Kam Mickolio

It's time for the games to begin. The Orioles open the exhibition season on Wednesday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays in what will be the O's' Grapefruit League debut as the permanent spring resident at Ed Smith Stadium. "Everybody is anxious to get the spring training games under way," said manager Dave Trembley. Jeremy Guthrie will take the mound for the O's against Tampa Bay's James Shields. Newly signed left-hander Will Ohman and right-hander Matt Albers also are scheduled to pitch for the Orioles, along with several other unannounced relievers.

As Erik Bedard passed his physical and finalized an incentive-laden, one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, his agent confirmed that the left-handed pitcher gave plenty of thought about a reunion with the Orioles. "He was seriously considering it," Mark Pieper said. "Baltimore is one of the teams that we went pretty far in our discussions with. They were one of the finalists." Bedard, who had left shoulder surgery in August and won't be ready for the start of the season, agreed to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with an $8 million mutual option for 2011.

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.

Adam Loewen predicted yesterday that one of his best friends in baseball will win 20 games this season. It just won't happen with the Orioles. And like many of his teammates, Loewen understands why it has to be this way. A rebuilding club eventually gets back in a pennant race by making trades that will improve it in the long run. For the Orioles, that meant sending No. 1 starter Erik Bedard to the Seattle Mariners for center fielder Adam Jones, reliever...

Michael Gonzalez, whom the Orioles signed to a two-year, $12 million contract this winter to be their closer, has been placed on the disabled list with a strained left shoulder after three shaky outings -- an injury the club thinks is new despite Gonzalez's troubles this spring. "I asked him how long this has been going on, and he said his shoulder has been bothering him the last couple days," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "That's the answer that I got from Mike, so that's where I take it."

Hitless in his past 14 at-bats, Mark Reynolds was held out of the starting lineup Wednesday night for the first time this season, but Orioles manager Buck Showalter said there are no plans for the slumping third baseman to sit for an extended stretch. "We've considered it," Showalter said. "Obviously, we're doing it today. You kind of look what the other options are, and right now, we're giving him a day not starting. We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm going to have a conversation with him between now and game time and get another feel for where he is. He's a 27-year-old man. This is not some guy who has been playing in the big leagues for 100 years.

The Orioles knew all the drawbacks. Mark Reynolds batted just .198 last season for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has struck 200 times in each of the past three seasons, while no other player has done it once in the history of baseball. In 26 career games against American League East teams, including the Orioles, Reynolds is 10-for-67 (.149) with one homer, seven RBIs and 33 strikeouts. However, the Orioles ultimately decided that those inadequacies were well worth adding his power to the middle of their order, and Monday they acquired the slugging third baseman from the Diamondbacks for relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio.

Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard remained at home in Ontario last night, an indication his trade to the Seattle Mariners for five players remains a day or two away from completion. Bedard will have to travel to Seattle to take a physical before the deal, which would send center fielder Adam Jones, relief pitcher George Sherrill and three pitching prospects to the Orioles for the ace left-hander, becomes official. The Orioles had Jones and Sherrill in for physicals Monday and spent part of yesterday reviewing the results.

It remains to be seen how good the Orioles' pitching staff will be this year, but they sure have the makings of a heck of a Division I basketball team. Nine pitchers in camp are 6 feet 5 or taller, and four others are 6-4. Asked whether he has seen so much size in one place before, Orioles starter Adam Loewen said: "I saw it in Jurassic Park. I don't know, maybe we're playing the wrong sport." With that in mind, Loewen, who is 6-6, was asked who would be in his starting lineup if he were coaching the Orioles' basketball team.

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.