More on Machado, Beckham and Mountcastle

More on Machado, Beckham and Mountcastle
Manny Machado pulled off the neat trick of being a central figure in three FanFest storylines despite remaining home in Miami. Why wasn't he there? What position is he playing? Why hasn't he been traded or signed to a lucrative extension? We only know that he had an unexcused absence that manager Buck Showalter supported as a private matter. We know that he's entering camp as the starting shortstop, with Tim Beckham moving to third base. And executive vice president Dan Duquette explained...
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O'Day with differing opinions on netting and pitch clock

O'Day with differing opinions on netting and pitch clock
The expansion of the protective netting at Camden Yards and most ballparks meets the approval of Orioles reliever Darren O'Day, who's been an advocate of it for many years. However, the possibility of Major League Baseball instituting a 20-second pitch clock brings the opposite reaction. One out of two might have to suffice. The Orioles are extending the netting from section 16 to section 58, though the exact dimensions will become official after further work with the design and engineering...
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Zach Britton on being "maybe a little ahead of schedule"

Zach Britton on being "maybe a little ahead of schedule"
Zach Britton couldn't attend Saturday's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center, an excused absence based on his Achilles surgery and rehab in California. But the Orioles closer was a presence at the annual event, spreading positive updates about his recovery in an online Q&A and conference call with the media. He also maintained a humorous dialogue through his Twitter account while referenced in the season ticket holders' session with executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager...
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Trumbo talks about the value of less as more

Trumbo talks about the value of less as more
Mark Trumbo led the majors with 47 home runs in 2016, drove in 108 runs and parlayed his career highs into a three-year, $37.5 million contract to remain with the Orioles. A virtual bargain given today's salaries. Trumbo followed it up with 23 home runs, 65 RBIs, an OPS that dipped from .850 to .686 and a vow to clear his head and get a fresh start. His offseason routine is, in his words, "a little bit different this year." No sense repeating anything that led to such a...
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Adam Jones on lack of contract talks and free agency

Adam Jones on lack of contract talks and free agency
With free agency on the horizon and the bulk of fan and media attention on others who could leave Baltimore, center fielder Adam Jones confirmed this afternoon at FanFest that he hasn't been involved in any contract negotiations with the Orioles. Jones is set to earn $17 million in the final season of the six-year, $85.5 million extension he signed in May 2012. Rumors surfaced at the Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., that the Orioles had approached him about a three-year offer, which...
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Beckham on third base: "I'm looking forward to it"

Beckham on third base: "I'm looking forward to it"
Tim Beckham said he found out last night, through a conversation with Orioles manager Buck Showalter, that he would move from shortstop to third base and he's ready for it. No nerves, no reservations. He'll do what's needed without complaint. "It's exciting, man. It's a new position for me, so I'm ready to go over and have some fun for sure," he said during his media sesson at FanFest. "Last night, Buck mentioned it and I'm open to it, especially if it helps the team and it's a...
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Showalter on Machado at shortstop and FanFest absences

Showalter on Machado at shortstop and FanFest absences
Ending months of speculation over which position Manny Machado will play, Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the media at FanFest this morning that the three-time All-Star - absent from the event - will move to shortstop. There isn't a bigger story here, rivaled only by Machado and Jonathan Schoop staying home. Tim Beckham will play third base, where he's made five major league starts, while Machado returns to his original position. Machado didn't appear at shortstop last summer while J.J....
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Duquette on starting pitching, his contract and more

Duquette on starting pitching, his contract and more
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette, appearing at today's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center, said he's confident that he can add a couple of starting pitchers and is setting March 1 as sort of a deadline to do it. "They're going to need three or four weeks to get ready, so it would be important to get somebody signed up three or four weeks from the start of the season," Duquette said. "So if you work back from the 29th of March, I think March 1 is the date we'd be...
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Machado playing shortstop in 2018 (and other notes)

Machado playing shortstop in 2018 (and other notes)
Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed today that Manny Machado will go into spring training as the starting shortstop and Tim Beckham will play third base. Showalter told the media assembled on the third floor of the Baltimore Convention Center for the annual FanFest. Showalter said the plan could change later, but this is how the players will be positioned. He indicated that Beckham preferred to stay at shortstop, but Machado wanted to move over and it's his natural position. More on that...
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Dickerson on Beckham, Russell on catchers, Coolbaugh on Davis

Dickerson on Beckham, Russell on catchers, Coolbaugh on Davis
The doors to the Baltimore Convention Center open this morning at 10 a.m. for season ticket holders attending the annual FanFest event and 11 a.m. for everyone else. Gauging the crowd's mood will be interesting, given the slow offseason and unexpected absences of star players Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop. Along with the anticipated questions about Machado's status on the team - traded or not traded, shortstop or third baseman - executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck...
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Orioles acquire Éngelb Vielma from Giants

