After the Machado trade, the new players are settling in at Bowie

After the Machado trade, the new players are settling in at Bowie
BOWIE, Md. - Getting traded can be difficult for any baseball player. And for the four newest members of the Double-A Bowie Baysox, it has been. But since the Manny Machado trade that took them from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Orioles and from the west coast to the east, they are finally starting to settle in with their new organization. When Machado became a Dodger, four of the five players the Orioles acquired joined the Baysox, led by 21-year-old outfielder Yusniel Díaz from Havana,...

Scouts offer their opinions on Díaz

Scouts offer their opinions on Díaz
The Orioles don't necessarily have a screaming need for an outfielder as they set about the task of starting their rebuild process, but they listened when the Dodgers offered Yusniel Díaz as part of the five-player package for shortstop Manny Machado. Alex Verdugo was off the table, as were a few of the top young pitchers in the Dodgers system, which threatened to curtail trade talks. But Díaz became the centerpiece and Machado headed west. (I thought it was important to land at least...

Josh Michael: Ryan McKenna is hitting his stride at Double-A Bowie

Josh Michael: Ryan McKenna is hitting his stride at Double-A Bowie
No Orioles minor league player has risen more this season in terms of general O's fans knowing about him than outfielder Ryan McKenna. His performance this year has skyrocketed him into the limelight and he is hitting his stride at the plate with the Double-A Bowie Baysox in July. McKenna, 21, was drafted by the Orioles in the fourth round of the 2015 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in New Hampshire. The 5-foot-11, 185-lb. right-handed hitting outfielder had three...

O's game blog: The search for offense continues

O's game blog: The search for offense continues
The Orioles keep looking for some offense and continue not finding much. In the four games of their current road trip - all losses - they have scored two, one, two and two runs. That is seven runs on 30 hits, and they've gone 3-for-27 (.111) with runners in scoring position. They'll try again today to get the bats going in the third game of a four-game series at Minnesota. The Twins began this series with a six-game losing streak, 11 losses in 13 games and were coming off a 1-8 road trip. But...

Minor league award winners, Robert Neustrom profile and more

Minor league award winners, Robert Neustrom profile and more
Orioles minor league outfielder Ryan McKenna was the organization's minor league Player of the Month for May. Yesterday McKenna got the same honor for June. The Orioles minor league Pitcher of the Month for June was lefty Zac Lowther. He got that same honor in April. McKenna, the club's fourth-round pick in 2015, hit .341 with three homers and 19 runs during the month. It included his representing Single-A Frederick in the Carolina League All-Star game and then getting a promotion on June 21...

Davis expected in lineup tomorrow, plus other notes (game update)

Davis expected in lineup tomorrow, plus other notes (game update)
WASHINGTON - Orioles manager Buck Showalter said he expects first baseman Chris Davis to return to the starting lineup tomorrow night when the Orioles begin a three-game series in Atlanta. When the Orioles play in Washington tonight, Davis will not be in the lineup for the eighth consecutive game since his last start, June 11 versus Boston, when he went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts to drop his average to .150. Davis' OPS has decreased each month, from .559 in April to .453 in May to .254 in...

Who's worthy of a promotion if Orioles go younger?

Who's worthy of a promotion if Orioles go younger?
A team that's 30 games below .500 in the third week of June, with pending free agents spread across the clubhouse and some dramatic changes on the horizon, should be geared toward getting younger and filtering prospects onto the major league roster. It makes sense on paper. It's a little more difficult in reality. The pounding noise that you hear is probably due to the migraine that's developed from 51 losses. No one in the system is beating down the door for a promotion. You may love the...

Maine man: Ryan McKenna's breakout year on the O's farm

Maine man: Ryan McKenna's breakout year on the O's farm
Minor league players improve at different stages of their careers, and to different degrees. But with his massive improvement from the 2017 season to this year, Single-A Frederick center fielder Ryan McKenna has gotten everyone's attention. With a batting average that has gained more than 100 points and an OPS that has grown by more than 300 points, McKenna has been not just the best player on his team or one of the best in the Carolina League, but one of the best in all of minor league...

Lack of runs equals lack of wins, plus farm results

Lack of runs equals lack of wins, plus farm results
The Orioles offense seems to be relentless in its pursuit of being bad. They've faced lefties and righties, experienced and inexperienced pitchers, hurlers from the American League and the National League, and they have failed to produce much against most. A day off did nothing to revive things. The 2-0 loss to Miami on Friday night means the Orioles have been shut out eight times this year. That includes twice in the last four games and four times in the past 15 games. The offense has been...

O's game blog: Bundy faces Wright in homestand opener

O's game blog: Bundy faces Wright in homestand opener
After losing four straight at Toronto to complete a 2-4 road trip, the Orioles begin a six-game homestand tonight. They will host Boston for three games and Miami for three beginning Friday night. The Orioles (19-45) return home with the worst record in the majors. They have lost 11 of 13, 13 of 17 and 17 of their past 23. The Orioles are 1-6 against Boston but this is the first series the club have played at Oriole Park. The O's are 1-9 their past 10 games against the Red Sox. The Red Sox are...

