40 Man Roster

In the Rule 5 draft, the Orioles selected Ryan Flaherty, a left-handed hitting infielder/outfielder from the Chicago Cubs roster. The 25-year-old was a first-round sandwich pick in 2008 (41 st overall) and batted .280 with 19 homers combined at Double-A and Triple-A. He is from Portland, Maine, and played at Vanderbilt. “Ryan is a high draft pick from an excellent college program, and we really like his bat," Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said.

Adam Loewen said he's not as emotional this weekend as he was Wednesday, when he made his debut as an outfielder for the Toronto Blue Jays — more than three years after he pitched his final game for the Orioles. But he's not acting like facing his old club is routine. "I came up with the Orioles. I still watch a lot of their games because I am pretty much a fan of the Orioles. I was drafted by them, I know all the guys. I know the awesome people in the organization that are running it now," Loewen, the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft who never realized his pitching potential because of injuries, said Friday.

Before meeting with the Baltimore media for the first time Wednesday, Dylan Bundy was every bit an 18-year-old as an Orioles media relations staffer helped him button his shirt sleeves. But after the team's first-round pick in June's amateur draft was officially introduced, the right-hander made it clear that he is ready to roll up those sleeves and get to work. Bundy, who agreed to a guaranteed $6.25 million major league contract on Aug. 15, said he is excited to get back on the mound after spending most of the summer in a holding pattern as he and his agent negotiated with the Orioles.

The first play J.J. Hardy had to make in his rehabilitation assignment for Triple-A Norfolk last Friday was a hard grounder up the middle that forced the shortstop to stretch to get the ball and make an off-balance throw. "If there were any question about his health, that would have [told us something]," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Hardy, who was activated from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, was back in the Orioles' lineup for the first time since April 9, when he strained his left oblique while taking a swing in the second game of a doubleheader against the Texas Rangers.

Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon was denied bail Tuesday and remains in a Dominican Republic prison as the chief suspect in the New Year's Day shooting death of his cousin. Tuesday's decision by a Dominican judge will be appealed, but it virtually guarantees that the 29-year-old right-hander will not be in Sarasota, Fla., when Orioles' pitchers and catchers are expected to report Feb. 14. The Orioles have not commented on Simon's situation since he was named as a suspect and subsequently turned himself in to authorities two days after 25-year-old Michael Esteban Castillo Almonte, Simon's cousin, was shot dead after a New Year's celebration in the resort town of Luperon.

The Orioles on Friday added three prospects to their 40-man roster, including their minor league pitcher and player of the year, but did not protect 2006 first-round pick Billy Rowell. That means that Rowell, a 22-year-old infielder who was picked ninth overall in 2006, one slot ahead of two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, will be available to other teams in next month's Rule 5 draft. However, it's unlikely that Rowell will be picked as Rule 5 selections have to be kept on the acquiring team's 25-man roster for the entire season or be offered back to their original club.

Reliever Dennis Sarfate joined the Orioles before the 2008 season as part of the Miguel Tejada trade with the Houston Astros, and now he looks to be the odd man out as Tejada returns to the club. To make room on the 40-man roster for Tejada, who was signed to a one-year deal Tuesday to play third base, the Orioles on Wednesday designated Sarfate for assignment, meaning the club has 10 days to trade or release him or put him on waivers. "I'm a little hurt, not really hurt, but disappointed," said Sarfate, who was 0-1 with a 5.09 ERA in 20 games for the Orioles last year.

The Baltimore Orioles have added second baseman Mike Fontenot and catcher Eli Whiteside to the 40-man major league roster, the team announced today. Also, LHP Ryan Hannaman has been sent outright to AAA Ottawa. Fontenot, the Orioles' first pick in the 2001 draft, batted .279 with 8 home runs and 49 RBI for AAA Ottawa last season. He led the International League with 10 triples and led the Lynx with 220 total bases. Whiteside, the Orioles' 6th pick in the 2001 draft, hit .253 with 18 homers and 60 RBI at AA Bowie and was selected to play in the Eastern League All-Star Game.

Minus four members of last seasonM-vs team and $4 million in severance, the Orioles yesterday completed the grinding task of constructing their 40-man roster. This time they added rather than deleted by promoting four valued pitchers and their most prized position prospect. Pitchers Steve Bechler, Erik Bedard, Mike Paradis and John Stephens plus 20-year-old shortstop Ed Rogers joined the major-league roster for the first time, leaving the Orioles with 22 pitchers, three catchers and 15 other position players on a list submitted yesterday to the commissioner's office.

The Orioles finalized their 40-man roster yesterday by promoting five of their own while fostering questions over the omission of one of their most highly regarded prospects. After releasing veteran outfielder Brady Anderson, outrighting utility player Mike Kinkade and allowing relievers Ryan Kohlmeier and Chad Paronto to be claimed through waivers, the Orioles replaced them on the major-league roster with pitchers Erik Bedard, John Stephens, Mike Paradis and Steve Bechler along with prize shortstop Ed Rogers.