O's free agent pitching additions could have familiar look

O's free agent pitching additions could have familiar look
When he spoke to reporters early this month, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said the club would pursue signing starting pitching this winter and heading into the 2021 season. They could add major or minor league free agents. The Orioles rotation ended last season in a pretty good spot after Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer made their major league debuts. Jorge López had some nice moments as well, while John Means and Alex Cobb were both pitching well at the end of...

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...

Light free agent winter workload for Orioles

Light free agent winter workload for Orioles
Part of a team's offseason agenda is attempting to retain its own free agents. Hold onto the players who are deemed irreplaceable and affordable. The Orioles won't be bogged down by this type of business. The current list of Orioles free agents is a brief read. Left-hander Wade LeBlanc and third catcher Bryan Holaday are the only ones assured of hitting the market. The $3.5 million option on shortstop José Iglesias' contract is going to be picked up unless there's a monumental,...

Looking back at some non-roster invites

Looking back at some non-roster invites
The Orioles won't know whether they'll be able to open their spring training camp in February until the world gives its approval. Or Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association if they choose to ignore the world. First comes the fall instructional league, which so far has gone uninterrupted for two weeks. If we're lucky, the Orioles will reach the point where they can extend spring training invites and avoid another shutdown of the Ed Smith Stadium complex. It's interesting to...

Crunching more Orioles numbers

Crunching more Orioles numbers
Any reference to Orioles left-hander Bruce Zimmermann must be accompanied by his hometown or residence. Otherwise, you're a slacker and ill-equipped to join the discussion. He's a Baltimore native. He lives in Ellicott City. He works out in Elkridge. I'm still tracing the locations where he dines. Zimmermann attended Loyola Blakefield High School and was chosen for the Brooks Robinson All-Star Game at Camden Yards, where he was named Most Valuable Pitcher for the North team. He spent two...

A look at O's rotation improvement in 2020

A look at O's rotation improvement in 2020
The Orioles' rotation ERA this year was 5.09 for the 60-game season. They had it down to 4.75 with just a few games to go. But short outings by Jorge López, where he gave up eight runs, and Dean Kremer, where he gave up seven, raised it again. The O's finished 11th in the American League in rotation ERA. Had they kept their ERA in the 4.75 range, they still would have finished 11th. That is still the best for an O's team since the 2016 team that won 89 games and made the postseason. O's...

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...

Rookies in rotation reason to respect September baseball in 2020

Rookies in rotation reason to respect September baseball in 2020
The drudgery of September baseball for a team out of contention or barely visible is spiced by the arrival of prospects. The legitimate types rather than the fringy, "it's the best we've got" collection. The Orioles are carrying the developmental process from their alternate camp site in Bowie to the majors, another unique feature of 2020 baseball. Gains are possible with the final month more closely resembling mid-summer baseball. Active rosters aren't expanded to the maximum 40 players,...

Eshelman starting opener, Alberto and Núñez return to lineup

Eshelman starting opener, Alberto and Núñez return to lineup
Right-hander Thomas Eshelman is starting the first game of today's doubleheader against the Yankees. Eshelman is the replacement for veteran Alex Cobb, who's on the injured list for protocol reasons. The Orioles don't offer specific information if an absence involves COVID-19 testing. "We're just following protocol and he's just unavailable today, and that's really all I can say on it at this point," manager Brandon Hyde said during his Zoom conference call. "Eshelman's going to start...

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...

Hyde working to keep trade rumors from becoming distraction

Hyde working to keep trade rumors from becoming distraction
Players are kept in confinement this summer beyond their trips to the ballpark, where interactions are unavoidable but also narrowed. Arrive later than usual, dress for the games, have the option of showering or heading out immediately and repeat the process the next day. What can't be done is shielding them from trade rumors and speculation that builds as the deadline approaches. They swirl around the subjects, who find out via social media or friends and family. Manager Brandon Hyde is...

Milone makes nice recovery in 4-2 loss (updated)

Milone makes nice recovery in 4-2 loss (updated)
Wade LeBlanc fell off the trade table with an elbow injury that brought a premature end to his season. Alex Cobb stays on it if the right team comes along that's willing to absorb the $15 million owed in 2021 or if the Orioles provide some salary relief. Then there's Tommy Milone, who could interest a contender as a back-of-the-rotation starter or swingman, though the return wouldn't necessarily accelerate the rebuild process. The veteran lefty has been a pretty solid addition this year,...

