At the risk of offending someone, I must state the following:

I don’t care about your Hall of Fame ballot or your explanation for it. And that’s especially true if you don’t have a vote and it’s a mock.

Same rule applies to your fantasy team. It's a fantasy if you think you can hold my interest after about 20 seconds.

OK, I’m glad we got that out of the way. Here’s my ballot, with the class of 2024 announced tonight at 6 p.m. on MLB Network.

Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, Joe Mauer, Gary Sheffield and Billy Wagner. No one with ties to the Orioles.

Orioles starter Dean Kremer fell short of achieving Super 2 status and becoming eligible for arbitration. The cutoff was set at two years and 118 days of service time, down from two years and 128 days in 2022.

Kremer missed it this year at two years and 112 days.

The season was mostly a success for Kremer, who finished 13-5 with a 4.12 ERA in a career high 32 starts and 172 2/3 innings. Eleven of his victories occurred in night games, tied with teammate Kyle Gibson for second-most in the American League.

I can’t leave it at that. More digging must be done here, and I’m the man with the shovel.

According to STATS research, Steve Stone owns the club record with 24 victories in night games in 1980. Stone won the Cy Young Award in the American League with a 25-7 record.

The eventual promotion of Adley Rutschman to the major league roster, whenever it happens, comes with the expectation that the Orioles will have a veteran mentor ready as his backup. But the club already seems equipped to tutor him. The staff isn't running short on former catchers. Manager Brandon Hyde caught 69 games in the minors and 13 with the independent Chico Heat. Major league field coordinator and catching instructor Tim Cossins caught 217 games in the minors and two with the...

As the slowest part of the baseball offseason arrives, here are seven answers to seven questions: Question: Will the signing of major free agents speed up this year, or will teams be signing players the first week of spring training 2020? Answer: Most observers think the process will speed up. The teams' rosters aren't likely to get set before Christmas, which used to be the case, but it's likely not going to drag into late February as it did last offseason with Manny Machado (San Diego)...

The most impressive trait that Mike Elias exhibited yesterday during his introduction as Orioles executive vice president and general manager was the ability to convey his thoughts on the rebuild, the process that brought him to Baltimore, his knowledge of the city and roster, and the appeal of the job at hand while his head continued to spin. Elias is bound to come across as more relaxed and personable once he's done being pulled in every direction. He sat through a 40-minute session with the...

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan has written a letter to baseball writers, urging them not to vote for players that have been tied to performance-enhancing drugs. Morgan didn't mention players by name, but pitcher Roger Clemens (54.1 percent of the vote last year) and outfielder Barry Bonds (53.8 percent) have been moving up in vote percentage each year, getting closer to the 75 percent needed to be enshrined. When Clemens and Bonds were first on the ballot in 2013, they were at 37...

The Orioles have filled three of the 10 open spots on their 40-man roster. Pitchers Hunter Harvey and David Hess and catcher Austin Wynns were added today and no longer are eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft that's held on the final day of the Winter Meetings on Dec. 14 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. No other players from inside the organization can be placed on the roster before the Rule 5 draft. Harvey, 22, was the 22nd-overall pick in the 2013 draft whose career was slowed by a myriad of...

The new year began with another report that the Orioles are interested in re-signing designated hitter Pedro Alvarez. It still holds true. They've been open to the idea since he hit the free agent market. However, as I've written, he could be the type of late signing that brought him to Baltimore last spring and has become executive vice president Dan Duquette's signature move. Signing Alvarez would be a clear signal that the Orioles have moved away from Mark Trumbo unless they've suddenly...

Ten former Orioles are included on the latest Hall of Fame ballot released today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The most prestigious newcomers are Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez. Guerrero concluded his 16-year career with the Orioles in 2011, batting .290/.317/.416 with 30 doubles, 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in 145 games. The 13 home runs were his lowest total since he hit 11 in 90 games with the Expos in 1997. Other former Orioles include first-timers...

The two biggest stories coming out of Wednesday's Hall of Fame election were Ken Griffey Jr. missing a unanimous selection by three votes and the ramifications of Mike Piazza opening the door for Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, two players that have been tied to performance-enhancing drugs. The hunt is on for the three voters who didn't select Griffey. It is within the voters' rights to use a ballot for political statements. Maybe the voters were protesting the Steroids Era. Maybe they...

With Alex Gordon off the board, it's fair to wonder whether he truly was on the Orioles' radar. They want another left-handed bat. They'd gladly take a four-time Gold Glove outfielder. They'd build a shrine to a hitter with a career .348 on-base percentage over nine seasons. Gordon made sense on many levels, but he came with health concerns that tempered the Orioles' enthusiasm. Where have we heard this before? Gordon missed two months with a groin injury, limiting him to only 104 games....

The Orioles have chosen former major league outfielder Mark Quinn as their new assistant hitting coach, with multiple sources confirming the hire. The club is expected to make the announcement on Thursday if the paperwork is completed. Quinn and Milt Thompson were two of the finalists for the job. Thompson is expected to remain in his current role as Royals minor league outfield/baserunning/bunting coordinator. Quinn, 41, wasn't working for an organization. He owns a baseball academy in...

Hall of Fame ballots for the Baseball Writers' Association of America are in, and so the burning question between now and Jan. 6, when the results will be announced, is whether outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will be the first player to be elected unanimously. Griffey, who played primarily for Seattle and Cincinnati, is in his first year of eligibility. There is no legitimate argument for not voting for Griffey. He's one of the best centerfielders of all-time. He was born in Denora, Pa., same...

The latest baseball Hall of Fame ballot is in the mail to eligible voters - and this time, there is a new twist. The Hall of Fame cut the number of eligible voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America, so how a smaller electorate will affect the voting is yet to be determined. Last year, there were 549 ballots cast, meaning that 412 votes - 75 percent - were needed to make Cooperstown. This year, 475 writers are eligible for ballots. The ballots are due Dec. 21 and results will be...

Five former Orioles return to the latest Hall of Fame Ballot, which has been released today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Mike Mussina, Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Lee Smith and Sammy Sosa are included among the 32 candidates for election. Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., a 13-time All-Star who ranks sixth on the all-time home run list with 630, and closer Trevor Hoffman, who ranks second to Mariano Rivera with 601 career saves and 856 games finished, are counted among 15...