Matt Albers News

The Baltimore Orioles have agreed to terms with pitchers Matt Albers and Cla Meredith on one-year contracts.

The Orioles have agreed to terms with relievers Matt Albers and Cla Meredith on 2010 contracts, according to team sources today.

If you had told the Orioles that they'd leave the Winter Meetings with the most difficult part of their shopping done, they likely would've been thrilled.

Miguel Tejada was a star player - slugging shortstop, former All-Star and MVP - when he became a free agent at the age of "27" after the 2003 baseball season.

Fans have been speculating since the summer that the Orioles' first Asian-born recruit, Koji Uehara, will be moved to the bullpen in 2010.

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 .

Again, the Rays showed they still have some fight left in them in 2009. The day after rallying from a five-run deficit with two outs in the eighth inning to beat the Rangers in Texas, Tampa Bay fought back from three runs down to open their final homestand with a 7-6 victory against the last-place Orioles on Monday night.

As the Orioles' focus turns increasingly towards the 2010 season, one of the biggest areas of concern is the bullpen.

Josh Reddick comes on to pinch hit for Jason Bay, who left the game with flu-like symptoms after the bottom of the fourth inning.

Three notable items regarding this installment: 1) Clubs called up a slew of young players with the expanded September rosters; for the most part, only those who were still needed for their clubs' minor league playoffs were left behind on the farm; 2) Teams remained active up to the Aug.

He's turned out to be a pretty good pinch-hitter, too. Martinez came off the bench and hit a three-run double to break a seventh-inning tie, leading the Red Sox to a 7-5 victory over Baltimore on Wednesday night.

Sitting in the visitor's dugout before Wednesday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Orioles manager Dave Trembley stated the team's plan.

Movements in the world of baseball Tuesday: American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES-Recalled RHP Matt Albers and LHP Alberto Castillo from Norfolk .

Reliever Dennis Sarfate 's wait had been four months, but it seemed just as long.

The Orioles use the first day of September to expand their roster and flesh out some of the weaker elements of their team.

The Orioles announced today that they have added four players to their major league roster.

When rosters expand Tuesday, the Orioles are expected to recall Norfolk outfielder Jeff Fiorentino and three Tides relievers who were with the Orioles earlier this year: lefty Alberto Castillo and right-handers Matt Albers and Dennis Sarfate.

The Triple-A Norfolk Tides were pounded by the Gwinnett Braves, and the series finale between the Double-A Bowie Baysox and Akron Aeros was rained out.

The Orioles will look a little different on Tuesday in St. Petersburg. Baltimore expects to recall a position player from Triple-A Norfolk to fill the void left by Aubrey Huff's departure and also have a new face in the bullpen.

Nobody expected immediate returns or repercussions. The Orioles traded their most accomplished slugger for a prospect Monday and then watched an eight-time All-Star steal center stage.