Which way to go with the rotation for next season?

Which way to go with the rotation for next season?
While we have taken some space here in recent days to begin to size up 2022 Orioles rotation candidates - and will continue to do some of that moving forward - let's take a look at the bigger picture today. That is, the rotation as a whole and how should team management approach it this coming season? Plan A: The club has reached an agreement with right-hander Jordan Lyles. At a minimum, they hope he can eat some innings allowing younger pitchers more time to get minor league seasoning...
    

The more you know about Orioles hitters

The more you know about Orioles hitters
The proverb that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" states that even a tiny amount of it might fool people into believing they're an expert on a particular subject, which can lead to mistakes. So true. But we still won't let that deter us this morning. The more you know about Orioles hitters in 2021 ... * Third baseman Kelvin Gutiérrez's five outs above average led Orioles infielders and ranked second on the team behind Cedric Mullins (11). Gutiérrez registered a .327 on-base...
    

A look at another 2022 rotation candidate: lefty Alexander Wells

A look at another 2022 rotation candidate: lefty Alexander Wells
In recent years, there were not many players signed as international amateurs by the Orioles that made it all the way to the majors. But Aussie Alexander Wells pulled that off during the 2021 season, making his big league debut in late June. The soft-tosser had four stints on the roster, beginning with his initial recall from Triple-A Norfolk on June 25. Over 11 games (eight starts), he went 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA. Over 42 2/3 innings, he allowed 53 hits and 10 homers with 16 walks and 26...
    

Will new year bring resumption of labor negotiations?

Will new year bring resumption of labor negotiations?
Happy new year, everyone! And isn't it wonderful to put 2021 behind us, turn the page to 2022 and start gearing up for the start of spring training in six weeks ... er, hold the phone. The calendar may have changed, but the state of Major League Baseball remains just as it was last month, with a lockout still in place and no evidence it's about to end anytime soon. Not that any of this should surprise you. When the collective bargaining agreement expired Dec. 1 and the league enacted its...
    

New year brings new expectations for Nats

New year brings new expectations for Nats
Yesterday, Mark Zuckerman rang in the new year with hopes for the Nationals in 2022. Things the team would like to see come to fruition this season. Best-case scenarios for the players, coaches and front office staff. The fact of the matter is 2022 is going to be a year unlike we've seen on South Capitol Street in over a decade. Exactly 10 years ago, expectations were sky high for the Nationals. They ended the 2012 season with the club's first National League East division title, starting...
    

A look at what we could see during the 2022 season

A look at what we could see during the 2022 season
The new year arrives. We break out the new calendars. And it's also a good time to take a look ahead at what might be coming. As it relates to baseball, getting a new collective bargaining agreement worked out before the scheduled start of spring training would be a great start. So fingers crossed that we see that early during 2022. But once the season does begin, what could 2022 hold for the Orioles? Will the team begin to turn the corner?: This would be big for a suffering fan base that has...
    

The more you know about Orioles pitchers

The more you know about Orioles pitchers
The proverb that "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" warns that even a small amount of it might lure people into believing they're an expert on a particular subject, which can lead to mistakes. So true. But we won't let that deter us this morning. The more you know about Orioles pitchers in 2021: * All nine of Keegan Akin's appearances at home came against a different opponent - the Yankees, Rays, Indians, Astros, White Sox, Tigers, Braves, Angels and Blue Jays. I mean, what are the...
    

Raising the bar on resolutions

Raising the bar on resolutions
Some new year's resolutions are made to be taken more seriously than others. Stop using your treadmill to dry laundry. Stop using vodka to hydrate in warm weather. Stop using Zoom calls as an excuse to skip showers. None of these can be spun as asking too much. Here are a few goals for 2022 that may be harder to execute: Get John Means to the plate A new collective bargaining agreement could bring a universal designated hitter to the sport, but Means needs a bat in his hands. Let the ace...
    

A new year's resolution idea for the Orioles

A new year's resolution idea for the Orioles
The first week of a new year hasn't brought us closer to a new collective bargaining agreement. At least from what's known in front of the scenes. The view is more obstructed behind them. National media would be all over renewed talks and any progress made, and it's been very quiet on Twitter beyond hilarious videos of Betty White and the touching tributes to a comedy legend. Man, 2021 showed no mercy, and 2022 started with the passing of former NFL running back and head coach Dan Reeves,...
    

