Orioles designated RHP Armando Gabino for assignment.
He was cleared in order to make room for Mark Hendrickson on the team's 40-man roster. Gabino, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Twins in November. He spent most of the 2009 season with Minnesota's Triple-A squad, posting a 2.94 ERA and 64/24 K/BB ratio over 38 games (seven starts), but allowed seven runs over 3 2/3 innings during a brief stint with the big club.
Orioles signed LHP Mark Hendrickson to a one-year, $1.2 million contract with a $1.2 million team option for 2011.
The Orioles can buy out the option for $200,000, so Hendrickson is guaranteed $1.4 million. The 35-year-old left-hander was 6-5 with a 4.37 ERA in 53 games (11 starts) last season, but posted a 3.44 ERA and 37/14 K/BB in 55 innings out of the bullpen. He'll continue to be the team's swingman this season.
Orioles signed left-hander Will Ohman to a minor league contract.
He'll battle for a spot as the team's left-handed specialist during Spring Training. Ohman, 32, was limited to just 21 games last season due to elbow and shoulder surgeries, posting a 5.84 ERA in 12 1/3 innings.
Orioles signed LHP Will Startup to a minor league contract.
Startup, a 2005 fifth-round pick, has never appeared in a major league game and isn't likely to find his way to Baltimore this season. He had a 4.76 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP between Single-A and Triple-A in 2009.
Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com suggests that the Orioles could trade infielder Ty Wigginton before Opening Day.
Wigginton won't get many starts in Baltimore after the signings of Miguel Tejada and Garrett Atkins, but he could appeal to any number of teams in need of a right-handed bat. Wigginton, 32, batted .273/.314/.400 with 11 home runs and 41 RBI in 410 at-bats with the Orioles last season and has popped left-handers to an 840 OPS during his career. He is on tap to earn $3.5 million this season.
Manager Dave Trembley told Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com that there will be competition for the fifth spot in the rotation, possibly leaving Chris Tillman in the minors to start the season.
"Tillman is going to be a great young pitcher," said Trembley. "But things happen. Unfortunately, guys get hurt or the 12 pitchers you start the season with on your pitching staff usually aren't the 12 that you end up with. There are things that happen throughout the season. So we'll see what happens in spring training. We'll try to get guys in as many games as we can, give them innings, and may the best 12 go with us." Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, Brad Bergesen and Brian Matusz figure to have the first four spots in the rotation, while Tillman, Jason Berken, David Hernandez, Troy Patton and Jake Arrieta will at least get a look during camp. Tillman, who turns 22 in April, posted a 5.40 ERA in 12 starts with the Orioles last season. We still think he'll start the season with the Orioles, but it's a storyline worth watching.
Orioles outrighted RHP Dennis Sarfate to Triple-A Norfolk.
Sarfate was designated for assignment after the Orioles signed Miguel Tejada last week, but he managed to pass through waivers. He'll be invited to Spring Training. The 28-year-old right-hander compiled a 5.09 ERA in 20 relief appearances last season, but his season was interrupted by a circulatory problem in his right hand.
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