Simon Could Be Released From Jail

It is believed that Orioles pitcher Alfredo Simon could be cleared of the fatal shooting that took place on New Year’s Day in the Dominican Republic. It is also speculated that he could be released from jail within the next 10 days.

Ballistics have apparently shown that Simon’s gun was not the gun that fired the fatal shot. It is also believed that Dominican authorities are now looking into another suspect.

Simon could now be pitching as soon as this spring and it seems like the goal for Simon and his agents is to have him ready to start throwing this spring. The Orioles had recently put Simon on the restricted list to clear up a roster spot on their 40 man roster. Simon can remain on the restricted list until he returns and he will not add any service time or be paid by the Orioles until he is taken off the list.

This is obviously great news for Simon and the Orioles. Simon hopefully will be able to put this incident behind him, while the Orioles can get Simon throwing and ready to go for the 2011 season. It seemed highly unlikely back in January that Simon would even be ready to rejoin the Orioles this season, let alone this spring.

You can check out Brittany Ghiroli’s article on Orioles.com for more information on Simon’s situation. Simon is probably a long shot to make the team at the start of the season, but he could see time with the Orioles at some point. He will give the Orioles another arm to call on if injuries occur. You can never have enough pitching and Simon, who can start or come out of the bullpen, gives the Orioles even more depth on their pitching staff.

Simon put up solid numbers, despite an up and down 2010, and has the potential to be a consistent contributor in the majors. Simon throws hard and being that he can start or pitch in relief, he could be very valuable to the Orioles. It certainly would be an interesting story if Simon goes from what happened on New Year’s Day to pitching for the Orioles this summer.