This, that and the other

This, that and the other
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde must get creative again with his rotation, with today's off-day perhaps making the task a little easier. And an expanded roster could come into play. Asher Wojciechowski is expected to be pushed back before his next start due to fatigue. Wojciechowski was charged with four runs yesterday in only two innings and has posted a 7.05 ERA in his last eight starts. "I just thought today he was really battling himself and thinking I'd give him a little bit of a...

Notes on rotation, roster, Trumbo and more (O's down 2-1)

Notes on rotation, roster, Trumbo and more (O's down 2-1)
The Orioles have their rotation set through their four-game series against the Rangers and are going to figure out later how to insert a fifth starter. The team is off again Monday, which gives manager Brandon Hyde some maneuverability. He's staying with John Means, Dylan Bundy, Aaron Brooks and Asher Wojciechowski, and can decide between Gabriel Ynoa and left-hander Ty Blach for the fifth spot. Blach allowed two runs and two hits in five innings Tuesday against the Rays and Ynoa followed by...

Momentum mounting for Mountcastle to move up

Momentum mounting for Mountcastle to move up
Almost at the exact moment that Hunter Harvey walked through the visiting clubhouse doors at Fenway Park, mental wheels began turning about other pitching prospects who could join him. How the collection of promising arms is increasing and creeping closer to the majors. Grow the arms, build the hype. The position players don't create the same excitement, a deficiency that the Orioles worked hard to address in the draft. Remove catcher Adley Rutschman, the first overall pick, and the room grows...

Kendall talks about Harvey's work out of the bullpen

Kendall talks about Harvey's work out of the bullpen
BOSTON - A fulltime pitching role for Hunter Harvey, whether he's back in the rotation or staying in the bullpen, is one of the many important decisions that the Orioles need to make after playing their final game. The kid, and he still qualifies at age 24, would seemingly benefit from a concrete plan. The kicker here, of course, is that Harvey's string of injuries hasn't gotten tangled in the 2019 season. The discussion centers on how to use him properly and his results. Not the latest...

Gary Kendall talks Triple-A prospects, plus other notes

Gary Kendall talks Triple-A prospects, plus other notes
Over the years, I've learned that manager Gary Kendall can provide some real solid insights on his players. He did that again this week. The first-year manager of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides was a guest on "The Scott and Jeremy show" on 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore. Kendall was asked about right-handed hitting prospect Ryan Mountcastle, who is ranked as the No. 2 Orioles prospect by MLBPipeline.com and No. 69 on the updated top 100 list by Baseball America. The 22-year-old Mountcastle is...

Orioles replacing Alvarez in GCL (and other notes)

Orioles replacing Alvarez in GCL (and other notes)
With less than a week remaining until the start of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League season, the Orioles are in the process of naming a new pitching coach after removing Wilson Alvarez. I've heard that Wilson was let go Thursday after six seasons with the GCL team. Minor league pitching coordinator Chris Holt is in Sarasota as the temporary replacement for Alvarez until the new hire is announced. Former Orioles pitcher and bullpen coach Alan Mills is beginning his first season as manager at...

Hyde on Stewart, Givens and driving the Mancini bus (O's down 3-0)

Hyde on Stewart, Givens and driving the Mancini bus (O's down 3-0)
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde intends to give DJ Stewart an extended look after the Orioles called up the outfielder earlier today from Triple-A Norfolk. Stewart is starting tonight in right field and also will move over to left, "and we'll see how it goes," Hyde said. "This is a position player who's going to get a lot of everyday at-bats. I think DJ is a part of the future and I think DJ is somebody who's going to swing the bat well. I just don't want to put too much pressure on him....

Hyde on Davis, bench, Hess, Wynns and more (O's down 8-1)

Hyde on Davis, bench, Hess, Wynns and more (O's down 8-1)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A short bench for the Orioles has reached its tiniest stage with Chris Davis unable to play due a stomach virus. Manager Brandon Hyde needs length from his starters. He won't get it from his bench, which is down to infielder Hanser Alberto and backup catcher Pedro Severino. It's risky to use the second catcher, leaving Hyde with Alberto and fingers crossed. "Options are a little short," Hyde said. "It's part of it. This happens a lot throughout the year where things...

Orioles option Austin Wynns to Triple-A Norfolk

Orioles option Austin Wynns to Triple-A Norfolk
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles didn't need much convincing about catcher Austin Wynns' readiness to play on a regular basis. Wynns was reinstated from the 10-day injured list this afternoon and optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after only four injury rehab games. A strained oblique and placement on the IL denied Wynns a shot at breaking camp with the Orioles. He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs last night for Double-A Bowie and was 5-for-17 with two doubles and four RBIs. Wynns has been catching...

O's Gary Kendall talks about managing Norfolk in 2019

O's Gary Kendall talks about managing Norfolk in 2019
In the 2005 and 2006 seasons, Brandon Hyde and Gary Kendall managed against each other in the South Atlantic League. Hyde was at Greensboro and Kendall managed Single-A Delmarva. They were in opposite dugouts then, and they won't be in the same dugout when this season starts, but they will be on the same team. They'll surely talk often, with Hyde the manager in Baltimore and Kendall his Triple-A skipper. For the last eight seasons, Kendall was the manager at Double-A Bowie, but this year he...

