It was reported yesterday that the Baltimore Orioles made a run at Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Justin Upton in an effort to add the
impact bat they’ve been seeking throughout the offseason. Talks appear to have
fallen through, and the Orioles have once again turned their attention to
starting pitching and their top target Joe Saunders, according to Ken Rosenthal
of FOX Sports.
The Orioles were one of the teams that pursued Upton, showing strong interest a few weeks back. Those talks sputtered, however, and the team currently appears more focused on adding a starting pitcher. Saunders remains a target, according to sources; the Orioles checked in on Porcello, but couldn’t find a match.
The Orioles projected rotation for the 2013 season goes
something like this; Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Tillman, Miguel
Gonzalez, in-house candidate or Saunders.
At this point, Baltimore does have several arms on roster
that could slide into the No. 5 starter role, including Zach Britton, Steve
Johnson, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Tommy Hunter. However, Baltimore
appears at least somewhat inclined to add another veteran to their mix of
starters.
Follow @mlbinjurynews
