Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey top Baseball America O's top 10 prospects list

Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey top Baseball America O's top 10 prospects list
Despite the fact that they pitched just 22 innings last year between them, Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey remain ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on the top 10 Orioles prospects list released this morning by Baseball America. They are ranked one and two for the second straight year. At a time when the O's farm system has gotten some criticism, it still has two hurlers topping the rankings who have big upside and the potential to still be top-of-the-rotation pitchers and potential aces. Now they just need...

O's minor league Player of the Year Trey Mancini enjoying his first FanFest

O's minor league Player of the Year Trey Mancini enjoying his first FanFest
Trey Mancini probably knew the questions were coming. He is a first baseman who was the Orioles' 2015 minor league Player of the Year, taking the Brooks Robinson Award. Now the club may be losing a first baseman in Chris Davis. Has Mancini followed the media reports? Is he ready to compete for a big league job at first? "I follow it just like a casual observer would," Mancini said. "I don't get too down or happy about that until it's over. He's an incredible player and the Orioles would...

Dan Duquette on Darren O'Day, a left-handed bat and starter, and more

Dan Duquette on Darren O'Day, a left-handed bat and starter, and more
NASHVILLE - Does stirring up the industry two straight years on the day before the official start of the Winter Meetings actually constitute a streak? Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette isn't being courted by the Blue Jays this year, but he has to address the confusion over an apparent agreement with reliever Darren O'Day on a four-year, $31 million contract. ESPN.com's Buster Olney is now reporting that the final details in O'Day's talks with the Orioles center on...

Several minor league notes and one writer's bold free agent prediction

Several minor league notes and one writer's bold free agent prediction
A few notes to pass along while wondering if the Orioles will be busy next week at the Winter Meetings: * Three members of the Orioles minor league staff will not be returning for next season. Rookie-level Gulf Coast League manager Matt Merullo and short-season Single-A Aberdeen hitting coach Calvin Pickering did not have their contracts renewed. Also, Single-A Frederick hitting coach Paco Figueroa is leaving the Orioles. He has taken a position as one of the two minor league hitting...

A quick take on Mark Trumbo

A quick take on Mark Trumbo
Is Mark Trumbo the new first baseman for the Orioles? That is an assumption some are making tonight. It is probably too soon to know that. But the reported acquisition of Trumbo from Seattle for catcher Steve Clevenger brings a first baseman to the Orioles in the deal. Trumbo has averaged 26.2 homers per year over the last five years. From 2011-13, he averaged 32 homers per season. The team that can hit a lot of homers added another home run hitter. So is this a key move for the Orioles or just...

A look at a prospects list where O's fare well and Dan Duquette's take on it

A look at a prospects list where O's fare well and Dan Duquette's take on it
Well, here is a twist: a prospect ranking that likes the Orioles. At a time when their farm system has gotten ample criticism, a ranking was published this week where the Orioles look strong. It was published on FanGraphs.com by Chris Mitchell, who calls it his KATOH system. The system uses only 2015 minor league stats and data to project future major league performance. Scouting reports and analysis are not part of this ranking. The list only considers players with at least 300 plate...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
The Orioles are expected to announce later today that they signed Korean first baseman Ji-Man Choi to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. I've been told that the club is waiting for "confirmation" following a report over the weekend by South Korean media outlet Ilgan Sports that the deal was done. Look for it to arrive today. Choi, a switch-hitter, will earn $650,000 if he makes the club, and his contract includes a possible $350,000 in incentives. He's a career...

Bowie hitting coach talks about some minor league batters

Bowie hitting coach talks about some minor league batters
About a week ago, I wrote about Double-A Bowie hitting coach Keith Bodie and how he fit in very well in his first season in the Orioles organization in 2015. Bodie has had a long and strong career in pro ball. During my visit with Bodie, we talked about a few Bowie hitters during the Eastern League playoffs. To no surprise, Bodie is pretty high on first baseman Trey Mancini. "I've been around a lot of good and special players and what he has done this year is very special," Bodie said. "He...

Can Walker and Mancini coexist in Norfolk?

Can Walker and Mancini coexist in Norfolk?
Jonathan Schoop would have made that play last night. Just saying ... It's way too early for Orioles fans to project starters at each position, with the free agent market still closed and lingering uncertainty over Chris Davis' status for the 2016 season. However, it's October and it's fairly quiet in Baltimore and why not? Adam Jones will patrol center field, Manny Machado will handle the hot corner, J.J. Hardy will remain the leader of the infield at shortstop and Schoop will continue his...

More on the coaching staff and Trey Mancini

More on the coaching staff and Trey Mancini
While the Orioles have all seven coaches under contract for the 2016 season, they're still in the early stages of deciding on a new assistant hitting coach. Names are being collected from inside and outside the organization, but the process is delayed while the Royals and Mets play in the World Series. Potential candidates may want to interview for jobs in other organizations. The Rangers parted ways with hitting coach Dave Magadan, and Orioles minor league hitting coordinator Jeff Manto is...