Orioles acquire Éngelb Vielma from Giants
The Orioles have tossed another candidate into the mix for utility infielder, acquiring Éngelb Vielma from the Giants this afternoon for a player to be named or cash considerations. The trade won't rock the foundation of the Baltimore Convention Center for Saturday's FanFest event, but they were in the market for a player with Vielma's skill set. Vielma, 23, can play second base, shortstop and third base and he's a switch-hitter. He's also well-traveled, the Orioles marking his fifth...
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Machado and Schoop no longer scheduled for FanFest

Machado and Schoop no longer scheduled for FanFest
Orioles third baseman Manny Machado won't attend Saturday's FanFest at the Baltimore Convention Center, marking the second time in three years that he's skipped the annual event. The club sent out an email this morning to alert fans who purchased autograph vouchers and offer refunds. Three-fourths of last year's starting infield won't be in Baltimore this weekend. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop also informed the team that he isn't going to attend. First baseman Chris Davis, whose wife,...
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Notes on starting pitching market, contract talks and more

Notes on starting pitching market, contract talks and more
As the offseason moves closer toward the date when pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Orioles haven't been able to find starters on the free agent market who are within their price range or don't pose a risk of flunking the physical. I've written that the club expressed concerns over the medicals on multiple starters, further thinning out a crop that doesn't impress beyond the upper tier. They're not in on Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta and don't expect Alex Cobb or Lance...
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MASN announces seven-game Orioles spring training TV schedule

MASN announces seven-game Orioles spring training TV schedule
You can't wait for Saturday's Orioles FanFest because it helps ward off the winter chill and make baseball season seem just a little closer. (OK, for a few minutes we'll ignore the fact that it's supposed to be in the mid-50s on Saturday, so work with me ...) Well, if you're wondering when you'll actually get to see Orioles baseball on MASN, wonder no more. MASN today announced a seven-game spring training broadcast schedule, starting with their Grapefruit League opener on Friday, Feb. 23...
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Leftovers for breakfast

Leftovers for breakfast
The utility job in Baltimore remains open to a cluster of in-house competitors and the anticipated outsider, the latter's identity remaining a mystery. The Orioles seem to have targeted a specific player. The challenge is getting him under contract. Is it more important than finding three starting pitchers? Not even close. But it's still important. Every team has that guy on its roster. More of them are stressing the expansion of skills to include outfield play, especially if willing to go...
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Orioles announce plans to expand protective netting

Orioles announce plans to expand protective netting
The Orioles have become the latest team in Major League Baseball to take additional steps toward providing for the safety of its fans. The club announced today that it will expand the protective netting behind home plate at Camden Yards and Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to reduce the risk of foul balls and spiraling bats reaching the crowd and causing serious injury. Though the netting's dimensions at Camden Yards won't be known until the Orioles complete their work with the design and...
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Bobbleheads, snow globe, puffy vest highlight O's promos

Bobbleheads, snow globe, puffy vest highlight O's promos
The Orioles announced their list of promotions and special events earlier today and it includes Dylan Bundy and Trey Mancini bobbleheads, a Buck 'Snow'alter snow globe and a retro talking alarm clock. Who can resist? The Birdland Hawaiian Shirt, featuring a new design, also is back for the 2018 season. There will be five T-shirt giveaways, an Orioles lightweight hoodie, puffy vest, floppy hat and cap, and a Mother's Day pashmina scarf and Father's Day neck tie. The first 35,000 fans 15 and...
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Notes on Hardy, Stewart and Hays

Notes on Hardy, Stewart and Hays
While taking the high road again after my latest Oscar snub ... As the Orioles keep us waiting on their decision regarding the starting shortstop on opening day - Manny Machado, Tim Beckham or a mystery applicant - J.J. Hardy is working out in Arizona and drawing interest from multiple teams. A typical offseason except for the free agency part. Hardy has played only shortstop and therefore doesn't profile as a utility candidate. He wants to be the primary starter at the position, but also get...
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Orioles add Triple-A Norfolk to exhibition schedule

Orioles add Triple-A Norfolk to exhibition schedule
The Orioles' exhibition schedule doesn't end on March 25. Only the Grapefruit League portion of it. For the second year in a row, the Orioles will travel to Norfolk for a game against their Triple-A affiliate. The teams will play on March 26 at Harbor Park with first pitch slated for 3:05 p.m. There's always rain in the forecast. It's become a tradition. But don't let the weather dampen your enthusiasm because there's going to be a window and the sides always manage to play. "The Orioles...
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Duquette on negotiations, prospect list (plus other notes)

Duquette on negotiations, prospect list (plus other notes)
Only four days remain before the Orioles' annual FanFest event commences without the chance to announce a significant acquisition via free agency or trade. The ticking of the clock grows louder. It can't drown out the angst emanating from a fan base that lost patience shortly after the final out of the 2017 season. Could the team make a move later this week? "I hope so," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "I'm trying, I'm trying. I hope so. "We're still talking to a number of...
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