Wrapping up the Rule 5 draft

Wrapping up the Rule 5 draft
LAS VEGAS - The Orioles left the Winter Meetings today with two Rule 5 picks and a full 40-man roster. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias used the first overall selection to take shortstop Richie Martin from the Athletics organization and the Orioles later acquired infielder Drew Jackson from the Phillies, who had plucked him from the Dodgers system earlier in the morning. Jackson, 25, was a fifth-round selection by the Mariners in 2015 out of Stanford University. He's a...

Peterson returns to Orioles on minor league deal

Peterson returns to Orioles on minor league deal
The utility competition in Orioles camp next spring is going to include veteran Jace Peterson. The Orioles have re-signed Peterson to a minor league deal, according to an industry source, and he's likely to receive an invitation to spring training. Peterson was arbitration-eligible, cleared outright waivers earlier this month and elected free agency. The club has wanted to keep him in the organization, though there was an element of uncertainty attached due to the pending hire of a head of...

Orioles re-sign Gilmartin to minor league deal

Orioles re-sign Gilmartin to minor league deal
Sean Gilmartin's exit from the Orioles organization lasted one day. The Orioles have re-signed the left-hander to a minor league contract after including him yesterday among four players outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. Gilmartin and infielder Jace Peterson declined the assignment and elected free agency. Pitcher Gabriel Ynoa and infielder Corban Joseph agreed to terms on minor league deals for 2019. All four players cleared outright waivers and came off the 40-man roster, with the spots filled...

What's on today's agenda? (updated)

What's on today's agenda? (updated)
The important offseason dates in Major League Baseball include today's 5 p.m. deadline for teams to extend the qualifying offer to their own free agents, which reportedly has grown to $17.9 million. The Orioles will pass on Adam Jones and Colby Rasmus. A front office that remains under construction also will remove pitchers Richard Bleier and Pedro Araujo and outfielders Mark Trumbo and Austin Hays from the 60-day disabled list. Bleier underwent surgery in June to repair a Grade 3 tear in his...

More on Orioles' 40-man roster and personnel changes (updated)

More on Orioles' 40-man roster and personnel changes (updated)
The Orioles' 40-man roster continues to hold 39 players after the Mariners claimed outfielder John Andreoli yesterday afternoon. However, it's going down to 36 with pitcher Sean Gilmartin and infielders Jace Peterson and Corban Joseph also on outright waivers, their names appearing on the wire. Pitcher Gabriel Ynoa is on the 60-day disabled list, but he won't be activated and placed on the 40-man. None of the moves were unexpected. Ynoa didn't pitch for the Orioles this season, opening the...

More roster talk, Lee update and former Orioles in October

More roster talk, Lee update and former Orioles in October
Setting the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft won't necessarily be the first order of business for the Orioles' reconstructed front office, with the non-tender deadline set for Nov. 30, but it's going to involve more heavy lifting. The roster is full and the Orioles need to create room for pitchers Dillon Tate and Branden Kline, who are assured of making it. Catcher Martin Cervenka and left-hander Luis Gonzalez also are expected to have spots open to them. As I've pointed out in the...

The Orioles' minor league All-Stars for 2018

The Orioles' minor league All-Stars for 2018
Today's let's take a look at some of the Orioles minor leaguers that had the most productive seasons in 2018. Presenting one man's version of the Orioles' minor league All-Stars for this year. This is not a listing simply of the best prospects, but the players who produced the best at each position. In some cases it's clear cut and in some it's not. 1B Aderlin Rodriguez: Rodriguez hit two homers and drove in seven runs on the final day of the season for Double-A Bowie to cap off a third...

Orioles swept in doubleheader with 5-2 loss in Game 2

Orioles swept in doubleheader with 5-2 loss in Game 2
The sixth doubleheader of the season for the Orioles resulted in the third sweep against them. Two more losses to toss on the pile. The Orioles have grown accustomed to peering through the defeats to find positive strands. It's one way to maintain their sanity and stay optimistic as the worst season in franchise history sputters to a stop. Rookie Yefry Ramírez made his 13th major league start and 18th appearance tonight in Game 2 and he offered quality by baseball's long-standing...

Orioles lineup vs. Astros

Orioles lineup vs. Astros
Chris Davis remains out of the Orioles lineup tonight as they open the final homestand of the season. Davis hasn't played since Saturday in New York. Corban Joseph is the designated hitter. Steve Wilkerson is at second base and Jace Peterson is at third base. Renato Núñez is bothered by some soreness in his knee. Miguel Castro remains unavailable because of some swelling in his knee, but he's improved. The Orioles still don't have a starter listed for Sunday. Yefry Ramírez pitches...

Corban Joseph provides a feel-good moment during latest loss

Corban Joseph provides a feel-good moment during latest loss
Imagine that you played nearly 1,000 minor league games, yet your phone was not ringing off the hook last winter when some players were scrambling for minor league jobs. But you eventually got one at Double-A Bowie with the Orioles. Then in June you got called up to the majors. Until then your MLB experience consisted of two games and six at-bats. But that call to the majors lasted just five days. Then nine days after being sent back to the minors, you are designated for assignment. You clear...

