News on Adam Jones, and notes on tonight's game

Adam Jones is retiring as an Oriole.

The team made the announcement this morning on a social media post, with the event planned for Sept. 15 prior to the 7:05 p.m. game against the Rays at Camden Yards.

Jones spent 11 of his 14 major league seasons with the Orioles, batting .279/.319/.459 with 305 doubles, 27 triples, 263 home runs, and 866 RBIs in 1,613 games. He was chosen to five All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves and one Silver Slugger Award.

During his tenure in Baltimore, the Orioles ended a streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons and made the playoffs in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

His leadership and impact on the community were much greater.

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...

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...

Some early assumptions on Orioles

Some early assumptions on Orioles
Has this bizarre and stalled offseason taught us anything about the 2022 Orioles? Their direction, their mindset, their priorities, their plan? Your time is better spent reading a novel. There's more coming from a winter story that had to be bookmarked. In the meantime, here are a few observations on another slow morning: A willingness to spend on pitching We won't get a comment from executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias on the negotiating process that led to Jordan Lyles' $7...

Some reasons why Nottingham netted a minor league deal

Some reasons why Nottingham netted a minor league deal
The Orioles had a quiet weekend, at least on the transactions wire. They could have been working on their minor league coaching staffs or engaging in negotiations with representatives for minor league free agents. But nothing public to digest. Their work isn't done behind the plate, but Jacob Nottingham is a heavy favorite to make up half the catching duo on opening day because he's under contract. It doesn't take much more than that. The 40-man roster is lacking a backstop and that won't...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
As the Orioles discuss which players to protect in the Rule 5 draft and how to create the necessary space on the 40-man roster, they're expected to again bypass catcher Brett Cumberland and roll the dice that he'll go unclaimed or return later to the organization. Gambling in baseball can be done without placing actual bets. Cumberland remains under team control and could continue his development at Triple-A Norfolk, where he appeared in 84 games while sharing time at various points of the...

More on Silver Sluggers and the outrighted Orioles

More on Silver Sluggers and the outrighted Orioles
Did anyone really predict before the season that Cedric Mullins would be a finalist for a Silver Slugger Award? If you were told that one Oriole would be honored, would you have chosen Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander or Ryan Mountcastle ahead of Mullins? I don't know what's left to say about the guy who decided to bat only from the left side. Mullins was the easy choice as Most Valuable Oriole and no one in the media ventured outside the box and denied him a first-place vote. He's going to...

Lukewarm takes on a few Orioles topics

Lukewarm takes on a few Orioles topics
The Orioles could break camp with firm plans to play Ryan Mountcastle at first base and use Trey Mancini as their designated hitter, which is how they routinely appeared in the lineup over the second half. Mountcastle is making steady progress as a defender, going back to his third position while the Orioles are covered in the outfield corners. They'd prefer to keep a player that young from pulling regular DH duty. But there's a complication to an otherwise solid plan when Adley Rutschman...

More on Orioles' 40-man moves, plus Stowers note

More on Orioles' 40-man moves, plus Stowers note
As the participants in the World Series begin to come into focus, the Orioles are busy doing their own heavy lifting with moves to clear room on their 40-man roster. They needed a big broom. The season concluded with a full 40-man. Putting reliever Zack Burdi on waivers, and he was claimed by the Diamondbacks, was just the first attempt. They're down to 35 after outrighting catcher Austin Wynns, infielder Pat Valaika, and pitchers Thomas Eshelman and Konner Wade. That leaves space for the five...

Orioles outright Austin Wynns

Orioles outright Austin Wynns
The Orioles performed more work on their 40-man roster this afternoon, outrighting catcher Austin Wynns after he cleared waivers, according to sources. Wynns can become a free agent. The 40-man is down to 38 players, the most recent move before today coming last week when the Diamondbacks claimed reliever Zack Burdi off waivers. Wynns, 30, batted .185/.232/.308 in 45 games, with four doubles, four home runs and 14 RBIs in 139 plate appearances. He threw out 11 of 29 runners attempting to steal...

Catching up on the Orioles' plans behind the plate

Catching up on the Orioles' plans behind the plate
The clock keeps ticking on Adley Rutschman, and the sound of it can drown out a 747. A one-one makes more noise. Rutschman is going to play in the majors in 2022, but Orioles fans want to know whether he breaks camp with the team or returns to Triple-A Norfolk, where he appeared in 43 games last summer and batted .312/.405/.490 with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs and 20 RBIs. He threw out runners attempting to steal second and third base. He handled the pitching staff with a maturity...

