Trade

After Rick Calvert started a political blog two years ago, he was startled when other Web logs, including some well-known ones, began linking to his within just a few weeks. He was even more stunned when he called to interview the journalist Fred Barnes about his biography of President Bush and Barnes was available, eager to chat. Then other publishers began sending Calvert their books for him to review. Calvert marveled at the ease of blogging and the authority it bestowed. To think he got into to it mostly to do something smarter with his spare time than play video games.

Though Orioles officials will be busy this week, it would be a major surprise if they pulled off a trade. It's just not expected to happen this soon. But stay tuned. Maybe someone will overwhelm them. I should run a poll asking what you think will happen to Jay Gibbons, since so many people are asking me - and I honestly don't know. I'm sure the Orioles don't want to eat his contract, but that would be choice No. 1. They could attempt to trade him for an equally bad contract (No. 2), or keep him and hope that he stays healthy and has a productive season as a left-handed designated hitter and pinch hitter.

Trying to add an impact bat before last year's trade deadline, the Los Angeles Angels called the Orioles and started negotiating a trade that they hoped would land Miguel Tejada. But Tejada didn't want to move from shortstop to third base for the Angels and Orioles owner Peter Angelos didn't want to trade his franchise player, so the talks stalled. The Angels still haven't found that dynamic offensive player to protect superstar Vladimir Guerrero in a lineup that has been one of the least productive in the American League this season.

Miguel Tejada's four-year tenure with the Orioles, marked by All-Star play, trade demands and a lot more losses than he wanted, ended yesterday when the club dealt him to the Houston Astros for five players. The move was the strongest sign yet that president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail is seeking a sweeping rebuild after 10 straight losing seasons. In exchange, the Orioles received outfielder Luke Scott, pitching prospects Troy Patton, Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate, and power-hitting third base prospect Michael Costanzo.

The spirit of Teddy Roosevelt is back in Latin America, and it's not a pretty sight. Despite repeatedly warning against the pitfalls of turning away from our own hemisphere, Congress is nonetheless rapidly lining up behind an updated version of Roosevelt's credo, urging the United States to "speak loudly and carry a whip." Exhibit A: the trade agenda. President Bush's power to "fast-track" trade deals has expired, without much hope for renewal before 2009. The current round of World Trade Organization talks is moribund, thus killing any possibility for a revival of Free Trade Area of the Americas negotiations.

PHILADELPHIA -- He might be painful to watch. He might drive his manager crazy. But Juan Guzman is starting to look like the Juan Guzman of 1998, which is to say, a pitcher who would be desirable to a contender in a trade.Don't look now, but Guzman's 4-7 record and 4.31 earned-run average compare favorably with his 6-12 mark and 4.41 ERA when the Orioles acquired him for Triple A right-hander Nerio Rodriguez last July 31.Guzman was his usual self last night, throwing 125 pitches in six innings, pitching with men in scoring position five times, issuing seven walks.

More certain than whether the Orioles can discover at least four wins and Cal Ripken's 400th home run against the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics on their six-game road swing is that they will return much if not entirely the same as when they boarded a charter Thursday.General manager Frank Wren never promised a midseason overhaul. Indeed, he suggested otherwise as recently as Monday.Wren said he has scripted an extended vision for a club that has typically been constructed around each year's free-agent pool.

Trade flowing from the opening of China could take a while to reach Maryland, but state business leaders yesterday expressed optimism about the new agreement."

PARIS -- The recent forced resignation of the entire European Commission has delighted enemies of a United Europe in Britain and elsewhere. It has also produced a certain satisfaction in U.S. official circles.The European Union has been weakened just when a series of important conflicts with Washington approaches a climax. One is the useless and destructive "banana war," which has produced a retaliatory European complaint to the World Trade Organization against the so-called "super 301" provision in U.S. law that requires unilateral reprisal for perceived trade discrimination.

LAS VEGAS -- More than 200,000 computer geeks spent last week ogling the latest high-tech hardware and rubbing shoulders with industry luminaries including Microsoft's chairman, Bill Gates. The event was Comdex, the world's largest computer trade show.A few blocks from Comdex, inside a threadbare conference room at the Imperial Palace hotel and casino, another hot technology trade show was under way. And it too was drawing techies looking to ogle hardware and rub shoulders with industry luminaries.