Orioles claim Snelten off waivers

Orioles claim Snelten off waivers
The Orioles filled out their 40-man roster this afternoon while again addressing pitching depth in the minors by claiming left-hander D.J. Snelten off waivers from the Giants and optioning him to Triple-A Norfolk. Snelten, 26, was designated for assignment on May 28. He made his major league debut in Game 2 of an April 28 doubleheader against the Dodgers. In four appearances with the Giants, Snelten allowed five earned runs and six total with nine hits and three walks in 4 1/3 innings. He...

O's game blog: O's starters have four straight quality starts

O's game blog: O's starters have four straight quality starts
The Orioles and Yankees will not start on time today. There is a message on the scoreboard that reads: "Ladies and gentlemen, the start of today's game is being delayed by the threat of inclement weather. We are monitoring the national weather service reports and will keep you advised of an expected start time as soon as possible. We thank you for your patience and understanding." Orioles starting pitchers have recorded a season-best four consecutive quality starts. Right-hander Kevin...

O's have taken more high school players early in recent drafts

O's have taken more high school players early in recent drafts
It has not exactly been an organizational mandate or philosophy, but the Orioles have selected more high school players than college players in the first five rounds of the draft over the last five years. High school kids can have more upside and can get to the majors at a younger age, sometimes than their college counterparts, who may be 21 or older in some cases when drafted. According to this report from Baseball America, the Orioles selected a high school player with 59.3 percent of their...

Getting caught up in the draft

Getting caught up in the draft
Executive vice president Dan Duquette hasn't made the usual appearances around the batting cage this week. The First-Year Player Draft begins Monday night and the Orioles are updating their board in preparation for one of the most important events of the year. The significance grows for an organization that's poised to lose a chunk of its roster to free agency or trades with the club now 22 games below .500. They need to get it right. The Orioles hold the 11th, 37th and 87th picks in the...

Josh Michael: Rifaela, McKenna making strong early impressions

Josh Michael: Rifaela, McKenna making strong early impressions
The Orioles may not be playing as well as all fans had hoped, but there is some good baseball being played down on the farm. Two of the lesser-known outfield prospects in the organization, Ademar Rifaela and Ryan McKenna, are off to fantastic starts. Rifaela, 23, has been in the organization since 2013, when he played for the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Orioles as an 18-year old after being signed by the O's as an international free agent out of Curacao. As his body matured, so too...

During another winless road trip, O's offense came up way short

During another winless road trip, O's offense came up way short
The Orioles seem like a boat taking on water right now and every hole that gets plugged just seems to open another. Or two others. The rotation has been inconsistent, the bullpen worse than expected, the defense has been at times just terrible and other times very mediocre. Good has not been part of the equation many nights on defense. But the Orioles offense has under-performed in a big way. For several years the Orioles have been around or just above a league-average run-scoring offense in...

Can the rotation lead an O's turnaround? (Plus farm notes)

Can the rotation lead an O's turnaround? (Plus farm notes)
If there was ever a good time for a rainout, maybe last night was it for the Orioles. They were scheduled to begin a three-game series with Tampa Bay but got washed out at Camden Yards. The Orioles are trying to reverse a 6-17 start that has seen them lose nine of 10 and 11 of their past 13 games. They are just 3-7 at home, where they've scored only 19 runs in 10 games. Maybe a day away will be beneficial. With a 2-1 loss to Cleveland Monday night, the Orioles ended a stretch in which they...

That was wild: A few takes on the O's 14-inning win in the Bronx

That was wild: A few takes on the O's 14-inning win in the Bronx
Some days there is no reason to complain that a lot of the Orioles offense comes from the longball. Like last night, when they hit four homers in the marathon 7-3 win over the Yankees in 14 innings. All of last year the Orioles won two games at Yankee Stadium. This year they have two wins there nine days into the season. Manny Machado hit two solo homers - both shots over 400 feet - for his first two homers of the season. It was his 15th career multi-homer game and he went 4-for-5. Chris Davis...

O's game blog: Jeremy Hellickson makes Orioles debut

O's game blog: Jeremy Hellickson makes Orioles debut
Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson tonight joins an Orioles rotation that has pitched to an ERA of 0.94 the last four games and 3.18 the past eight. He will make his Orioles debut as the O's look to complete a three-game sweep of the Royals. At 52-54 and with four wins in a row and 10 wins the past 15 games, the Orioles could move to within 2 ½ games of the Royals with a win. The Royals (55-50) currently hold the second American League wild card spot, leading that by 1 ½ games over the...

A look at some solid performances on the O's farm

A look at some solid performances on the O's farm
As the four full-season affiliates in the Orioles organization have all now played around 36 games, we've got a large enough sample size to see a few things emerge. A few quick impressions: * Ryan Mountcastle's bat has been pretty special during his debut season at age 20 in the Carolina League for Single-A Frederick. Yes, there are big questions about his defense at shortstop, but his bat looks like it has future middle-of-the-order potential. He went 4-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs last...