Harvey on Rutschman: "Ain't no joke with him. He's got everything"

Harvey on Rutschman: "Ain't no joke with him. He's got everything"
In December 2020, the Orioles signed Nick Ciuffo to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training as their annual move to improve their catching depth and increase competition for the backup job. Only, in this instance, they didn't target the typical veteran experience. They signed Bryan Holaday and Taylor Davis to minor league deals on the same day in January 2020. They broke camp with Jesús Sucre and Pedro Severino in 2019. Austin Wynns was on the injured list. He could be...

Because You Asked - The Return of the King

Because You Asked - The Return of the King
The first mailbag of the 2021 offseason is upon us. Keep breathing normally and suspending disbelief. Many topics are impossible to answer on this date - and some are impossible on any date - but I'm not above fudging it like a Keebler cookie. What's important is that you keep asking and I keep answering and you keep ignoring my responses and asking again and I discover a new sequel. Also important is that I remain a mailbag rebel. Let the length overflow. Let the lack of style be our...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
Orioles outfielder Austin Hays returned to the dugout Thursday night after hitting his 22nd home run and saw Anthony Santander flash three fingers at him. Hays turned around, made eye contact with Cedric Mullins and offered the same sign. Mullins, in return, waved his index finger at Hays. Was it a running home run count, with Mullins needing one more for 30 that night and Hays needing three to reach 25? "Yeah, that's what it was," Hays confirmed yesterday after taking his rounds of batting...

Lowther and three relievers combine on shutout (updated)

Lowther and three relievers combine on shutout (updated)
The strikeouts kept coming from Zac Lowther. For five innings before his removal from the game. Leaving him four on a chilly night to sweat out whether he'd earn his first major league win. The Orioles manufactured a run in the fourth inning, Ryan Mountcastle hit his 31st homer in the fifth and Austin Hays clubbed his 22nd in the eighth, and the bullpen protected Lowther's lead in a 3-0 victory over the Rangers before an announced crowd of 6,328 at Camden Yards. Mountcastle took over the...

Orioles and Rangers lineups

Orioles and Rangers lineups
The Orioles get a four-game break from contending opponents, facing the Rangers tonight with rookie Zac Lowther on the mound and a designated hitter back in their lineup. Trey Mancini is the cleanup hitter and DH. Anthony Santander remains out of the lineup with a sore left hamstring. Santander ran sprints earlier today and hit in the cage. Austin Hays is in left field and Ryan McKenna is in right. Jahmai Jones is the second baseman. Austin Wynns is catching. Lowther is making his ninth...

Orioles bullpen brings its best until 10th in 3-2 loss (updated)

Orioles bullpen brings its best until 10th in 3-2 loss (updated)
The bullpen game plotted tonight by Orioles manager Brandon Hyde began to live up to its definition perhaps a bit sooner than anticipated. Conner Greene couldn't give the Orioles a second inning as the opener, his 24 pitches in a scoreless first against the Phillies beginning the parade of relievers. Marcos Diplán tossed two scoreless innings. Thomas Eshelman stranded a runner in the fourth, retired the side in order in the fifth and struck out two batters in the sixth around J.T....

Orioles can't maintain rapid pace in 9-3 loss (updated)

Orioles can't maintain rapid pace in 9-3 loss (updated)
BOSTON - The Orioles came out swinging today in baseball's most literal sense. The first pitch to Cedric Mullins was lined into left field for a double. The first to Ryan Mountcastle was launched for a two-run homer. The first to Anthony Santander was lined to center for a single. The first to Austin Hays was pulled foul before he drew a walk. Nick Pivetta needed to pivot. The Orioles needed to find a way to sustain their momentum, which can be halted as if reaching a barricade. Rookie Zac...

Mountcastle surpasses Ripken in Orioles' 3-2, 10-inning win (updated)

Mountcastle surpasses Ripken in Orioles' 3-2, 10-inning win (updated)
Individual achievements remain in play for the Orioles as the final weeks expire on their season. During those times when trying to be spoilers doesn't bring full satisfaction. Ryan Mountcastle led off the bottom of the sixth inning today by depositing Jordan Montgomery's sinker into the Orioles bullpen, his 29th home run breaking Cal Ripken Jr.'s rookie record for a single season. Mountcastle also cut a deficit in half and the bullpen provided 4 1/3 scoreless innings in regulation. Clay...

Orioles and Yankees lineups (and notes)

Orioles and Yankees lineups (and notes)
Trey Mancini and Pedro Severino remain out of the Orioles lineup this afternoon for the series finale against the Yankees that also closes out the homestand. "Both of those guys a little bit better today," said manager Brandon Hyde. "Trey's testing it right now in the batting cage and obviously not starting, but hopefully in the lineup in the next couple days." Infielder Jahmai Jones remains on the bench, but he isn't hurt. "Just playing Richie (Martin) at short tonight, keeping...