Could Yacabonis become a starter?

Could Yacabonis become a starter?
SARASOTA, Fla. - We've come upon the third and final day of the Orioles minicamp at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. It feels like we just arrived and got reacquainted with the facility. Like we just checked the nameplates above the lockers to make certain that no one signed during the flight. Pitching coach Roger McDowell will meet briefly with the three beat writers before everyone heads home. This is, after all, a gathering of pitchers with no position players. It will be good to...
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Pondering the closer situation as Day Two of minicamp concludes

Pondering the closer situation as Day Two of minicamp concludes
SARASOTA, Fla. - As Zach Britton sits at home with a boot covering his foot following Achilles surgery, the backend of the Orioles bullpen now fractured, manager Buck Showalter won't anoint one reliever as his closer moving forward. Britton could miss the first half of the season depending on his recovery, with no firm timeline in place. He's hoping to be back in May or June. "We have some people that are capable of doing it," Showalter said. "Obviously, nobody of the track record of the...
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Orioles aren't ready to place restrictions on Hunter Harvey

Orioles aren't ready to place restrictions on Hunter Harvey
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter won't put an innings limit on Hunter Harvey, the former first-round pick who's recovered from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. No decision has been made on where he'll be assigned. Keeping Harvey healthy is job No. 1. The rest should take care of itself. Watching Harvey throw his bullpen session today "brings a smile to my face," Showalter said. "Think about how far he's come and the similarities with Dylan (Bundy). I...
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Miguel Castro preparing for chance to start

Miguel Castro preparing for chance to start
SARASOTA, Fla. - The second day of Orioles minicamp concluded this morning with Hunter Harvey, Joely Rodríguez, Luis Gonzalez, Lucas Long and Yefri Ramírez throwing bullpen sessions. Harvey's sessions always will attract interest, but manager Buck Showalter also has varying levels of praise for the other four pitchers in the group. He's relieved that Gonzalez, a left-hander who went 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 36 relief appearances at Single-A Frederick and didn't give up an...
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Chris Lee on a difficult season and a fresh start

Chris Lee on a difficult season and a fresh start
SARASOTA, Fla. - We're only one day into the Orioles minicamp and manager Buck Showalter is accomplishing everything on the list. Pitchers coming off surgeries are checked, the newbies are evaluated, meetings are held with everyone who received an invitation. Chris Tillman's workouts while the club retains interest in re-signing him are an added bonus. I'll just assume that he remains out of view of the three beat writers who made the trip. "The criteria for being here, and we have a lot of...
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More on Cortes, Bleier and Givens on Britton, amateur signing

More on Cortes, Bleier and Givens on Britton, amateur signing
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles set up their yearly minicamps, initially at Camden Yards and for the past five years at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, in part to gather early impressions on pitchers they've mostly known through scouting reports, video and word of mouth. Manager Buck Showalter already held a favorable opinion of left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. and it heightened after the first day of minicamp. "Cortes can spin the ball. Did you all see that?" Showalter asked following...
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Showalter on Machado, Beckham, the roster and more

Showalter on Machado, Beckham, the roster and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter continues to proceed as if Manny Machado will be part of his opening day lineup, though trade discussions haven't closed. There's no other way to handle the matter. Showalter has talked to Machado and Tim Beckham about the left side of the infield and how it might unfold. Machado could move over to shortstop, the spot where Beckham prefers to play. It's a delicate situation. "It's further along than it was," Showalter said. Any...
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Quick hits from Showalter following Day One of minicamp

Quick hits from Showalter following Day One of minicamp
SARASOTA, Fla. - Pitcher Chris Tillman, who has a home here, is working out at the Ed Smith Stadium complex after receiving permission from the Orioles. Tillman is a free agent and manager Buck Showalter expressed interest today in bringing back the veteran right-hander. Showalter also said he'd like to hold onto free agent outfielder Craig Gentry, whose defense and speed are valuable assets. Showalter didn't dismiss the idea of bringing back Pedro Álvarez, but conceded it would be...
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Hunter Harvey: "I feel like I'm ready to go"

Hunter Harvey: "I feel like I'm ready to go"
SARASOTA, Fla. - The first day of Orioles minicamp wrapped up this morning with Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. completing a bullpen session, pitchers running sprints and Dariel Álvarez playing catch on flat ground as he recovers from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. Álvarez is converting from outfielder to reliever. Manager Buck Showalter is joined by pitching coach Roger McDowell, bullpen coach Alan Mills, bench coach John Russell, special assignment pitching instructor...
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Brian Ebel promoted to head athletic trainer

Brian Ebel promoted to head athletic trainer
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles announced this morning that assistant athletic trainer Brian Ebel has been promoted to the head position as Richie Bancells' replacement. Bancells retired in October after 41 seasons in the organization. Ebel, 51, has spent the last 21 seasons as the assistant and is entering his 34th year with the Orioles. He's only the fourth head athletic trainer in club history. A graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Ebel began his career in 1985 at 19 when he served as...
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Day One of Orioles minicamp

