The mailbag is getting full again, which sends me scurrying to find answers and a new sequel title.
You know the drill. You ask, I respond, you ask again, I respond again and our relationship grows stronger.
Curiosity killed the cat, but it keeps this blog alive through the dog days of winter.
Any surprises at the non-tender deadline? Such a negative person. You could have referred to it as the "tender deadline." Anyway, catcher Pedro Severino went from vulnerable to recipient of a $1.825...
The free-agent market has gained a former Orioles starter.
Thomas Eshelman cleared waivers yesterday and was outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles announced this morning that he elected free agency rather than remain in their system.
Eshelman, 26, has a previous outright assignment, which gives him veto power. The Orioles designated him for assignment on Sept. 2, 2019 while activating Mark Trumbo from the 60-day injured list.
The willingness of the Orioles to part with Eshelman this week...
The Orioles whittled their list of unsigned arbitration-eligible players to five this morning by reaching agreement with infielder Yolmer Sánchez on a 2021 contract, according to an industry source.
Sánchez is signed for $1 million and waiting to learn whether he's a candidate to start at second or third base. He could land in the utility mix, with his arrival perhaps having a domino effect on the roster.
Hanser Alberto could be impacted. Pat Valaika could be impacted. They're also...
The Orioles didn't need to remove pitcher Alexander Wells from his home in Australia and dump him into the 60-man player pool over the summer. They were fine with excluding him from the fall instructional league.
As executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said a few weeks ago, Wells had "a really good setup" that enabled the team to avoid the hassles of international travel during a pandemic.
Wells, a native of Newcastle, was placed on the 40-man roster to protect him from the...
The baseball offseason wouldn't feel complete unless the names of arbitration-eligible players and projected raises were recited weekly until the deadline, which mercifully is arriving on Wednesday.
There were seven Orioles on the original list. Yolmer Sánchez increased it to eight, but Renato Núñez came off after being designated for assignment and granted his release.
Trades are possible in the coming days, just as the Orioles dealt infielder Jonathan Villar and starter Dylan Bundy...
I have questions.
The issue is how none of them can be answered and I'm not known for my patience.
Pitchers and catchers are supposed to report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Feb. 16, but booking travel now seems like wasted energy with the possibility of a COVID-related delay.
Not only am I unsure about the chances of spring training starting on the time, I have no idea whether media will be granted access. The whole production could be done again over Zoom.
If allowed inside the gates,...
Utility competitions in spring training usually elicit as much excitement as a Perry Como concert.
There's a better chance of finding an olive pit than a mosh pit.
(We interrupt this blog entry to bring you a link to one of the funniest skits of all time from the '80s. Eugene Levy at his finest. You'll thank me later.)
The importance of having versatile players shouldn't be minimized. Guys who can handle assignments at multiple positions in the infield and outfield are increasing in value,...
The hot stove doesn't have much cooking with the Orioles. Rebuilding teams tend to sit on the national media's back burner. And clubs that tend to do some of their heaviest lifting in spring training are going to get lighter coverage in November and December.
The Orioles finally are tied to a free agent, with MLB.com reporting again per sources that there's interest in veteran outfielder Yasiel Puig.
Makes even less sense to me now than earlier in the year.
Anthony Santander and Dwight Smith...
With the Orioles unable to negotiate a trade prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, Renato Núñez has moved into the next phase of his offseason.
Núñez cleared unconditional waivers and was given his release this afternoon, enabling him to enter free agency as a power bat with experience at the infield corners.
The Orioles had no plans to tender Núñez a contract with a projected arbitration raise of more than $2 million. They designated him for assignment on Friday while setting...
The Thanksgiving holiday is upon us and traditions are being shut down like a spring training camp.
Large family gatherings and out-of-state travel are discouraged due to health concerns rather than the bickering and your weird uncle's inappropriate comments.
The two football games today interest me about as much as month-old sweet potato casserole, but I'll still watch them.
They were supposed to be pigskin appetizers before Ravens-Steelers, which is going to be as satisfying as month-old...
Isaac Mattson could have competed for a spot in the Orioles bullpen as an invite to spring training, with his contract selected later. Breaking camp with the team would have remained a goal and a possibility.
Now he gets to try it as a member of the 40-man roster. Protected from the Rule 5 draft next month. The organization's commitment to him more clearly defined.
Mattson was included among the six players added to the roster at Friday's deadline. He's been working out and wondering since...
The improved outfield depth in the Orioles system sets up some interesting competitions next spring. Presents some tricky roster decisions. Makes some players viewed as outsiders motivated to kill the narrative.
Ryan McKenna hasn't played above Double-A, with the cancellation of the minor league season preventing an introduction to the International League. He's expected to begin 2021 at Triple-A Norfolk if permitted, but won't be penning his concession speech before arriving at the Ed Smith...
The news last week that the Nationals were adopting Rochester as their Triple-A affiliate - so much for the gag order intended to withhold announcements until a later date - immediately took me back to the day that the Red Wings severed ties with the Orioles.
This was a huge deal. They had been affiliated since 1961 - a span of 42 years that represented the longest relationship between major league and Triple-A teams. So many future stars began to shine in Rochester.
It was hard to imagine the...
Ryan McKenna grabbed his phone Friday evening after the Orioles announced which players were given spots on the 40-man roster to protect them in the Rule 5 draft.
He had some calls to make. And some memories to share.
McKenna enjoyed the same experience last year with his placement on the 40-man. Less of a certainty than outfielder/first baseman Ryan Mountcastle and pitchers Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer, but allowed to shed invite status in spring training.
It would be the highlight for McKenna,...
As the 6 p.m. deadline approached and passed yesterday without an announcement from the Orioles on setting their 40-man roster, it became apparent that something was in the works beyond just choosing which prospects to protect in the Rule 5 draft.
The Orioles were going to also choose a player to be designated for assignment. With the many additions would come a subtraction.
Call it a hunch.
Renato Núñez went from non-tender candidate to a DFA, which shook up some fans on Twitter who...
The Orioles reached the maximum on their 40-man roster this afternoon with the additions of outfielder Yusniel Diaz, infielder Rylan Bannon, and pitchers Michael Baumann, Zac Lowther, Isaac Mattson and Alexander Wells.
To create a spot, the Orioles have designated Renato Núñez for assignment. He led the club in home runs the past two seasons and is eligible for arbitration.
The deadline to set the roster was 6 p.m.
The six players are now protected from the Rule 5 draft, which is held on...
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