Notes on Gillaspie, new hire, Severino signing and Rombach

Notes on Gillaspie, new hire, Severino signing and Rombach
Seconds after filing my story on Friday's additions to the 40-man roster that protected players in the Rule 5 draft, I did a quick search on Logan Gillaspie to make certain that I didn't completely dismiss his chances. That I didn't write something like, "He's in the Arizona Fall League and out of this discussion." I typed his name as "Conner Gillaspie" the next morning while trying to look up his statistics, then slapped myself and got it right. This guy deserves better. I've never...

Taking a last look at possible protections in Rule 5 draft

Taking a last look at possible protections in Rule 5 draft
The Orioles' 40-man roster is holding at 32 players and must be set by Friday, before a Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings that remains in limbo, as well as Orlando, with the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias will complete the task of protecting players, which follows the many transactions that cleared room for them. There will be the obvious calls and probably at least one that seems possible but falls a little short of a...

Orioles facing many more 40-man moves

Orioles facing many more 40-man moves
The early work on the Orioles' 40-man roster consisted of one move that probably didn't require hours of study, deliberation and angst. The team likes Travis Lakins Sr. Manager Brandon Hyde talked about the reliever's recovery from elbow surgery and the likelihood that he'd be ready for spring training. But it made no sense to move Lakins from the 60-day injured list to a 40-man roster that requires heavy cuts. A chain saw rather than a pocket knife. Teams figured to pass on Lakins after he...

The rise and fall of Valdez and Plutko

The rise and fall of Valdez and Plutko
The Orioles already made a few decisions on their minor league free agents, bringing back outfielder Cristopher Céspedes and pitchers Ofelky Peralta and Nick Vespi. Other moves will be sprinkled into their offseason, with some bigger names in the industry likely to compete for jobs on minor league deals with invitations to spring training. Like the past winter when the Orioles signed starters Félix Hernández, Matt Harvey and Wade LeBlanc. Relievers Adam Plutko and César Valdez...

Some of the top farm pitchers get closer to Baltimore

Some of the top farm pitchers get closer to Baltimore
As the Orioles work to improve their pitching in 2022, there remain a few ranked pitching prospects the club has yet to see pitch in Baltimore. And there are others, like Zac Lowther and Alexander Wells, that we saw get their feet wet this year. Enough to know how tough it is to pitch in the American League East. The Orioles still play more than half their games outside of the East, this is true, but the division remains the best in the baseball and maybe the toughest in all of sports. Topping...

Orioles shut out in penultimate home game of 2021 (updated)

Orioles shut out in penultimate home game of 2021 (updated)
Zac Lowther turned to watch the ball and slapped his glove against his leg. Knowing where it would land and the implications. Perhaps also knowing that one run might be too much for the Orioles to overcome against Nathan Eovaldi. J.D. Martinez's 28th homer of the season, a solo shot to center field with one out in the second inning, was the only run surrendered by the rookie left-hander through the fifth. Plenty of hard-hit line drives, but nothing to influence the score. That happened in the...

Orioles rally for lead and relinquish it in ninth in 4-3 loss (updated)

Orioles rally for lead and relinquish it in ninth in 4-3 loss (updated)
Gary Sánchez drove a fastball to deep center field tonight in the second inning, flipping his bat on the backswing, and began his trip around the bases. Where else was he going after making that kind of contact? Cedric Mullins sprinted to the ball, timed his leap at the fence and reached high above it, came down, hopped twice to his left - sticking the landing wasn't important in this event - and flipped it to Austin Hays. Hays would flip the lead later and watch it spin back. John Means...

Akin goes career-high seven innings in O's 13-1 romp (updated)

Akin goes career-high seven innings in O's 13-1 romp (updated)
Given new life late in their baseball season, the Orioles are trying to avoid a new losing streak. They may never lose again. Rearranging the outcomes can't be done without turning the tables. Shohei Ohtani lofted a ball onto the flag count on the second pitch from starter Keegan Akin, but the left-hander did his finest work as a professional with one run allowed in seven innings. The Orioles tied the game in the third, Pedro Severino hit a grand slam as part of a six-run fifth and they...

Early excitement from Orioles evaporates in 12-3 loss (updated)

Early excitement from Orioles evaporates in 12-3 loss (updated)
Before the Orioles began tonight's game against the Rays, about 30 minutes later than intended, they stood along the dugout railing to watch the club's newest inductees into its Hall of Fame. To enjoy the ceremony and see how the other half lived, rather than just gazing across the field. The video tribute for former shortstop J.J. Hardy closed with him reaching for home plate to score the go-ahead run on Delmon Young's bases-clearing double in the 2014 Division Series. The loudest moment in...

John Means has best outing since IL return as O's win in Detroit

John Means has best outing since IL return as O's win in Detroit
He didn't put up a zero like Matt Harvey on Friday night, but left-hander John Means looked very much like his pre-injury self tonight. And seeing the Orioles ace pitch like that had to be a most welcome sight throughout Birdland. Means allowed just one run over six innings and picked up his first win since his no-hitter as the Orioles beat Detroit 5-2 at Comerica Park. There was a bit of drama in the ninth, as a comfortable win turned into something less than that. Tanner Scott struggled...

