Andrew Stetka: Showing appreciation for two Orioles icons

Andrew Stetka: Showing appreciation for two Orioles icons
As the Orioles enter the final week of their worst season in team history, they are likely closing the chapter on a much larger story. It's likely the end of two eras in Baltimore that include two of the franchise's most important figures. Buck Showalter and Adam Jones probably aren't returning to the team in 2019, and that brings up a lot of emotions for fans and the organization alike. I hate to even use the word "bittersweet," because it sounds so much like a tired, old cliché. For...

Andrew Stetka: Orioles need to make room in lineup for Adam Jones

Andrew Stetka: Orioles need to make room in lineup for Adam Jones
Adam Jones hasn't seen the field for the Orioles since Wednesday in Seattle. Following an off-day Thursday and three straight games on the bench over the weekend against the Rays, the longtime outfielder is expected to return to action tomorrow when the Birds open a three-game series against the Athletics. It was pretty obvious to many when Jones nixed any trade back in July that he wanted to be around to see his contract through in Baltimore. What was unclear, however, was how much playing...

Andrew Stetka: Realignment could factor into how quickly O's can compete

Andrew Stetka: Realignment could factor into how quickly O's can compete
Following a weekend sweep at the hands of the second-worst team in baseball, the Orioles remain the worst team in the game at 40-97. They are barreling toward one of the worst campaigns in team history and are starting a rebuilding process that is expected to be measured in trips around the sun rather than mere months. I'm going to bet many Orioles fans chose not to watch much of this weekend's series against the Royals in Kansas City. College football got underway, the U.S. Open tennis...

Andrew Stetka: More O's youth could be on display in September

Andrew Stetka: More O's youth could be on display in September
Later this week, baseball's rules will change as the season draws to a close. With a month to go before the playoffs, Major League Baseball will allow teams to expand their rosters from 25 players to 40 players. Is there another sport where the rules are not only different depending on which league you play in, but also where they change the rules with a month left in the season? It will completely alter the dynamics of postseason races, as it does every season. For the Orioles, it could...

Andrew Stetka: Rebuilding Orioles need to overhaul offensive identity

Andrew Stetka: Rebuilding Orioles need to overhaul offensive identity
The Orioles have an offensive identity that they've worn like a heavy backpack for a few years now. Because it's a heavy one, it slows them down. It makes them less versatile and only allows them to do so much. They've been an offense that relied on free swingers and the three-run homer, or the "Earl Weaver special," if you will. In recent memory, it has served them fairly well. From 2012-2017, the Orioles ranked second, first, first, third, first and fifth in home runs in the major...

Andrew Stetka: Torch-passing moment not only big for Mullins

Andrew Stetka: Torch-passing moment not only big for Mullins
In an historically awful season and in the so-called dog days of summer, the Orioles had an important moment this weekend. Their rookie center fielder dubbed it a "pass-the-torch situation" when he took the field for his debut Friday night. Then Cedric Mullins delivered at the plate, too, becoming the first player in Orioles history to collect three hits in his major league debut. It's easy to tamp down expectations for the 23-year-old, who was called up from Triple-A. It's also easy to not...

Andrew Stetka: Orioles hit reset button on bullpen

Andrew Stetka: Orioles hit reset button on bullpen
The Orioles have gutted their bullpen over the past few weeks with trades of three prominent relievers. Closer Zach Britton went to the New York Yankees while setup men Darren O'Day and Brad Brach were traded to the Atlanta Braves in separate deals. Those three players led the Orioles in appearances in 2015, and were an integral part of the relief staff during this most recent stretch of positive baseball from the club. It's a bullpen that was able to withstand the departures of players...

Andrew Stetka: First steps show O's are committed to rebuilding

Andrew Stetka: First steps show O's are committed to rebuilding
As the final hours tick down toward the non-waiver trade deadline, the Orioles are in a position they've been unfamiliar with in recent years. It's a full rebuild in Baltimore. From the top on down, the "r-word" has been thrown out frequently in recent weeks. It started with the trade of Manny Machado to the Dodgers. It continued when Zach Britton was dealt to the Yankees. It's been kept afloat as recently as yesterday when Brad Brach was sent to the Braves. The "r-word" these days...

Andrew Stetka: Where does Jonathan Schoop fit into O's rebuild?

Andrew Stetka: Where does Jonathan Schoop fit into O's rebuild?
With Manny Machado now off to Los Angeles, the Orioles are in an official rebuild. It's a word that's been touchy for some, but now it's being used by executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. Wheels are spinning and plans are being made, whether Duquette is around to see it through beyond this season or not. In a conference call following the Machado trade, Duquette laid out the blueprint for the Orioles to get back to competitiveness by increasing the use of analytics,...

Andrew Stetka: A farfetched solution to deal with tanking teams

Andrew Stetka: A farfetched solution to deal with tanking teams
The Orioles are in the midst of an historically bad season, that much is clear. They are likely going to challenge the 1988 team for the worst record in franchise history. That squad finished 54-107 for a .335 win percentage after starting the season with an major league-record 0-21 mark. Neither this year's team or the 1988 squad were tanking, but that word has come up a bunch in recent baseball memory. Some point to the Astros or Cubs as examples of teams that tanked for a few years in order...

