Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects: Chance Sisco is No. 1

Baseball America's top 10 Orioles prospects: Chance Sisco is No. 1
After he was drafted in the first round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, right-hander Dylan Bundy became the Orioles' No. 1 ranked prospect at the end of that season. And Bundy stayed as the club's top-ranked prospect every year after, even as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2013. But with Bundy no longer eligible for prospects lists, there is a new Orioles No. 1. Catcher Chance Sisco's steady move up the rankings has led him to the top spot. When Baseball America released its latest...

Some of the Orioles' top hitting prospects get off to good starts on farm

Some of the Orioles' top hitting prospects get off to good starts on farm
Let's take a quick look at the Orioles' minor league teams so far. It's very early obviously, but right now none of the O's teams at Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, Single-A Frederick or Single-A Delmarva have a winning record. Norfolk is 2-6 and has scored just 24 runs with a 5.70 team ERA. Bowie is 1-7 with a 6.17 team ERA. Both the Keys and Shorebirds are 4-5. However, some of the O's better hitting prospects have gotten off to good starts. At Bowie, first baseman Trey Mancini is...

A look around the minors and the Birdland Passport program is back

A look around the minors and the Birdland Passport program is back
Let's take a look around the Orioles' minor league affiliates, as Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, high Single-A Frederick and low Single-A Delmarva have combined for an 8-11 start. NORFOLK After an 0-3 start, Norfolk has won back-to-back games, scoring 16 runs. Norfolk scored three runs in the seventh last night and two in the eighth to rally past Charlotte 7-6 after trailing 6-2. Former Oriole Miguel Gonzalez started against his former organization last night. Against the Tides, Gonzalez...

Frederick media day: New Keys skipper talks Scott and Reyes

Frederick media day: New Keys skipper talks Scott and Reyes
FREDERICK - Looking for their first playoff berth since winning the Carolina League championship in 2011, the Single-A Frederick Keys start a new season on Thursday night. The Keys play at Myrtle Beach to begin a season-opening seven-game road trip. The home opener is April 14 at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Frederick's new manager is Keith Bodie, who was hitting coach last season for the 2015 Eastern League champion Double-A Bowie Baysox. Bodie is a veteran manager of 18 minor league...

Britton's classy comments at minor league camp; Graham updates Reyes and Harvey

Britton's classy comments at minor league camp; Graham updates Reyes and Harvey
SARASOTA, Fla. - He shook a lot of hands and exchanged a few hugs. He wasn't doing that because he's running for office. He was just renewing friendships. Orioles lefty Zach Britton was a big leaguer only in name yesterday when he pitched in a Single-A game and threw two pretty dominant scoreless innings against some Minnesota Twins youngsters. After he pitched, Britton was in no hurry to get back to Ed Smith Stadium. He spent quite a while talking with several minor league staff members and...

Is it too soon for concern over Miguel Gonzalez? (plus other notes)

Is it too soon for concern over Miguel Gonzalez? (plus other notes)
SARASOTA, Fla. - A few quotes and notes about the Orioles, who are 1-11-2 with 19 spring games remaining before opening day. They lost 14-5 to Minnesota yesterday, allowing 10 or more runs for the fifth time. * At this point, you have to wonder if the Orioles are concerned about right-hander Miguel Gonzalez. After pitching to an ERA of 6.14 in 10 starts after the 2015 All-Star break, his spring ERA is 22.24 through three starts. O's starting pitchers have allowed six runs or more three times...

Showalter on Wieters and Alvarez, plus pregame notes from Fort Myers

Showalter on Wieters and Alvarez, plus pregame notes from Fort Myers
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles catcher Matt Wieters might have a sore right elbow, but for now it appears the concern level is low. Before today's game here, manager Buck Showalter said no MRI for Wieters is planned yet. Wieters spoke with reporters about his elbow in Sarasota. "There is a reason an MRI is not scheduled at this point," Showalter said. "If the next two or three days don't manage as we hope, that might happen. That is up to Richie (Bancells, head athletic trainer). He should be...

Chris Lee on delivery tweaks, his velocity gain and more, plus other notes

Chris Lee on delivery tweaks, his velocity gain and more, plus other notes
For Orioles left-handed pitching prospect Chris Lee, a trade from the Houston Astros to Baltimore last May has really advanced his career. With Houston, he pitched in rookie ball three straight seasons, from 2011-2013, and was in low Single-A ball all during the 2014 season and was back at that level to start last season. But the Orioles then acquired him May 18 for two international bonus slots. He finally moved past low Single-A ball when the Orioles assigned him to Single-A Frederick of the...

