In decline
In decline
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Good morning to all. Teams throughout baseball were busy this week declining options on their players, turning them loose on the free agent market. Three of them intrigue me at the moment. Could Jermaine Dye, at the right cost, provide that right-handed power bat for the middle of the order that manager Dave Trembley places high on his wish list? Dye has averaged 33 home runs over the past five seasons, though he's batted .254 and .250 in two of the last three. He could serve as the...
Jones as good as gold
Jones as good as gold
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
I heard some rumblings earlier today about Orioles center fielder Adam Jones winning a Gold Glove, with the official announcement coming in another week or so. His brother apparently spilled the beans on his MySpace page. My first thought: People still use MySpace? My second thought: He ought to know. I'm told that it's true, which means Jones will be only the second Orioles outfielder to take home the award. Paul Blair won eight of them. Somehow, Jeff Stone kept getting snubbed. Ichiro,...
Odds and ends
Odds and ends
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Is Maryland still playing football this season? Maybe I should ask whether they've started. Bodog posted its 2010 World Series odds. You have to scroll down pretty far to find the Orioles: New York Yankees 11/4 Boston Red Sox 13/2 Philadelphia Phillies 9/1 Los Angeles Angels 10/1 St. Louis Cardinals 10/1 Los Angeles Dodgers 11/1 Chicago Cubs 15/1 New...
Your thoughts on Delgado?
Your thoughts on Delgado?
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
I began my morning with a quick check of mlbtraderumors, and decided to cut-and-paste their Top 50 Free Agents list. Should make for some good discussion, especially with Carlos Delgado, at No. 43, going to the Orioles. Keep in mind that these are just predictions, and nobody has inside information about Delgado. He would make sense in one sense. The Orioles need a first baseman and a power bat (and he would probably benefit from the rest provided when serving as the designated hitter)....
Baseball Prospectus chimes in
Baseball Prospectus chimes in
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Baseball Prospectus has released its list of the top 11 Orioles prospects - a nice, round figure - and Brian Matusz is No. 1. He's also the only five-star selection. Josh Bell, Jake Arrieta and Zach Britton are four-star choices. Matt Hobgood, Brandon Erbe, Brandon Snyder and Mychal Givens are three-star selections, and Brandon Waring and Cameron Coffey receive two stars. Click here to view the entire list, which is compiled by Kevin Goldstein and includes four other prospects deemed worthy...
Waiver claim (updated twice)
Waiver claim (updated twice)
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The Orioles have claimed right-hander Armando Gabino off waivers from the Minnesota Twins and added him to the 40-man roster. Gabino, 26, went 6-4 with three saves and a 2.94 ERA in 38 games (seven starts) with Triple-A Rochester. He also appeared in two games with the Twins. And I'll admit that I can't picture the guy. Name sounds familiar, but...nothing. I'll do some research. Update: Gabino went 0-0 with a 17.18 ERA in his two appearances with the Twins. He made his major league...
GM meetings
GM meetings
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
The general manager meetings begin today in Chicago, which will bring more rumors and speculation than actual activity. Some deals are struck, but it's mostly a way for executives to lay the groundwork for next month's winter meetings in Indianapolis. They'll express interest in players, discuss parameters of a deal and agree to continue those talks. It gives them a better sense of who's available and whether there's a potential match. Otherwise, there's a lot of business discussed...
Erbe making progress at Triple-A (w/quotes added)
Erbe making progress at Triple-A (w/quotes added)
Steve Melewski
Orioles
After a slow start in his rookie season at Triple-A Norfolk, right-hander Brandon Erbe is starting to pitch much better. Thursday afternoon he pitched seven shutout innings of four-hit ball vs. Syracuse. He walked one with six strikeouts. On May 2nd, Erbe allowed just one run, then had a start where he gave up six runs followed by today's outing. Erbe in 2010 at Norfolk: First four starts: 8.35 ERA and .342 opponent batting average Last three starts: 3.37 ERA and .225 opponents batting...
Returning to the sender
Returning to the sender
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
Every game seems to bring a press box debate, or at least a quiet discussion in the interview room before manager Dave Trembley takes a seat behind the microphone. Since I'm not ready to let go of today's victory, I'll pass along how we talked about Seattle third base coach Mike Brumley's decision to send Josh Wilson with two outs in the top of the ninth inning. Left fielder Corey Patterson scooped up Ichiro Suzuki's single and fired the ball to the plate, where catcher Matt Wieters...
Updating J.J.
Updating J.J.
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
I just spoke with an Orioles official with some clarity on Jim Johnson's examination today. The Orioles continue to classify Johnson's injury as a sprained ligament in his right elbow following the reliever's visit with Dr. James Andrews. They say the exam didn't reveal anything new. Johnson will spend the next four weeks at the minor league complex in Sarasota. Team officials don't anticipate that Johnson will require surgery. When I asked one official whether Johnson has a slight...