Notes on O's loss, final draft pick signed and farm player movement

Notes on O's loss, final draft pick signed and farm player movement
The Orioles will be back at Camden Yards tonight against Miami looking to beat the Marlins for a two-game series split and a winning 4-1 homestand. Miami hit three homers in last night's 7-3 win over the Orioles. O's right-hander Spenser Watkins gave up a three-run homer to catcher Sandy Leon on the eighth pitch of a sequence in the top of the second. That put Miami up 3-0 and they were never tied or trailed after that. Austin Hays and Cedric Mullins hit solo homers for the Orioles. They've...

The O's '21 draft class of pitchers looks a lot like 2019

The O's '21 draft class of pitchers looks a lot like 2019
We now have the facts as they relate to pitchers and the Orioles in the 2021 First-Year Player Draft. We do know they drafted just one pitcher in the first 10 rounds and then took eight from rounds 11 through 19. A run broken up only when they selected Florida Southern first baseman Jacob Teter in round 13. Over time we will find out if waiting to draft all those pitchers was a wise move by the Orioles. If Kumar Rocker wins a couple of Cy Young Awards - OK, if he is even a plus starting pitcher...

López gets into seventh, but bloop single stings Orioles (updated)

López gets into seventh, but bloop single stings Orioles (updated)
The perfect game and no-hit drama dissipated tonight just two batters into the bottom of the first inning after Freddy Galvis slapped a single into left field to beat the shift. Rain wasn't in the forecast. Umpires checking for sticky substances already felt like old news. The Orioles moved on from their lopsided and waterlogged defeat. Each day presents a fresh start. A new opposing pitcher and the latest opportunity to begin spinning their season in the right direction. Astros veteran Zack...

Back on the radar: Ofelky Peralta off to good start at Bowie

Back on the radar: Ofelky Peralta off to good start at Bowie
It was during September 2013 when then-Orioles international scouting guru Fred Ferreira went to see a pitcher he had not yet seen throw before at a showcase in the Dominican Republic. Before the day was out in San Pedro de Macoris, Ferreira decided the Orioles had to have tall right-hander Ofelky Peralta. On the spot he agreed to sign him for $325,000. The kid could throw mid-90s already and might grow into more velocity. Before too long, he moved into the O's top 30 prospects list. * No. 29...

Notes on Friday's loss, Lowther's start and Aberdeen at 4-0

Notes on Friday's loss, Lowther's start and Aberdeen at 4-0
For the Orioles, the road to get back to the .500 mark is hard. Very hard. They have had seven tries since April 10, playing games where they were one game under .500. With last night's 6-2 loss to Boston, they are 0-7 in those games. The Orioles (15-17) had chances last night, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 men on base. They fell to 2-14 when scoring three runs or fewer. They have scored two runs or fewer in 11 of their 17 losses. So yep, frustrating. It was...

Inviting conversation about non-roster players in spring training

Inviting conversation about non-roster players in spring training
Is it safe to slip into spring training mode? Is it really going to happen, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting on Feb. 16 - one day after most or all of the beat crew arrives in Sarasota, Fla.? Multiple reports are feeding us optimism by the ladle. That's nice. But I'll repeat that teams were told back in October to prepare as though camps would open on time and the season would consist of 162 games. We only know that nothing has changed in that regard. No one has been instructed to...

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
With the World Series over and teams firing up the hot stove, it shouldn't be much longer before the Orioles identify the return on the trades of pitchers Tommy Milone and Hector Velázquez. When is it considered late to be announcing players to be named later? The Orioles sent Velázquez to the Astros on July 29 for a PTBNL. He never threw a pitch in 2020 outside of summer training camp and alternate camp sites. Milone was traded to the Braves the following day for two PTBNL, an...

Orioles re-sign six players to minor league deals

Orioles re-sign six players to minor league deals
The Orioles are bringing back six players on minor league deals who were members of the organization this summer. The re-signing of super-utility player Stevie Wilkerson was finalized on Saturday and announced this afternoon. Joining Wilkerson are infielder Ryan Ripken, the son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., catcher Taylor Davis, and right-handers Marcos Diplán, Mickey Jannis and Ofelky Peralta. Wilkerson missed the 2020 season due to a fractured left ring finger, an injury sustained in a...

A look at pitchers that could be part of next wave of rebuild

A look at pitchers that could be part of next wave of rebuild
As the Orioles look to put together a starting rotation for 2020, one question will be how soon will some of their homegrown prospects get their chance at the starting five. When will some of the up and coming pitching prospects - homegrown or not - get their shot? Based on how executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and his staff ran the minors and promoted players in 2019, it is probably likely that they won't often have prospects skip levels or more as fast through the system as...

Brandon Hyde after 16-2 loss: "You know, pretty embarrassing again"

Brandon Hyde after 16-2 loss: "You know, pretty embarrassing again"
OAKLAND - It wasn't actually the first time this year the Orioles had allowed 16 runs in a game. But when it happened Tuesday night at Oakland, a manager who has had to handle interviews so many nights about a pitching staff that came up short, seemed to be exasperated to have to do it again. Who could blame Orioles skipper Brandon Hyde? That was indeed hard to watch. O's pitching allowed 16 runs to tie a season-high first set April 20 versus Minnesota, giving up 10 of them in the last of the...