SARASOTA, Fla. - Rain has been falling all morning in Sarasota and it could impact the first workout for Orioles pitchers and catchers at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. They'll attempt to head outdoors if the proverbial window opens.
Former Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph has signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks worth a guaranteed $1.1 million. He turned down the Orioles' offer of a minor league contract, held out for something better and got it.
The Orioles brought six catchers to camp,...
SARASOTA, Fla. - The report date for pitchers and catchers at Orioles camp yesterday didn't preclude a handful of position players from showing up. Mark Trumbo hit, threw and shagged fly balls on the Camden Yards replica field. Outfielder Ryan McKenna, utility candidate Chris Bostick, infielder Zach Vincej and Rule 5 infielder Richie Martin were in the clubhouse for media availability, and I heard that outfielders Trey Mancini and Mike Yastrzemski also were at the facility.
What really stood...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Much of today's activity at the Ed Smith Stadium complex happened out of the media's view. Behind closed doors. Without the sounds of batting practice or games of catch.
Players met individually with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias, manager Brandon Hyde and the coaches. Assistant general manager Sig Mejdal got the analytics ball rolling.
A rebuild and brand new organizational direction requires it.
"We've got a large group in there," Elias said, his...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Mark Trumbo took batting practice this morning on the replica Camden Yards field, testing out his surgically repaired right knee and gaining a truer sense of the rebuild that's unfolding around him.
"I was probably seven or eight years older than anybody in the cage today," he said, drawing laughter from the media at his locker.
Not that the 33-year-old Trumbo has any complaints about a youth movement or senses that he doesn't belong in it.
"It's really good," he said....
SARASOTA, Fla. - The first official day of Orioles camp is Wednesday morning, but players took batting practice, shagged fly balls and did some running earlier today on the back fields. A nice turnout before noon.
Position players already here include Mark Trumbo, Trey Mancini and Mike Yastrzemski. Mancini has been assigned Adam Jones' old locker in the far corner of the clubhouse.
Jones' absence while remaining on the free agent market was noted by multiple players. One of them said he...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles pitchers and catchers report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex today, an official date that doesn't preclude anyone from showing up early.
The place isn't surrounded by a moat - unless there's heavy rain, because it's Florida and a little flooding is required by state law. Security guards will allow entrance to employees.
The days of players waiting until the final hours or just phoning their manager with confirmation that they're "in town" began to wane after the...
SARASOTA, Fla. - Seeking a veteran outfielder to compete for a job in spring training, the Orioles have signed Eric Young Jr. to a minor league deal that includes an invitation to major league camp, according to an industry source.
Young, who turns 34 in May, is a career .245/.312/.332 hitter in 10 major league seasons. He appeared in 41 games with the Angels last year, slashing .202/.248/.303 in 117 plate appearances, and also has played for the Rockies, Mets, Braves and Yankees.
Though...
The demise of baseball's offseason began with two cancelled flights today to Tampa, leading to the great race last night to the airport. Still plenty of time to compile a list of spring training story ideas and top candidates to be stalked at their lockers and on the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.
Chris Davis is going to be asked again and again about his offseason workouts and changes from previous winters, though he's already detailed them in multiple interviews. His batting...
I'm drawing closer to again making it through an offseason without running out of material. There were some narrow escapes along the way, especially with no media access to minicamp, but here we are, days away from the steady flow of spring training reports.
I'm sitting on some leftovers, which can get messy. A comfortable chair would make more sense.
For example, here's Trey Mancini on Cedric Mullins, who's expected to start in center field on opening day:
"He's a really impressive...
The week began with me still convinced that the Orioles would sign or trade for a veteran starter before opening day to occupy a spot in the middle or back end of the rotation. And because of this, I've been hesitant to go all-in while discussing camp competitions and ranking the favorites.
News broke on Thursday that the Orioles signed right-hander Nate Karns to a one-year deal guaranteeing $800,000. Executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias stated at FanFest that pitching was...
