Because You Asked - The Gallows Act II

Questions are flowing into the mailbag. It’s like a valve is open.

Major League Baseball hosts its quarterly owners meetings next week in New York. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will begin announcing winners of its four major awards Monday with Rookie of the Year in both leagues.

Colton Cowser is a finalist and will try to give the Orioles back-to-back winners for the first time in club history and eight winners overall.

The offseason is pretty tame at the moment beyond the usual roster deadlines. The Nov. 4 waiver claims of catcher René Pinto and pitcher Thaddeus Ward didn’t move the needle. Lots of work is done behind closed doors with the Orioles putting together their major league and minor league coaching staffs and filling other positions.

Let’s fill this space with the mailbag, which is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

You ask and I answer or dodge the question like a fastball near the head.

Also, my mailbag is a 20-pound turkey on Thanksgiving and your mailbag is a lime Jello mold with shredded carrots inside.

Should Colton Cowser win the Rookie of the Year Award and is Luis Gil more deserving?
Yes and no. I don’t even think the BBWAA has the top three rookies, but Cowser absolutely belongs and should follow in Gunnar Henderson’s footsteps.

Is Chick-fil-A going to sponsor a Cowser Corral section? Sometimes the sponsorships are too perfect to deny.
Not a bad idea. That’s rare for you. (I kid.)

Who are some Rule 5-eligible players the Orioles will add to the 40-man roster by next month?
I can give you some of the top names who are eligible, but I don’t know who’s added. If we’re talking about top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline, pitchers Juan Nuñez (No. 8), Brandon Young (No. 19) and Alex Pham (No. 25) can be selected. It would seem odd to consider Young for a promotion this summer but leave him exposed. Catcher Maverick Handley is eligible again. So are outfielders Hudson Haskin and John Rhodes. Pitcher Tyler Burch is an intriguing arm and was pitching well in the Arizona Fall League before tweaking his oblique.

If the Orioles sign Max Fried, will the club produce a video of Fried and Cade Povich next to each other on mounds performing synchronized pitching?
If they do, I’ll give you full credit.

What would've happened if we hadn't traded Don Baylor for Reggie Jackson - yes, I know there were others in that trade - and we would've re-signed him and Bobby Grich instead of letting him walk as a free agent? How many more World Series would the Orioles have won between 1976-1983? We would've been pretty formidable with Grich, Ken Singleton, Eddie Murray and Baylor batting 2-5 in the lineup every day.
Would have made more sense for sure than a one-year rental of Jackson, who reported late and didn’t play his first game until May 2. The Orioles also traded pitchers Mike Torrez and Paul Mitchell and received left-hander Ken Holtzman and minor league pitcher Bill VanBommel. VanBommel completely slipped my mind and never pitched in the majors. As a young fan, I also was crushed by Grich’s departure.

Will Ryan Mountcastle be the starting first baseman next year?
Unless he’s traded. He’s a chip. And the Orioles must figure out how they’re going to find at-bats for Coby Mayo.

Any updates on the MASN dispute?
Nothing. Got to be honest here, I don’t hang on every update.

If you eat a hamburger, does that make you a cannibal?
Oh, a cow valve joke. I was waiting for it. Congrats to you. I guess it would make me a fine old cannibal. IYKYK.

What was your favorite season covering the Orioles and what was your least favorite season?
The 1997 wire-to-wire season was my first, so that one holds a special place. And the streak of 14 losing seasons ended in 2012. That was a fun team. The 2014 season was a heartbreaker with former PR director Monica Barlow passing away, but the Orioles dedicated it to her and won the division. The celebration on the field with fans and “Delmon’s Double,” as it’s forever known, were special. And then we had the duds, including 2018. That broke spirits, and not just on the field and in the clubhouse. For me, that's worse than the rebuild years. At least we knew those teams weren't supposed to win. And we weren't on the "who's getting fired" watch.

Roki Sasaki, we got a legit shot?
I’d say “yes.” Because he’s only 23, the rules state that he must sign a minor league deal as an international amateur. This isn’t a bank breaker.

