More on Gallardo, plus today's side sessions

More on Gallardo, plus today's side sessions
SARASOTA, Fla. - Pitcher Yovani Gallardo is expected to arrive in Sarasota on Monday to take his physical after agreeing to a three-year, $35 million contract that includes a $13 million option for 2019. There wasn't enough time for Gallardo to get to the Ed Smith Stadium complex this afternoon. The Orioles are confident that Gallardo will pass his physical. They've already done extensive homework on him and have no concerns. Efforts continue to sign outfielder Dexter Fowler, who has become a...

When it comes to starting pitchers, do some teams prefer quantity over quality?

When it comes to starting pitchers, do some teams prefer quantity over quality?
When it comes to starting pitchers, is more now better? Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci wrote about this recently in a season preview column. He sees a trend developing in the sport where there seem to be fewer workhorse pitchers. With fewer pitchers that can give you a lot of innings, teams are using more starting pitchers to cover those innings than ever before. "Teams now want to divide the work among more and more arms," Verducci writes. "Only 78 pitchers last season worked enough to...

So many questions coming as pitchers and catchers report

So many questions coming as pitchers and catchers report
SARASOTA, Fla. - The day finally has arrived. Orioles pitchers and catchers are required to report to spring training. I stress "required" because the turnout already is impressive. Guys don't need to be dragged to the Ed Smith Stadium complex. We're not in Fort Lauderdale anymore, Toto. The turnout won't be restricted to pitchers and catchers. For example, outfielder Henry Urrutia has been working out down here - we spoke at the minicamp last month - and Korean outfielder Hyun Soo Kim...

As spring training begins, five questions about the 2016 season

As spring training begins, five questions about the 2016 season
Orioles pitchers and catchers officially report to Ed Smith Stadium today. Spring training is set to begin. Opening day is April 4. That seems a long time away, but it will be here before we know it. As a new season begins, five teams are chasing the American League East championship. It is a title won by four different teams the last four years. The Yankees were first with 95 wins in 2012. Then the Red Sox won with 97 victories, followed by the Orioles with 96 and the Blue Jays with 93 last...

Will these players put up better stats for the Orioles in 2016?

Will these players put up better stats for the Orioles in 2016?
The Orioles have a few players that they are counting on to perform better in the 2016 season than they did last year. It is pretty easy to point to starting pitchers Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez, and shortstop J.J. Hardy as players who can clearly upgrade from their 2015 statistics. In the three seasons from 2012-2014, Tillman went a combined 38-16 with an ERA of 3.42. In those years, he ranked tied for 11th in the American League in wins and was 15th in ERA. But last season, he went...

Another look at the pitching and the starting rotation

Another look at the pitching and the starting rotation
When you compare the 2014 Orioles pitching staff to the 2015 version, the 2014 team wins easily. That certainly is no big surprise to anyone who watched the team drop from 96 to 81 wins. We've been hearing words like "bounceback" and "rebound," and we are not talking about basketball here. We're talking about the Orioles' ability to pitch as individuals and collectively as well as they did in 2014. Is that realistic? Comparing the pitching the last two seasons: 2014: 3.43 ERA, .244...

Gonzalez avoids arbitration (O's exchange figures with Britton, Matusz)

Gonzalez avoids arbitration (O's exchange figures with Britton, Matusz)
The Orioles are down to two unsigned arbitration-eligible players. Pitcher Miguel Gonzalez has agreed to a $5.1 million deal. He made $3.275 million last season while going 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA and 1.396 WHIP in 26 starts over 144 2/3 innings. Gonzalez made two stops on the disabled list with groin and shoulder injuries. He's healthy now and hoping for a bounceback season. Closer Zach Britton and left-hander Brian Matusz haven't agreed to terms. Britton's agent, Scott Boras, will submit a...

More on arbitration eligibles, interest in Kendrick and Showalter quotes

More on arbitration eligibles, interest in Kendrick and Showalter quotes
The Orioles and their six unsigned arbitration-eligible players will exchange salary figures today if agreements can't be reached on contracts for the upcoming season. As I say every year, it's a whole lot of wasted reporting energy. The players are under team control. It's just a matter of determining how much they're going to be paid in 2016. Third baseman Manny Machado is the most interesting case because he's due a huge raise in his first year of eligibility after making $548,000 last...

Bridwell healthy and eager for spring training

Bridwell healthy and eager for spring training
SARASOTA, Fla. - Not only did right-hander Parker Bridwell refuse to stress over the possibility of being added to the Orioles' 40-man roster, he had no idea when teams were required to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. The deadline could have been hours or months away for all he knew. The Orioles shocked Bridwell on Nov. 20 by including him on the roster, along with pitchers Andrew Triggs and Chris Lee. "I was very surprised," said Bridwell, 24, who's in Sarasota to attend minicamp....

Updates on Hunter Harvey and Dylan Bundy

Updates on Hunter Harvey and Dylan Bundy
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles are holding their first minicamp meeting after opening the clubhouse to the media at 9 a.m. Players will take the field later this morning. Chris Tillman,and Zach Britton are here, sporting full beards. Miguel Gonzalez is at the Ed Smith Stadium complex and also bearded. Henry Urrutia also reported despite not being included on the roster. The health updates are positive on young pitchers Hunter Harvey and Dylan Bundy. Harvey said he's been throwing for the last 1...

