A future rotation candidate who may be flying under the radar

A future rotation candidate who may be flying under the radar
He might be someone a bit overlooked among Orioles pitching prospects. But he probably should not be, despite the fact he has yet to advance beyond high Single-A ball and is not yet on the O's 40-man roster. He doesn't need to be there yet, but right-hander Kyle Bradish will get there when the time comes. He joined Isaac Mattson, Kyle Brnovich and Zach Peek when the four right-handers were acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for pitcher Dylan Bundy on Dec. 4, 2019. Bradish will not need to...

Will 2021 see O's top prospect in Baltimore?

Will 2021 see O's top prospect in Baltimore?
It is not a pressing question, but rather an intriguing one for the Orioles: Will catcher Adley Rutschman make his major league debut in 2021? That might seem quite unlikely for a player with just 130 professional at-bats and 12 games of full-season ball - and that at low Single-A - on his resume. But of all the prospects that were fortunate enough to play at alternate camps this year with no minor league season, he may have gained among the most. It's pretty clear that Rutschman got in...

A former farmhand with thoughts on O's prospects

A former farmhand with thoughts on O's prospects
He's not a scout, a pitching coach or someone that works in a baseball front office. But he's got an interesting perspective and I've known that since the first time I interviewed left-hander Brian Gonzalez, which was probably not long after the Orioles drafted him in 2014. After seven seasons in Birdland, Gonzalez left the flock recently to sign a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies. He said it was very hard to leave the Orioles, the only pro team he ever knew. And make no...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
By the end of the week, the Orioles will be required to make further adjustments to their 40-man roster in order to protect players in the Rule 5 draft. Teams now pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league phase, and he can be offered back to his former organization for half the fee. I remember when it was $50,000 and $25,000, but the last collective bargaining agreement upped the cost. Could also explain my increased alcohol consumption, unless that's COVID related. The Orioles have...

Major questions surround the minor league season

Major questions surround the minor league season
Whatever planning is done by the Orioles for 2021 should come with the same asterisk attached to the champion of a 60-game season with numerous rule and travel changes. (OK, that's the last one. But again, my argument is based on comparing seasons, not the teams who played in a pandemic.) No decision has been made on the construction of the upcoming season, including the number of games. It's too early. The Orioles need more information as it becomes available. Some roster battles can't been...

What's next for Orioles?

What's next for Orioles?
The conclusion of the World Series, with the crowning of a 60-game COVID champion, opens the door for free agency and trades. The official offseason is underway. As always, please continue to breathe normally. Players enter free agency the day after the World Series. For the Orioles, it's a short line at the moment with only pitcher Wade LeBlanc and catcher Bryan Holaday, according to Baseball-Reference.com. A two-man stampede doesn't make much noise. LeBlanc will be removed from the 60-day...

Latest look at 40-man roster and Rule 5 decisions (updated)

Latest look at 40-man roster and Rule 5 decisions (updated)
The task of clearing room on the 40-man roster began as the Orioles worked through the final games on their schedule. No need to wait until the last out. Pitcher Carson Fulmer, the former first-round pick of the White Sox, didn't make it through waivers. Reliever Cody Carroll passed through and was outrighted. The 40-man roster was reduced to 37 players, but the Orioles activated pitcher Kohl Stewart from the 10-day injured list yesterday, per their transactions page, and he goes back on the...

A look at the player leadership group on O's farm

A look at the player leadership group on O's farm
With the feeling that players helping other players can produce positive results in addition to camaraderie and chemistry, the Orioles now have a player leadership group on the farm. Some of the players doing the leading in this group include Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Brett Cumberland, Isaac Mattson and Brian Gonzalez. The O's highest draft pick in 2014, taken No. 90 overall in round three, Gonzalez has seen his chance to make the majors get closer recently. The club added the...

A look at Brian Gonzalez's ascension to the O's player pool

A look at Brian Gonzalez's ascension to the O's player pool
His addition to the Orioles' 60-man player pool on Aug. 7 may have surprised some people. But after a season at Double-A Bowie where he made gains pitching as a reliever for the first time, left-hander Brian Gonzalez got the call to join the Bowie alternate camp. After the Aug. 1 trade of Richard Bleier left just two bullpen lefties on the big league roster at that time, Gonzalez was added to a Bowie roster of players that was not overflowing with southpaws. Gonzalez has been in the...

Orioles promote Keegan Akin to majors (updated)

Orioles promote Keegan Akin to majors (updated)
The first prospect from the Orioles' alternate camp site has found his way to the majors. The club announced today that it has recalled left-hander Keegan Akin from the Bowie complex and optioned outfielder Cedric Mullins as the corresponding roster move. A starter is needed Sunday in D.C. if left-hander John Means stays on the bereavement list. Manager Brandon Hyde indicated yesterday that he could resort to a bullpen game, but Akin is in position to make his debut. Akin, 25, threw four...

