McKenna relates to and rates newest 40-man members

McKenna relates to and rates newest 40-man members
Ryan McKenna grabbed his phone Friday evening after the Orioles announced which players were given spots on the 40-man roster to protect them in the Rule 5 draft. He had some calls to make. And some memories to share. McKenna enjoyed the same experience last year with his placement on the 40-man. Less of a certainty than outfielder/first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and pitchers Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer, but allowed to shed invite status in spring training. It would be the highlight for McKenna,...

More thoughts on the Núñez DFA

More thoughts on the Núñez DFA
As the 6 p.m. deadline approached and passed yesterday without an announcement from the Orioles on setting their 40-man roster, it became apparent that something was in the works beyond just choosing which prospects to protect in the Rule 5 draft. The Orioles were going to also choose a player to be designated for assignment. With the many additions would come a subtraction. Call it a hunch. Renato Núñez went from non-tender candidate to a DFA, which shook up some fans on Twitter who...

O's farm has improved and six 40-man adds is latest example

O's farm has improved and six 40-man adds is latest example
The Orioles made a nice statement Friday about their improving farm system. A farm system that has risen to No. 8 in the game in the MLBPipeline.com organizational rankings. They protected six players from that farm from being taken in next month's Rule 5 draft. They added all six last night to their 40-man roster. They added pitchers Michael Baumann, Alexander Wells, Zac Lowther and Isaac Mattson, outfielder Yusniel Diaz and infielder Rylan Bannon. Some in the game speculate that after not...

Orioles protect six players and DFA Núñez (updated)

Orioles protect six players and DFA Núñez (updated)
The Orioles reached the maximum on their 40-man roster this afternoon with the additions of outfielder Yusniel Diaz, infielder Rylan Bannon, and pitchers Michael Baumann, Zac Lowther, Isaac Mattson and Alexander Wells. To create a spot, the Orioles have designated Renato Núñez for assignment. He led the club in home runs the past two seasons and is eligible for arbitration. The deadline to set the roster was 6 p.m. The six players are now protected from the Rule 5 draft, which is held on...

Talking about creating more action in the game

Talking about creating more action in the game
As he left his job running the Chicago Cubs baseball operations this week, Theo Epstein addressed what he sees as issues in baseball. Issues that he believes he helped create and now wonders if the game will fix them. The issues involve a lack of action in the sport. There are too many strikeouts, too much swing and miss. Strikeouts are fun if you're the pitcher, but they are piling up more and more each year. More whiffs and fewer balls in play. Fewer chances for plays at the plate and great...

Checking the 40-man roster again before it inflates

Checking the 40-man roster again before it inflates
With the Orioles on the verge of adjusting their 40-man roster, this seems like an opportune time for a final scroll of the current edition. There are 35 players listed and at least three prospects are expected to join them by today's deadline. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is likely to make further subtractions later as he attempts to plug holes or increase depth via the free agent and trade markets - though minor league deals would delay the process. Here are the 15...

Rule 5 protection date approaches for the Orioles

Rule 5 protection date approaches for the Orioles
So a decision day is coming for the Orioles on Friday, unless they make some announcements before that. They have to decide which players to add to their 40-man roster to protect them from the December Rule 5 draft. They have five openings on their 40-man roster. That certainly does not guarantee they protect five players. They can protect as few as they want or as many as five, unless they clear any more roster spots before Friday, which seems unlikely. In looking back at previous...

Will Orioles protect Isaac Mattson from Rule 5 draft?

Will Orioles protect Isaac Mattson from Rule 5 draft?
The internal discussions in the Orioles organization related to Friday's deadline for setting the 40-man roster expand beyond the prospect lists that are blooming in the fall. You won't find reliever Isaac Mattson in the top 30 published by MLBPipeline.com. You could find him among the protected players. There's room on the bubble for Mattson and, without any inside information, I'm predicting that he goes on the 40-man along with outfielder Yusniel Diaz and pitchers Michael Baumann and Zac...

How it looks to get O's prospects back into minor league season

How it looks to get O's prospects back into minor league season
I wasn't aware of the term "coronavirus pandemic expansion" until reading it last week in an article detailing how Southwest Airlines is adding Sarasota, Fla., to its growing list of destinations. Finally, the official airline of the Baltimore Orioles is providing flights to the team's spring training home. Always made sense to me. This is big news to beat writers who have been flying into Tampa and driving an hour. Trying to avoid the traffic jam heading back to Tampa International Airport...

