"During a forum at the Orioles' FanFest on Saturday afternoon, an audience member asked president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail whether there was any update on the team's pursuit of free-agent designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who was sitting to the left of MacPhail on the dais, leaned exaggeratedly out of his chair and cupped his ear toward his boss, as the fans in attendance laughed.

Despite all the additions to the Orioles' 2011 roster this offseason, Guerrero, a one-time Most Valuable Player and dangerous right-handed slugger who hit 29 homers for the Texas Rangers last season, was the talk of club's annual winter gathering.

The Orioles are searching for a starting pitcher and a left-handed reliever, but with Guerrero still available and few teams needing a designated hitter, the Orioles have offered the slugger a one-year deal worth between $3 million and $5 million and are waiting to see what happens.

"We're wondering, too, to some degree," MacPhail said. "We do have several conversations going on with different players, as you would think at this time of year. As a practical matter, I've already exceeded the number that [owner Peter Angelos] and I had focused on by the end of last year, and he's continued to encourage me to look and see what is out there and available to us. That's what we're doing."

The Orioles have added first baseman Derrek Lee, shortstop J.J. Hardy and third baseman Mark Reynolds to bolster their lineup, but signing Guerrero could take the offense to another level."