any big shake ups at this point, to the dismay of alot of fans I’m sure. We’ve improved. By how much remains to be seen.

I really like this signing. Dan Duquette continues his foray into the international market, signing his second left handed pitcher that was a successful starter in Japan. I liked the Wada signing even though he most likely ends up in the bullpen, but Chen has more upside. Hes only 26 and throws much harder, sitting between 90-92 and reportedly hitting up to 96 mph. He has a slow curve ball, an inconsistent slider, and worked on a forkball in 2011. If he was a pitcher in our farm system he would probably slot anywhere from 4-7 in our top 10. He had a career record of 36-30 with a 2.59 ERA over five seasons in Japan. In 2011 he was 8-10 with a 2.68 ERA over 164.2 innings with 94 strikeouts and 31 walks. He dealt with a minor leg injury for some of the season.

The O’s get great value at about $4 million a year. Sure there is some risk associated as Chen (and Wada) have to adjust to the lifestyle and five man rotation of the major leagues but he could be a steal. At worst hes a left handed power arm out of the bullpen but he could also end up as a middle of the rotation starter, which would be a steal at that price. Spring Training will be interesting as we learn more about Chen, Wada, and the rest of our new additions to the roster. We now have alot of depth at SP and I like that the young guys like Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, etc. will have to earn their places in the rotation, unlike recent years where they were handed spots. As it stands we have Jeremy Guthrie, Chen, Wada, Tommy Hunter, Dana Eveland, Arrieta, Britton, Matusz, Chris Tillman, Brad Bergesen, and Alfredo Simon all fighting for rotation. Theres also alot to choose from for the bullpen as well. Its not something we’re used to but its nice to have. We also have the ability to trade from the depth if Duquette so chooses. Hes not done molding this team yet.

Snyder was the Orioles 1st round draft pick in the 2005 draft. He rebounded from a disappointing start to his career by becoming one of the O’s top prospects after solid seasons from 2007-2009. Once he got to AAA he stalled out and wasn’t able to continue his development enough to stay in the majors. Last year for Norfolk he hit .261/.312/.406 with 21 doubles, a triple, 14 homeruns, and 71 RBI. He got 13 at bats for the Orioles, hitting .231. Maybe a change of scenery will do him good. At least he’ll be in a good hitting environment with the PCL and the Rangers home ballpark. This trade opens up the first base job at Norfolk for Joe Mahoney to move up from AA Bowie.

Miller is an interesting player. He plays above average defense at all three outfield positions and his on base percentage and power numbers have increased steadily over the past few years, along with his strikeouts. He had the best season of his career in 2011 but it was in the hitters haven PCL. He hit .276/.368/.588 with 24 doubles, 4 triples, 32 homeruns, 88 RBI, and 16 stolen bases over 410 AAA at bats. He’d be a nice player to stash at AAA Norfolk in case of an injury or trade but unfortunately he would have to pass through waivers to get there as hes out of options. He’ll be given a chance to make the team out of spring training and maybe a spot will open up before then. There are rumors of potential trades of Adam Jones (maybe to the Braves for SP Jair Jurjjens and prospects?) and/or Nolan Reimold (to the White Sox for SP Gavin Floyd?). I have a feeling all these minor moves are going to eventually set up some bigger transactions in the coming weeks. Only time will tell.

The Orioles have yet to make any big trades or signings to help the major league club but Dan Duquette has done very well in improving the bench. Acquiring players like Taylor Teagarden, Matt Antonelli, Ryan Flaherty, and now Chavez will keep there from being a huge drop off when a starter is hurt or gets a day off. Chavez will be a very good fourth outfielder. Hes a great defender at all three outfield positions and can handle the bat. He doesn’t have great power or plate discipline but hits for a good average. Last year with the Texas Rangers he hit .301/.323/.426 with 11 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homeruns, 27 RBI, and 10 stolen bases after being called up from AAA in late May. Chavez batted .305/.353/.445 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homeruns, 17 RBI, and 6 stolen bases with Round Rock. As it stands right now he’ll be the primary back up for Nolan Reimold, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis while getting a little more playing time in left field than the other spots. I don’t think he’ll platoon with Reimold but he’ll most likely get one or two starts a week out there. It remains to be seen whether the Orioles make a big splash this offseason but at least they’re getting the little things right with the depth signings and foray into the international market. Its pretty certain that this team isn’t going to do much in 2012 at this point unless something drastic happens but we can at least be respectable while waiting for the players to develop in the farm system and on the big league level.

