Roch Kubatko
Roch Kubatko

Notes on Trumbo, Jannis and Valaika

Notes on Trumbo, Jannis and Valaika
Mark Trumbo was prepared for this. The market dictating his next professional move. The reality that he might have played his last game. Trumbo has been exploring some other options as teams draw closer to opening their spring training camps and the 10-year veteran is unable to get a nibble. The sport hasn't been embracing sluggers like Trumbo, and he talked about it with me back in January 2019 while providing an update on his surgically repaired right knee. "I am aware of the market for...
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Roch Kubatko

Could Cobb consume leftover innings?

Could Cobb consume leftover innings?
The decision to trade Dylan Bundy to the Angels left a big hole in an Orioles rotation that already had team officials scrambling to fill spots. He made 30 starts in 2019 and logged 161 2/3 innings, totals that led the club with rookie John Means as the surprise runner-up. Means bested Bundy in plenty of other categories, including wins, ERA, WHIP, average against and WAR. But the first-round pick in 2011 has left lots of people wondering how the Orioles replace those innings. Is the answer...
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Roch Kubatko

Does Diaz present a summer roster complication?

Does Diaz present a summer roster complication?
Yusniel Diaz is going to be invited to spring training again and eventually be reassigned to minor league camp. No matter how he hits. No matter how he fields. The Orioles weren't tempted by last spring's statistics, which included 11 hits in 33 at-bats, with three doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in 14 games. The rebuild plan doesn't permit prospects to be rushed. Diaz never made it above Double-A last summer due to two leg injuries that limited him to 76 games. He slashed .262/.335/.472...
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Roch Kubatko

The curiosities continue over Mountcastle

The curiosities continue over Mountcastle
Challenged on a recent radio interview to name a few of my spring training curiosities relating to the younger players, I blurted out Ryan Mountcastle's name as if moved by a reflex. My leg didn't fully extend, but it was a similar sensation. Mountcastle isn't expected to head north with the team, though a final decision hasn't been made. That isn't why the media will watch him as if he were a Netflix documentary. It's about his defense again, which must test his patience. How much has...
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Roch Kubatko

Leftovers from Shorebirds Hot Stove Banquet

Leftovers from Shorebirds Hot Stove Banquet
Another day passes and brings the Orioles closer to the Feb. 11 report date for pitchers and catchers at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. They've increased their pitching and catching depth, found their starting shortstop and improved their utility options. More activity is on the horizon, as I've written. They want another starting pitcher, willing to hand out a major league deal and make the corresponding 40-man roster move. A veteran on a one-year contract. And they are checking on available...
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Roch Kubatko

More on Rodgers and Davis signings and Elias in Delmarva

More on Rodgers and Davis signings and Elias in Delmarva
Does the signing of right-hander Brady Rodgers to a minor league deal end the Orioles' search for starting pitching? The short answer is "no." The longer answer is "definitely no." Rodgers, 29, is one of those depth moves that flood the offseason transactions wire. He's going to be invited to spring training, just like the majority of the players signed to minor league deals. But the Orioles would like to land a veteran and are willing to offer a major league contract. The money has to be...
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Roch Kubatko

Holt: "It's a really special group of coaches who are here"

Holt: "It's a really special group of coaches who are here"
The Orioles wrapped up their annual minicamp in Sarasota, Fla., with the usual perks, including new coaches getting acclimated to the Ed Smith Stadium complex and the staff checking on pitchers who are making adjustments intended to improve their results in 2020. Chris Holt, promoted to director of pitching, described the camp as consisting of "three solid, intensive days." A nice head start to spring training, which begins in three weeks. "It's really a special group of coaches who are...
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Roch Kubatko

Orioles announce plans for first "Birdland Caravan"

Orioles announce plans for first "Birdland Caravan"
The Orioles are devoting the final weekend before pitchers and catchers report to spring training to engaging with fans via a "Birdland Caravan" that covers 12 locations across the region. A fresher approach leading into a new season. The winter tour runs from Feb. 7-9 and makes stops in Ellicott City, Annapolis, Aberdeen, Timonium, Bowie, Westminster, Hagerstown, White Marsh, Frederick, Fallston, Fort Meade and York, Pa. Players who are participating include Trey Mancini, Hanser Alberto, Rio...
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Roch Kubatko

Orioles interested in bringing back Beckham

Orioles interested in bringing back Beckham
Could the Orioles' search for infield depth lead them to one of their former players? It's a possibility. According the multiple sources, the Orioles are interested in veteran Tim Beckham and have discussed a minor league contract. This is an intriguing development for a couple of reasons, the first being that Beckham spent 1 1/2 seasons with the Orioles before they non-tendered him on Nov. 30, 2018. But there's also the 80-game suspension handed down on Aug. 6, 2019 after Beckham tested...
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Roch Kubatko

This, that and the other

This, that and the other
Before the Orioles could sign pitcher Kohl Stewart and give him a shot at their rotation in 2020, he had to choose which sport to play after high school and attempt to make it a career. Stewart was an Under Armour All-American quarterback in high school who earned a football scholarship to Texas A&M. The Twins made him the fourth overall selection in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft and gave him a $4.5 million bonus. Decision made. "When I was an 18-year-old kid, it was a tough call just...
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Roch Kubatko

