scott kazmir

Ventura also ignited tension in three straight starts, spanning two weeks, last April.

On the same day that the Orioles expected Dexter Fowler ¿ a 29-year-old who was projected to become the team's starting right fielder and leadoff hitter ¿ to arrive in Sarasota, he was instead in Arizona finalizing a contract with the Cubs.

It was widely reported that Fowler had agreed to terms on a three-year, $33 million deal with the Orioles pending a club physical ¿ news that was confirmed to The Baltimore Sun by a high-level industry source. But on Thursday, Fowler signed a one-year deal to remain with the Chicago Cubs.

With the player they called their priority, slugging first baseman Chris Davis, now officially locked up, Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said the team is still in the market to bolster a pitching staff that many blame for the step backwards in 2015.

Hijacked in years past by rehabbing major league stars, free-agent rumors and veterans on tryouts, this year's edition of the Orioles' January minicamp seems to be more focused on its core purpose: getting a look at the stock of young, up-and-coming arms in the organization.

When this week began ¿ and the hot-stove season resumed after the holiday break ¿ I thought it would end with a little more clarity about the Orioles¿ chances of re-signing first baseman Chris Davis.

Amid the wildly-flowing dollars and multi-year commitments that exist every offseason during free agency, the Orioles aren't afraid of signing players to a one-year deal.

Another day came and went Monday with no new news on the Chris Davis front. And we are also still waiting for South Korean outfielder Hyun-soo Kim's deal to be announced.

The Orioles stood by their reported seven-year, $150 million offer to Davis on Thursday, according to an industry source.

There aren't many lefty starting options in free agency besides David Price and Wei-Yin Chen

Sometimes you need a little luck to make the postseason. And as the Orioles battle for a playoff spot with the final third of the season getting under way, it seems they have developed a knack for missing opposing teams' aces.

The Orioles' weekend series against the Oakland Athletics served as a barometer for a club that has had its share of ups and downs during the season.

The Orioles traded Jim Johnson so they could use his projected salary elsewhere. But they won't have much left if they buy another closer.

The Orioles' 7-3 victory over featured one ridiculously weird inning that included an out that wasn't, a safe baserunner who jogged off the field, and the end of Manny Machado's consecutive-innings streak due to an ejection by an umpire making his big league debut behind the plate.

If there was one thing Orioles fans were accustomed to since last August, it was the presence of Manny Machado manning third base. Since his call-up on Aug, 9, 2012, Machado had played every possible inning of every game with the Orioles.

Johnson, who hadn't blown a save since May 26 in Toronto, walked off the mound to boos from some in the announced crowd of 18,082 that had braved a rain delay of 1 hour and 6 minutes before the first pitch on a sticky and soggy Baltimore night.

While the Orioles offense struggled for most of Wednesday night¿s 4-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians, third baseman Manny Machado once again provided a spark in a performance that started stagnant.

Through six innings Wednesday night, Cleveland Indians left-hander Scott Kazmir looked like the pitcher that posted an ERA of 3.77 or less for four straight seasons for Tampa Bay in the mid-2000s.

One of the teams the Orioles had to outlast to make the playoffs last season was the Tampa Bay Rays, and on Sunday night, the Rays made one of the biggest trades of the offseason.