Day One of Orioles minicamp
SARASOTA, Fla. - The first day of Orioles minicamp begins this morning at the Ed Smith Stadium complex, with pitchers scheduled to head outdoors at 10 a.m. A small group of beat writers will have clubhouse access for an hour. Temperatures climb into the 70s this week, but rain is in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, which could move some of the bullpen sessions to the covered cages. Or, because it's Florida, the sun could come out two minutes after a downpour. In case you need a...
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Brach seeking to be better in second half

Brach seeking to be better in second half
As Brad Brach prepares for a likely role as the primary closer for the Orioles while Zach Britton recovers from Achilles surgery, he's making an adjustment to his offseason routine in order to put together two robust halves. More cardio to correct the discrepancy. Brach has been the reverse of Kevin Gausman. Better before the break. He made the American League All-Star team in 2016 while going 6-1 with a 0.91 ERA and 0.831 WHIP in the first half, but he had a 3.94 ERA and 1.382 WHIP in the...
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Chris Davis on hitting approach, contract pressure and more

Chris Davis on hitting approach, contract pressure and more
It won't be long before Chris Davis' family, which already includes wife Jill and daughter Ella, will expand with the arrival of twin girls. "We're going to go from man-to-man coverage to a zone real quick in our house, but we're fired up about it," Davis said this week while interviewed on the "Orioles Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan. "I couldn't be happier. We always said that we wanted at least three. I'm still pushing for maybe four, but it's probably not the best time to be...
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Chris Davis on his "great offseason" and fighting the shift

Chris Davis on his "great offseason" and fighting the shift
Orioles first baseman Chris Davis arranged an interview session with some of the beat writers before the final game at Tropicana Field and vowed to dedicate his offseason to working with hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh in Texas while attempting to improve his average and get back to being a threat in the middle of the order. It wasn't just lip service. Davis had just finished another session with Coolbaugh last night and was driving home as he called into the "Orioles Hot Stove Show" on 105.7...
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This, that and the other

This, that and the other
Spring training wouldn't feel right unless the media had camp competitions to chronicle on a daily basis. Fifth starter, last bullpen and bench spots, backup catcher. It allows us to obsess over guys like Chad Moeller, Luis Exposito, Zack Phillips, Ryan Drese, Alex Gonzalez, Jimmy Paredes, Travis Ishikawa, Jason Pridie, Russ Canzler, Jai Miller and Trayvon Robinson. It makes us feel foolish later when so many of them disappear and are never heard from again. Oh heck, let's keep going. Hayden...
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Previewing next week's minicamp in Sarasota (updated twice)

Previewing next week's minicamp in Sarasota (updated twice)
While the extended forecast calls for snow possible later this week and temperatures so low that they can turn your thoughts to ice, the highs in Sarasota are stuck in the 50s until Sunday. Until the Orioles begin trickling into the Ed Smith Stadium complex for their annual three-day minicamp. Temperatures are supposed to climb back into the 70s by Monday's first workout with only a 10 percent chance of rain before everyone returns home. The guys living up north may leave kicking and...
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Rehashing questions and revisiting Bundy

Rehashing questions and revisiting Bundy
We're in the midst of a new week in a new year with the same old questions hovering around the Orioles. Dogging them like a pack of Dobermans. How will executive vice president Dan Duquette fill out the rotation with three spots open and the club showing no inclination to spend the necessary amount to land an ace-like arm? Which left-handed hitters will be obtained, whether via trade or free agency, in an attempt to provide a little more balance to the lineup? Which left-handed reliever will...
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Coming up with a few New Year's resolutions for the Orioles

Coming up with a few New Year's resolutions for the Orioles
While wondering how many fans woke up this morning with their faces pressed against the cold bathroom floor tiles ... I've never been one to compose a list of New Year's resolutions, mainly because there's little chance that I'd see them through. And they're terribly clichéd as sports-related stories on Jan. 1. But who am I to judge? Or Aaron Judge? If the Orioles are going to create team-wide resolutions, they should make certain to include the following: Avoid breaking the club record...
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Dickerson on Machado as shortstop

Dickerson on Machado as shortstop
With New Year's Eve upon us and recycled news all the rage during the hot stove season, I'm tempted to dust off my annual quip about assuring that the ball drops at midnight. You know, by putting (insert name of poor defender) underneath it. We all have our own holiday traditions. Manny Machado never will make it as the punchline. Platinum Glove winners are ineligible. (Hey, in case you hadn't heard in the last hour, the Orioles remain in touch with teams interested in trading for Machado...
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Dickerson on making Beckham better and getting his degree

Dickerson on making Beckham better and getting his degree
Orioles third base coach Bobby Dickerson, regarded as one of baseball's finest infield instructors, has no idea whether Tim Beckham will open the 2018 season at shortstop, move to another position or take a seat on the bench and handle a utility role. He isn't privy to any inside information regarding the club's plans, which remain in the developmental stages as executive vice president Dan Duquette continues to hear from teams interested in trading for Manny Machado. The best that Dickerson...
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