Baltimore Orioles Wiretap

Orioles Send Wieters To Triple-A To Delay Free Agent Clock

The Orioles told top prospect Matt Wieters on Thursday that he will be reassigned to the Triple-A Norfolk roster effective Monday.

Manager Dave Trembley met with Wieters after Thursday's exhibition loss to the Florida Marlins and informed him of the club's plans, but the assignment is not yet official. Wieters will remain with the team over the weekend and is scheduled to accompany the Orioles to Jupiter for Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.

"It's fun up here," he said. "It's fun wherever you are, but it's even more fun up here. I'm excited to be playing in Norfolk. It's a different level of competition for me. I just want to go there and work hard and get back as soon as possible."

Wieters needs to stay in the minors for the first 12 days of the regular season to keep the free-agent clock ticking for an extra year, but team officials have indicated he'll probably play at Norfolk for a month or two.

Many have considered Wieters the best player in Baltimore's camp this spring.

Click here to view RealGM's prospect page on Matt Wieters.

Via Baltimore Sun

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Angelos: O's Will Spend When They Contend

Orioles owner Peter Angelos says that the team is planning to make a push in the free agent market around the 2011 season, when the team expects to contend.

Angelos also commended the job Andy MacPhail has done since MacPhail took over as president of baseball operations.

"I think Andy has done a great job," Angelos said. "If we can maintain that impetus, things can be pretty good. I don't know about this year, but next year and the year after we have high hopes for."

Via Baltimore Sun

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Ponson Still Hoping To Sign With New Team

Sidney Ponson, who is playing for the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic, is still hoping to sign on with a Major League team for this season.

Ponson, however, is still receiving checks from a Major League team.

Ponson and the Orioles reached a settlement on Dec. 17 of a grievance stemming from his 2005 release. The amount of the settlement is unknown, and Ponson believed that team owed him about $10.1 million.

Via ESPN

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