With shortstop Deivi Cruz still representing the only significant addition to the Orioles' roster since the season ended, club officials continue to engage in talks that could bring them another player through free agency or a trade.

Club officials haven't made any contract offers since losing out last week on outfielders Hideki Matsui and Cliff Floyd. Matsui bolted the Japanese League to sign with the New York Yankees, and Floyd accepted a four-year offer from the New York Mets.

So where does this leave the Orioles?

They're working the phones through the holidays while attempting to acquire a hitter for the middle of their lineup, but concede that it's unlikely they'll finalize any deals before the new year. Jim Beattie, executive vice president of baseball operations, has spoken with the agent for outfielder Jose Cruz, who wasn't offered arbitration by the Toronto Blue Jays. Other discussions have taken place, as well, while the Orioles compile a list of available players, check on health issues and rank the candidates.

"We haven't made any offers, but we've talked to a ton of free agents," said Mike Flanagan, vice president of baseball operations. "We've talked to a lot of agents for the non-tendered people, so we're exploring those avenues, doing homework on how they would fit in here, and then decide who we'll make a play for."

Some discussions have been put on hold because certain agents couldn't be reached this week.

"It's unpredictable because you don't know when certain people are going to be able to get back to you. It could heat up quickly. I don't anticipate that today or tomorrow or maybe even before New Year's, but it's possible. You just don't know when they're going to get back to you and how anxious they are to get something done," Flanagan said.

"We're looking at pitching and we're looking at hitting at the same time. There may be a possibility of doing something that may involve both, or shopping one place for a bat to maybe get an arm later. There are different layers. A lot of it is a chain reaction."

The Orioles have a surplus of first basemen/designated hitters, and any trades would involve at least one of them, and possibly a starting pitcher. Jason Johnson's name surfaced during the winter meetings, and Sidney Ponson can become a free agent after the 2003 season.

It's also still possible that the Orioles will sign free-agent catcher Ivan Rodriguez. They haven't spoken with his agent, Jeff Moorad, since making an offer believed to total around $18 million over three years. Moorad hinted that the 10-time Gold Glove winner, seeking around $11 million per season, could play in Japan this season -a threat that's not being taken seriously within the industry.

"We're just going to wait," Flanagan said. "My guess is they're going to sort of regroup and we'll see what happens. I'm sure [Moorad] told Pudge to think about it over the holidays. Right now they have the ball." Flanagan also indicated that the club will begin interviewing candidates, both inside and outside the organization, after Jan. 1 to replace farm director Don Buford.

"We have compiled a list of names," Flanagan said. "We feel we have it covered for the moment. There's nothing urgently pressing to make the change."