Do you look at Chick-fil-A's cow mascot a little differently than you did before your surgery?
I haven’t seen it since my procedure, but I’ll always feel that attachment to cows. I expect people to lower their car windows when driving past me and make mooing sounds.

Do you think the Orioles make a splash move before the Winter Meetings?
If an executive falls in a fountain. But also, there’s logic in doing it early before teams and agents gather in Dallas. But it takes agreements from both sides. I’ll predict that nothing big is done before the meetings begin. And then I’ll shrug if I’m wrong and fire up the laptop.

Other than Chris Davis and Albert Belle, your opinion on worst contract or extension in Orioles History?
Brian Roberts – four years, $40 million; Ubaldo Jiménez – four years, $50 million; Scott Erickson – five years, $32 million; Alex Cobb – four years, $57 million.
Listen, you could make arguments for all of them. Injuries were big factors for Roberts, Erickson and Cobb. I’ll go with Jiménez based on the amount of money, his 5.22 ERA and 1.496 WHIP in 117 games, and his demotion to the bullpen. A really, really good guy who wasn’t nearly as good on the mound as the Orioles expected.

Any Orioles win a Silver Slugger Award?
Outfielder Anthony Santander received his first Silver Slugger last night. Forty-four home runs go a long way. Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg were finalists but didn’t win.

Any new and sudden urges to jump over the moon?
I don’t think my ego could handle the little dog laughing at me.

In The Athletic, someone wrote that he spoke to front office people from every club and was told by the Orioles’ rep that the club would like to sign Corbin Burnes and Tony Taters, as well as another starter or two. Your thoughts of the chances of this happening.
My first thought is you didn't ask a question. Burnes and Santander would represent unprecedented spending, but as I keep saying, we haven’t experienced an offseason under this ownership group. I can’t see the Orioles retaining both of them, but if I’m wrong, I’ll just shrug and fire up the laptop. I don’t think you’d need Burnes and two more starters, unless the rep was talking about much smaller contracts, like minor league deals with spring training invites. And also, I wouldn’t expect a team rep to tell a reporter that the club isn’t going to re-sign a player. He’s going to leave that door ajar.

Have you experienced any involuntary mooing? It will come in handy next season.
We’re still doing this.

Do you think Adley Rutschman was hurt the second half and kept quiet about it, or was he in a funk that he couldn't get out of?
We may never know because Rutschman isn’t going to admit to an injury or use it as an excuse. I think it’s more about the funk – and if I had a nickel for every time I’ve said that, I could own a second home – and not being able to get back in his rhythm at the plate. His approach suffered. And it didn’t help that the entire offense was on the fritz. 

Does Jorge Mateo make the club?
First he’d need to be tendered a contract. He’d also need to be fully recovered from elbow surgery. I don’t know where he fits if Jackson Holliday is the primary second baseman and Ramón Urías is a utility player. And what if Coby Mayo is on the roster? Seems pretty crowded to me.

Which position in the lineup intrigues you the most: First base, right field, second base? Possibly left or center field?
Right field and second base are 1-2 for me, and for different reasons. Santander needs to be replaced unless the Orioles choose to re-sign him, and that could mean a regular spot for Heston Kjerstad, a free-agent signing or a trade. I’ll join the crowd in its curiosity over Holliday’s ability to be the full-time second baseman. If he isn't, do the Orioles go out and get a Adam Frazier type again?

When will the Orioles sign a major league free agent? Is it too late to place an order for an ace starting pitcher?
It could happen at any time, and your order has been received, according to an industry source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Do you think the Orioles would have any interest in Pete Alonso, or would they prefer to just keep working Coby Mayo over there and hope he turns into the next Pete Alonso?
I am unaware of any interest in Alonso, but I don’t receive front office updates. I haven’t seen him linked to the Orioles. Maybe it happened during one of my naps.

Whoever plays in right field, will they be required to be a switch-hitter and play the harp?
This is probably a good place to stop.

Does Emily play Rawhide to get you going in the morning?
And by “get me going,” you mean ... This definitely is a good place to stop.