Orioles rumors: Baltimore could add reliever

While the bullpen was a major area of strength for the Baltimore Orioles and helped them make their astonishing run last season, general manager Dan Duquette said he’s open to adding another bullpen arm this offseason, reports Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun:

"The bullpen was strong last year," Duquette said. "These guys are at the age where some of them should improve and a couple of them should be able to maintain and perform at the level they did this past year, but that wouldn’t preclude us from adding some additional depth to our pitching staff."

The Orioles compiled the fifth-best bullpen ERA in the major last season at 3.00. Closer Jim Johnson, who led the league in saves, and other key contributors, including Pedro Strop, Darren O’Day, Luis Ayala, Troy Patton, Brian Matusz and Tommy Hunter, are all returning. The team also selected T.J. McFarland in the Rule 5 Draft, meaning he will have to remain on the team’s roster for the entire season if they want to hold onto him beyond 2013.

The Orioles have recently been tied to right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom, who the team acquired from the Colorado Rockies along with Jason Hammel last offseason in the Jeremy Guthrie trade. Lindstrom was later dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-handed starter Joe Saunders.