A look at some inaccurate PECOTA projections for the Orioles, plus other notes

A look at some inaccurate PECOTA projections for the Orioles, plus other notes
When Baseball Prospectus released its latest PECOTA projections for the 2016 season, it basically predicted a strong race in the American League East this year - but not one that will include the Orioles. PECOTA, which stands for Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm, is Baseball Prospectus' proprietary system that projects player performance based on comparison with historical player seasons. There are three elements to PECOTA: * Major league equivalencies, to allow the...

Are projections for tight AL East race more reason to pursue Gallardo, Fowler?

Are projections for tight AL East race more reason to pursue Gallardo, Fowler?
There has been plenty of debate as to whether the Orioles should or should not sign pitcher Yovani Gallardo and/or outfielder Dexter Fowler. One big reason in favor of doing so for me is that they could push the Orioles over the hump in the American League East. Right now, the division looks very even and open from top to bottom. You could rank teams in almost any order and who could argue? If you see the Orioles in last place with 78 wins, you have some justification to say so. You see them as...

A look at some rotation stats, plus a Navarro note and Reyes ranked

A look at some rotation stats, plus a Navarro note and Reyes ranked
If you read this blog daily, first of all, thanks. Second of all, you know by reading the comments that fans do worry. They worry a lot. Right now, Orioles fans are worried about a starting rotation that ranked 14th in the American League last year with an ERA of 4.53. That was one season after the O's starting pitcher ERA ranked fifth in the AL at 3.61 and the club won 96 games and the AL East championship. Yes, pitching is pretty important. It is just one writer's opinion, but USA Today...

More on Orioles' interest in Gallardo and Kazmir

More on Orioles' interest in Gallardo and Kazmir
While wondering if the Nationals will try to block Jonathan Papelbon from their spring training facility ... Michael Cuddyer is following me on Twitter. Is that just random or should I read anything into it? Hyun-soo Kim's two-year deal with the Orioles may become official later today, though it could take until Monday morning. The press conference that follows will offer the media a chance to learn more about the Korean outfielder and gauge whether his interpreter will be useful in the...

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 Brian Graham with updates on Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey (with video)

O's Brian Graham with updates on Dylan Bundy, Hunter Harvey (with video)
NASHVILLE - Orioles director of player development Brian Graham is part of the club's front office contingent at the Winter Meetings. He provided some injury updates during a one-on-one video interview this morning. Right-hander Dylan Bundy has been limited to 63 innings since the 2013 season. He underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2013 season and then dealt with a shoulder issue last season. He went to the Arizona Fall League last month. But after pitching one inning each in two games, he...

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 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...

Jomar Reyes suffers hamate bone injury, Tanner Scott to pitch in AFL

Jomar Reyes suffers hamate bone injury, Tanner Scott to pitch in AFL
Orioles 18-year-old infield prospect Jomar Reyes will have surgery tomorrow to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand. He got hurt in the next-to-last game of the instructional league workouts in Florida. Ranked as the organization's No. 10 prospect at the end of last year by Baseball America, the native of the Dominican Republic was signed to a $350,000 bonus in January 2014. Orioles director of player development Brian Graham said Reyes was injured while batting. "He hit a ball and...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
NEW YORK - The schedule provides another break for the Orioles today, just as it will in exactly two weeks. It must be a Thursday sort of thing. So where are we in the standings? Well, the Orioles remain a game behind the Rays for third place and a game ahead of the last-place Red Sox. Before last night, the Orioles were batting .251/.305/.421 in 138 games. They batted .256/.311/.422 last season. They ranked fourth in home runs with 183 after leading the majors last season with 211. Their...

Minor league notes on Reyes, Miranda, Berry and more, plus playoff updates

Minor league notes on Reyes, Miranda, Berry and more, plus playoff updates
The Orioles' Triple-A Norfolk affiliate beat Charlotte 6-3 last night and is closing in on a division title. At 76-61, the Tides lead the division by four games over Gwinnett with seven games left. Norfolk hosts Gwinnett in a doubleheader today and if the Tides were to sweep the doubleheader and have Charlotte lose at Durham, Norfolk would clinch the South Division of the International League and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Norfolk's Christian Walker has a 10-game...

O's game blog: Gausman faces Yankees, Orioles add draft pick, Reyes in GCL

O's game blog: Gausman faces Yankees, Orioles add draft pick, Reyes in GCL
Pitching on the same day that ESPN's Buster Olney reported that the Orioles are willing to discuss him in trade talks, right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-1, 5.00 ERA) gets the start for the O's tonight in New York. The report said the Orioles "appear to be willing" to talk about Gausman and immediately it sent some fans into a frenzy of worry on Twitter this afternoon. Keep in mind it is a big leap from they appear willing to talk to making an actual trade. Also with so much talk that the...