Wade LeBlanc wants to repay O's for having his back during injury

Wade LeBlanc wants to repay O's for having his back during injury
When a player uses the word "disaster" as part of the description of his season, it didn't go very well, Captain Obvious might say. For lefty Wade LeBlanc, it didn't go very well in the six starts he made for the 2020 Orioles before an injury sidelined him for the season. LeBlanc, 36, recorded an ERA of 8.06 last summer with a 1.567 WHIP over 22 1/3 innings. Then his season ended on Aug. 23, when he left a start after facing four batters in the first inning at Boston. He had a stress...

Mancini playing first base in Sunday's opener (and other notes)

Mancini playing first base in Sunday's opener (and other notes)
The first exhibition lineup posted Sunday morning by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde will include Trey Mancini at first base. The comeback has reached another important stage. Mancini missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy treatments for Stage 3 colon cancer. His final at-bats came on March 2 before he left the team. He went 4-for-14 with two RBIs in five games. "I'm going to play him at first, DH him some, especially the first couple weeks," Hyde said. "I talk...

Can bullpen do as well or better in 2021?

Can bullpen do as well or better in 2021?
Less than a week into workouts, which officially include position players this morning, the veteran and younger arms in camp seem to be making a nice impression. Of course, you have to take the word of the people who are able to watch. Or to catch. "Everybody looks great over here, everybody looks in shape," said Pedro Severino. "The first couple bullpens everybody threw, they looked really great, like they're ready to go, and I'm excited to see what they've got." You can use the logic...

Shared commitment to analytics matched Matt Harvey with Orioles

Shared commitment to analytics matched Matt Harvey with Orioles
More solid evidence that the Orioles have entered the modern age of pitching technology leads directly to veteran starter Matt Harvey, who chose them as a free agent based on their approach and the people put in charge. What he believes is what they believe. What he did in the offseason, training at Baseball Performance Center in New Jersey, is what they endorse. Meeting with the media this afternoon in a Zoom conference call, Harvey laid out the reasons why the Orioles were the right team at...

Valdez could emerge as starter (and other notes)

Valdez could emerge as starter (and other notes)
César Valdez has become so important to the Orioles, and in such an unexpected manner after his prolonged absence from the majors, that manager Brandon Hyde is open to using the veteran right-hander in pretty much any role. The rotation isn't closed to him. Valdez became a starter in winter ball after one relief appearance with his original team, Tigres del Licey, and dominated for Gigantes and Águilas Cibaeñas - the latter being the Dominican Republic's entrant into the Caribbean...

Could Orioles break camp with a six-man rotation?

Could Orioles break camp with a six-man rotation?
A spring training camp with a roster that's grown to 73 players is bound to have a lot of moving parts. Fold in the influences of a pandemic that's turned the sport on its ear, and those parts can leave a vapor trail. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde knows that he's allowed to construct a 26-man roster, but he's open to any ideas. One of them is breaking camp with six starters. Hyde confirmed on Wednesday's Zoom conference call that it's a viable option. "I think anything's possible this...

Pondering innings limits and a few other topics

Pondering innings limits and a few other topics
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, his pitching coaches Chris Holt and Darren Holmes and the club's front office, among others, have to ponder something important about pitchers for the coming season: How do they get from here to there? In this case, the here is the innings load that pitchers were given in a shortened 60-game 2020 season, and the there is how it will work out now with 162 games facing the club. Last year Alex Cobb led O's pitchers with 52 1/3 innings and John Means was second with...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The atmosphere at the Ed Smith Stadium complex would seem a lot stranger if the Orioles hadn't experienced the weirdness of a 2020 regular season. The separation and staggered arrivals became the norm. Getting back together has been celebrated - at the appropriate social distancing. "It's fun to get started again in spring training, Day One, pitchers and catchers," manager Brandon Hyde said during yesterday's Zoom conference call with the media. "We had a great day and looking forward to...

Harvey deal official, Hyde on having veterans in camp

Harvey deal official, Hyde on having veterans in camp
Veteran pitcher Matt Harvey was still in the process of undergoing his physical this morning while Orioles pitchers and catchers took the field at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. It's now official. Harvey will report to camp and increase its total to 73 players, two short of the limit. Harvey agreed to terms over the weekend and will earn $1 million if he's on the club. Manager Brandon Hyde said the rest of the pitchers and catchers are in camp. The gathering in misty Sarasota included veterans...

As camp begins, another look at rotation candidates

As camp begins, another look at rotation candidates
When you look at the list of 73 players the Orioles have heading to spring training this week, there are 37 pitchers among that group of players. Of that group of 37, there are 15-20 that might have at least a remote shot at breaking north in the season-opening starting rotation. Realistically, the number is less, but still large. Let's take a look at groupings of pitchers that we could see in the rotation come April. TOP TIER This group includes lefty John Means, the likely opening day...

