UPDATE: John Henry says Bobby V. is safe for the season - MLB

UPDATE: OK, Valentine is safe for the season:

John Henry reiterates that Valentine will manage the rest of the season. Here to assess the team, talk to people, etc. #redsox

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) September 3, 2012

October 1, though? Well. Stay tuned.

8: 27 AM: Bobby Valentine: The Emperor’s coming here?
Larry Lucchino: That is correct, Commander. And, he is most displeased with your apparent lack of progress.
Bobby Valentine: We shall double our efforts.
Larry Lucchino: I hope so, Commander, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am.

With the team in tatters on the West Coast — six straight losses, outscored in the six games by an astounding 54-15 — the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman reported Monday morning that owner John Henry and general manager Ben Cherington have flown to Seattle, where the Sox will begin a three-game series against the Mariners today.

There have been no votes of confidence or anything like that. And there have been no real justifications for one even if there had been. It seems inevitable that Bobby Valentine is a one-and-done manager for the Red Sox, even if what has happened this year cannot be fairly laid at his feet. He was dropped in to an untenable position to being with in a job unsuited to his strengths.

Still, failure is failure and it’s hard to envision a situation in which Valentine is the manager for this team in 2013.

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles signed outfielder Aaron Hicks less than 24 hours after Cedric Mullins went down with a strained right groin.

Mullins went on the 10-day injured list, but the Orioles are hoping Hicks can help defensively in the spacious outfield at Camden Yards. Hicks was released last week by the New York Yankees with more than 2 1/2 seasons left on his contract.

“We had noticed that he was a free agent even before the injury,” Orioles general manager Mike Elias said. “When the injury occurred and it became pretty clear this was going to be an IL, it seemed like a good fit even more so at that time.”

The Orioles are responsible for paying Hicks just $483,871, a prorated share of the $720,000 minimum salary. The Yankees owe him the rest of his $10.5 million salary this year, plus $9.5 million in each of the next two seasons and a $1 million buyout of a 2026 team option.

The 33-year-old Hicks hit just .188 in 28 games for the Yankees this year.

“We have stuff that we look at from a scouting and evaluation perspective,” Elias said. “It’s very different from just looking at the back of a baseball card, and we hope that we get a bounceback from anyone we bring here.”

Hicks batted .216 last season.

“Hopefully that’s a good thing for him,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of the Baltimore deal. “A lot of time here and a lot of good things happened for him here. I know the last couple of years have been a struggle. But hopefully it’s a good opportunity for him and certainly wish him well. Not too well being in our division and a team we’re chasing, but hopefully it’s a really good fit for him.”

Mullins left a loss to Cleveland after he pulled up while running out an infield grounder. Outfielder Colton Cowser – the fifth pick in the draft two years ago – is hitting .331 at Triple-A Norfolk, but he went on the IL in the past couple weeks.

“Certainly he was building a case towards promotion consideration prior to his injury and prior to Cedric’s injury,” Elias said. “We’ll just see where we’re at.”

Hicks was active for the game but not in the starting lineup. Austin Hays, normally Baltimore’s left field, was in Mullins’ usual spot in center.

When the wall in left at Camden Yards was pushed significantly back before last season, it made left field a bigger challenge defensively.

“In this park … you really need two center fielders,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “Aaron’s got a lot of center-field experience. Played left field here before also. Brings the defensive aspect and then the switch-hitting.”