Yesterday in this space I wondered whether the Orioles would use catcher Chance Sisco in a platoon with Caleb Joseph or anoint one of them as the primary starter - assuming that the rookie breaks camp with the team, of course.
Don't ever assume or else ... you know the rest.
I'm shifting my focus this morning to another rookie, outfielder Austin Hays, who was chosen as the organization's Minor League Player of the Year.
Hays could get most of the at-bats among the candidates for right field....
The Orioles will enter another season without Doug Fister in their rotation.
Maybe we can start up more rumors at the non-waiver trade deadline.
Manager Buck Showalter really likes Fister and has recommended him in the past, but the veteran right-hander reportedly has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rangers. He's coming off the board while the Orioles try to plug the holes in their rotation.
Fister reportedly will receive $4 million guaranteed, including a $500,000 buyout, and there's a...
I filled this space yesterday with three players who improved from 2016 to 2017 in a specific area and must continue to trend upward and avoid reverting to previous form.
Let's spin it the other way and look at three players who declined in a certain area and must reverse course.
There are lots of candidates in lots of statistical categories. Like shooting fish in a barrel. I just chose these four to pace myself. It's still only November.
Can Kevin Gausman recapture his touch versus...
When a team loses 19 of its last 23 games and tumbles to the bottom of the division with a sickening thud, the natural inclination is to pick apart each player and focus on the negatives that destroyed a season.
Finding the silver linings can be a strain to the eyes.
I randomly chose three players who trended upward in a specific area and will need to keep heading in that direction as the Orioles attempt to ditch the cellar and get back into contention.
Can Jonathan Schoop rev up the on-base...
Now that we've moved past the Thanksgiving holiday, it's time to tackle two important questions: How many ways can turkey be used in leftovers before it turns colors? And how will the Orioles continue to address their need for left-handed bats?
Soups, sandwiches, chili, casseroles, pot pies, enchiladas, omelets and hash are handy ways to transform whatever remains on the carcass and serving dish. That one was easy.
Executive vice president Dan Duquette suggested last week that he could be in...
How intense is the roll that catcher Austin Wynns is on these days? How big is the wave he's riding?
He was given another opportunity to play baseball in the Dominican Republic, the same fulfilling experience as last year. He was able to go home for Thanksgiving and be surrounded by family and friends. He lives in San Diego, where the weather is always ideal. And he found out Monday evening that the Orioles placed him on their 40-man roster three weeks shy of his 27th birthday.
I'd suggest...
As the Orioles seek more balance in their lineup, they found a left-handed hitting outfielder today who will compete for a spot in spring training.
The Orioles acquired outfielder Jaycob Brugman from the Athletics for a player to be named or cash. The 40-man roster has increased to 34 players.
The A's designated Brugman for assignment on Monday as rosters were set prior to the Rule 5 draft. He made his major league debut on June 9 and batted .266/.346/.343 with two doubles, three home runs, 12...
With Hall of Fame ballots made public on Monday, we can renew the debate over selecting players known to have used performance-enhancing drugs or who fall in the category of suspicion. The confessors and the denials after names appeared in the Mitchell Report. Pros who also are cons.
(Did the last one work? Because I really wanted to make it happen.)
Former second baseman Joe Morgan, a prominent member of the famed "Big Red Machine" in Cincinnati, sent out an email yesterday via the Hall of...
The Orioles used one of their favorite methods to address their need for pitching depth.
Executive vice president Dan Duquette has acquired minor league right-hander Konner Wade from the Rockies for international signing bonus slot money, according to an industry source. I'm told that the trade was consummated last night, but neither team has announced it.
Wade, who turns 26 next month, is a former seventh-round pick in 2013 out of the University of Arizona. He's 29-35 with a 4.05 ERA and...
The Orioles set their 40-man roster yesterday with about two hours to spare before the deadline imposed by Major League Baseball.
Seven spots remain open as the Orioles navigate through the offseason and attempt to add pitching and at least one left-handed bat. They also could make a pick in the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 14. Only teams with room on the 40-man are eligible to participate.
