In the article on the Orioles website on the Rich Hill trade, the following is buried far down the page:
photo via cache.daylife.com
Baltimore designated Brian Burres for assignment to make room for Hill on the 40-man roster, and the Orioles are still pursuing free agent Braden Looper to possibly fill one of the remaining rotation slots. It is believed that Looper wants a three-year contract and the Orioles are only offering a two-year deal, but MacPhail declined to discuss specifics.
Could Burres be the PTBNL? It's odd to DFA someone at this time of year, isn't it? Burres is a 27-year-old with middling talent who had a pretty bad year in 2008.
But there's one thing that might make him appealing to the Cubs. He's lefthanded.
I have no information on this and I'm just speculating here. Discuss.