Where are the long-term contract negotiations with Brian Roberts, and how do you want to see this work out?
Our first preference, our second preference and our third preference would be that we're able to reach a settlement that would be satisfactory to Brian and still gives the club latitude to have good players around him.
Where will Matt Wieters start the season?
I think it's best to remember that Matt has had only one full professional year of playing experience. He has only 200 or something at-bats in Double-A. In all likelihood, he will start the year at [Triple-A] Norfolk. That's a pretty good jump for him. Then I think how he does, and how our catching is doing here, would be a determination when and if he comes up over the course of the 2009 season. Based on his past performance, I would suspect that he would get here sometime [in 2009], but the exact date, I don't know.
SPRING TRAINING
MORE COVERAGE
Tomorrow: 2009's major national stories.
Sunday: 10 questions for the Orioles and a roster analysis.
key dates
Tomorrow: Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Sunday: First workout for pitchers and catchers
Wednesday: Position players report to Fort Lauderdale
Thursday: First full-team workout
Feb. 25: First Grapefruit League game, vs. Mets at Fort Lauderdale Stadium, 1:05 p.m.
April 3: Exhibition, Orioles vs. Nationals in Norfolk, Va., 3:30 p.m.
April 4: FanFest at Camden Yards, 10:30 a.m.; exhibition, Orioles vs. Nationals at Nationals Park, 6:05 p.m.
April 6: Opening Day, Yankees at Orioles, 4:05 p.m.