Update on coaching staff, thoughts on Worley and reflecting on last spring

Update on coaching staff, thoughts on Worley and reflecting on last spring
The Orioles have reached an agreement with first base coach Wayne Kirby on a contract for 2016, according to a source. I've received confirmation on five of the coaches. Still no word on pitching coach Dave Wallace. The Orioles were concerned that bullpen coach Dom Chiti might leave if he received a chance to become pitching coach in another organization, but he signed a new contract for 2016. I'm sure it won't quiet all the skeptics, but I'd like to state that Vance Worley has no shot at...

Catching up on the catching situation (and other notes)

Catching up on the catching situation (and other notes)
Cal Ripken Jr. is attending today's Browns-Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium. However, he won't be coaching either team next season. He may answer the phone if they call, but he's not actively searching for a job. I've decided to start killing rumors before they gain steam. As I've written numerous times, the Orioles still must decide whether to make catcher Matt Wieters the $15.8 million qualifying offer in order to obtain a compensatory draft pick if he signs with another team....

Reimold hits first leadoff home run, Mancini a hit with Orioles (O's win 4-3)

Reimold hits first leadoff home run, Mancini a hit with Orioles (O's win 4-3)
Nolan Reimold reached base four times as the leadoff hitter in Game 1, and he homered in his first at-bat from the same slot in Game 2. Reimold seems to like the view from atop the order. This is Reimold's first career leadoff home run and the sixth for the Orioles this season. He drove a 94 mph fastball from Yankees starter Luis Severino into the seats in left-center field after taking a 93 mph fastball for a strike. Gerardo Parra followed with a single, giving him five hits in the...

O's game blog: Mancini, Drake and Givens take top honors, plus Machado on playing 162

O's game blog: Mancini, Drake and Givens take top honors, plus Machado on playing 162
The Orioles announced that first baseman Trey Mancini is their minor league Player of the Year and that Oliver Drake and Mychal Givens are co-Pitchers of the Year today. The Orioles also announced that Double-A Bowie outfielder Glynn Davis has been named this year's recipient of the Elrod Hendricks Minor League Community Service Award. Triple-A Norfolk manager Ron Johnson has been named the winner of the Cal Ripken Sr. Player Development Award, presented to a minor league staff member who...

A look at the candidates for the top Orioles minor league awards

A look at the candidates for the top Orioles minor league awards
In the next day or two, we will find out who will be this year's winners of two major Orioles minor league awards. In a pregame ceremony Friday night, the Orioles will present the Brooks Robinson Award to their minor league Player of the Year and the Jim Palmer Award to the Pitcher of the Year. First baseman Trey Mancini is the heavy favorite to win the Robinson Award. Over 136 games this season between Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie, the 23-year-old from Notre Dame hit .341 with 43...

Dan Duquette on Bowie's title and more after Baysox win Eastern League championship

Dan Duquette on Bowie's title and more after Baysox win Eastern League championship
BOWIE, Md. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette was at Prince George's Stadium tonight to watch the Bowie Baysox as they won their first Eastern League championship with a 7-2 victory over Reading in Game 5. Duquette spent some time in the Baysox clubhouse postgame congratulating players and coaches. "The staff here did a great job and we have some real gritty players here that learned how to win," Duquette said. "We had some good veteran players here along with some prospects to...

One win for the championship: Bowie hosts Reading in Game 5

One win for the championship: Bowie hosts Reading in Game 5
In the 2015 Eastern League playoffs, it seems you can get the Double-A Bowie Baysox down, but not out. In the first game of Bowie's EL semifinal series with Altoona, the Baysox blew a 7-0 lead and lost 8-7. They then won the next three games by a combined score of 21-3 to reach the EL Championship Series. They then again lost the series opener 3-1 before winning Game 2, 10-3. But Reading won Game 3 big by a 9-3 score and Bowie faced a must-win situation last night. The Baysox won a 9-1 blowout...

A look at Trey Mancini winning Eastern League batting title (plus O's notes)

A look at Trey Mancini winning Eastern League batting title (plus O's notes)
When the Double-A Eastern League regular season ended, it appeared that Altoona's Adam Frazier, who hit .324, would win the league's batting title. Bowie's Trey Mancini hit .359, but he did not have enough plate appearances to qualify for league leaders, which is 2.7 plate appearances per league games scheduled. But through Rule 9.22(a), formerly Rule 10.22(a), Mancini won the batting title. The rule states in part that: * Any player with fewer than the required number of plate appearances...

Updating Miguel Gonzalez and more

Updating Miguel Gonzalez and more
Miguel Gonzalez threw off flat ground today in his first session since going on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right shoulder and inflammation in his right elbow. "Felt really good, no problems," said manager Buck Showalter. "Actually got more aggressive toward the end and didn't feel anything, so that's good news today." The next step probably involves another flat ground session. "Would do that again, I think," Showalter said. "That was the first time in a long time....

O's homer notes; Bowie closes in on franchise first

O's homer notes; Bowie closes in on franchise first
So while I was at Bowie last night, did anything interesting happen at Camden Yards? Well, two grand slams in one inning would classify. Nolan Reimold and Steve Clevenger both hit their first career slams during the Orioles' 10-run eighth inning Friday night in a 14-8 win over Kansas City. According to Elias Sports Bureau, the New York Mets were the last team to hit two grand slams in the same inning when they did so against the Chicago Cubs on July 16, 2006. Carlos Beltran and Cliff Floyd...