alex rodriguez

Never and I chatted about a lot of things Wednesday, from Adam Jones, Matt Wieters and the talented young pitching staff to the Buck Showalter effect and the blueprint for winning in the AL East. Neyer also gave his outlook for the Orioles in 2011, though my headline kind of spoils the big finish.

Looking ahead to the 2011 season, ESPN's Buster Olney thinks your Baltimore Orioles are the most intriguing team in the AL East, which is significant considering the Red Sox overhaul, the Yankees' Cliff-Lee-less rotation and the changes down in Tampa Bay.

Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said on Thursday that the A-Rod deal with Texas was the worst in baseball history. ... The Orioles agreed on a one-year deal with controversial slugger Luke Scott, meaning starter Jeremy Guthrie is the team's lone arbitration-eligible player left. ... Maryland has offered its defensive coordinator job to Randy Shannon, and the former Miami head coach has indicated he wants the gig. ... The Ravens have re-signed fullback Jason McKie.