Baltimore
Orioles

News: Waters was designated for assignment on Friday, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Impact: Waters had a 4.49 ERA in 29 games with Triple-A Norfolk, and a 5.40 ERA in five games with the Orioles during the 2009 season. 

News: Tatum was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Friday, the Baltimore Sun reports.
Impact: Tatum had a rather dismal season at the plate for Triple-A Louisville and in 26 games with the Reds last season. The 2004 third-round pick is a strong defensive catcher, and should get a shot to back up Matt Wieters during the 2010 season. 

News: Mickolio (arm) has been removed from the DL.
Impact: The Orioles are looking internally for potential closers, so Mickolio has a chance at picking up some saves in 2010 depending on how things unfold. Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara and Chris Ray are also in the mix for the job, but Mickolio has the arsenal to work the ninth inning if he continues to improve. More than likely, he'll have to work his way up the ladder and start the season in middle relief. 

News: Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports that catcher Craig Tatum has been claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
Impact: He had been a Red. Tatum hit .162 in 68 at-bats for Cincinnati last season. He could serve as Baltimore's back-up behind Matt Wieters in 2010.  

News: Jones (ankle) has been removed from the 60-day DL.
Impact: He's expected to be 100 percent healthy for the start of spring training. Jones made significant strides during his second full season in Baltimore with a .277/.335/.457 line in 119 games. In addition to showing a good combination of power and speed (19 HR, 10 SB), Jones was one of the league's best defensive center fielders in 2009. 

News: Uehara (elbow) has been activated from the 60-day DL.
Impact: His name has surfaced as a potential option to save games this season as the Orioles have a vacancy in the ninth inning. Uehara wasn't missing many bats as a starter, but he does have experience in the closer's role back in Japan, so it will be interesting to see if he can pitch his way into the mix for saves since the rotation seems unlikely after his injury-plagued rookie season in 2009. 

News: The Orioles outrighted Lambert off their 40-man roster.
Impact: This wasn't a huge surprise, as Lambert was just a late-season fill-in castoff from the Tigers. 

News: Jones (ankle) says he will begin his off-season workouts on November 30, MASN Sports reports.
Impact: Jones just won a gold glove but lost a tiebreaker for super two status, meaning his salary probably won't be negotiated until after the 2010 season. His badly sprained ankle that ruined the last month of 2009 should not be an issue for 2010. 

News: Bergesen (shin) will begin running this week and he expects to be 100 percent for spring training, MASN Sports reports.
Impact: To say Bergesen's injury has lingered is an understatement. Bergesen was originally expected to return from his July 30 injury as soon as we was eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list. A little over a month later, his season was lost when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Still, more than six months of recovery should be plenty for an injury that didn't require surgery. 

News: Reimold had successful surgery on his left Achilles and he is resuming normal off-season workout routines, MASN Sports reports.
Impact: This is good news for Reimold, who is pain free and 100% going into spring training. 

News: Hernandez signed a minor league deal with the Orioles.
Impact: He'll likely compete for the backup catcher spot in Tampa Bay behind Matt Wieters during spring training. Hernandez was bumped in Tampa Bay when the Rays acquired Gregg Zaun in August. 

News: Erbe is leaving the Arizona Fall League after jamming his finger, MASN Sports reports.
Impact: He's done for the fall, after pitching well in the AFL with a 9:2 K:BB ratio and just eight hits allowed (2.00 ERA) in nine innings over three starts. Erbe remains one of many promising young arms developing in the Orioles' system, but a mid-to-late 2010 promotion looks like the earliest possible arrival for him after he was limited to 86.2 innings in 2009 between Aberdeen (New York-Penn League) and Double-A Bowie. 

News: Snyder hit .354/.456/.600 with three homers and 18 RBI in 65 at-bats during the Arizona Fall League.
Impact: He's heading home a little bit early because of a wedding, so Snyder's season is over. Given the Orioles' lack of permanent solution at first base heading into the winter meetings, it will be interesting to see if the Orioles give Snyder a chance to earn the job during spring training. He only had 262 at-bats at Triple-A in 2009 and the results -- .248/.316/.355 -- suggest that he could use a bit more seasoning before getting the call to the big club. 

News: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that the Baltimore Orioles have claimed pitcher Armando Gabino off waivers from the Twins. Gabino made one start and one relief appearance for the Twins this season.
Impact: Gabino finished the 2009 season with a 17.18 ERA at the major league level, but he did only have two appearances for the Twins. He went 6-4 with a 2.94 ERA in Triple-A, so he should be able to pitch at the major league level in the future. 

News: Hendrickson has filed for free agency.
Impact: The Orioles are interested in bringing him back, but he has more value out of the bullpen than as a starter. After moving to the bullpen, Hendrickson went 4-0 with a 3.44 ERA and 37:14 K:BB ratio in 55 innings this season. As the organization's young pitchers continue to develop, it will become increasingly unnecessary for the Orioles to expect five or six innings from Hendrickson every fifth day. 

News: Baez has filed for free agency.
Impact: It's possible that he'll return to Baltimore, but Baez's experience as a closer and improved numbers in 2009 could lead him to get a better offer elsewhere. More than likely, he won't be signed as an option to work the ninth inning, but Baez is capable of temporarily holding that role if needed. 

