A few thoughts on Nick Markakis and how he'd fit Orioles

A few thoughts on Nick Markakis and how he'd fit Orioles
The Orioles could use a left-handed hitting corner outfielder with a career .358 on-base percentage who is comfortable playing at Camden Yards and capable of serving as the leadoff hitter. But Nick Markakis isn't walking through that door. At least, I don't think so. Markakis never wanted to leave Baltimore. Returning "home" with the Braves hasn't been a joyful experience for a variety of reasons. But I haven't detected any signs that a reunion is in the works. There has been previous...

Seven Orioles officially hit free agency

Seven Orioles officially hit free agency
The conclusion of the World Series last night ignited the start of free agency, beginning with 149 players hitting the market earlier this afternoon. The list, made available by the Major League Baseball Players Association, includes Orioles pitchers Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jiménez and Jeremy Hellickson, designated hitter Pedro Álvarez, outfielders Seth Smith and Craig Gentry, and utility infielder Ryan Flaherty. Three more Orioles will join the group. Catcher Welington Castillo is expected...

Orioles can sit out the qualifying offer process

Orioles can sit out the qualifying offer process
The offseason can provide various doses of drama as important dates drop off the calendar. For the Orioles, the qualifying offer process should be duller than an insurance seminar. Teams must decide whether to extend the offer to its free agents within five days after the World Series. The Orioles should have 11 players on the market and none of them are expected to receive it. Only five players in the past five seasons have accepted the offer, including former Orioles catcher Matt Wieters in...

Questions regarding Beckham, Wright, Sisco and Castro

Questions regarding Beckham, Wright, Sisco and Castro
A team that loses 19 of its final 23 games to finish in last place, and has 10 potential free agents and a handful of stars entering the final year of their contracts, is bound to be faced with plenty of questions. They come in all shapes and sizes. The questions and the players. Let's tackle a few of them this morning. The questions, not the players. Is Tim Beckham a leadoff hitter? The Orioles opened the season with Seth Smith batting first, his career .344 on-base percentage making him the...

Are the Orioles ready to turn over right field to Austin Hays?

Are the Orioles ready to turn over right field to Austin Hays?
After he has had 63 plate appearances in the majors, are the Orioles prepared to turn over right field to Austin Hays in 2018? Should they make that bold move? It would be a bit of a bold move for a player that has only 166 minor league games and one full season on the farm under his belt. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft and became the first player from that draft class to make the majors. Hays had an amazing minor league season, one that began at Single-A...

Talking about defense, RISP, averages vs. lefties and more

Talking about defense, RISP, averages vs. lefties and more
Manager Buck Showalter has expressed concern over the Orioles' defensive decline and it will be addressed in the offseason and spring training. I'm not sure how the roster can be adjusted with so many positions appearing to be set. Adam Jones has graded poorly in center field if you peruse the defensive metrics - his ultimate zone rating (UZR) the past two seasons is -10.1 and -13.3 - but I haven't been given any indication that he could move to a corner spot. Not yet, anyway. Trey Mancini...

Clearing payroll for pitching and more on Bancells' retirement

Clearing payroll for pitching and more on Bancells' retirement
The Orioles will head into the offseason with seven confirmed free agents, two players with 2018 team options in their contracts that likely will be turned into buyouts and a catcher who holds a player option. There's a significant amount of payroll that can be shed while the Orioles attempt to reload, as executive vice president Dan Duqeutte termed it before the final game. "We're going to have to go out and find some pitching," he said. "We do have a number of players that have played...

Castro's first start, Santander's latest start and more (O's down 7-0)

Castro's first start, Santander's latest start and more (O's down 7-0)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles haven't made a roster move today. Infielder Steve Wilkerson stopped by Tropicana Field to work out before heading to the Arizona Fall League. He isn't on the bench. A pitcher could be added Saturday with manager Buck Showalter deciding to give Miguel Castro his first major league start. "We were leaning that way," Showalter said. "Roger (McDowell) and I spent a lot of time with all the guys about their history and their innings and everything. He was...

McCutchen's 8 RBIs lead Pirates over Orioles 10-1 (with quotes)

McCutchen's 8 RBIs lead Pirates over Orioles 10-1 (with quotes)
PITTSBURGH - The Orioles broke out a lineup tonight that included three rookie outfielders for the first time in 44 years. A veteran outfielder on the other side struck the biggest blows. Andrew McCutchen hit his first grand slam in nine major league seasons and finished with eight RBIs, and Kevin Gausman's final start of 2017 ended with the Orioles losing to the Pirates 10-1 before an announced crowd of 19,318 at PNC Park. Gausman allowed two runs in the first inning on RBI doubles by...

Castro and Givens' innings, Hays in right and more (O's down 6-1)

Castro and Givens' innings, Hays in right and more (O's down 6-1)
Kevin Gausman will start the first game against the Pirates on Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, the latest rotation revelation for the Orioles as they weigh all of their pitching options in the final week of the season. Manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday was "a little up in the air." "We've got on our board five options, depending on who we have to use out of the bullpen and some other things that go on there," Showalter said. Miguel Castro isn't likely to get a start next week, mostly due...

