Justin Duchscherer

About a week and a half ago, I wrote how touted Orioles lefty Zach Britton was making an early case to be the fifth starter for the team out of the gate, after completing two scoreless innings in his major league spring training debut.

Well, all he's done since then is add to his case. A four-inning scoreless start this past Saturday brought his total scoreless innings this spring up to nine.

Ahhh I can smell the clay already.

Pitchers and catchers have reported to camp, there is less than a week before the first Spring Training game and speculation about who will finish the 2011 season where in the AL East is already brewing.

The AL East has always been one of the toughest, if not THE toughest, divisions in baseball.

This year will be no different.

In fact, I expect it to be more competitive this season than it has been in a while.

After nearly a decade and a half of losing seasons, will this finally be the year that the Baltimore Orioles rise from the depths of the AL East to finally top .500?

I will go out on a limb here, as I always do with my baseball predictions, and say that it is not all that far-fetched.

Is it likely that they win the AL East? Not in the slightest bit, but hey, never say never.

While the major deals of the MLB offseason have long since had all their i's dotted and their t's crossed, there are still some last rounds of spring cleaning that need to take place before everything is set.

A bit of moving the furniture around, if you would.  Contract extensions to be signed, arbitration hearings to be avoided, and few free agent stragglers here and there.

So without further ado, here's a rundown of the latest news of the day in baseball.

The Orioles have agreed to sign free-agent starting pitcher Justin Duchscherer to a one-year deal that could be worth up to $4.5 million, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

Duchscherer will make a base salary of $700K guaranteed, and another $1.1 million when he makes the roster, reports Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun. To obtain the entire $4.5 million on the contract, he'll then have to make at least 30 starts at the major-league level.

As we move closer to spring training and the start of the 2011 season, teams are still looking at free agents and how they might be able to help their team.

This past week, Vernon Wells was traded, Manny and Johnny Damon reunited in Tampa Bay, and it looks like Vlad is on his way to Baltimore. There are still some quality free agents looking for homes and some of these players could help the Astros this season.

While the starting pitching market has dried up considerably at this point, there are a couple of interesting names still out there that are worth a second glance:

Justin Duchscherer and John Maine.

In my opinion, those guys are the two best options left, though I'll admit, their injury history does scare me. But both have had some success in their careers, which is why it might be worth it for the Orioles to take a chance on one of them. Not to mention they'd probably come cheap.

Back in early December, I went over the 20 best pitchers remaining on the free agent market. A few days before 2011 began, I returned to the topic of Free Agency to take a look at the 12 best bargains left on the free agent market.

According to the Daily News, Brian Cashman has said Andy Pettitte will not be playing at the start of the 2011 season. I've been trying to give Andy the benefit of the doubt, but he's start to remind me of Brett Favre. 

I know how hard it is to walk away from a sport, I had to do it in college, so I can hardly fathom how it is for someone who has played more than 30 years. 

If there is a starter on the free agent market with a questionable injury history the Yankees are apparently in on him.

Well they are supposedly “stepping up their pursuit” of one questionable starter, former A’s starter Justin Duchscherer according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.

Duchscherer, 33, has suffered a myriad of injuries and even clinical depression that has derailed a once promising career.