Back in mid December, new Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich hired Danny Haas to serve on his staff as one of his two national crosscheckers. The 35-year-old Haas had been a scout with Boston since 2002.
In recent years, he served as Boston's southeast, east coast and upper midwest/northeast crosschecker. Red Sox major league players signed during that time include Ryan Kalish, Ryan Lavarnway and Kyle Weiland. Haas was named Red Sox amateur Scout of the Year in 2004. He signed Sox pitcher...
A lot of fans are wondering why the Orioles have yet to begin talks on a contract extension with Adam Jones. After four seasons and 551 games with the Orioles, the 26-year-old Jones can be a free agent after the 2013 season.
Jones was voted as the Most Valuable Oriole last year when his 16 outfield assists led all major league center fielders and he set career highs in doubles (26), homers (25), RBIs (83), stolen bases (12), extra-base hits (53) and slugging (.466).
When I asked Orioles...
Skipping around the baseball world today with some random thoughts on random topics.
Are the Orioles sending their young pitchers a message?: With the signings of Dana Eveland, Tsuyoshi Wada and Wei-Yin Chen, it is getting crowded in the Orioles' rotation. Depending upon who you considered a candidate for the starting five, there are now a dozen or so candidates for starting rotation spots on this team.
Seems to me the message is clear to the young guys like Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and...
Sometimes, when national analysts contend the Orioles lack a lot of solid hitting prospects in their minor league organization, they overlook Tyler Townsend, a third-round pick and first baseman out of Florida International in 2009.
Not so much because of a lack of good numbers, but a lack of consistent at-bats. Townsend has been dogged by hamstring issues in his left leg the last two years that limited him to 52 games in 2010 and 67 last summer.
But consider these numbers: In three seasons...
With the offseason additions of pitchers Dana Eveland and Tsuyoshi Wada, the Orioles don't seem to have any shortage of candidates to make their opening day starting rotation.
Since they have not added anyone to the back end of the bullpen, many are assuming that pretty much means Jim Johnson will stay as a late-inning reliever, likely the closer, and not get a shot to be a starter this year.
Since we have not heard an official word from the team on this, I wonder how Buck Showalter and Dan...
For the most part, I agree with a lot of what national baseball columnist Rob Neyer has had to say over the years. He really knows the game and writes interesting and often thought-provoking columns.
When I read his piece yesterday about why the Orioles haven't traded Adam Jones, he really caught me off guard when he called Jones "a disappointment." I guess he is saying in relation to what some thought he would become.
His story is here.
But I find it hard to call a solid-fielding center...
With a career record of 4-15 and ERA of 5.48 in 158 innings since the Orioles selected him with the fifth pick in the 2009 draft, right-hander Matt Hobgood has gotten plenty of criticism from fans and he has come to expect that to be the case.
He continues to work to rehab his right shoulder and said he hasn't felt right and completely healthy with the shoulder for even one day since he first pitched for Rookie League Bluefield in 2009.
Last year, he went 0-6 with an ERA of 8.76 between the...
Some fans that have commented on this blog in recent days have had a similar refrain: "Why not blow it up and start over?"
Basically, those fans advocate a total rebuilding of the Orioles. Rather than sign a player like Adam Jones to a long-term contract, they prefer to see him and other key players traded to add prospects to rebuild the farm system and, eventually, the major league team.
These fans reason that if the Orioles traded players like Jeremy Guthrie, J.J. Hardy, Jones and others,...
Here's wishing Brandon Snyder well with the Texas Rangers. He is someone I first met while broadcasting Aberdeen IronBirds games and he played there briefly in 2005 and 2006.
When Snyder had that big first half with Double-A Bowie in 2009, he looked like he was on his way to one day being the Orioles' regular first baseman. But he never did put up big numbers at Triple-A Norfolk, some fans began to doubt him and he didn't seem to be too high on Buck Showalter's list last year...
After playing in 720 games in the Orioles' organization, Brandon Snyder, the club's first-round pick in 2005, today was traded to the Texas Rangers for cash considerations.
Snyder got a call from an Orioles official around noon and found out he would be leaving the only organization he's ever played for.
The 26-year-old Snyder got 20 at-bats with the O's in 2010 and 13 last year, batting .273 in his brief big league time.
