Pondering a contract extension for pitcher Chris Tillman

Pondering a contract extension for pitcher Chris Tillman
Heading into the 2016 season, there was some concern about right-hander Chris Tillman, a pitcher who has been the club's opening day starter the last three years and who was a 2013 American League All-Star. In the three seasons from 2012-2014, Tillman went a combined 38-16 with an ERA of 3.42. In those years, he ranked tied for 11th in the AL in wins and was 15th in ERA. From 2012-14, the Orioles went 55-27 (.671) in Tillman's 82 starts. But the concern about Tillman heading into last year...
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What is the ceiling for Manny Machado?

What is the ceiling for Manny Machado?
At 24, third baseman Manny Machado has become an Orioles superstar, producing two back-to-back finishes in the top five of American League MVP voting. He produced a career-high OPS of .861 in 2015, then topped it last year at .876. While Orioles fans ponder if the club has a realistic chance of signing Machado to a long-term deal, there is another question worth debating: How much better can this kid get? First, a look at the last two seasons for Machado: 2015: .286 average, .359 OBP, .502...
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Final 2016 edition: "10 Questions for O's Fans"

Final 2016 edition: "10 Questions for O's Fans"
Get your answers in before the year ends. It's the last edition of "10 Questions for O's Fans" for 2016, as we take a look back and ahead. As usual, answer one, two or all 10 questions. Leave a short answer or a longer one, the choice is yours. And now today's 10 questions: 1. Catcher Caleb Joseph drove in 49 runs in 320 at-bats in 2015, then drove in zero runs in 132 at-bats last year. How many RBIs will he have in 2017? 2. Who will be the Orioles' best starting pitcher next year? 3. Who...
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Trey Mancini: "It was the craziest and best 2 1/2 weeks of my life"

Trey Mancini: "It was the craziest and best 2 1/2 weeks of my life"
He has only had 14 major league at-bats, but he sure got a lot done in a short amount of time. Trey Mancini began his major league career in September by becoming the third player in major league history to homer in his first three starts. Not bad for a player who was not even called up at the beginning of September, but who ended the year making the Orioles roster for the American League wild card game. When the season ended, Mancini took some time to let his body rest and ponder what he did...
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Rehab road: Hunter Harvey's comeback from Tommy John surgery is underway

Rehab road: Hunter Harvey's comeback from Tommy John surgery is underway
Don't blame Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey if he feels he is due for some good fortune over the next few seasons. That might make up for the last few seasons. Harvey, who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on July 26, has pitched just 12 2/3 innings since July 25, 2014. Ranked as the No. 68 prospect in the sport by Baseball America after the 2014 season, Harvey's O's career started off in very promising fashion after the club made him the 22nd-overall pick out of a North...
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The closer signing trifecta is complete

The closer signing trifecta is complete
As pitchers who often only pitch one inning, they were expected to get big dollars and they sure did. When the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to re-sign closer Kenley Jansen yesterday, the trifecta of closer signings was complete. It started when the San Francisco Giants added right-hander Mark Melancon on a four-year deal worth $62 million. Then lefty Aroldis Chapman returned to the New York Yankees on a five-year deal worth $86 million, which became the largest contract ever given to a closer. So...
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Slugger talk: Notes on Bautista, Ortiz and Trumbo

Slugger talk: Notes on Bautista, Ortiz and Trumbo
Jose Bautista on the Orioles? Yeah, that is really not a very good fit and is not going to happen. Probably not. But what if Bautista's market completely bottoms out and he is still looking for work in February or even March? Would the Orioles go for Bautista if he came at an enormous discount? That seems unlikely since they've already said they are not going there and a team will have to give up a first-round draft pick to sign Bautista, who perhaps unwisely turned down the qualifying offer...
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Scott Boras' take on the new collective bargaining agreement

Scott Boras' take on the new collective bargaining agreement
A few days ago, baseball's most well-known and powerful player agent, Scott Boras, had a large forum and he sure used it. Each year at the Winter Meetings, Boras makes an appearance and the media flocks in his direction. This year, I was part of the flock - one that featured reporters like me who cover just one team, as well as national reporters. When the subject turned to Boras' take on the new collective bargaining agreement, he went on a lengthy rant that took several minutes. One that...
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The O's could be closing in on a catcher (plus other notes)

The O's could be closing in on a catcher (plus other notes)
When asked about free agent catcher Welington Castillo on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, "That's a good name." Welington is a good name, but Showalter didn't mean that. He meant the Orioles had some interest in the catcher that was non-tendered by Arizona. At least that is the way I took it. And I haven't been wrong since earlier this morning. The Orioles have been talking about finding a catcher to pair with Caleb Joseph for the 2017 season as they...
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More Rule 5 talk and a possible outfield option

More Rule 5 talk and a possible outfield option
So much for the narrative that no contending team would make a pick in the Rule 5 draft. There were 18 players selected yesterday and picks were made by Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Texas and Detroit. Add in the Orioles' two selections and all five teams that made the American League playoffs in October made Rule 5 selections on Thursday. O's vice president Dan Duquette made it clear that just because the Orioles selected two outfielders, they are not done pursuing outfielders. Rule 5 picks...
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Dan Duquette on the Orioles' two Rule 5 selections