Serious consideration was given to left-hander Luis Gonzalez and infielder Steve Wilkerson, but they weren't...
The Orioles have filled three of the 10 open spots on their 40-man roster.
Pitchers Hunter Harvey and David Hess and catcher Austin Wynns were added today and no longer are eligible to be taken in the Rule 5 draft that's held on the final day of the Winter Meetings on Dec. 14 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
No other players from inside the organization can be placed on the roster before the Rule 5 draft.
Harvey, 22, was the 22nd-overall pick in the 2013 draft whose career was slowed by a myriad of...
The Orioles must set their 40-man roster by 8 p.m. to protect players from selection in the Rule 5 draft, which takes place on the final day of the Winter Meetings on Dec. 14 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Clubs pay $100,000 for any draftee in the major league phase, the cost doubling last year. The Orioles must decide whether to make their annual pick while also are required to carry outfielder Anthony Santander on their 25-man roster for the first 44 days of the 2018 season.
A reliever, outfielder...
The Orioles are preoccupied with drumming up potential trade partners, putting the most appealing and affordable free agents on their board and getting their coaches and various staff members under contract for the 2018 season.
Extension talks are on the back burner of the hot stove season.
Manny Machado's representatives will hear from the Orioles in perhaps a final attempt to keep him from entering the free agent market. I don't see the downside of negotiating during the season - Machado...
As Monday's deadline approaches to protect players in the Rule 5 draft, the Orioles continue to deliberate on the number of additions to their 40-man roster.
They have 10 openings with the removal of their free agents, so space isn't a concern. They won't protect that many players, but it's nice to have the flexibility.
"We have a number of players under consideration," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "The roster deadline is Monday, so we're going to work on that through the...
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, already chosen in September as Most Valuable Oriole, capped off his career season by placing 12th in voting for the American League's Most Valuable Player award. The announcement came tonight on MLB Network.
Schoop appeared on seven ballots distributed to members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He received two votes for sixth place, two for eighth and three for 10th to give him 19 total points..
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve finished ahead...
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette returned from the GM meetings in Orlando late last night with a better sense of potential trade partners. However, he indicated again today that he'd prefer to hold on to closer Zach Britton, who continues to draw outside interest.
Duquette nearly pulled off a trade at the non-waiver deadline that would have sent Britton to the Astros, but it fell apart due to the medicals on a couple of prospects. He met with representatives from multiple clubs...
With the GM meetings concluded and the Winter Meetings less than a month away, the industry buzz on pitcher Chris Tillman remains that he's seeking a one-year deal and the chance to re-enter the free agent market following the 2018 season.
The Orioles are in play as long as Tillman keeps his expectations at a modest level. They like him as a bounceback candidate on a pillow contract. The rotation certainly has room for him.
One of the lingering questions is whether Tillman would have to settle...
The race for Most Valuable Player in the American League - and it's just an expression since I'm not aware of footspeed factoring into the outcome - comes down to the Astros' Jose Altuve and the Yankees' Aaron Judge. The result will be announced tonight on MLB Network.
I can't reveal my ballot until the winner is confirmed, but it's safe to assume that I wasn't thinking outside the batter's box.
Indians infielder José RamÃrez is the other finalist. Orioles second baseman Jonathan...
The Orioles weren't deemed to be in active mode to trade closer Zach Britton this winter, preferring to make another run at the playoffs with him at the back end of the bullpen. No matter the cost in his final year of arbitration eligibility. No matter how many days were ticking off before he hit free agency.
And then they got to the GM meetings in Orlando, Fla. and reopened the possibility of dealing him.
Executive vice president Dan Duquette is discussing Britton with multiple teams, though...
As the GM meetings began Monday morning in Orlando, Fla., the Orioles already had their first "interested in" report. Which is similar to "in on." Don't let the phrasing confuse you.
The bullpen always is a priority with the Orioles, no matter the returnees, and MLB.com's Mark Bowman wrote that they've expressed interest in right-hander Peter Moylan.
There doesn't seem to be a nagging need for one if factoring in right-handers Brad Brach, Darren O'Day and Mychal Givens. Moylan led the...