Orioles News, Notes, and Links

• Roch Kubatko at MASN is reporting that the Orioles are interested in type A free-agent Grant Balfour. I like Balfour, but he's never really been a closer, and as a Type A free-agent, would require the O's to surrender their 2nd round draft pick in 2011. Those picks aren't gold, however... 
• It's way too early to say with any confidence that the Orioles 1st round selection (5th overall in 2009) of RHP Matt Hobgood was a bust... but it hasn't been promising, so far. Not only has Hobgood struggled to be be average (barely) in his 1+ pro seasons, but he's been beset with conditioning and velocity issues. Now he's been diagnosed with a "rotator cuff strain", which will set him back and delay the beginning of his 2011 season. Per John Stockstill, the Orioles director of player development:

"We’ll take the four to six weeks and then look at it... It might be a minor setback, it might be more than that. We’re not going to know until he goes through this."

• The managers for several of the Orioles minor league affiliates have been set, and include:  Gary Allenson - Norfolk (AAA), Gary Kendall - Bowie (AA), Orlando Gomez - Frederick (A+), and Ryan Minor - Delmarva (A-).
• Former Oriole Garrett Atkins signed with the Pirates. He's not a lock to make the 25 man roster out of spring training. Actually, that's an understatement. I should have said: "He's unlikely to make their 25 man roster our of spring training."
• Michael Wherley of The Sports Jury makes an argument that the Orioles should sign Brad Penny to be their closer. I mean, sure, why not? His 4 career games in relief have probably prepped him adequately for the role... and I'm sure he'll just make the switch like that (snap!). Hell, if anything, sign the guy to be part of the rotation.
• According to the SB Nation blog "Federal Baseball", which covers the Nationals, Derrek Lee would prefer to play for a west coast team that's a playoff contender. Not sure that's in the Orioles wheelhouse.
• MLB Trade Rumors considers the Orioles to be possible suitors for free-agent 1B Troy Glaus, if one they don't sign either Adam LaRoche or Derrek Lee. I really like Glaus's upside, and think he could be a nice pickup for the O's for 2011. People forget that he was a solid run producer during the 1st half for the Braves last year (.254/.361/.441 with 14 HR, in 85 games) before getting hurt.
• USA Today's Daily Pitch thinks that former Oriole Rafael Palmeiro's positive steroids test in 2005 will most likely keep him out of the Hall of Fame:

"The Baltimore Sun surveyed 147 of the approximately 500 voters and found that only 20% planned to vote for Palmeiro. "Not now, not ever," said Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News. "I would have voted for him; 569 home runs, 3,020 hits - those are Hall of Fame numbers, but those numbers were enhanced by steroids. I've set my personal policy, and I won't vote for him."