Orioles interested in bringing back Beckham

Orioles interested in bringing back Beckham
Could the Orioles' search for infield depth lead them to one of their former players? It's a possibility. According the multiple sources, the Orioles are interested in veteran Tim Beckham and have discussed a minor league contract. This is an intriguing development for a couple of reasons, the first being that Beckham spent 1 1/2 seasons with the Orioles before they non-tendered him on Nov. 30, 2018. But there's also the 80-game suspension handed down on Aug. 6, 2019 after Beckham tested...

"Piano Man" Billy Joel to play first concert at Camden Yards

"Piano Man" Billy Joel to play first concert at Camden Yards
The Orioles didn't start the concert craze at major league ballparks, but they're jumping into the fire. If this sentence even remotely resembles the lyrics from a Billy Joel song, my work here is almost done. The club announced today the launching of O's Entertainment and in its partnership with Live Nation will host Joel this summer in the first concert at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992. The event will take place on July 26 while the Orioles are in Anaheim in the middle of their...

Wrapping up the Rule 5 draft

Wrapping up the Rule 5 draft
LAS VEGAS - The Orioles left the Winter Meetings today with two Rule 5 picks and a full 40-man roster. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias used the first overall selection to take shortstop Richie Martin from the Athletics organization and the Orioles later acquired infielder Drew Jackson from the Phillies, who had plucked him from the Dodgers system earlier in the morning. Jackson, 25, was a fifth-round selection by the Mariners in 2015 out of Stanford University. He's a...

Orioles non-tender Beckham and Joseph

Orioles non-tender Beckham and Joseph
The Orioles have decided to non-tender infielder Tim Beckham and catcher Caleb Joseph, releasing them into the free agent market and clearing two spots on the 40-man roster. Every other player on the 40-man roster was tendered a contract, including pitchers Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens and infielder Jonathan Villar, who are eligible for arbitration. The Orioles will try to avoid hearings with the trio. Beckham didn't heat up at the plate until September, when he batted .297/.348/.484 with...

More on tonight's deadline and Elias' radio interview

More on tonight's deadline and Elias' radio interview
The latest deadline in baseball's offseason has arrived tonight with teams needing to tender contracts to their arbitration-eligible players by 8 p.m. I've hit this subject harder than a Chinese food buffet, but hey, let's review it anyway: The Orioles have three obvious decisions regarding Dylan Bundy, Mychal Givens and Jonathan Villar. They aren't candidates to be non-tendered and we'll find out later if executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias is willing to trade them...

Questions about Beckham, Joseph, Villar, pitching and 40-man

Questions about Beckham, Joseph, Villar, pitching and 40-man
The Orioles have moved back into the slow lane while navigating through the Thanksgiving holiday. They hired Sig Mejdal as an assistant to executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, which shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. They selected pitcher Dillon Tate's contract from Double-A Bowie, which shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone. They signed four players to minor league contracts, including infielder Jace Peterson, which might have surprised some people. I...

Looking at a few of the decisions awaiting Elias

Looking at a few of the decisions awaiting Elias
The hiring of Mike Elias as executive vice president and general manager doesn't remove all of the uncertainty attached to the franchise. It barely makes a dent. Elias was the biggest piece, of course, as the person who will run the baseball operations department. Who will assemble the rest of the front office, choose a manager and drag the scouting department into the 21st century. But having so many slots to fill is an example of the work that lies ahead. The 40-man roster must be set by...

Graham wraps up general managers meetings

Graham wraps up general managers meetings
The process of hiring a head of baseball operations, whatever the title, didn't interfere with business conducted this week at the general managers meetings. Orioles director of player development Brian Graham, leading the department on an interim basis, flew home this afternoon from Carlsbad, Calif., after the meetings reached their conclusion. Director of baseball operations Tripp Norton also represented the organization. The uncertainty over which individual will be calling the shots...

Rebuilding Orioles need to look within, not at free agents

Rebuilding Orioles need to look within, not at free agents
As baseball free agency gets going, we know the Orioles will not be playing in the deep end of the pool. No chance of a Manny Machado reunion or a run at one of the top starters out there, such as Patrick Corbin or Dallas Keuchel. But should the Orioles even stick their toe into the shallow end of the pool? There certainly will be players to be had on one-year contracts who could help a club. The Orioles could use a sound defensive shortstop, and there are a few available. While José...

Updating the 40-man roster and pending decisions

Updating the 40-man roster and pending decisions
A full 40-man roster has left the Orioles with another set of decisions to make while creating room for players leading into the Rule 5 draft and eventual outside acquisitions via trades and free agency. The deadline to non-tender players is Nov. 30 and the Orioles must figure out whether to give raises to infielder Tim Beckham and catcher Caleb Joseph. They're the ones who are at risk. Starter Dylan Bundy, reliever Mychal Givens and infielder Jonathan Villar obviously are staying on the...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The Orioles' list of arbitration-eligible players will be reduced with the decision to place infielder Jace Peterson on outright waivers. Peterson made $900,000 this season and MLBTradeRumors.com projects a raise to $1.3 million. The Orioles will look to carry a utility infielder at a reduced cost and it could be Peterson under a restructured deal. This is partly about money and partly about the need to clear room on the 40-man roster. The Orioles have five players who will need to be...