Orioles lineup vs. Rays

Orioles lineup vs. Rays
Tim Beckham returns to the Orioles lineup tonight, leading off and playing shortstop. Austin Hays drops to seventh as the right fielder. Pedro Álvarez is the designated hitter against Rays right-hander Alex Cobb. Caleb Joseph is catching. Ubaldo Jiménez has registered a 10.80 ERA and 2.057 WHIP in three starts against the Rays this season. He's allowed 14 runs and 13 hits, with 11 walks and four home runs, over 11 2/3 innings. Logan Morrison is 6-for-14 with two doubles, one triple and...

Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
NEW YORK - The Orioles are sticking with their standard lineup tonight as they begin a four-game series against the Yankees. Seth Smith is in right field again and Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter. Welington Castillo is catching. The Orioles have scored 12 runs in the last seven games, losing the first six before last night's 2-1 victory over the Blue Jays in Toronto. They're batting .181 on the road trip, but the pitching staff has produced a 3.65 ERA in 49 1/3 innings. According to the...

Orioles trying for better results in the Bronx

Orioles trying for better results in the Bronx
No longer bogged down by a lengthy losing streak, the Orioles close out their road trip at Yankee Stadium, where they've lost five of six games. Their only win came on April 30 and it required 11 innings, the last two covered by Logan Verrett, who has since been designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles were swept in a three-game series June 9-11, losing by a combined score of 38-8. Dylan Bundy, Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman totaled 10 2/3 innings and allowed...

Faulkner outrighted, Orioles and Blue Jays lineups

Faulkner outrighted, Orioles and Blue Jays lineups
Left-hander Andrew Faulkner cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Faulkner joins Logan Verrett, Tyler Wilson and Jayson Aquino as pitchers who were outrighted since Sept. 5 after the Orioles designated them for assignment. Faulkner, 24, was 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA in 34 games with Triple-A Norfolk. He allowed only one home run in 38 2/3 innings and opponents were batting .216. Left-handers posted a .208 average. The Orioles acquired Faulkner from the Rangers on April 6 for...

Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays
Mark Trumbo is starting in right field tonight and Seth Smith is the designated hitter for the Orioles' series opener against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Tim Beckham remains at shortstop. J.J. Hardy hasn't played since coming off the disabled list. Welington Castillo is catching tonight. Opponents are batting .351 against Ubaldo Jiménez in the second inning this season and he's allowed 22 runs. For the Orioles Tim Beckham SS Manny Machado 3B Jonathan Schoop 2B Adam Jones CF Trey...

Orioles lineup vs. Indians

Orioles lineup vs. Indians
CLEVELAND - A pretty standard lineup for the Orioles tonight as they try to end the Indians' winning streak at 17 games. Tim Beckham remains the shortstop. Welington Castillo is catching and Seth Smith is in right field instead of Austin Hays. Tonight marks the Orioles' first appearance on ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" since Sept. 13, 2015 versus the Royals. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the Orioles are 13-17 all-time in ESPN's Sunday night game. The Orioles are batting .145...

Castillo scratched from lineup (O's down 5-0)

Castillo scratched from lineup (O's down 5-0)
CLEVELAND - Catcher Welington Castillo has been scratched from the Orioles lineup and replaced by Caleb Joseph, who's batting ninth behind right fielder Seth Smith. Castillo had been eighth. The Orioles will provide an explanation later. Manager Buck Showalter wanted to speak with J.J. Hardy earlier today, but he had to wait until the veteran shortstop was done conferring with Tim Beckham. Hardy continues to make himself available to the player who's seized his job, which is a typical gesture...

Orioles and Indians lineups (updated)

Orioles and Indians lineups (updated)
CLEVELAND - Tim Beckham remains the starting shortstop tonight for the Orioles in their series opener against the Indians. J.J. Hardy is off the disabled list and on the bench. Mark Trumbo is the designated hitter and Seth Smith is in right field. Welington Castillo is catching. For the Orioles Tim Beckham SS Manny Machado 3B Jonathan Schoop 2B Adam Jones CF Trey Mancini LF Chris Davis 1B Mark Trumbo DH Welington Castillo C Seth Smith RF Wade Miley LHP For the Indians Francisco Lindor SS Austin...

Orioles and Yankees lineups

Orioles and Yankees lineups
The Orioles have recalled pitcher Mike Wright from Triple-A Norfolk and he's available in relief today. Yesterday's postponement didn't alter the Orioles' lineup for their series finale against the Yankees at sunny Camden Yards. Seth Smith remains in right field and Caleb Joseph is catching Kevin Gausman. Austin Hays' major league debut will have to wait. Trey Mancini is in left field and batting fifth. He's posted a .309 average (51-for-165) in 42 games as the No. 5 hitter. For the...

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees

Orioles lineup vs. Yankees
Seth Smith is in right field tonight and Caleb Joseph is behind the plate as the Orioles and Yankees attempt to conclude their series at rainy Camden Yards. Manny Machado leads the majors with three walk-off home runs, all of them since Aug. 18. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he's tied the franchise single-season record shared by Eddie Murray in 1978, Fred Lynn in 1985 and Rafael Palmeiro in 1998. Also from Elias, Machado hit the Orioles' first walk-off home run against the Yankees...