This is a confusing trade. Eveland is a guy that was a candidate to be non-tendered, where he would’ve been available to sign for free. There are also plenty of pitchers on the free agent market who profile as a fringe back end starter/long reliever like him. I guess the Orioles saw something they liked enough to give up something for him. During a cup of coffee during September call ups Eveland went 3-2 with a 3.03 ERA over 29.2 innings with 16 strikeouts and 6 walks. For AAA Albuquerque Isotopes he was 12-8 with a 4.38 ERA over 154 innings with 107 strikeouts and 61 walks. That was in the PCL, a very hitter friendly environment. Still I don’t see him as anything other than depth at AAA Norfolk or as a long reliever that can step in and start if we need him. Eveland was once a pretty highly touted prospect in Oakland’s system but has never found much success in the majors and has bounced around quite a bit over the past few years.

At least the Orioles didn’t give up much of anything. Neither of the players going to the Dodgers were even close to making my top 25 prospect list. Jarret Martin has a good fastball and might be decent if/when he moves into the bullpen but hes very wild and inconsistent. For A Delmarva this year he went 5-12 with a 4.96 ERA over 110.2 innings with 97 strikeouts and 65 walks. Henson was a fifth round pick in the 2006 draft but has never put together a great season. Hes a very good athlete but hit only .247/.313/.321 with 18 doubles, three triples, three homeruns, 36 RBI, and nine stolen bases over 449 at bats. These minor deals appear to me as Dan Duquette clearing what he considers filler so he can bring in some of his own guys into the system.

The Orioles have signed 2B/3B Matt Antonelli and Korean RHP Chong Tae-Hyon to major league contracts.

Antonelli is a former first round pick and was once a highly regarded prospect for the San Diego Padres. He gets a one year deal with a chance to be a starter at either second or third base. Most likely he’ll be a solid option off the bench but if Mark Reynolds starts at first base or Brian Roberts isn’t healthy to start the season he has a chance. He has a solid glove and is good at getting on base. He has decent power for a second baseman. Over 300 at bats for AAA Syracuse he batted .297/.393/.460 with 19 doubles, 3 triples, 8 HRs, 30 RBI, and 6 stolen bases. After coming off an excellent 2007 season, he struggled in 2008 including a brief stint in the majors. He battled injuries in 2009 and 2010 before having a bounce back year last season at age 26. I like the signing for bench depth.

Chong is the first South Korean player to get signed directly to the major leagues. Hes 33 years old and pitched for Korea in the World Baseball Classic with some success. He was a late inning reliever with very good stats over there in his career. Last season he had a 1.48 ERA over 52.2 innings with 39 strikeouts and 28 walks. Thats not a great K/BB ratio but hes a groundball pitcher and the year before he had 47 strikeouts and only 8 walks over 45 innings with a 1.40 ERA. Hes a submarine style pitcher that will probably profile as a right handed specialist in the majors. Apparently the deal is for two years for a total of $3 million. I’m not convinced he’ll be a great pitcher in the major leagues but I like the fact that Dan Duquette is taking chances and looking at different avenues for talent. He said he was going to put more emphasis on international talent and so far hes lived up to his word.

Duquette hasn’t been heard from since he was fired by Boston following the 2002 season. He has had success in the past, building a championship caliber team in Montreal before the strike ruined their season in 1994 and putting together most of the 2004 world series winning Red Sox roster before he was fired. He traded for Pedro Martinez twice, signed Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon. He has legitimate credentials and has alot of ties to Japan and South America which is a big need for the Orioles. His style won’t be too much different from MacPhail’s aside from the international market, but he probably won’t be as conservative. I’m just worried his time away from the game will have him playing catch up while other teams are making their moves. The Orioles strung along the process of hiring the new GM in traditional Peter Angelos fashion. Taking forever to get the process started, dragging out the initial interviews. He waited until right before free agency started to offer the job to Toronto assistant GM Tony LaCava, only to have him turn down the job and forcing the O’s to go through the whole process over again. Another one of our candidates, Jerry DiPoto, took the Angels GM job. This team is the biggest joke in baseball and its embarrassing. Duquette seems like a good baseball guy but hes gonna have his work cut out for him working for this organization. If hes allowed to do his job we might have a chance for some good years but I don’t think we’ll ever be truly competitive again until Angelos sells the team. The sooner the better.