Will spring training games now hold more importance?

Will spring training games now hold more importance?
All you have to do is remember that catcher Jake Fox once looked like an All-Star during spring training. Some fans were clamoring for him to play over Matt Wieters. Yep, that did happen. Every year, we see players crush the ball in spring training but struggle when the season starts. And the reverse is often true. Every year, we wonder how much stock, if any, to put into spring training stats. It's all we have throughout February and March. I've always felt we certainly can't just dismiss...

Matt Harvey agrees to minor league deal with Orioles

Matt Harvey agrees to minor league deal with Orioles
Less than 24 hours after Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias told the media that he wanted to sign another veteran starting pitcher, the club has reached agreement with right-hander Matt Harvey on a minor league contract. A source confirmed the agreement with Harvey, 31, the seventh-overall pick of the Mets in the 2010 draft out of the University of North Carolina. The deal is pending the completion of a physical. Harvey, joining his fourth team since 2018, provides more...

Still wondering about Orioles as first workout looms

Still wondering about Orioles as first workout looms
The first spring training workout is four days away. Some baseballs will be dropped, but not many clues about how the roster is going to be constructed and the pitching staff assembled. The full squad doesn't take the field until Feb. 22, but again, there's only so much you can read into early drills. Maybe where some players are taking grounders, though the media isn't permitted on the back fields. Maybe where some players are grouped - whether a fringe guy is placed with the regulars or...

40-man roster could require restructuring

40-man roster could require restructuring
Pitchers and catchers are required to report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in less than a week. The offseason is about to move into the spring training workout phase, followed by exhibition games - adjusted from the original schedule to eliminate longer-distance travel - played while everyone holds their breath. Not a bad idea during a pandemic. Reduce the risk of a positive test for COVID-19. The Orioles aren't a finished product and roster moves are coming while they're in camp. More...

Putting Hernández signing in proper perspective (with note)

Putting Hernández signing in proper perspective (with note)
The return of Wade LeBlanc to the Orioles organization came as a surprise with no access to behind-the-scenes negotiations. LeBlanc walked off the mound on Aug. 23, went on the 60-day injured list, hit the free agent market again and figured to be a fading memory in Orioles history. I don't recall anyone predicting that he'd sign another minor league deal, but he's going back to the Ed Smith Stadium complex later this month. The attention given to his return disappeared as quickly as LeBlanc...

Should Goudeau get more attention as pitching alternative?

Should Goudeau get more attention as pitching alternative?
The signing of a veteran starting pitcher was a certainty as the Orioles attempted to set their camp roster. Could have been a major league deal, could have been a minor league deal. Could have been one major league and one minor league deal. Could have been two minor league deals. But an experienced starter was going to be slotted into the rotation. Deal with it. Wade LeBlanc reached agreement last week on a minor league contract, followed by former Cy Young Award winner Félix Hernández...

LeBlanc: "I want to make sure that I give them everything I have"

LeBlanc: "I want to make sure that I give them everything I have"
When did veteran starter Wade LeBlanc know that he was coming back to the Orioles? Shortly after he left them. LeBlanc didn't pitch after the first inning of an Aug. 23 game against the Red Sox at Camden Yards, his sixth start with his new team, due to a stress fracture in his left elbow. The Orioles put him on the 60-day injured list while recalling rookie Keegan Akin, but shortened the distance between them despite LeBlanc's return to Louisiana. The Orioles kept checking on LeBlanc's...

The process of crafting a camp roster

The process of crafting a camp roster
Efforts made by the Orioles to find more starting options for the rotation and depth in the infield and upper levels of the farm system are synced with the task of filling out the camp roster for spring training. The amount of players allowed at complexes is expected to be capped at 75. The Orioles are going to treat the process in the same fashion as their 60-man pool and the summer training camp at Camden Yards. They didn't rush to reach their limit. They left room for players to filter in...

Orioles sign "King Félix" to minor league deal (updated)

Orioles sign "King Félix" to minor league deal (updated)
The Orioles' quest for more starting pitching has carried them to a former Cy Young Award winner. The second minor league deal offered in two days. According to an industry source, the Orioles have agreed to terms with veteran Félix Hernández on a contract that pays $1 million if he's on the club. The news on Hernández comes less than 24 hours after confirmation that the Orioles re-signed left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a deal that offers $700,000 if he's on the active...

Orioles re-signing LeBlanc to minor league deal (trade update)

Orioles re-signing LeBlanc to minor league deal (trade update)
Left-hander Wade LeBlanc is headed back to the Orioles. LeBlanc has agreed to terms on a minor league deal with a spring training invite, according to a source. LeBlanc can earn a base salary of $700,000 if he's on the club. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has sought at least one veteran starting pitcher. The trade of Alex Cobb to the Angels, which is still awaiting approval from the commissioner's office, could lead to another signing. The Orioles have major league offers...