Chris Ray News

The Texas Rangers traded pitcher Kevin Millwood and $3 million to Baltimore for reliever Chris Ray on Wednesday night, then reached a deal to add Rich Harden to their rotation.

You weren't the only ones doing some holiday shopping this past week. In case you missed trying to find a parking spot at the mall, the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings happened last week in Indianapolis.

How do the Orioles reverse the slide of 12 consecutive losing seasons? Obviously, the answer isn't simple or the Orioles wouldn't be facing the question.

Curtis Granderson is all set to put on the pinstripes. Only one thing to settle: What number does he wear for the Yankees? The World Series champions landed yet another All-Star, finalizing a deal for the speedy center fielder from Detroit in a three-team trade Wednesday that included Arizona.

Before the final game of 2009, Chris Ray shook the hands of a couple of the teama TMs regular beat writers and thanked them for being fair and not piling on him too much during what was a nightmarish season for the reliever.

The Baltimore Orioles made a strong move to solidify their starting rotation, and get a mentor for the young arms in their organization.

Long before Saturday's midnight nontender deadline, the Orioles agreed to pre-arbitration deals with relievers Matt Albers and Cla Meredith on their 2010 contracts but did not offer a contract to Brian Bass, who now becomes a free agent.

Following the draft, the Orioles traded Snyder to the Texas Rangers to complete Wednesday's trade which sent RHP KEVIN MILLWOOD to Baltimore in exchange for RHP CHRIS RAY.

With two weeks left until the holiday break, agents and teams figure to try to wear each other down.

Finally, the Baltimore Orioles are investing in some pitching. Young arms are good to build on, but veteran arms are needed to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox, also known as the Boardwalk and Park Place of Major League Baseball.

Right-hander Rich Harden and the Texas Rangers completed a one-year contract yesterday that guarantees him $7.5 million.

Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail headed home from the winter meetings today with a veteran pitcher at the top of his rotation, plenty of options to fill other holes, and one less prospect from his stable of young arms.

The Texas Rangers have apparently signed right-hander Rich Harden to a one-year contract with a mutual option for a second season.

INDIANAPOLIS - Published on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009 11:30AM EST Last updated on Thursday, Dec.

This is a Sept. 15, 2009, file photo showing Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Randy Wolf throwing against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles.

Kevin Millwood is owed $12 million US next season. The Texas Rangers sent pitcher Kevin Millwood and about $3 million US to Baltimore for reliever Chris Ray on Wednesday night, giving the Orioles a durable starter and cash to help pay for him.

The bullpen's latest collapse Monday - Matt Albers and Chris Ray combined to cough up a three-run seventh-inning lead against the Tampa Bay Rays - left the Orioles' bullpen with a 4.93 ERA, the second worst in the American League , behind only the Kansas City Royals .

I don't know what to say about the Orioles anymore. As much as an optimist as I am, while showing some cynicism, it is pretty much destined that the Orioles will lose 100 games in 2009? As the Orioles left Cleveland over the weekend, they arrived in Tampa Bay, this time to face the Rays; however, despite having a 6-3 lead in the 7th inning, they ...

The Rays come back for the second straight day and need two wins for a winning mark.

It seems like every Orioles loss brings a new appreciation for the size of the job facing Andy MacPhail during the offseason -- and there's obviously way more to it than finding an impact guy for the middle of the lineup and one of the corners of the infield.