ANAHEIM, Calif., Dec. 12 -- The winter meetings continue to be a grind for the Baltimore Orioles, who have spent their weekend discussing several deals, but did not appear close to finalizing any of them.
Team officials spent Sunday afternoon planning strategy after reports that Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Tim Hudson had been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers were found to be false. The Orioles jumped right back into the Hudson market, meeting with A's General Manager Billy Beane late in the afternoon. In that meeting, one baseball executive said the Orioles did not increase their offer of starting pitcher Erik Bedard and two other prospects, but still were hopeful of making a deal.
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Speculation persists that the Dodgers are having second thoughts about making the deal without having the opportunity to negotiate with Hudson on a new deal.
The Oakland starter becomes a free agent after the 2005 season, a point that has made Baltimore cautious but has not stopped its pursuit of him. Baltimore has permission from owner Peter Angelos to pursue the trade without signing Hudson to an extension prior to the deal.
A source close to the talks said Hudson would be open to discuss an extension with Baltimore if a deal is struck. Other teams, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, are said to be involved in talks for Hudson. The Orioles hoped to talk with Oakland late Sunday.
The Orioles also continued talks with Casey Close, agent for free agent first baseman Richie Sexson. The sides met twice, on Sunday morning and late Sunday night. Those meetings followed a productive discussion on Saturday. Several in the organization are optimistic they can sign Sexson. The team's first big free agent signing seemed so close that an official from one of the teams courting Sexson had conceded he would go to the Orioles.
"We're in the game, at least [that's the understanding] from talking with Casey," Beattie said.
But the optimism for Sexson faded when rumors surfaced that Sexson was going elsewhere. Close denied the rumors and said he was scheduled to talk with the Orioles on Monday.
"That's news to me," Close said of the rumors. "We are still engaged in talks" with the Orioles.
While the team appears to be leaning toward Sexson, it has not eliminated Carlos Delgado from consideration. The Orioles met with agent David Sloane and Delgado, who arrived in Anaheim on Sunday.
Neither player appears close to a deal, with Delgado apparently expected to sign after the winter meetings have finished. The Orioles don't appear to be in a rush to get anything done.
While Hudson is its preferred choice, Baltimore has also engaged in trade talks with other teams about starting pitching. The Florida Marlins apparently have made A.J. Burnett available, and the two teams have talked. The Marlins, who lost closer Armando Benitez to the San Francisco Giants, could have an interest in reliever Jorge Julio.
One baseball executive said a large number of teams have expressed interest in some of the Orioles' young pitchers, with Bedard and Daniel Cabrera being the names mentioned most often. Beattie said the Orioles may simply decide to keep both and head into the season with a young rotation headed by Sidney Ponson and Rodrigo Lopez.
Baltimore believes Bedard and Cabrera both made enough progress last year to succeed this season. Last week Cabrera, bothered by shin splints, was examined by team doctors in Baltimore. The team found the injury was not serious, but shut down Cabrera for precautionary reasons.
But leaning on the young pitchers appears to be the last option. Beattie said he will continue to be active on the trade front.
"We'll keep grinding," Beattie said of trade talks, "until a deal is done."
