Minor League

The wait on Jair Jurrjens is finally over. Three weeks after the right-hander reportedly agreed to a major league deal with the Orioles, the club announced Friday night that it has instead signed Jurrjens to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training. Jurrjens, 27, is expected to arrive in camp Saturday, in time for the team's first full-squad workout of the spring. According to sources, Jurrjens and the Orioles agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million major league deal (with $2.5 million more available in bonuses)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter made it clear Tuesday that top pitching prospects Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman are part of the club's major league plans by late 2013. Meeting with the media on the day pitchers and catchers reported to camp, Showalter said both Bundy and Gausman will make starts with the big league team in spring training. Both are likely earmarked to begin the season at Double-A Bowie, but the Orioles intend to get a long look at their past two first-round picks this spring.

A few days ago, I wrote about the goings-on in Sarasota and how some players are already working out with Double-A Bowie manager Gary Kendall. There will be more to come once minor league minicamp opens at the Twin Lakes Complex in less than two weeks. Now we have a list of minor leaguers who will be attending the organization's minicamp, which is slated to begin Feb. 18. It will include some of team's top draft picks in last season's draft: Second-rounder Branden Kline, third-rounder Adrian Marin and fourth-rounder Christian Walker.

In case you missed it last night, Orioles utility man Danny Valencia was linked to a now-defunct South Florida clinic, Biogenesis, that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs to Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez, among others. In a report that came out Tuesday night, Yahoo Sports had documents from the clinic that include Valencia's name, though the list doesn't connect Valencia to any specific performance-enhancing drug. On a national scope, Valencia, who is with his third organization since the beginning of the 2012 season, is a footnote.

The Orioles have claimed first baseman/outfielder Russ Canzler off waivers and designated catcher Luis Martinez for assignment to make room for him on the team's 40-man roster, the club announced Tuesday. The organization had interest in claiming the 26-year-old Canzler earlier this offseason - this was the fourth time he was placed on waivers since the end of last season - but the Orioles were never previously high enough on the waivers list to snag him. The Yankees designated Canzler for assignment Friday to make room for Travis Hafner.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter leaves for spring training today, a week before pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota, Fla., on Feb. 12. Expect everything to be set up exactly to Showalter's liking by that date. He ignores no detail, especially when it comes to the team's spring training set up. But Sarasota is already buzzing with activity. About 23 players in the organization are already training there. They're being overseen by Double-A Bowie manager Gary Kendall. Players are beginning to flow into the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

The Orioles have added two veterans to minor league deals - and both are pitchers they know fairly well. The club has agreed to terms with lefty Mark Hendrickson and right-hander Joel Pineiro, according to industry sources. Pineiro, 34, pitched in five games in the Orioles organization in 2012, three for the Gulf Coast League Orioles and then two at Triple-A Norfolk before having season-ending right labrum surgery in July. The veteran is 104-93 with a 4.41 career ERA in 335 big league games over a 12-season career, including seven seasons with the Seattle Mariners.

When Dan Duquette was introduced as the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations last offseason, he made it clear that he wanted to focus on scouting and signing local talent. The Orioles' latest scouting addition will help those efforts. Duquette has hired Frank Kolarek to scout the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Maryland. He will join longtime local scout Dean Albany in the region. “He likes the Orioles and likes baseball,” Duquette said of Kolarek.

Jair Jurrjens said late last week that he didn't expect he'd have his physical in Baltimore until at least mid-week. I am being told it likely will be Thursday and could bleed into Friday before an announcement is made. Nothing unusual there. Jurrjens agreed to terms on a one-year, major league deal last week and will compete for a rotation spot. He has minor league options remaining, so he can be sent down if he doesn't make the big league club. The Orioles have signed another outfielder with major league experience to a minor league deal.