Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that Rangers assistant general manager Thad Levine is among the names under consideration for the Orioles' general manager vacancy. According to Olney, the Orioles are also considering former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes, former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi, Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava, Rays senior VP Gerry Hunsicker and Marlins assistant GM Dan Jennings, among others. The Orioles are currently forming a group to conduct interviews for the vacant post.

Buck Showalter will remain the Orioles manager in 2012. Showalter had been contemplating moving up to the front office to take over as president of baseball operations after Andy MacPhail decided to step away, but he and owner Peter Angelos ultimately decided that Buck would remain in the dugout. He has a tall task ahead of him, as the O's 69-93 record this season was the second-worst in the American League.

Buck Showalter said nothing definitive has been decided on whether he'll remain the Orioles manager or move into the front office and become the president. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported earlier Thursday that Showalter "absolutely loves managing and plans to stay put." Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun isn't as decisive, but he thinks Buck will "probably" indeed retain his managerial post, but it doesn't sound like a slam dunk yet. It could all boil down to whether Andy MacPhail sticks around as the team's president, and indications are that he will do so.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, there's "no chance" that Buck Showalter will become the Orioles' general manager. Many have speculated that Showalter would leave the dugout for the front office, but Nightengale hears that he "absolutely loves managing and plans to stay put." If that's the case, recent speculation by Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun that Andy MacPhail could remain as Orioles president is beginning to look like a very plausible scenario.

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun speculates that Andy MacPhail could remain as Orioles president in 2012. It has been assumed for months that MacPhail would step down from his post at the end of the season, but Connolly speculates that he may have changed his mind following a meeting with Orioles owner Peter Angelos last Thursday. Under this scenario, Buck Showalter would stay manager for at least another year. This is all harmless speculation for now, but it is a bit curious that the Orioles have yet to make an announcement regarding MacPhail's status.

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun believes manager Buck Showalter might accept a job as Orioles president of baseball operations if Andy MacPhail indeed steps down. Reports surfaced in August that MacPhail is planning to walk away from the Orioles at the end of this season. And now Connolly is writing that Showalter could have the open position "if he wants it." It's possible that Showalter will ultimately decide to remain on the managing side, but he's 55 years old and had a bit of a health scare during Monday night's game against the Red Sox. The front office might look a bit more comfortable than it once did.

Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with a homer and a double Wednesday versus the Athletics. Markakis is up to 13 homers and 58 RBI in 120 games. He finished 2010 with 12 homers and 60 RBI in 160 games, so it's a nice improvement in those categories anyway. His OPS is still well down, but he's been a far better player since June 1 than he was during the first two months.

Nick Markakis went 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBI in Baltimore's 8-5 win over the Tigers on Sunday. Markakis was just two for his past 16 coming into this afternoon, though the home run was his second in four games. For the season, he's now hitting .284/.335/.400 with 32 extra-base hits and 55 RBI in 117 games.

Nick Markakis ripped a two-run homer in Thursday's loss to the White Sox. Though his power production might not be where his fantasy owners want (11 home runs, 51 RBI), Markakis is batting .315 since the beginning of June. He now sports a .285/.338/.398 batting line for the season.

Nick Markakis went 3-for-4 with a double and a home run on Sunday afternoon, but could tally just one RBI in Baltimore's 9-3 loss to the Angels. The multi-hit effort was just Markakis' second in 15 games, but he's still hitting a solid .321 for the month and .291 on the season. He's notched four doubles and home runs a piece in July.