A few random questions and thoughts as the Orioles enjoy another off-day before beginning a three-game series in Cleveland: * Is Joey Rickard's stock on the rise? He's making it hard for the Orioles to put him back on the Triple-A shuttle, collecting six hits in 20 at-bats this month - he was robbed of a hit to end last night's game - with a double, triple and home run. Rickard closed out July with six hits in 16 at-bats, including three doubles and a home run, and also had eight RBIs. The...

In a season that has been extremely tough on their fan base, the Orioles made a move yesterday that avoided what would have been another gut punch. Within 90 minutes of the deadline to sign 2018 draft picks, the Orioles reached an agreement with University of Arkansas right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight. During such a miserable season, letting one of the top college pitchers get away would have further riled up an already riled-up fan base. And it would have been a big mistake. The Orioles need...

PHILADELPHIA - The Orioles have made official the signing of their second draft pick, Oregon State shortstop Cadyn Grenier. He will report to Single-A Delmarva. Grenier was taken with the No. 37 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A. The slot value for that pick is $1,923,500 and Grenier was signed for $1.8 million. Grenier was considered the top defensive shortstop in the college ranks and won the Brooks Wallace Award, which goes to the top shortstop. His Oregon State team won the...

They were on competing teams in the College World Series finals, which ended Thursday night. But very soon, Oregon State shortstop Cadyn Grenier and right-handed pitcher Blaine Knight of Arkansas will be on the same team. They will be Orioles and start their pro careers on the O's farm. The Orioles have reached an agreement on a signing bonus with Grenier. He was their second draft pick, taken No. 37 overall in Competitive Balance Round A. The slot value for that pick is $1,923,500. The...

Fans, reporters and even baseball executives can debate the stats in the game - advanced, traditional or any others. There is probably no one stat that summarizes a player's contribution in a nice and neat number, although Wins Above Replacement and others attempt to do that. It at least gives us a framework for some level of a comparison. But for an admitted somewhat simplistic look at Orioles players and comparing their offense from 2017 to 2018, we could look at OPS+. It provides a...

TORONTO - As the Orioles have continued to struggle to score runs and the losses began to mount, no one in the clubhouse has blinders on. They know how bad it is and as they look around that clubhouse these days, players seem to realize it could look very different in there over the next few weeks and months. The team has four pending free agents - Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Zach Britton and Brad Brach - and any or all of the four could go in trade-deadline deals in July. Or maybe sooner. And...

FLUSHING, N.Y. - While wondering if the Eagles will invite Alanis Morissette to sing "Uninvited" before their home opener ... I'm getting asked about the Orioles' decision to select Texas high school pitcher Grayson Rodriguez with their first pick in the draft. It felt like a reach considering the more highly rated pitchers still on the board, including Matthew Liberatore, Brady Singer, Cole Winn and Shane McClanahan, but let's not pretend that this is an exact science. It is not - more...

For the first time, the Orioles have selected high school pitchers in back-to-back years with their top pick in the First-Year Player Draft, which has been held since 1965. With the No. 11 pick last night, the Orioles selected prep right-hander Grayson Rodriguez from Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas. He is 6-foot-5 and 230 lbs., and has a college commitment to Texas A&M. Scouting reports indicate his fastball often sat 92 to 94 mph this season, touching 97 and 98 mph....