Updating Ortiz's injury, 8-6 loss and O's interest in Mesa brothers

Updating Ortiz's injury, 8-6 loss and O's interest in Mesa brothers
Orioles rookie pitcher Luis Ortiz tweaked his left hamstring tonight and could undergo an MRI in the morning to determine the severity of the injury and whether he'll become the latest starter to leave the rotation. Ortiz lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his first major league start before limping to the clubhouse. "He's had some issues with it before," said manager Buck Showalter following an 8-6 loss to the White Sox before an announced crowd of 18,265 at rainy Camden Yards. Trey Mancini...

Orioles rally comes up short in series opener (postgame quotes)

Orioles rally comes up short in series opener (postgame quotes)
When this series began, the Chicago White Sox had scored four runs or less for nine straight games. But by the fifth inning tonight, they had hit two homers and scored seven times. Chicago went on to beat the Orioles 8-6, holding off a late Baltimore comeback in the opener of a three-game series at Oriole Park. Both teams ended long losing streaks in their previous games, but Chicago emerges as the team with two straight wins after tonight's contest. The Orioles snapped a six-game losing...

Stewart making debut tonight for Orioles

Stewart making debut tonight for Orioles
DJ Stewart will make his major league debut tonight as the Orioles continue their series against the Athletics. Stewart is starting in left field and batting seventh. Trey Mancini is the designated hitter. Stewart will be the club-record 55th player to appear in a game with the Orioles this season. He's the 14th to make his major league debut, which ties the record set in 1955. Adam Jones remains in the lineup in right field. Austin Wynns is catching and Jace Peterson is starting at third...

Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
Alex Cobb has one more day to let the middle finger on his pitching hand heal before he starts Tuesday night's series opener against the Athletics at Camden Yards. If the weather allows it, of course. Cobb had a "touch and feel" session Saturday and completed a bullpen session yesterday without any concerns about the finger or the status of his start, which has been pushed back. "It was OK," he said. "It was good enough to look forward to my next outing on Tuesday. But probably a good...

More on Hess, Cobb, Joseph and Trumbo (O's down 14-2)

More on Hess, Cobb, Joseph and Trumbo (O's down 14-2)
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles are waiting to get the results of David Hess' eye examination and will decide whether they need to find another starter for Saturday night's game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Hess is the victim of another dreaded football-related injury, though he didn't fracture a finger like Michael Bourn last spring training. The rookie pitcher was struck in the left eye while outrunning Trey Mancini and attempting to catch a pass before the Orioles took batting...

Orioles select Corban Joseph's contract

Orioles select Corban Joseph's contract
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Orioles have expanded their active roster today and created more versatility by selecting Corban Joseph's contract from Double-A Bowie. Joseph has joined the Orioles for their weekend series against the Rays at Tropicana Field. He's been assigned uniform No. 64. The younger brother of catcher Caleb Joseph, Corban was 1-for-9 in four games with the Orioles in June before they designated him for assignment and outrighted him. He made the Eastern League's All-Star...

Notes on 100 losses, stolen bases and the farm on Sunday

Notes on 100 losses, stolen bases and the farm on Sunday
With Sunday night's 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees, the Orioles were swept four straight and they fall to 37-94. The 2018 Orioles are closing in on becoming the third team in club history, which dates to 1954, to lose 100 or more. The 1954 Orioles went 54-100 and the 1988 Orioles went 54-107. There have been nine Orioles teams since 1954 that lost 95 or more in a season, and this club is one loss from becoming the 10th. The other nine teams are on this list: 107 losses - 1988100 losses -...

O's are settling in with speed atop the lineup

O's are settling in with speed atop the lineup
We have seen it for five games now: center fielder Cedric Mullins as the Orioles leadoff batter and followed in the batting order by infielder Jonathan Villar hitting second. It certainly provides the Orioles with the kind of speed at the top of the order that we have not seen often in recent years. To this point the duo has not had either a significant impact or impressive stats batting at the top of the order. But the sample is small and I'm all for seeing more of it and seeing what those...

Waiting on Trumbo decision and Britton's return

Waiting on Trumbo decision and Britton's return
Before the first pitch is thrown tonight to open a four-game series against the Yankees, it's possible that the Orioles finally know whether Mark Trumbo has opted for surgery on his sore right knee or will try rehabbing it and perhaps extend his season. Trumbo flew back to Baltimore after Sunday's game instead of accompanying the team to Toronto. He's on the 10-day disabled list but could be sidelined a lot longer, considering that the knee has been flaring up since May. Multiple opinions...

Adam Jones on Cedric Mullins and playing in right, plus farm notes

Adam Jones on Cedric Mullins and playing in right, plus farm notes
Maybe playing right field is going to be good for Adam Jones on offense. I'm kidding here, but Jones did go 2-for-4 last night with a double and solo homer. In five games as a right fielder, he's 7-for-20 and batting .350/.409/.600 with an OPS of 1.009. Interviewed after last night's 6-3 win over the New York Mets, Jones wasn't offering much yet when asked how he's getting along in right field. "Fine," he said. "Less running. I've only been at it five games, so I'll let you know when...