Orioles remain interested in starting pitchers and infielders

Orioles remain interested in starting pitchers and infielders
The days keep melting away until pitchers and catchers report to the spring training complex in Sarasota, Fla. The Orioles have filled some of their needs, but they aren't done. While the media keeps making predictions on the rotation, the guesswork aimed at the back end of it, the club has been negotiating with representatives for starting pitchers who remain on the market. I'm hearing that the Orioles are discussing major league deals and minor league contracts that would include...
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Roch Kubatko

Wojciechowski changing his approach to pitching

Wojciechowski changing his approach to pitching
The four-seam fastball is going to hold up as Asher Wojciechowski's primary pitch in 2020, with his slider and cutter still representing the main secondary stuff. However, he's been devoting a large chunk of his winter workouts to gaining trust in a fourth pitch. Give the hitters something else to think about. Expand the repertoire and perhaps last longer in games. Wojciechowski barely used his changeup as the year progressed - never more than 3.28 percent in August to down to 1.17 percent in...
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Roch Kubatko

Wojciechowski reluctant to get comfortable with starting status

Wojciechowski reluctant to get comfortable with starting status
The articles posted in the offseason list him among the projected starting pitchers. People with a tremendous amount of influence in the Orioles organization expect him to make it, as if it would take some bizarre occurrence to deviate from the plan. So why won't right-hander Asher Wojciechowski believe it? Wojciechowski isn't used to arriving at spring training with a job basically waiting for him, but these are the 2020 Orioles and a rebuild makes it possible to change the narrative. If the...
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Roch Kubatko

Infield questions linger for Orioles

Infield questions linger for Orioles
While wondering if I should jump off the baseball beat and cover something more believable, like World Wrestling Entertainment ... What are the Orioles doing at third base? Mark it down as another storyline heading into spring training. Rio Ruiz made 89 starts at third to lead the club, but he also was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and pretty much shared the position with Hanser Alberto. The Orioles could give him a shot at an everyday job, which he'll have to earn in camp. He's actually a...
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Roch Kubatko

Orioles lose Valaika on waiver claim

Orioles lose Valaika on waiver claim
The competition for a utility job with the Orioles has grown thinner. The Diamondbacks claimed Pat Valaika off waivers this afternoon after the Orioles designated him for assignment on Friday while selecting Richard Ureña off waivers from the Blue Jays. Ureña is poised to break camp with the team as a backup at various positions, most importantly shortstop behind starter José Iglesias. Meanwhile, Valaika is joining his third organization since Oct. 30. The Orioles claimed Valaika off...
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Roch Kubatko

Because You Asked - The Final Destination

Because You Asked - The Final Destination
The Orioles have removed a lot of the uncertainty that hung in the air after their final game of the season. However, there are questions that always linger like the aroma of a hard-boiled egg. And that's no yolk. This is why mailbags exists. This is why I continue to do sequels to the original. I don't have all the answers, but I'll keep pretending. Forgive the snark. What's your ideal rotation for the Orioles? Palmer, McNally, Dobson and Cuellar. Trying this again, what's your ideal...
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Roch Kubatko

Wondering about Orioles' outfield alignment

Wondering about Orioles' outfield alignment
The days are dwindling until Orioles pitchers and catchers report, and the intrigue and curiosity are building as more storylines begin to develop. Others will surface with the front office continuing to explore the free agent and trade markets, but we're already off to a good start. The various competitions will provide copy, including the rotation, bullpen and bench. Someone is bound to get hurt, which requires daily updates and the hope that it's anything except a groin. And there's...
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Roch Kubatko

Hanhold outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk

Hanhold outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk
Another player who had been designated for assignment by the Orioles is staying in the organization. Pitcher Eric Hanhold has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk, with the club making the announcement on Twitter. The Orioles designated Hanhold for assignment on Tuesday to create room for shortstop José Iglesias on the 40-man roster. Hanhold was a Sept. 16 waiver claim from the Mets, but he didn't pitch for the Orioles. They shut him down and now figure to invite him to...
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Roch Kubatko

What's next for Orioles as spring training approaches?

What's next for Orioles as spring training approaches?
The important offseason dates keep falling off the baseball calendar, leaving it almost as bare as an oak tree in the winter. The Orioles have moved past the arbitration period, the upcoming hearing dates not applying to a team that reached agreements with all of its eligible players. Hall of Fame voting results will be announced Jan. 21 on MLB Network, revealing whether Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is a unanimous pick. The local angle for Orioles fans is reduced to whether Curt Schilling is...
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Roch Kubatko

Orioles sign Holaday to minor league contract

Orioles sign Holaday to minor league contract
The Orioles keep whittling their offseason shopping list, with pitching and maybe a defensive-minded center fielder the remaining priorities. The latter only on a minor league contract. Seeking a fourth catcher to provide depth and camp competition, the Orioles today announced the signing of veteran Bryan Holaday to a minor league deal. He's going to be included on the list of invites. Holaday, 32, is a career .241/.287/.340 hitter in parts of eight major league seasons since the Tigers...
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