Orioles hire Matt Trate as minor league hitting coach

Orioles hire Matt Trate as minor league hitting coach
One of the offseason trends for the Orioles involves the hiring of college coaches to minor league positions, and the announcements coming via their Twitter accounts. Social media working its magic again. The latest confirmation arrived Tuesday night, with Matt Trate tweeting that "my family and I are looking forward to the next chapter with @Orioles as I have accepted a position as a MiLB hitting coach." Trate had been working as associate head baseball coach/recruiting coordinator at...

More on minor league staffs and an international note

More on minor league staffs and an international note
With exactly one week remaining before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Orioles are applying the finishing touches to the construction of their minor league staffs and an announcement is coming within the next few days. Certainly before I board my Monday flight to Sarasota. What do we know? Well, let's start with Gary Kendall, who's replacing Ron Johnson as manager at Triple-A Norfolk. Mike Griffin returns as Tides pitching coach. Buck Britton moves up from low Single-A...

Still waiting on Machado and Harper as Kendall moves to Triple-A

Still waiting on Machado and Harper as Kendall moves to Triple-A
At the start of the offseason, MLBTradeRumors.com released its predictions for the free agents this winter. Bryce Harper was predicted to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers and get a 14-year contract for $420 million. Manny Machado was projected to sign with Philadelphia for 13 years and $390 million. So it's February and we are still waiting. Will either of these players get anywhere close to those numbers? For years we heard that teams like the Yankees were pointing specifically to this...

Gary Kendall named manager at Triple-A Norfolk

Gary Kendall named manager at Triple-A Norfolk
Beyond the outside hires that have been made public via Twitter, the Orioles also are shuffling minor league personnel to fill vacancies at multiple levels of their farm system. The Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk has announced the promotion of manager Gary Kendall, 55, from Double-A Bowie. Kendall will replace Ron Johnson. Buck Britton, 32, is moving up from low Single-A Delmarva to Bowie as Kendall's replacement, according to sources. An announcement from the Orioles is pending on the...

After strong Double-A year, Ryan Mountcastle is closer to the majors

After strong Double-A year, Ryan Mountcastle is closer to the majors
Many Orioles fans were not happy when the team failed to re-sign free agent slugger Nelson Cruz after his big 2014 season in Baltimore. It was a year where he led the majors in homers and the Orioles fell one step shy of the World Series. It was hard for fans to see Cruz go. The Orioles' consolation prize at the time was a compensatory draft pick, No. 36 overall, in the June draft in 2015. The Orioles selected a high school infielder from Florida named Ryan Mountcastle. Now one of the club's...

A few ideas for the Orioles as they head into 2019

A few ideas for the Orioles as they head into 2019
A new year carries with it the same tasks placed in front of executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, assistant Sig Mejdal and manager Brandon Hyde. No one has been hired to replace director of player development Brian Graham and director of scouting Gary Rajsich. Only two coaches are known to have joined the staff, with a third offered a job in the bullpen, per sources. And how's that analytics department coming along? Openings remain for a manager at Triple-A Norfolk, a...

More minors, Hyde and Mancini

More minors, Hyde and Mancini
The Orioles haven't made any decisions regarding their minor league staffs with so much other work to be done, including the hiring of major league coaches to pair with new manager Brandon Hyde. Triple-A Norfolk doesn't have a manager after the Orioles decided to part ways with Ron Johnson. They could promote from within, perhaps elevating Gary Kendall from Double-A Bowie, or seek an outside hire. Pitching coach Mike Griffin remains under contract and could stay with the Tides or be...

A look at a catcher trending up with the Orioles

A look at a catcher trending up with the Orioles
He is not currently on the Orioles' 40-man roster, although it seems likely he will be before the 2019 Rule 5 draft. The Orioles might add a catcher to their 40-man roster to avoid him possibly being taken in the Rule 5 draft. They got him in that draft just last year - in the minor league phase of the Rule 5. Credit to the Orioles for adding catcher Martin Cervenka last December in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 from the San Francisco Giants. From the Czech Republic, Cervenka was...

Ron Johnson won't return as Norfolk manager (updated)

Ron Johnson won't return as Norfolk manager (updated)
The changes coming to the Orioles organization will affect the minor league system, including the decision to bring in a new Triple-A manager. Ron Johnson won't return for an eighth season with the Norfolk Tides, with multiple sources confirming the Orioles' decision to move in another direction. Johnson is free to accept any offer that appeals to him. Also, special assistant Matt Haas, East Coast scouting supervisor Kirk Fredriksson, area scout Dana Duquette and director of Dominican...

Three years later, Branden Kline made it back to Double-A and is trending up again

Three years later, Branden Kline made it back to Double-A and is trending up again
Before this season, Orioles right-handed pitching prospect Branden Kline had not pitched in a minor league game since early in the 2015 season. Now, after missing nearly three full years, he is back, pitching well, throwing with top velocity and moving closer to realizing his dream of pitching in the majors. The 26-year-old native of Frederick, Md., and a 2009 graduate of Thomas Johnson High School, Kline had Tommy John surgery in October 2015. He expected to return close to full health for the...