"I feel like my opportunities with the Orioles were getting less...
Yes, some of us were burning the midnight (and early morning) oil with rumors of a possible Orioles acquisition of free agent outfielder Coco Crisp.
Now his O's acquisition seems unlikely but fans sure rushed to Twitter and message boards, including MASNsports.com last night, to discuss this.
Most had one key question: What would that mean for Adam Jones? Would he move to left field? Would he be traded?
Whenever there is talk of trading a key Oriole like Jones, some fans always ask a...
I have been reading that free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson wants a four-year contract and it's no surprise that Scott Boras is shooting for the moon here.
This is a pitcher that has already played for six different teams and has a career ERA of 4.46. Jackson did have a solid 2011 season, going 12-9 with an ERA of 3.79 between the White Sox and Cardinals.
But he gives up a lot of hits and his WHIP of 1.437 last year (better than his career number of 1.476) would have ranked second among O's...
There can be no doubt that many Orioles fans are frustrated and they are beaten down by 14 straight losing seasons. As someone who went to his first game at Memorial Stadium at the age of 6 and later covered many of those seasons, I can relate.
I don't completely relate, though, to the fans who seem to be clinging to seemingly extreme long shot hope that the Orioles will sign free agent Prince Fielder. I just don't see it happening and think the odds are not good at all.
Yet some fans are...
As this calender year comes to a close it is sad to think that we won't be seeing Mike Flanagan during the 2012 season.
I've said it many times, but among all the Orioles I've been lucky to meet over many years, none loved being an Oriole any more than Flanny. It is still stunning to think about the events of last August.
I saw where SBNation, reflecting on Jim Palmer's tearful tribute to Flanny that night, named that as the top sportscasting moment of 2011. I don't know that I would...
New Orioles amateur scouting director Gary Rajsich continues to set up his staff and department now with about six months remaining before the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.
He recently hired Danny Haas from the Red Sox organization to serve as a national crosschecker. Haas was a player in the Boston farm system when Rajsich worked for the Red Sox. Haas and Ron Hopkins will be the Orioles' two national crosscheckers.
Jim Thrift, who was the Orioles' major league advance scout last year, will...
Many things could change between now and April, but at this moment, with the current makeup of the roster, here is my projected Orioles starting rotation and order of the five:
Jeremy Guthrie
Zach Britton
Jake Arrieta
Tsuyoshi Wada
Tommy Hunter
I am certainly not counting Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, Dana Eveland and/or Brad Bergesen out of the picture, but if I had to pick five right now, that is my list.
I could even see Jim Johnson still factoring into the picture, but right now the...
If there is one position where the Orioles are set for the next several seasons and one position where they can hold their own with just about every other club in baseball, it is catcher.
With Matt Wieters, they have a 25-year-old catcher that is a Gold Glove winner, was a first-time All-Star in 2011, a switch-hitter, a player that is big and durable and is under team control through the 2015 season.
Those factors would make most teams envious of what the Orioles have at that...
It was true last year and likely will be true again next year: The Orioles can improve as a team, but they need their young pitching to take a step forward in 2012. The opposite pretty much is what we saw last year.
* Brian Matusz ended 2010 going 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA over his last eight starts, then got injured, lost his fastball and went 1-9 with an ERA of 10.69 last season.
* Jake Arrieta's ERA increased from 4.66 during his 2010 rookie year to 5.05 last summer.
* Zach Britton had his ups...
First of all, on this joyous weekend, a merry Christmas and happy holidays to all of the loyal readers. I never take you for granted and am always appreciative that you are here, today and every day.
Since most are feeling happy and festive this time of year, I figured it was a good time to get your thoughts about baseball and the Orioles.
What makes you feel happy about the game and the team? What do you enjoy about Orioles baseball?
Sure, there has been that little 14-year losing streak,...
Whenever a team acquires a player in the offseason, some fans invariably asks the question, "Why didn't the Orioles do that?" Some have asked that of the Nationals' trade for pitcher Gio Gonzalez.
The Nationals gave up four prospects - three of their top nine as rated by Baseball America - to get the 26-year-old lefty. It was a deal where both sides got what they sought and the Nationals clearly feel they can contend in 2012 and gave up some potential key pieces of their future to go for...
