Lingering questions about the lineup

Lingering questions about the lineup
If it's too early to make final calls on the Orioles' 26-man roster, the same rule should apply to the opening day lineup. The mind starts to work on it with the announcement that the Red Sox are starting left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez on April 1 at Fenway Park. Begin building the right-handed order. The Orioles could go left-on-left from the leadoff spot with center fielder Cedric Mullins abandoning switch-hitting. He homered off a southpaw last night, but also was batting ninth. They...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The growing possibility that Chris Davis begins the season in the injured list, whatever its length, removes the misguided argument that he's blocking a prospect. Davis hasn't done it. Prospects aren't kept at Triple-A or the alternate camp because he's in the organization. Ryan Mountcastle wasn't making the club on opening day 2020. Yusniel Diaz isn't making it next month. (Mountcastle is 2-for-19 with a double, home run, five RBIs, no walks and four strikeouts. Don't panic.) A four-man...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Pirates traded starter Jameson Taillon to the Yankees yesterday, surrendering a pitcher who underwent two Tommy John surgeries after becoming the second-overall pick in the 2010 draft. They received four prospects in return. There's a tie to the Orioles beyond his arrival in the American League East. Pittsburgh's choice in the draft came down to Taillon or prep shortstop Manny Machado, with the Orioles selecting third. Scouting director Joe Jordan would have pounced on Taillon if the...

A no-return policy on Orioles

A no-return policy on Orioles
The day after Christmas exists in many households to eat leftovers, vacuum pine needles and return unwanted gifts. There's also time spent rehashing some of the most uncomfortable moments at the dinner table. The Orioles haven't been shy about keeping receipts and making returns, no matter whose feelings get hurt. Just ask Grant Balfour's agent. Sometimes they can be talked into returning home with the same item, but feeling much better about it. Just ask Yovani Gallardo's agent. (If you...

Pop was perplexed prior to news of trade

Pop was perplexed prior to news of trade
Zach Pop received a phone call from his agent Thursday after the Diamondbacks selected the right-handed reliever with the sixth pick in the Rule 5 draft. Pop should expect to hear from someone in the organization. Just be ready for it and congratulations. And then it got weird. Pop never spoke to anyone with the Diamondbacks and began to wonder what happened. He was warned instead on a follow-up call about rumors of a trade. "I was like, 'What? I just got picked,' " he said yesterday. The...

Remembering last time the O's lost two in the Rule 5

Remembering last time the O's lost two in the Rule 5
When the Orioles lost two players in the major league phase of Thursday's Rule 5 draft, it was a good news/bad news situation. On the one hand, for the first time since 2015 the O's lost a player in the Rule 5. And only five Major League Baseball clubs lost two or more players in this draft. On the other hand, the Orioles may have lost two players for good. Players often get sent back to their original teams in this draft, but it's not a given, obviously. The O's never sent Richie Martin...

The Orioles' week in review

The Orioles' week in review
The normal Winter Meetings would have wrapped up yesterday following the Rule 5 draft. The virtual version, however, keeps rolling along. No checkout times, stops at the front desk or luggage to be dragged through the lobby and toward the exits, where fresh air is breathed for the first time in four days. What I miss most is my annual lap around the lobby after filing my Rule 5 story. The sense of calm as media and executives race to the airport. The thought in my head that whispers, "Well,...

Orioles select two pitchers, lose two in Rule 5 draft (Snyder quote)

Orioles select two pitchers, lose two in Rule 5 draft (Snyder quote)
The Orioles again made two selections in today's Rule 5 draft and they again focused on pitching. The fifth overall pick turned into right-hander Mac Sceroler, the nephew of former Orioles pitcher Ben McDonald. The Orioles took right-hander Tyler Wells in the second round to fill out their 40-man roster. Sceroler, 25, came from the Reds organization, where he posted a 3.69 ERA and a 1.111 WHIP in 26 games (20 starts) at high Single-A Daytona in 2019 and averaged 9.8 strikeouts per nine...

Prepping for the Rule 5 draft

Prepping for the Rule 5 draft
The Rule 5 draft begins at noon today and the Orioles, as usual, are going to participate. It's what they do. It should be named after them. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias appeared on "MASN All Access" on Monday afternoon and offered confirmation. "I would expect some activity in the first round of the Rule 5 draft," he said. That's good enough for me. But he doubled down in a Zoom conference call with the media. "If there are only four players that we feel are worth...

A trade O's fans may eventually be quite thankful for

A trade O's fans may eventually be quite thankful for
Happy Thanksgiving, Birdland! I hope everyone gets to be with their family today, but we know that in 2020, that is probably not happening for everyone. Let this be the last Thanksgiving like this one. But here is a wish for all of Birdland to be healthy and happy on this holiday. I'm thankful for the wonderful community of Orioles fans that frequent this blog daily. As it relates to the Orioles, the club may be very thankful at some point for the return they got in the Manny Machado trade....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Latest look at 40-man roster and Rule 5 decisions (updated)

Latest look at 40-man roster and Rule 5 decisions (updated)
The task of clearing room on the 40-man roster began as the Orioles worked through the final games on their schedule. No need to wait until the last out. Pitcher Carson Fulmer, the former first-round pick of the White Sox, didn't make it through waivers. Reliever Cody Carroll passed through and was outrighted. The 40-man roster was reduced to 37 players, but the Orioles activated pitcher Kohl Stewart from the 10-day injured list yesterday, per their transactions page, and he goes back on the...

Pop says he's "fully healthy" while throwing in Canada

Pop says he's "fully healthy" while throwing in Canada
Everyone has a story. How they spent the summer shutdown and, for professional baseball players, attempted to train and stay attached to their clubs. Just in case a season on hold was put into motion. Orioles pitching prospect Zach Pop can spin an interesting tale. Going back home to Canada and rehabbing his surgically repaired right elbow after the closing of the Twin Lakes Park facility in Sarasota. The higher dependence on video to allow the Orioles to track his progress. Being outside the...

O's must get creative again with players shut out of camps

O's must get creative again with players shut out of camps
The Orioles are streaming players from their summer training camp site at Camden Yards to the facility in Bowie, offering some hints about their intentions at a couple of positions. Players aren't trapped inside Prince George's Stadium. The Orioles can bring them back as options for the opening day roster. But they've tumbled down the power rankings. While the Bowie camp is set up to keep guys ready in case a spot opens on the major league club later in the summer or to push along the...

Revisiting the trade of Manny Machado

Revisiting the trade of Manny Machado
When the 2018 season started, the Orioles were trying to make one last playoff run with an opening day roster that included Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Trey Mancini, Dylan Bundy, Andrew Cashner, Alex Cobb, Kevin Gausman, Brad Brach and Darren O'Day. Two years previously, they made the American League wild card game, losing in extra innings in Toronto. But in 2017, the club went 75-87. They were trending down, but with Machado in his last year before free agency,...

Right-hander Zach Pop on his recovery from Tommy John surgery

Right-hander Zach Pop on his recovery from Tommy John surgery
He was a key player the Orioles acquired in mid-2018 in the trade of Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now Orioles minor league right-hander Zach Pop is going through the process of getting back to pitching after Tommy John surgery of last May. He is progressing well, but finding out some of the challenges of a process that can take a pitcher 12 to 18 months to get back to the mound in a game. "Definitely the mental battle is tough," he said recently during an interview at Twin Lakes...