Hyde on LeBlanc, rotation, Severino, Iglesias, Harvey, more

Hyde on LeBlanc, rotation, Severino, Iglesias, Harvey, more
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde hasn't decided how he's going to replace left-hander Wade LeBlanc in the rotation. He knows the candidates are Thomas Eshelman, Keegan Akin and Jorge López. They're headed to the bullpen until one of them is needed to start against the Blue Jays in Buffalo. "We're going to make that decision here probably later this week," Hyde said today in his Zoom conference call. "We have some guys who are built up for that. We'll see how it goes later in the...

LeBlanc on IL, Akin recalled

LeBlanc on IL, Akin recalled
Keegan Akin has made it back to the majors. Whether he's back in the bullpen or moved into the rotation hasn't been revealed. The Orioles placed Wade LeBlanc on the 60-day injured list this afternoon with a left elbow stress reaction, ending his 2020 season after only six starts. Akin has been recalled from the alternate camp site in Bowie as the roster replacement. The 60-man pool is down to 57 players. LeBlanc, 36, left Sunday's game against the Red Sox after throwing 14 pitches. He...

Orioles battle through injuries to defeat Red Sox 5-4 (updated)

Orioles battle through injuries to defeat Red Sox 5-4 (updated)
The transitioning of the Orioles roster to a younger look and more prospects populating it can happen with the front office operating the controls or fate intervening. Wade LeBlanc came out of today's start against the Red Sox in the first inning with discomfort in his left elbow, the severity of the injury unknown until tests are run. There's never a long wait to speculate on a roster replacement, but the Orioles are going to take it one step at a time Thomas Eshelman entered the game after...

Series split: Rio Ruiz gets clutch hits as O's beat Boston

Series split: Rio Ruiz gets clutch hits as O's beat Boston
In the first two innings today, the Orioles had numerous chances to score against Boston right-hander Zack Godley. But they went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded five runners. They got leadoff doubles each inning, but the clutch hit didn't come. The question that s the game went on: Would the early failures come back to bite them later? Not today. Third baseman Rio Ruiz, who had been struggling recently and began today batting .050 with runners in scoring, came up with two...

LeBlanc leaves game with left elbow discomfort

LeBlanc leaves game with left elbow discomfort
Wade LeBlanc threw a curveball this afternoon to Red Sox designated hitter Christian Vázquez in the top of the first inning, signaled to the dugout and waited to be led off the mound. LeBlanc sustained an apparent injury with two outs and a 1-0 count on his fifth batter. Manager Brandon Hyde, pitching coach Doug Brocail and assistant athletic trainer Mark Shires walked onto the field to check on him. Shires and LeBlanc walked together to the clubhouse in an unexpected development in the...

O's game blog: Looking for a series split with Red Sox

O's game blog: Looking for a series split with Red Sox
The Orioles came from behind twice last night to win and snap a six-game losing streak. Today they play the final game of a 10-game homestand and four-game series when they host the Boston Red Sox. The O's trailed last night 3-1 before Anthony Santander's game-tying two-run homer in the eighth. He blasted No. 10 a distance of 426 feet down the left field line to tie it up at 3-3. It extended his hitting streak to 17 games. During this run, Santander is batting .338 (24-for-71) with seven...

Orioles and Red Sox lineups

Orioles and Red Sox lineups
Cedric Mullins moves to the leadoff spot today as the Orioles conclude their four-game series against the Red Sox and a homestand that took a positive turn last night with a 5-4 10-inning win. Chance Sisco is the designated hitter today against right-hander Zack Godley. Pat Valaika is the second baseman, with Hanser Alberto on the bench. Valaika has homered in three consecutive games. Ryan Mountcastle stays in left field and is lowered to seventh after collecting his first major league hit last...

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups

Orioles and Blue Jays lineups
Chance Sisco remains in the leadoff spot today for the Orioles, and he's also behind the plate. Sisco is the first Orioles catcher to bat first since Floyd Rayford on June 26, 1985. Curt Blefary is the only other Orioles catcher to do it back in April 1968. Sisco walked and homered last night as the designated hitter. Hanser Alberto moves down to fifth in the order. Chris Davis is in the lineup today, as the Orioles try to avoid the sweep. Pat Valaika is the shortstop and Cedric Mullins is in...