Orioles News, Notes, and Links

• The guys at Orioles Insider recently posted their version of the Orioles Top 10 Minor League Prospects; I don't have any major problems with their list, with one major exception: Matt Hobgood (#10) does not belong anywhere near the Top 10, at this point.
• The annual Orioles Fanfest is two weeks away, and will be held on Saturday January 29th, from 11am to 6pm, at the Baltimore Convention Center. You can purchase tickets on MLB.com, here.
• MLB Trade Rumors lists the Orioles as a potential suitor for free agent-to be Prince Fielder, during the upcoming offseason. They note that he'll be demanding upwards of $15 million per year, perhaps in the $20 million range, and that the Angels, Blue Jays, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mets, and Rangers would also be interested:

"The O's made a run at Mark Teixeira two winters ago, so we know they have the ability to support a $20MM a year player. Derrek Lee is on a one-year deal, and Andy MacPhail could choose to add that big power bat just as his young players start to mature."

• RHP Brad Bergesen (25), who will probably be the Orioles #3 starter to begin 2011, was recently in Baltimore for a medical review of his right shoulder. He (rather famously) injured the shoulder while filming a TV commerical last year. Supposedly, all was well and Bergesen is feeling great. He was 8-12 with a 4.98 ERA last year, but pitched significantly better in the 2nd half.
• The Hardball Times posted a piece yesterday morning, trying to determine how much Mark Reynolds might improve statistically, if he cut down on his strikeouts by about 30 per year:

"If we rewrite his forecast, substituting his real-life numbers with a lowered strikeout rate (30 per season) and holding his rate of home runs per balls in play and types of non-home run hits constant, we actually see a pretty dramatic increase in performance. Reynolds’ forecast batting line is raised to .256/.350/.513 with 35 homers and a .374 wOBA (+22 runs). This improves his forecast WAR to 4.4, a full win of improvement."

• Roch Kubatko @ MASN posted an article this morning about the effect of having Buck Showalter in place as the manager, and how that may have influenced some off-season free agent decision-making.
• 1B Joe Mahoney, who won the Orioles Minor League Player of the Year award last season, is supposedly healthy and "ready to go" after having minor surgery on his knee in October.
• According to Jeff Zriebec at the Baltimore Sun, Andy MacPhail is still trying to add pitching depth, in the form of a lefty reliever, or a veteran starter. Orioles Insider lists guys like Jeremy Bonderman, Justin Duchscherer, Freddy Garcia, and even Kevin Millwood as "available" rotiation options, but MacPhail  refused to comment on any of the team's current targets.
• The current consensus seems to be that the only way the Orioles would bring in Vladimir Guerrero is if the market for DH's completely dries up, and he essentially falls into their lap at a low asking price. That's possible, but unlikely. If a move like that happened, Luke Scott would most likely be the everyday left fielder, and either Felix Pie or Nolan Reimold would probably head to the minors.