The Orioles announced their 2019 minor league staffs this morning and the composition of their player development department, with many of the changes and returns already reported.
Gary Kendall moves up from Double-A Bowie to manage Triple-A Norfolk, with Mike Griffin returning as pitching coach and Butch Davis as hitting coach. Ramon Sambo is serving as field coach after holding the same title with short-season Single-A Aberdeen for the past two summers.
Buck Britton moves up from Single-A...
On a normal day in an offseason that's been light on significant Orioles roster news, the signing of pitcher Nate Karns to a one-year deal would have lit up the social media switchboard. The conversations would have touched on his chances of filling a spot in the rotation, his injury history, the pros and cons of a low-risk move that eliminated infielder Jack Reinheimer from the 40-man roster, and maybe the assignment of uniform No. 36, which had belonged to catcher Caleb Joseph.
The passing...
The man who is credited with teaching the Orioles how to win is being mourned today throughout the baseball industry.
The words hit especially close to home in Baltimore. The pain digs especially deep.
Hall of Famer Frank Robinson has passed away after a lengthy battle with bone cancer. He was 83.
Updates on the severity of Robinson's condition began to circulate at the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, including how he was in hospice care in Southern California, and the news remained dire at...
Vowing back in December to proceed slowly through the free agent market while seeking to upgrade the roster, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias has acquired his first player on a major league deal.
Veteran right-hander Nate Karns has agreed to a one-year contract guaranteeing $800,000 with a possible $200,000 in incentives based on innings pitched, according to an industry source. Karns, 31, can max out at 100 innings, a total he's reached once in parts of five...
One of the offseason trends for the Orioles involves the hiring of college coaches to minor league positions, and the announcements coming via their Twitter accounts.
Social media working its magic again.
The latest confirmation arrived Tuesday night, with Matt Trate tweeting that "my family and I are looking forward to the next chapter with @Orioles as I have accepted a position as a MiLB hitting coach."
Trate had been working as associate head baseball coach/recruiting coordinator at...
The inviting storylines awaiting the media at spring training, less than a week before it begins, include the competitions at third base and right field and behind the plate.
Other candidates can be tossed into the mix as executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias attempts to swing a few trades and/or snatches up a couple of free agents lingering on another sluggish market. One-year deals become more attractive to players as we move through February.
Manager Brandon Hyde can figure...
With exactly one week remaining before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Orioles are applying the finishing touches to the construction of their minor league staffs and an announcement is coming within the next few days.
Certainly before I board my Monday flight to Sarasota.
What do we know? Well, let's start with Gary Kendall, who's replacing Ron Johnson as manager at Triple-A Norfolk. Mike Griffin returns as Tides pitching coach.
Buck Britton moves up from low Single-A...
The Austin Brice era with the Orioles was fleeting.
It lasted about a month.
The Marlins have claimed Brice off waivers after the Orioles designated him for assignment on Jan. 28 to create a spot for infielder Jack Reinheimer on the 40-man roster. Reinheimer was claimed off waivers from the Rangers.
The Orioles claimed Brice from the Angels on Jan. 4 and designated infielder Breyvic Valera for assignment. They traded Valera to the Giants the following day for cash considerations.
Brice, 26, is...
The media at FanFest was treated to the availability of 27 players and six coaches for interviews in the workroom on the third level of the Baltimore Convention Center, along with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde. The Orioles PR staff spoiled us again, making it easy to gather notes and quotes in a comfortable setting.
The only unexpected absences were due to scheduling conflicts that couldn't be avoided, with Jonathan Villar and Luis Ortiz...
Beyond the outside hires that have been made public via Twitter, the Orioles also are shuffling minor league personnel to fill vacancies at multiple levels of their farm system.
The Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk has announced the promotion of manager Gary Kendall, 55, from Double-A Bowie. Kendall will replace Ron Johnson. Buck Britton, 32, is moving up from low Single-A Delmarva to Bowie as Kendall's replacement, according to sources.
An announcement from the Orioles is pending on the...