Dan Duquette on the Orioles' two Rule 5 selections
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Orioles today took not one, but two players in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Both are outfielders and both will need to stick on the major league roster all year to stay in the organization beyond the 2017 season. The Orioles will take a good look at both in spring training. They selected 24-year-old Aneury Tavarez from the Boston Red Sox. The lefty hitter from the Dominican hit .330/.394/.495 between Double-A Portland (106 games) and Triple-A Pawtucket...
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Trade the stars? O's not going there right now

Trade the stars? O's not going there right now
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette made it very clear yesterday, but it was no surprise anyway, that the Orioles are not shopping closer Zach Britton and/or third baseman Manny Machado. They are players the Orioles are looking to build around - two of their top core players - not players they want to subtract from a contending team. Or at least a team that has designs on contending again in 2017. The issue the Orioles are facing is trying to win in the present...
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ESPN's Keith Law on Chance Sisco, Mark Trumbo, Zach Britton and more

ESPN's Keith Law on Chance Sisco, Mark Trumbo, Zach Britton and more
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - In asking ESPN's Keith Law today about what it would take for a team like the Orioles to trade for outfielder Adam Eaton, he mentioned that it would be tough. The package would probably have to start with their No. 1 prospect, catcher Chance Sisco, Law said. The point is moot now; Eaton was traded to the Nationals this afternoon and the price was very high. The Nats surrendered three pitching prospects, including top mound prospect Lucas Giolito. But back to Sisco. In...
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Scott Boras on Matt Wieters, Zach Britton and Pedro Alvarez

Scott Boras on Matt Wieters, Zach Britton and Pedro Alvarez
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md - Baseball's most prominent agent, Scott Boras, said today that the door is still open for his client, catcher Matt Wieters, to return to the Orioles. He was asked if the free agent has played his last game with the Orioles. "Well, no, I mean, look, he threw out over 35 percent of his runners," Boras said. "When Matt Wieters is behind the plate, the Orioles are in the playoffs. He's, you know, won Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers there. And the ERA of the pitching staff...
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A look at the Orioles' 2016 draft with Baseball America's John Manuel (video)

A look at the Orioles' 2016 draft with Baseball America's John Manuel (video)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Baseball America has given the Orioles solid reviews for their 2016 draft, which featured three pitchers from the Midwest as their top three picks: Cody Sedlock, Keegan Akin and Matthias Dietz. This morning at the Winter Meetings, I interviewed Baseball America editor in chief John Manuel to get his thoughts on the Orioles' draft. "First, I like that Cody Sedlock has a fairly fresh arm," Manuel said. " I like that profile - big, physical, Midwest arm, fairly fresh. I...
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Notes on the Rule 5 draft, Chance Sisco and one interesting tweet

Notes on the Rule 5 draft, Chance Sisco and one interesting tweet
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Baseball America's J.J. Cooper studies and reports on the Rule 5 draft as well as any reporter out there. Yesterday I sought out some of his thoughts on the draft. Last year, the Orioles added outfielder Joey Rickard from the Rays and lost first baseman Ji-man Choi to the Angels in the major league phase of the draft. While the Orioles are almost always active in this draft, Cooper said other teams have joined them in recent years. "Two years ago was kind of an historic...
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Harold Reynolds on Manny Machado: "It's hard to give one player all that money" (video)

Harold Reynolds on Manny Machado: "It's hard to give one player all that money" (video)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Orioles fans and Orioles management both know it's the elephant in the room. Third baseman Manny Machado will be a free agent after the 2018 season. Can the team re-sign him to what would potentially be a massive contract or do the O's consider trading him if they can't re-up the 24-year-old superstar? In a video interview today at the Winter Meetings, MLB Network's Harold Reynolds, a former Oriole, talked about Machado and a future that could find him playing for...
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O's Brian Graham with a Hunter Harvey update (Sale to Boston)

O's Brian Graham with a Hunter Harvey update (Sale to Boston)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Since the middle of the 2014 season, Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey has thrown 12 2/3 innings. Despite that, the Orioles can envision a day when he is pitching at or near the top of their rotation. It is just going to take a while. Harvey was shut down late in July 2014 with a strained right flexor mass. The next year began with a shin injury in spring and later more elbow issues. In May, he underwent sports hernia surgery. And finally, on July 26 he had Tommy...
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O's skipper Buck Showalter talks pitch-framing and more (video)

O's skipper Buck Showalter talks pitch-framing and more (video)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - In a video interview this morning with MASNSports.com, Orioles manager Buck Showalter provided his take on pitch framing metrics for catchers. Orioles executive vice president yesterday Dan Duquette mentioned that some teams have given those metrics bigger importance when looking to evaluate and add catchers. The Orioles are looking for a catcher now. How does Showalter feel about the pitch framing stats? "There are a lot of variables," he said. "One thing that came...
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O's scouting director Gary Rajsich on the 2016 draft

O's scouting director Gary Rajsich on the 2016 draft
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - It wasn't long after Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich wrapped up a 2016 draft that is playing to some good reviews among national analysts that he began work on the next one. As it stands right now, the Orioles have the 23rd pick in round one of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft. But here at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Rajsich took some time in a video interview to look back at his 2016 draft of 41 players, which included 27 pitchers and 14...
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