Baseball America sizes up the O's top prospects

Baseball America sizes up the O's top prospects
Baseball America released its new Orioles top 10 prospects list this week. The list shows that the Orioles continue to improve their farm system. Seven of these players were acquired on former general manager Dan Duquette's watch, and three came since current executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias took over. It's a list with some balance: There are five pitchers and five position players. Five Orioles are currently ranked in the top 100 of both Baseball America and...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
By the end of the week, the Orioles will be required to make further adjustments to their 40-man roster in order to protect players in the Rule 5 draft. Teams now pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league phase, and he can be offered back to his former organization for half the fee. I remember when it was $50,000 and $25,000, but the last collective bargaining agreement upped the cost. Could also explain my increased alcohol consumption, unless that's COVID related. The Orioles have...

A word on the awards

A word on the awards
We've made it past the awards portion of the offseason. Someone pump the brakes before we slam into the New Year. Ryan Mountcastle was the only member of the Orioles to receive a vote in the four major awards. For third place in Rookie of the Year. One point for one of the most important players in the rebuild. If you have an affinity for early projections, Mountcastle will rank among the favorites for the honor in 2021. He's going to be on the opening day roster. No "late arrival" excuses...

A few thoughts on the Mike Elias press conference

A few thoughts on the Mike Elias press conference
Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias took a few questions from local Orioles media on Monday. It was his first meeting with reporters since the end-of-the-season Zoom get-together on the final weekend of the 2020 season. A few takeaways from this latest session: Interesting comments on the starting rotation: John Means, Alex Cobb, Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer would seem to give the O's a strong start on putting together a 2021 rotation. If that group of four consists...

What's next for Orioles?

What's next for Orioles?
The conclusion of the World Series, with the crowning of a 60-game COVID champion, opens the door for free agency and trades. The official offseason is underway. As always, please continue to breathe normally. Players enter free agency the day after the World Series. For the Orioles, it's a short line at the moment with only pitcher Wade LeBlanc and catcher Bryan Holaday, according to Baseball-Reference.com. A two-man stampede doesn't make much noise. LeBlanc will be removed from the 60-day...

Looking forward to a return to normal

Looking forward to a return to normal
I look forward to the day when the world gets closer to being normal again, however we define the term. When a baseball season lasts longer than a dental appointment and hearing "corona" makes you want to squeeze a lime wedge into a bottle of beer. I look forward to the day when I can conduct a MASN interview from the press box without looking like I just came out of surgery. When I can prepare for a group interview without checking my Zoom background or calculating my consecutive mornings...

Because You Asked - Friday After Next

Because You Asked - Friday After Next
The end of the regular season and the Orioles' exclusion from the playoffs doesn't lighten the mailbag. There are questions galore, which I'm pretty sure is also the name of a James Bond villain. I've never claimed to have all the answers. I'm still learning how to turn on the stove in my house. And as former Orioles infielder Robert Andino famously stated one day at his locker, "I ain't no future teller." I am, however, a fan of Penn & Teller. With the latest batch of furloughs...

O's face some tough calls on 40-man adds before Rule 5

O's face some tough calls on 40-man adds before Rule 5
Last November, the Orioles added four players to their 40-man roster to protect those players from being selected in the December Rule 5 draft. They added Ryan Mountcastle, Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer and Ryan McKenna. How many players will the Orioles add next month? They've got a list of quality players eligible for this year's Rule 5. But even with a lengthy list of players who they clearly like, it is still hard for a player to make the 40-man roster. Every year, it seems there is much angst...

Taking a look at the Orioles' solid outfield depth

Taking a look at the Orioles' solid outfield depth
When spring training for the 2021 season begins, the Orioles could be looking at a logjam. It presents a bit of a problem, but yes, it is a good problem to deal with. They may have too many quality outfielders for too few spots, especially if you add in players yet to make it to Baltimore. This is not a surprise to us, as it's been coming for a while. And this problem, if we do even call it that, could sort itself out as many baseball roster crunches do. There could be injuries, players sent...

Another quizzical look at the Orioles

Another quizzical look at the Orioles
Schools are open with remote classrooms, which should make it easier for you to take today's quiz. Except it's much harder to cheat off the person next to you. I can't fix that part. Also, I waited again until the weekend to pass out a quiz because I'm a real jerk. Please share your answers with the moderator. The opening day starter will be: A. Alex Cobb B. John Means C. A pitcher who signs over the winter D. None of the above The 2021 Most Valuable Oriole will be: A. Ryan Mountcastle B....

Five things we learned about Orioles fall instructional league

Five things we learned about Orioles fall instructional league
A five-item list is like air to a sportswriter. Not four, not six, not more. "Five things we learned" can't be altered or you'll be reassigned to the mailroom. And you don't get five warnings. We must have learned five things yesterday about the fall instructional league. I'll take a stab at it. * The plan to have all of the draft selections in Sarasota, Fla. was ruined. Outfielder Heston Kjerstad, the second overall pick from the University of Arkansas, can't make it to the Ed Smith...