Notes on Justin Upton and Miguel Gonzalez

Notes on Justin Upton and Miguel Gonzalez
If Justin Upton is willing to accept a one-year deal and re-enter the free agent market next winter, it's certainly news to his representative. Agent Larry Reynolds told MLB Network's Jon Heyman that he continues to seek a multi-year deal for Upton, one of the few high-profile outfielders who remains unemployed. "We are not considering shorter-term deals at this time," Reynolds said. "The goal has been and will continue to be a long-term contract for Justin Upton." It makes sense, of...

Notes on Denard Span, Miguel Gonzalez and the assistant hitting coach candidates

Notes on Denard Span, Miguel Gonzalez and the assistant hitting coach candidates
Another outfielder came off the board yesterday when Denard Span agreed to terms on a three-year, $31 million contract with the Giants that also includes a possible $5 million in incentives. The Orioles liked Span as a right fielder and leadoff hitter, but they weren't offering more than one season. The deal would have been loaded with incentives. I figured that Span would get two years from another team. I never imagined a third guaranteed year. The Orioles never gave it a thought due to...

More thoughts on free agency and the Hall of Fame (Quinn hiring official)

More thoughts on free agency and the Hall of Fame (Quinn hiring official)
With Alex Gordon off the board, it's fair to wonder whether he truly was on the Orioles' radar. They want another left-handed bat. They'd gladly take a four-time Gold Glove outfielder. They'd build a shrine to a hitter with a career .348 on-base percentage over nine seasons. Gordon made sense on many levels, but he came with health concerns that tempered the Orioles' enthusiasm. Where have we heard this before? Gordon missed two months with a groin injury, limiting him to only 104 games....

Will a new year bring a return to past performance for some O's starters?

Will a new year bring a return to past performance for some O's starters?
Happy new year to all Orioles fans. Hope this will be a great year for you and the team you root for. The Orioles rotation will need to be better this year. No matter what additions or changes the O's make to their starting five, the holdovers simply must do better in 2016. Last year, Chris Tillman went 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA. In 2014, he went 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA. Miguel Gonzalez went 9-12 with a 4.91 ERA last year after going 10-9 with a 3.23 a season before. Even Kevin Gausman fell off a...

Miguel Gonzalez says he's healthy and ready to put the 2015 season behind him

Miguel Gonzalez says he's healthy and ready to put the 2015 season behind him
Isn't it nice to wake up and not wonder if the Orioles will announce the Hyun Soo Kim signing or whether he failed the physical or whether his name is spelled correctly? We're told to lose the hyphen and capitalize the "S" in Soo. Who am I to argue? Kim never was in real danger of failing his physical, though I understand why some of you experienced Grant Balfour flashbacks. I don't flinch at them because it's a reminder that I broke that story. Not a lot of fun, but still a...

Wallace on Tillman, Gonzalez, Gausman and more

Wallace on Tillman, Gonzalez, Gausman and more
No matter what the Orioles do with their rotation, whether it's tapping into the trade or free agent markets, they're highly dependent on bounceback seasons from Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez and a major leap forward by Kevin Gausman. While meeting with reporters last weekend at FanFest, pitching coach Dave Wallace tried to explain the drop off in effectiveness from Tillman and Gonzalez. He tried to shed some light on why Tillman's ERA rose from 3.34 to 4.99 and his WHIP jumped from...

Brady Anderson on winter workouts; young O's meet the media at FanFest

Brady Anderson on winter workouts; young O's meet the media at FanFest
When it comes to leading a group of Orioles in winter workouts, club vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson is ready to help. He's already joined pitcher Miguel Gonzalez for some of his workouts on the West Coast, and that group will later include Mike Wright, Jason Garcia and minor league lefty Tim Berry. "Garcia and Wright will spend some extensive time right before spring training," Anderson said. "They'll probably be there the last six weeks. Dariel Alvarez will come in....

Orioles non-tender Lough and settle with Reimold

Orioles non-tender Lough and settle with Reimold
The Orioles non-tendered outfielder David Lough tonight, allowing the outfielder to become a free agent. They settled with outfielder Nolan Reimold on a contract for the 2016 season. Reimold will receive $1.3 million if he makes the opening day roster, according to sources. He joined pitcher Vance Worley as the two arbitration-eligible players who settled tonight. Reimold, 32, batted .247/.344/.394 with five doubles, a triple, six home runs and 20 RBIs in 61 games. The former second-round pick...

Nearing the non-tender deadline

Nearing the non-tender deadline
Before executive vice president Dan Duquette, manager Buck Showalter and the rest of the Orioles contingent gather in Nashville next week for the Winter Meetings, decisions must be made regarding the contract statuses of their 11 arbitration-eligible players. Here comes another way to clear a spot or two on the 40-man roster. The Orioles must tender contracts by the 11:59 p.m. deadline on Wednesday night. They did it with all 11 of their eligible players last year - Zach Britton, Chris Davis,...

O's current group of players will need to improve for better 2016 season

O's current group of players will need to improve for better 2016 season
There is so much discussion and speculation right now about what players the Orioles may look to sign and/or re-sign. We'll all wait to see how this offseason is going to play out for the team. But, especially with the starting pitching staff, next year's Orioles are also going to need better production from a few players to be a good team in 2016. When MLB Network recently looked at the American League East, analysts Bill Ripken and Carlos Pena spent as much time talking about current...