I would have to believe that Regins has at least had a roundabout conversation with the principles in Baltimore regarding Nick Markakis. Stoneman tried to pry him loose from there when he was officially calling the shots. I understand the inevitable comment that "This is not the type of player that a team would trade", however almost everyone has a price…………and someone has to dream.

Markakis and his agent have been playing cat and mouse with Oriole’s ownership for a while now. Markakis, a possibly budding superstar, is eligible for arbitration, and the two parties have been dancing around the maypole for weeks, and months. I seem to remember squabbling last season before they finally re-newed him just before the season started for little more than league minimum, so there is a history of contentiousness there.

It’s reported everywhere that Baltimore wants/needs a long-term solution at SS in a bad way. There have been recent reports of their interest in Felix Pie (although I personally think they can do better). Additionally, everybody goes "Gah-Gah" over young starting pitching.

Although I am not one to throw around the names of our young talent as useless trading chips (or someone else’s money) as many here are want to do, I must admit that I have given a lot of thought to this scenario:

One of Aybar/Izturis

One of TEvans/Willits

The KICKER……Nick Adenhart (another Maryland native).......for Nick Markakis.

Peter Angelos has a history of making, and then not making, strange deals over the years. Little more than two years ago, he backed out of a supposed deal with Stoneman for Santana and Aybar for Miguel Tejada (I can’t remember if we didn’t offer another in that package, too). If he doesn’t land Teixeira, it’s speculated that he’ll also find a way to move Brian Roberts, so conceivably we could add another player for George Sherrill….but I digress.

Markakis has abundant numbers. He does well batting 2nd. He bats left handed. He has a rifle arm,…..and he just turned 25 years old.

He plays RF, but I’m sure he could be persuaded to play LF for a while until his future permant home in RF becomes available..........Markakis is offense and defense for now…………..and for the FUTURE.