News: Uehara will miss the rest of the season because of a right elbow injury that has sidelined him since June. Uehara had been trying to rehab his elbow in time to return to the Orioles this month as a reliever, a role he could fill next year.
Impact: The team hoped he would be able to face hitters in a simulated game this weekend in New York, but manager Dave Trembley said the right-hander felt he wasn't ready and asked for another week off. Trembley said the Orioles figured that wouldn't leave enough time to get Uehara back this season, so they took a cautious approach and decided to shut him down. 

News: According to the Orioles' official Web site, Bergesen is done for the season. Bergesen had been attempting to return from a bruised left shin and wasn't progressing as quickly as the team would've liked.
Impact: Bergesen went 7-5 with a 3.43 ERA in 19 starts for Baltimore, an dhe probably wouldn't have been able to make it back until the last week of the season, prompting the team to end his year early. 

News: The Baltimore Orioles placed Jones on the 60-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle, ending his season.
Impact: Jones batted .277 with 19 homers and 70 RBIs. He made the All-Star team this season for the first time. 

News: According to the Baltimore Sun, left-hander Rich Hill has become a free agent after being outrighted by the Orioles on Tuesday night.
Impact: Hill, once a highly-touted minor league arm, has yet to impress consistently at the major league level. He had a breakout year in 2007, but struggled with his control in 2008 and never seemed to regain it. He took his lumps with the Orioles after being shipped out by the Cubs and now is a free agent who is out of options. The Orioles remain interested, as he still has potential hidden in that body somewhere, but he still has a lot of things to work out and is coming off of labrum surgery. If the O's don't snatch him up, expect San Diego, Seattle or Boston to give him a look as a low-risk reclamation project. 

News: Fiorentino refused an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and opted for free agency, MASN Sports reports.
Impact: He could wind up serving a bench role elsewhere, but Fiorentino may have to take a minor league deal or a non-roster invitation to spring training in order to compete for a roster spot. 

News: Hill (shoulder) refused his assignment to Triple-A and became a free agent, MASN Sports reports.
Impact: A reunion with the Orioles is possible, but Hill is going to test the free-agent waters to see if there's a better opportunity for him elsewhere. He's struggled to stay healthy over the last two seasons, posting a 61:58 K:BB ratio in 77.1 innings between the Cubs and Orioles around mixed results at Triple-A. 

News: Fiorentino has been outrighted and removed from the 40-man roster, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Impact: Fiorentino has passed through waivers, but he has the option of declining the assignment and becoming a free agent. 

News: McCrory (shoulder) has been outrighted and removed from the 40-man roster, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Impact: McCrory's late September shoulder surgery on his torn labrum puts his availability for the start of next season in question. 

News: Simon has been outrighted and removed from the 40-man roster, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Impact: Simon had season ending elbow surgery last April. He's successfully passed through waivers, but he has the option of refusing assignment and become a free agent. 

News: Hill has been outrighted and removed from the 40-man roster, reports the Baltimore Sun.
Impact: Hill passed through waivers, but has the option of declining the assignment to the minors and becoming a free agent. With his surgery this past August, Hill's arm unlikely to be ready before the start of next season. 

News: Simon will undergo season-ending elbow ligament replacement surgery, a disappointing blow for both the pitcher and a team with a thin starting rotation.
Impact: Simon was pitching in the Mexican League before signing with Baltimore last August. He enjoyed a fine spring training and began the 2009 season as the No. 3 man in the rotation, but Simon pitched only 6 1-3 innings before experiencing discomfort in his right elbow. He was forced to leave the game after pitching 1 1-3 innings in his second start in Texas, and it was ultimately determined Simon needed surgery to repair his damaged right elbow. 

News: Hill has had season-ending shoulder surgery.
Impact: Hill is expected to resume throwing by spring training. He went on the disabled list for the second time on July 29 with what the Orioles called ``left shoulder inflammation.'' At the time, Hill said he'd been pitching with a torn labrum. Hill first went on the DL March 29, returning May 16. He was 3-3 with a 7.80 ERA in 14 games. 

News: The Orioles declined their 2010 option on Moeller, making him a free agent.
Impact: They'll look elsewhere for a veteran to work behind Matt Wieters, although Moeller could return to Triple-A Norfolk as organizational depth if the Orioles decide to offer him a minor league deal. 

News: The Orioles also declined their $850,000 option on Moeller on Thursday.
Impact: The Orioles are counting on a big year from youngster Matt Wieters so Moeller was expendable. 

News: The Orioles have declined their $8 million option on Mora, allowing Baltimore's longest-tenured player to become eligible for free agency.
Impact: Mora, 37, came to the Orioles in a 2000 trade with the New York Mets. He played 1,256 games for Baltimore, including 807 at third base - the second-most in franchise history behind Brooks Robinson. 

News: The Orioles have declined their $8 million option on Mora, which will allow him to become eligible for free agency, the Associated Press reports.
Impact: Mora has likely played his last game as an Oriole, and will probably try to latch on with a contender as the sunset of his career approaches. 

News: The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Orioles have declined the 2010 option on third baseman Melvin Mora. This move will likely end Mora's nine-year tenure with the franchise.
Impact: The O's opted to pay Mora a $1 million buyout instead of exercising the $8 million option. He is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, but he should be able to find a job elsewhere next season, if only as a utility man.