NEW YORK -- President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said this week that he would like to add an impact bat to the Orioles' lineup for the 2010 season. He just has no plans to part with any of the organization's top prospects in order to do so. "Personally, I don't see us giving up any key building blocks going forward at this stage of the game," MacPhail said. "I'm pretty optimistic that we're going to be able to acquire guys that are going to be meaningful improvements for us without having to sacrifice key guys."

It has been a disappointing season for Cleveland, which never was in the race and opted to trade many of its veterans for young talent. Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee and All-Star catcher Victor Martinez were the Indians' most significant trades, but the team also jettisoned Mark DeRosa, Ben Francisco, Carl Pavano, Rafael Betancourt and Ryan Garko in deals. Still, the Indians have played much better recently and enter tonight's series opener with 20 wins in their past 34 games and eight series victories over the past 11. Slick-fielding shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .315, including a .338 average since the All-Star break.

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."

Closer George Sherrill, whose flat-brimmed cap and ninth-inning tightrope act made him a fan and club favorite in his two seasons in Baltimore, was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday for two minor leaguers, including the son of a former Orioles pitcher. Furthering his desire to rebuild the Orioles' once-barren farm system, club president Andy MacPhail swapped Sherrill for switch-hitting Double-A third baseman Josh Bell, the Dodgers' eighth-ranked prospect according to Baseball America, and right-handed starter Steve Johnson, a 2005 St. Paul's graduate and the son of former Orioles right-hander and current MASN broadcaster Dave Johnson.

Joe Fitzpatrick has thought about replacing his 13-year-old Buick for months, but might hold off a little longer to take advantage of a new government program that will give him as much as $4,500 to trade in an aging gas-guzzler for a new, more fuel-efficient ride. The cash incentive means the Towson resident, who is 62, will likely add some extra features to his new car like a navigation system, Bluetooth communication system or heated seats. "More gingerbread on it," he says. Congress created a "cash for clunkers" program last week as part of a military spending bill that President Barack Obama is expected to sign.

Jay Cutler says he wants to break up. The Denver Broncos say they want to make up. The Pro Bowl quarterback was a no-show yesterday for coach Josh McDaniels' first team meeting and the start of offseason workouts, and if he gets his way, he'll never step foot in the team's training facility again. "The Denver Broncos confirm that Jay Cutler has requested a trade," team spokesman Jim Saccomano told the Associated Press. McDaniels declined interview requests after telling The Denver Post that he wanted to meet again with Cutler to try to resolve their differences before he considers a trade.

There is no question that Brian Roberts is a fine player and perhaps an even better community representative for the Orioles. Is he worth $40 million over four years? Maybe. Would it be a good signing for the Orioles? The answer is no. Roberts has put up some impressive numbers as an Oriole, but there is only one number that matters: 32, Roberts' age when the contract would go into effect in 2010. The Orioles would be paying $10 million a season for what likely will be four years of declining production.

The Chicago Cubs traded second baseman Mark DeRosa to the Cleveland Indians yesterday. Some of you are asking if this means that the on-again, off-again trade talks involving Brian Roberts and the Cubs might be on again. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/schmuckblog)

News item: The New York Mets have acquired reliever J.J. Putz from the Seattle Mariners in a three-team, 12-player trade that was consummated at last week's winter meetings in Las Vegas. My take: If J.J. didn't like all the focus I've put on his interesting last name - which he claims is pronounced "puts" instead of "putts" - I suggest he not read the New York Post on the morning after his first blown save. News item: The Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers today in what has to be the signature showdown of Baltimore's surprising season.

In the 1960s, millions of Americans bought their first homes without subprime lending. Over the last 20 years, that became almost impossible. Why? One factor has been the decline of the much-traveled road from poverty to lower middle class and then higher - to homeownership, college for the children and a funded retirement. That path was a good job in basic manufacturing, making steel, paper, even iPods. Now these things are made abroad. The United States has lost millions of manufacturing jobs.