By Marc Carig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 26, 2008

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 25 -- Since his arrival last season, Baltimore Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail has tied his franchise rebuilding plan to the infusion of as much young talent as he's been able to get his hands on. Apparently, MacPhail has brought the same approach toward crafting the front office.

On Monday, MacPhail announced the hiring of Matt Klentak, a 27-year-old Ivy League degree holder in economics, as the' Orioles director of baseball operations.

"I think he's a very bright, capable young man who has demonstrated a good feel for the game," MacPhail said of Klentak, who will assist MacPhail in scouting, player development and contract negotiations. "I think our philosophies are compatible and I think he's going to bring a little different point of view."

Klentak, a Massachusetts native, has spent the last four years working with Major League Baseball, where he was involved with labor relations.

MacPhail said Klentak came highly recommended through contacts around the game, though the two have crossed paths before, when both men helped negotiate the current collective bargaining agreement in 2006.

Klentak spent the 2003 season working within the Colorado Rockies' baseball operations department, where he helped organize the team's amateur scouting reports among other duties.

Before joining the Rockies, Klentak played four years of baseball at Dartmouth College. He started at shortstop for three seasons and served as team captain as a senior before graduating in 2002.

Adam Loewen and Steve Trachsel, whom Manager Dave Trembley named as starting pitchers for the Orioles' first two exhibition games against the Florida Marlins, will be limited to two innings or a maximum of 35 pitches before giving way to relievers who have been scheduled to pitch. Trembley called Monday morning's workouts one of the best of the spring. The Orioles covered last-minute details before intrasquad games slated for Tuesday and Wednesday.