George Sherrill

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.-- --The jewel from last month's Erik Bedard trade with the Seattle Mariners is sleek outfielder Adam Jones, and there's no question about that after watching the 22-year-old glide around a diamond. And Chris Tillman, a 19-year-old with a blessed right arm, could end up being the best of the quintet that the Mariners graciously handed over to the Orioles. Pitchers Tony Butler and Kam Mickolio are, in baseball-ese, "projects with high ceilings." The remaining piece from that deal is George Sherrill, the comparative old guy whom Orioles manager Dave Trembley named yesterday as the team's closer.

The Orioles haven't been buyers at baseball's trade deadline in seven years, but that could change this July, executive vice president Dan Duquette says. “We are in contention, so we are going to do whatever we can to make the playoffs,” Duquette told reporters after the Orioles' pre-game “State of the Team” address Saturday afternoon for season-ticket holders at Camden Yards. Duquette said he feels the organization has players in the minors that can assist in a playoff push, but that doesn't mean he won't explore all avenues.

NEW YORK - Of all the 2008 All-Stars, Orioles closer George Sherrill might have taken the most circuitous route here, a non-drafted free agent who spent parts of five seasons in independet leagues before finally getting a chance to play affiliated baseball at age 26. So perhaps it was fitting that his actual trip to the 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game didn't go smoothly, either. Sherrill's Sunday night flight from Boston to New York after the Orioles' first-half finale at Fenway Park was canceled because of inclement weather in New York City.

The Orioles have acquired left-handed minor-league reliever Mike Belfiore from the Diamondbacks as the player to be named later in the Josh Bell trade, the club announced Saturday. The 23-year-old was 0-0 with a 2.37 ERA with 28 strikeouts and just five walks in 19 innings this season with Arizona's high Class-A team in Visalia, Calif. This is the first season in Belfiore's four minor leagie seasons that he's pitching exclusively out of the bullpen. In four minor-league seasons, Belfiore is 9-16 with a 4.05 ERA and 267 strikeouts in 282 2/3 innings Bell, once seen as the Orioles' third baseman of the future, was acquired in July 2009 along with minor league pitcher Steve Johnson in the deadline deal that sent closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

PHILADELPHIA -- George Sherrill never wanted to leave Baltimore. That was his stance back in July, when the Orioles dealt their 32-year-old closer to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two prospects. Ultimately, it was all out of Sherrill's control. So he accepted the move. Learned to embrace it. Now, he ponders it philosophically. "Everything happens for a reason, and maybe this is supposed to be my first shot at the playoffs," Sherrill said before Monday's Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.

NEW YORK - Days ago, when Orioles closer George Sherrill contemplated what it would be like to be part of Major League Baseball's 79th All-Star Game, he figured he would be content with just being there, even if he never made it to the fabled Yankee Stadium mound. "I think the only thing I wouldn't want to do is pitch multiple innings," Sherrill said at the time. "But I don't think they'd ask me to do that." At 2 a.m. yesterday, with an ice pack strapped to his left arm and a smile cemented on his lips, Sherrill sat in the home clubhouse and offered up a delirious laugh when reminded of his earlier comment.

Almost as if he's required to be quirky, given that he's a left-handed reliever and it's practically law, Orioles closer George Sherrill keeps every memo and sheet of paper distributed by the team. Rather than taking a quick glance and tossing them in the nearest trash receptacle, he tapes one edge to the next and hangs them at his locker, creating the impression that he's more interested in saving trees than games. Sherrill has performed this one-man crusade against waste since his days in Winnipeg, where a guy apparently can learn a lot more than how to stay warm and not surrender his dream of pitching in the majors.

If George Sherrill is going to be the Orioles' closer this season, as expected, he will need to do more than keep the bases clean in the ninth inning. He will also need a good entrance song. Closers are known almost as much for their choice of music as for their save totals. Chris Ray chose Marilyn Manson's "Sweet Dreams" at Camden Yards. In Seattle, J.J. Putz always wanted to hear AC/DC's "Thunderstruck." As a setup man with the Mariners, Sherrill didn't always get to play DJ. "I had a White Zombie song in Seattle, and sometimes they'd use it. And sometimes they'd just go with some fan-friendly song," he said.

Josh Bell, once thought to be the club's third baseman of the future, is now an ex-Oriole. The Orioles traded the 25-year-old third baseman to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday for a player to be named later or cash considerations. “We didn't have a meeting of the minds for the player. So we are going to work on that for a short period of time,” said Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette. “It may or may not be a player. We assigned (Bell to Arizona) and it may or may not be a player, it may just be cash considerations.” The Orioles acquired Bell in July 2009 along with minor league pitcher Steve Johnson in the deadline deal that sent closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

SHUT DOWN The Orioles managed just three hits and five base runners in six scoreless innings Tuesday against Washington Nationals starter Shairon Martis. The right-hander, who pitched a no-hitter for the Netherlands in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, allowed two opposite-field singles to Nick Markakis and an infield single to Adam Jones. He also walked Ty Wigginton and hit Ryan Freel. Martis loaded the bases with one out in the fourth but got Orioles designated hitter Matt Wieters to fly out. RAY SHARP AGAIN Reliever Chris Ray continued his strong spring training, pitching a scoreless ninth.