More roster talk, Lee update and former Orioles in October

More roster talk, Lee update and former Orioles in October
Setting the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft won't necessarily be the first order of business for the Orioles' reconstructed front office, with the non-tender deadline set for Nov. 30, but it's going to involve more heavy lifting. The roster is full and the Orioles need to create room for pitchers Dillon Tate and Branden Kline, who are assured of making it. Catcher Martin Cervenka and left-hander Luis Gonzalez also are expected to have spots open to them. As I've pointed out in the...

For the Orioles, will the dollars make sense?

For the Orioles, will the dollars make sense?
As a rebuilding team intending to rely on younger and less experienced players, the Orioles will also likely be a team that may not pursue many free agents this winter and certainly not many commanding significant dollars. The Orioles' payroll is going down as they attempt to reset it. Cot's Baseball Contracts ranks the O's year-end 40-man roster payroll at 14th in the majors from 2013 to 2015. It ranked 12th in 2016, at $169.3 million, and 11th in 2017, at $179.9 million. Some have observed...

More arbitration-eligible talk and catching concerns

More arbitration-eligible talk and catching concerns
I wrote earlier in the week about decisions pending on the arbitration-eligible players. MLBTradeRumors.com came out with their annual projections on raises, which will be referenced here multiple times in the coming months. Jonathan Villar is expected to have his salary bumped from $2.55 million to $4.4 million after batting a combined .260/.325/.384 with 14 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs and 35 stolen bases in 40 attempts over 141 games, the last 54 with the Orioles. The Orioles...

Orioles won't leave their tender moments alone

Orioles won't leave their tender moments alone
As the organization undergoes its makeover, decisions must be made regarding arbitration-eligible players and whether to extend contracts for 2019. The non-tender deadline is Nov. 30, giving the Orioles plenty of time to figure it out. A new high-ranking executive should be in place to handle it. Starter Dylan Bundy, reliever Mychal Givens and infielder Jonathan Villar are the no-brainers to receive contract offers. The Orioles aren't letting them hit free agency. The only questions pertaining...

Wrapping up Jones' day and 4-0 win

Wrapping up Jones' day and 4-0 win
Adam Jones headed back out to right field today in the top of the ninth inning, but he didn't stay there. He didn't see another pitch thrown from that vantage point. Joey Rickard was sent out to replace him and Jones turned to the fans behind him who spent the day holding up "Cap10" signs in his honor and waved his cap to them. He hugged Rickard and first baseman Trey Mancini. He tipped his cap to the Astros as they stood and applauded him, and embraced everyone in his own dugout, one at a...

The season reaches its conclusion today

The season reaches its conclusion today
The end is here. Of the worst season in franchise history. Of Adam Jones' days as an Oriole unless something unforeseen happens. And perhaps of Buck Showalter's tenure as manager, which began in the summer of 2010. Some players had large boxes in front of their lockers yesterday. Tim Beckham joked that Joey Rickard was blocking his path during the packing process. Rickard countered that he didn't order the box delivered and found it there - after asking if Beckham wanted to help...

Wrapping up Game 1 loss (O's down 5-2)

Wrapping up Game 1 loss (O's down 5-2)
The Orioles are trying to avoid being swept in today's doubleheader and also are seeking their first win against the Astros this season. The process is complicated, of course, by the opponent rolling out ace after ace. It seems unfair, as if the deck is stacked. Myles Straw hit his first major league home run, a solo shot to center field in the first inning to give the Astros a 1-0 lead, but rookie catcher Austin Wynns tied the game in the second with a single off left-hander Dallas Keuchel...

Orioles and Astros Game 2 lineups

Orioles and Astros Game 2 lineups
Adam Jones is in right field for Game 2 of today's doubleheader, as the Orioles try to gain a split. Jonathan Villar is the shortstop and Steve Wilkerson is playing second base. Tim Beckham is the designated hitter and John Andreoli is in left field. For the Orioles Cedric Mullins CF Jonathan VIllar SS Adam Jones RF Trey Mancini 1B Tim Beckham DH Renato Núñez 3B John Andreoli LF Austin Wynns C Steve Wilkerson 2B Yefry Ramírez RHP For the Astros Jose Altuve 2B Myles Straw LF Alex...

Orioles drop Game 1, 4-3, after rallying to tie

Orioles drop Game 1, 4-3, after rallying to tie
Getting a baserunner against Justin Verlander today eased some of the pressure on the Orioles. An Adam Jones double with two outs in the fourth inning, an infield hit for Renato Núñez with one out in the fifth. A little something to break the strikeout monotony. Dylan Bundy was working on a three-hit shutout through the fifth and happened to be the second-best pitcher in the game. His six strikeouts were four fewer than Verlander's total. And nobody likes a showoff. Tony Kemp led off the...