Henderson and Gonzalez added to alternate camp site

Henderson and Gonzalez added to alternate camp site
The 60-man player pool is down to one open spot. The Orioles announced today that they added infielder Gunnar Henderson and left-hander Brian Gonzalez to the group that's working out and playing intrasquad games at the alternate camp site in Bowie. Henderson, 19, was an anticipated arrival based on his prospect status. The Orioles selected him in the second round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of John T. Morgan Academy in Alabama and assigned him to the Gulf Coast League, where he...

O's game blog: O's host Tigers in series finale, plus minors notes

O's game blog: O's host Tigers in series finale, plus minors notes
Looking for a series win for the first time in more than a month, the Orioles (17-38) host the Detroit Tigers (20-32) tonight in the rubber match of this series. The Orioles won 5-3 Monday and lost 3-0 last night, their ninth loss in the last 11 games and 16th in the past 20. Before this series, the Orioles had a seven-game stretch where they scored 43 runs on 74 hits with 11 homers and batted .356 with runners in scoring position. In these two games, they've scored five runs on 13 hits while...

John Means was strong against Boston, plus farm notes

John Means was strong against Boston, plus farm notes
As the Orioles are looking for some solid starting pitching - they don't have a quality start over their last 11 games - John Means provided an encouraging outing on Sunday at Boston. Means went five innings, allowing four hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts in Boston's 4-0 win. He took the loss and is now 1-2 but has a 1.98 ERA over five outings. In 13 2/3 innings on the season, he has walked four and fanned 13. Means threw 82 pitches Sunday, averaging 91.5 mph on his 50...

Rajsich won't return to Orioles in 2019

Rajsich won't return to Orioles in 2019
The sweeping changes within the Orioles organization have impacted director of scouting Gary Rajsich. Rajsich won't return to the Orioles next season, according to multiple sources. The decision was made before his contract expired on Friday. New executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias is in charge of making hires within each department, and scouting is undergoing a major overhaul. Former executive vice president Dan Duquette hired Rajsich in November 2011 as one of his first...

Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays

Orioles lineup vs. Blue Jays
Austin Wynns is behind the plate for the Orioles again tonight while they face Blue Jays left-hander Jaime García to start a four-game series in Toronto. Wynns is playing his second major league game. He singled in his first at-bat Tuesday night against the Mets. Danny Valencia is in the cleanup spot, followed by Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Schoop. Chris Davis is batting seventh as the only left-handed hitter in the lineup. Craig Gentry is playing right field. The Orioles are 8-12 against...

O's promote righty Michael Baumann in series of minors pitching moves

O's promote righty Michael Baumann in series of minors pitching moves
He's been the most dominant starting pitcher this year on the O's farm, and now right-hander Michael Baumann will get the challenge of facing hitters in the Carolina League. We learned late last night that the Orioles are promoting Baumann from Single-A Delmarva to Single-A Frederick as part of moves involving eight players and all four full-season affiliates. A third-round round pick out of Jacksonville University in June 2017, Baumann has dominant numbers since joining the pro ranks. In...

Eastern League playoff notes and quotes from Bowie

Eastern League playoff notes and quotes from Bowie
BOWIE, Md. - It has been an exciting few days here in Bowie. On Tuesday, the Double-A Bowie Baysox sent outfielder Austin Hays to join the Orioles. Today, Bowie's Garabez Rosa was named the Eastern League Most Valuable Player. But tonight's scheduled playoff series opener between Bowie and Altoona has been rained out. The first two games in Bowie are now scheduled for Thursday and Friday nights at 7:05 p.m at Prince George's Stadium. Go to baysox.com for ticket information. Rosa joins Calvin...

Minor league notes on Branden Kline, Mike Yastrzemski and more

Minor league notes on Branden Kline, Mike Yastrzemski and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have dealt with a series of injuries this year at major league camp. And, over at Twin Lakes Park, the O's minor league staff is dealing with a few as well. Right-handed pitcher Branden Kline, who had Tommy John surgery on Oct. 8, 2015, needed a follow-up arthroscopic procedure last week. The Orioles' second-round pick in 2012 out of the University of Virginia, Kline has not pitched since going 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in eight starts early in the 2015 season for...

Wrapping up the final day of minicamp (with pictures and video)

Wrapping up the final day of minicamp (with pictures and video)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Jesus Liranzo, Brian Gonzalez and Garrett Cleavinger completed their bullpen sessions this morning. Liranzo had the area to himself after Gonzalez and Cleavinger threw off adjoining mounds. Chris Tillman stuck around again to watch the sessions after working out earlier in the day. This guy is a leader on the pitching staff and it shows. The beard is an added bonus. "He likes baseball," said manager Buck Showalter. "There's a confidence in what he can do. He doesn't look...

Notes on minicamp and Brian Gonzalez's progress

Notes on minicamp and Brian Gonzalez's progress
SARASOTA, Fla. - We've reached the final day of the Orioles' minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. A few more bullpen sessions, maybe a few more meetings between the pitchers and coaches Roger McDowell and Alan Mills, followed by flights back home later in the afternoon. The Orioles apparently will leave without signing any new players. No surprises like Delmon Young and Alfredo Aceves. Not even a tryout for a former pitcher hoping to land a minor league deal. This isn't to suggest that...