Josh Bell, once thought to be the club's third baseman of the future, is now an ex-Oriole. The Orioles traded the 25-year-old third baseman to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday for a player to be named later or cash considerations. “We didn't have a meeting of the minds for the player. So we are going to work on that for a short period of time,” said Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette. “It may or may not be a player. We assigned (Bell to Arizona) and it may or may not be a player, it may just be cash considerations.” The Orioles acquired Bell in July 2009 along with minor league pitcher Steve Johnson in the deadline deal that sent closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Orioles have claimed catcher Luis Exposito off waivers from the Red Sox, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. To make room for Exposito on the club's 40-man roster, the Orioles have designated third baseman Josh Bell for assignment. The 25-year-old Exposito, who was in major league spring training camp with the Red Sox this season, put up a career .268/.324/.420 line in seven minor league seasons with Boston. He was hitting .200/.273/.400 in 10 at bats this season with Triple-A Pawtucket.

- In need of organizational catching depth, the Orioles claimed catcher Luis Exposito off waivers from the Red Sox, the club announced Tuesday. To make room for Exposito on the club's 40-man roster, the Orioles have designated third baseman Josh Bell for assignment. The Orioles signed Taylor Teagarden in the offseason to be Matt Wieters' backup but he is on the disabled list with back problems. That allowed non-roster invitee Ronny Paulino , who was likely to begin the season at Triple-A, to make the Orioles' 25-man roster out of camp.

More than three years after being traded away together by the Seattle Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones and starting pitcher Chris Tillman had slightly divergent views on the lasting motivation of that move. Jones said he didn't care while Tillman wanted to prove something, and, together, they led the Orioles to a 4-2 victory Wednesday night in front of an announced 11,561 at Camden Yards. "First of all, it was good seeing those guys again, the few that are left," said Tillman, who faced the Mariners for the first time in his career.

The 2011 Hall of Fame ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y., will have some Orioles flavor, regardless of whether former players Roberto Alomar and Rafael Palmeiro are enshrined. Pat Gillick the Orioles' general manager from 1996 to 1998 and the architect of the 1997 team that lost to the Cleveland Indians in the American League Championship Series, was selected by the Baseball Hall of Fame's Expansion Era Committee for 2011 induction. The only one selected by the committee, he beat out the likes of late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and former players union executive Marvin Miller . "I can't tell you what an honor this is," said Gillick, who led the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies to world championships and also was the GM for the Seattle Mariners.

The Orioles have been waiting patiently for top hitting prospect Josh Bell to show the power he demonstrated in the minors. The vigil ended in a big way Saturday afternoon against an unlikely opponent, Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee, one of baseball's top left-handers. Bell homered for the first time in his big league career in the third inning and then again in his next at-bat in the fourth as the Orioles bashed Lee for four homers on their way to an 8-6 win. Bell drove in five runs on two swings after having a total of four RBIs heading into Saturday.

After dealing closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday for two prospects in the club's most significant midseason trade since 2003, Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail had a much calmer afternoon Friday as the nonwaiver trade deadline passed. "Uneventful," MacPhail said. "I would say we only talked to like four or five clubs today. We only had one, something sort of different, come up today and that never really got off the ground, too. It was pretty much as I anticipated it was going to be."

A recap of the Orioles' 3-2 win over the Twins yesterday: Nick the Stick Nick Markakis had two hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, for his 17th multi-hit game this year. The right fielder extended his hitting streak to eight games, a span in which he is batting .406 (13-for-32) and has had five multi-hit games. The home run against Scott Baker was Markakis' fifth in 18 career games against the Twins. Going deep The Orioles were outhit by the Twins 12-7, but they made theirs count.

When the Orioles dealt Miguel Tejada in late July, the primary purpose was to make switch-hitting third baseman Josh Bell the everyday starter, even against tough left-handers, and to see whether the husky 23-year-old could replicate the power stroke he flashed in the minors. Through his first 74 big league at-bats, Bell had no homers and just three extra-base hits, including only one against a lefty. On Saturday, in the Orioles' 8-6 win over the Texas Rangers, Bell rewarded the club's patience by bashing the toughest of southpaws, Rangers ace Cliff Lee, for two homeruns and five RBIs in his first two at-bats.

The July 31 deadline for making trades without sending players through waivers is approaching fast, but you can forgive me if I'm having trouble getting terribly excited about all the attractive possibilities that await the Orioles. That's because the in-season trading cutoffs — both the waiver deadline and Aug. 31 deadline for traded players to be eligible for the postseason — have mostly been used in recent years to dispatch useful players to contending teams that are willing to pick up their salaries and send back a medium prospect or two. This year figures to be no exception.