Andrew Stetka: Reaching a career crossroads, Jones' legacy is secure

Andrew Stetka: Reaching a career crossroads, Jones' legacy is secure
It feels like a yearly rite of passage for me at this point. Writing something about my admiration for Adam Jones has become commonplace. I guess in a way, I'm making fun of myself a bit for being so obsessed with the captain of the Orioles. But who can blame me at this point? He's been a transcendental figure on and off the field for the team in an important era. In fact, he has kind of defined an entire era of this franchise. Since signing a six-year extension with the Orioles as a...

Andrew Stetka: What's Tim Beckham's future with the Orioles?

Andrew Stetka: What's Tim Beckham's future with the Orioles?
When the Orioles traded minor league pitcher Tobias Myers to the Rays at the non-waiver trade deadline last year to acquire former first overall draft pick Tim Beckham, it raised some eyebrows. Some questioned why a team that was three games under .500 and in fourth place in the division, was making a go-for-it type of move. The O's went on to collapse at the end of last year and finish 75-87 and in last place in the American League East. But the Beckham move became more clear in that final...

Andrew Stetka: Digesting disappointing news about Hunter Harvey

Andrew Stetka: Digesting disappointing news about Hunter Harvey
There's no use trying to sugarcoat what the Orioles are going through this season. It's bad, and has the potential to get worse. They remain the only team in baseball without at least 20 wins nearly midway through June. They are near the bottom in run differential along with every major offensive category and many of the pitching and defensive categories, as well. The snowball is officially rolling down the hill. Many have already called for the young guys to come up and take the place of...

Andrew Stetka: Camden Yards charms continue to surprise

Andrew Stetka: Camden Yards charms continue to surprise
The first time I attended a baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, I didn't comprehend what I was doing there. I was merely a youngster, who couldn't have understood the magnitude of the stadium. I knew I enjoyed it. I knew it was majestic and it was part of what caused me to fall in love with not only the Orioles, but with baseball as a whole. There are certain things about it that draw you in. It's the gardens outside home plate plaza, which always seem to be blooming with bright...

Andrew Stetka: Time has come to take stock of the Orioles

Andrew Stetka: Time has come to take stock of the Orioles
The day has finally come. Memorial Day is here and the self-imposed benchmark for self-evaluation is upon us. The Orioles are 17-36, the second-worst record in baseball behind the White Sox. They have the third-worst run differential in the game at minus-79. They've won a mere seven games away from Camden Yards, the worst road record this season. They are now a full eight games out - of fourth place - in the AL East. The O's are 19 games back of the Red Sox for the division lead and 15 1/2...

Andrew Stetka: Could O's learn from Rays' new pitching strategy?

Andrew Stetka: Could O's learn from Rays' new pitching strategy?
The long-running baseball standard of seeing starting pitchers go deep into games is falling by the wayside. This is not news, as it's been happening for years. Starting pitchers are throwing fewer innings. It used to be that starters would pitch complete games regularly. In fact, the last three full seasons have seen the lowest number of complete games in major league history. There were 104 thrown in 2015, 83 in 2016 and just 59 times did a pitcher go the distance last season. Long gone are...

Andrew Stetka: Machado's MVP case could be unique

Andrew Stetka: Machado's MVP case could be unique
We may not be to Memorial Day yet, but it's not too early to start examining candidates for Most Valuable Player. The Orioles have their own this year, and it's a familiar face. Manny Machado is going to be in the conversation all season long, no matter what team he is playing for by the end of it. The 25-year-old has already twice finished in the top five in MVP voting in his career, placing fourth in 2015 before coming in fifth two seasons ago. Only five other players have sniffed the top...

Andrew Stetka: Bundy and Gausman continue to progress

Andrew Stetka: Bundy and Gausman continue to progress
The Orioles are getting exactly what they need from one of their keys to a successful season. That sounds strange to say for a team that has the worst record in baseball, but if you look back about six weeks, there was one big thing everyone was pointing to as crucial to the team's success. It's the development of their two young starting pitchers, Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. The pair has been great, there's no other way to put it really. Both have taken steps to be productive members of...

Andrew Stetka: Davis' struggles don't mean contract was a mistake

Andrew Stetka: Davis' struggles don't mean contract was a mistake
Orioles manager Buck Showalter benched first baseman Chris Davis for a second straight game yesterday, giving him time to clear his head and work on some adjustments at the plate. Hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh was providing instruction this weekend for Davis, who is off to perhaps the worst start of his career. The 32-year-old is hitting just .167/.257/.256 with two home runs, 33 strikeouts and 10 walks. He's carrying around an OPS+ of 44 with 25 games under his belt. Any way you slice it, he...

Andrew Stetka: Farm system leaves O's future in doubt

Andrew Stetka: Farm system leaves O's future in doubt
It's been an abysmal start to the 2018 season for the Orioles, and that could even be a massive understatement. In a year that seemed so crucial at the start with so many key cogs in the organization potentially moving on in the near future, the Birds have yet to take flight. It's something that has led many to look ahead, giving up hope of a postseason berth in 2018 before Memorial Day even hits. With organizational uncertainty, the Orioles have done few things to set themselves up for some...