Mattson takes big step with placement on 40-man roster

Mattson takes big step with placement on 40-man roster
Isaac Mattson could have competed for a spot in the Orioles bullpen as an invite to spring training, with his contract selected later. Breaking camp with the team would have remained a goal and a possibility. Now he gets to try it as a member of the 40-man roster. Protected from the Rule 5 draft next month. The organization's commitment to him more clearly defined. Mattson was included among the six players added to the roster at Friday's deadline. He's been working out and wondering since...

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...

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...

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 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...

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...

Bringing opposites together in Akin and Kremer

Bringing opposites together in Akin and Kremer
No one is going to mistake Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer for carbon copies as pitchers and personalities, but they seem destined to be linked. It's hard to separate them and there's no real motivation to attempt it. Not as long as their talents and energy are so vital to the current playoff run and the future success of the organization. Two highly touted prospects making their major league debuts in 2020. Working back-to-back in the rotation last weekend. Doing it again this week, with Kremer...

More thoughts on yesterday's trades

More thoughts on yesterday's trades
Sometimes it works precisely as intended. The Orioles signed veteran left-hander Tommy Milone to a minor league deal in spring training, one of their typical late moves under the Florida sunshine. Never make roster projections until after everyone reports to camp. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias had the same vision as his predecessors. Bring in a pitcher or player on a shortened and inexpensive deal and hope for the type of production that benefits the club on the field and...

New Oriole Isaac Mattson is closing in on the majors (with video)

New Oriole Isaac Mattson is closing in on the majors (with video)
The date was Dec. 4, 2019. That was the day that Isaac Mattson's world briefly got turned upside down. A right-handed relief pitcher, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in round 19 of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft and had completed three good years in their system. He reached Triple-A last summer and he was finally closing in on that major league dream. Then he got a call. He was traded to the Orioles, one of four players coming to Baltimore in the deal for pitcher Dylan Bundy. "Kind...

All in the family for Pat Valaika, plus other notes

All in the family for Pat Valaika, plus other notes
Beyond their coaches, big league hitters sometimes have someone else close to them they trust to help with their swing. It can be a friend, family member or even a player on another team. Orioles infielder Pat Valaika has his own hitting coach in his family. Valaika, 27, is one of five children, and his oldest brother, Chris, played four seasons in the majors with three clubs. Now he's the minor league hitting coordinator for the Chicago Cubs. "During the quarantine he lived in Arizona and...

Santander cleared for workouts at Camden Yards

Santander cleared for workouts at Camden Yards
Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander has reported to Camden Yards and is participating in this afternoon's workout. Manager Brandon Hyde didn't provide any details on Santander's prolonged absence from summer training camp, which likely has been related to COVID-19 testing. Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. remains absent. The club is rushing to get Santander ready for the July 24 opener against the Red Sox in Boston, with a multitude of factors in play. "We're going to try our best," Hyde...

Orioles add Kremer to player pool and option Velázquez

Orioles add Kremer to player pool and option Velázquez
Another Orioles prospect is taking a dip in the player pool. The team announced today that right-hander Dean Kremer has been added to the 60-man pool and is headed to the alternate training site in Bowie. Pitcher Hector Velázquez, viewed as a long relief candidate when summer training camp began, has been optioned to the alternate site. He's no longer in the running for a bullpen role. Also, infielder Richie Martin has been placed on the 60-day injured list and removed from the player pool...

Aiming for a mightier 'pen and other notes

Aiming for a mightier 'pen and other notes
The Orioles have certainly tried to build a better bullpen. Since the end of the 2019 season, they've added some new pitchers, and some holdovers have made changes that they hope will prove significant. Some talented young pitchers such as Hunter Harvey and Dillon Tate, who is injured currently, could be with the team for most of the 2020 season. O's pitching coach Doug Brocail presented Harvey as a closer option during a Zoom interview Sunday morning. No one is committing to the kid in that...

Orioles finalize plans to use Bowie stadium as alternate camp site

Orioles finalize plans to use Bowie stadium as alternate camp site
The final arrangements have been completed on the Orioles' alternate summer camp site. The club is using the Prince George's Stadium facility in Bowie, which is the home of the Double-A Baysox. Preparations are ongoing to get the complex ready and the first full workout is expected to be held on Thursday morning. There are 53 players working out at Camden Yards, with the last eight additions ticketed for Bowie. That group consists of outfielder/infielder Ryan Mountcastle, outfielders Mason...

Some interesting names emerge as O's add to player pool

Some interesting names emerge as O's add to player pool
He was not even a non-roster invite to spring training in February, but the guy they call "Big Mike" could make his major league debut during the shortened season of 2020. Right-hander Michael Baumann, who has some of the best stuff on the Orioles farm, was added to the club's 60-man player pool on Friday. The O's list of additions also included their 2019 top draft pick, catcher Adley Rutschman, along with pitchers Keegan Akin and Isaac Mattson, catcher Taylor Davis and outfielder Cedric...