Because You Asked - No Way Home

Because You Asked - No Way Home
One day into a new year and I already failed at my first resolution to work the player to be named later from the Chad Bradford trade into every single conversation. No one said it would be easy. Clearing out my mailbag is a simpler task with more frequent readings. I needed another hobby during the lockout. Questions and answers are edited for ... nothing. Though I worry a little about the brevity police kicking down my door. Also, my mailbag sneaks into your house and shoves your Christmas...
    

Most significant stories of 2021: Trade deadline teardown

Most significant stories of 2021: Trade deadline teardown
As we reach the end of the year, we've been taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them were uplifting. Some of them were depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We conclude today with the most significant story of them all: the dismantling of the roster at the trade deadline. ... The Nationals' season lasted six months, and over the course of those six months, there were countless stories and developments of...
    

Amid the losses, there were indeed high notes

Amid the losses, there were indeed high notes
During a season that ended with 110 losses, there were still some things that were positives and/or just plain fun about the 2021 season. And it's not that starting next year that we won't still look back. We will. But today, on the final day of the 2021 calendar, we take another look back at the Orioles season. Here are some of the best things we saw, wrote about and talked about this year. No. 1 - Trey Mancini played in 147 games: After dealing with cancer and chemotherapy treatments, Trey...
    

And still a few more highlights from 2021

And still a few more highlights from 2021
While wondering if the ball dropping on New Year's Eve impacts a team's dWAR ... Does a high-profile, highly paid player missing an entire season due to injury, surgery and an August retirement qualify as a memorable moment in 2021? Chris Davis belongs on the list, wherever he's slotted. Davis made an impact without dressing for a single game in the regular season, quitting with one year remaining on his franchise-record $161 million contract. Two at-bats in the Orioles' first spring...
    

Most significant stories of 2021: Soto's historic second half

Most significant stories of 2021: Soto's historic second half
As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the best developments of the year: Juan Soto's historic second half and MVP candidacy. ... It wasn't all bad for the Nationals this year. Sure, the team lost 97 games, traded away some of its biggest-name veterans and...
    

Sizing up one 2022 rotation candidate

Sizing up one 2022 rotation candidate
Right-hander Mike Baumann, still one of the Orioles' top pitching prospects, had a cameo in the big leagues last September. There were two outings without an earned run allowed and two where he gave it up. But there was not much to judge or analyze off a 10-inning small sample. But Baumann ended 2021 making it to the big leagues. And that was a success since his season began amid lingering injury concerns and a two-inning outing on May 15 at low Single-A Delmarva. His early numbers were not...
    

A few more highlights from 2021

A few more highlights from 2021
Baseball's lockout is fogging up the future. However, it can't blur the past. What's done is done. A new collective bargaining agreement won't adjust the Orioles' 2021 loss total or remove the gains made by their prospects. It can't tarnish the memories. Yesterday, we talked about Trey Mancini's comeback and Cedric Mullins' historic 30/30 season. Probably the top two moments of the season. Unless you think the following belong closer to the top: John Means' no-hitter It began to feel...
    

A few highlights from 2021

A few highlights from 2021
What made the Orioles' 2021 season memorable, whether good or grating? And how would you rank these moments? Hold that thought. I'm tossing out two today that might be the highest for most fans. Others will follow later. Trey Mancini's comeback I won't speak for everyone, but how could Mancini rate anywhere except first? I've witnessed a lot of special moments while working the Orioles beat, including Eric Davis' return from colon cancer in June 1997. How the diagnosis explained the...
    

Most significant stories of 2021: More COVID-19 outbreaks

Most significant stories of 2021: More COVID-19 outbreaks
As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most frustrating developments of the year: The loss of a host of prominent players at various times due to COVID-19. ... After everything they went through to get through a compressed 2020 season, the first such season...
    

A couple of leftovers for breakfast

A couple of leftovers for breakfast
The eventual promotion of Adley Rutschman to the major league roster, whenever it happens, comes with the expectation that the Orioles will have a veteran mentor ready as his backup. But the club already seems equipped to tutor him. The staff isn't running short on former catchers. Manager Brandon Hyde caught 69 games in the minors and 13 with the independent Chico Heat. Major league field coordinator and catching instructor Tim Cossins caught 217 games in the minors and two with the...
    

Most significant stories of 2021: Zimmerman's possible farewell

Most significant stories of 2021: Zimmerman's possible farewell
As we reach the final week of the year, we're taking a look back at the Nationals' most significant stories of 2021. Some of them are uplifting. Some of them are depressing. All of them were significant in telling the story of the 2021 season. We continue today with one of the most emotional aspects of the year: Ryan Zimmerman's potential farewell tour. ... Throughout a season of turmoil and constant change, there was only one declaration the Nationals could make with complete confidence:...