As camp begins, another look at rotation candidates

As camp begins, another look at rotation candidates
When you look at the list of 73 players the Orioles have heading to spring training this week, there are 37 pitchers among that group of players. Of that group of 37, there are 15-20 that might have at least a remote shot at breaking north in the season-opening starting rotation. Realistically, the number is less, but still large. Let's take a look at groupings of pitchers that we could see in the rotation come April. TOP TIER This group includes lefty John Means, the likely opening day...
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Expanded resume: Rylan Bannon added to his during instructional league

Expanded resume: Rylan Bannon added to his during instructional league
It happened last season at the Orioles' alternate camp at Bowie. He made a joke that was not 100 percent a joke. When there was not a catcher available during a drill, infielder Rylan Bannon said they could put him back there. It didn't happen that day, but during instructional league a few weeks later, it did. Bannon, who turns 25 in April, went behind the plate. That was a first for him. In his minor league career, he had made 85 starts at second base and 172 at third base. But at...
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Dean Kremer now looks to build on impressive major league debut

Dean Kremer now looks to build on impressive major league debut
As major league debuts go, this was a really good one. Outstanding, actually. Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer faced the New York Yankees on Sunday, Sept. 6 at Camden Yards. In a 5-1 win as Baltimore took three of four in that series, Kremer allowed one run and one hit over six innings. Yankees batters went 1-for-19 against him. He walked three and fanned seven, throwing 47 of 88 pitches for strikes. His career was off and running. That afternoon Kremer became the fourth pitcher in Orioles...
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Will spring training games now hold more importance?

Will spring training games now hold more importance?
All you have to do is remember that catcher Jake Fox once looked like an All-Star during spring training. Some fans were clamoring for him to play over Matt Wieters. Yep, that did happen. Every year, we see players crush the ball in spring training but struggle when the season starts. And the reverse is often true. Every year, we wonder how much stock, if any, to put into spring training stats. It's all we have throughout February and March. I've always felt we certainly can't just dismiss...
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Setting the minors by league and Elias' excitement for season

Setting the minors by league and Elias' excitement for season
Among a few adjustments Orioles fans have to get used to with minor league baseball in 2021 is seeing Aberdeen play as their high Single-A full-season affiliate and no longer as a short-season club. As of yesterday we also have to get used to new and very generic league names for these farm clubs. In many cases their league will be similar to where they have been in terms of the teams they will play, but no longer will those clubs play in the International, Eastern, Carolina or South Atlantic...
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Notes on deadening the ball, Camden Yards game times and more

Notes on deadening the ball, Camden Yards game times and more
After watching a record 6.776 homers leave ballparks during the 2019 season, Major League Baseball officials are taking an action that could produce fewer longballs this year. According to sources cited by several outlets, MLB will slightly deaden the baseballs for the 2021 season. According to an Associated Press report, MLB anticipates the changes will be subtle, and a memo to teams last week cites an independent lab that found the new balls will fly one to two feet shorter on balls hit over...
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Another top 10 organizational ranking for the Orioles

Another top 10 organizational ranking for the Orioles
The Orioles farm system got some further positive recognition yesterday when it was ranked No. 7 by Baseball America in organizational rankings. That is up from No. 12 last year. In MLBPipeline.com's latest organizational rankings, released in the fall, the O's moved up from No. 13 to No. 8. It should be pointed out that not every outlet sees the O's farm as top 10 or even top 15. The Athletic rated the O's No. 18 when it released ratings for every MLB club yesterday. Baseball America noted...
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Notes on health and safety, PECOTA, Renato Núñez and more

Notes on health and safety, PECOTA, Renato Núñez and more
We now know some of the rules that will govern the 2021 Major League Baseball season. MLB and the MLB Players Association announced the health and safety protocols that will be in place starting when spring training begins next week. By the way, as a reminder, O's pitchers and catchers report Tuesday, Feb. 16 with the first workout set for the next day. The first full-squad workout in Sarasota is Feb. 22. Some things that were agreed on include: * Doubleheaders will feature two seven-inning...
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What a scout says: Checking reports on Garrett Stallings, Chris Shaw

What a scout says: Checking reports on Garrett Stallings, Chris Shaw
Neither player is currently on the Orioles' 40-man roster. Of the two, one has played in the majors, while the other has yet to play a single inning of pro ball. Both could play in Baltimore at some point in the 2021 season. In this recent entry, I got the take and opinions from a National League scout on the O's possible double play combo of Freddy Galvis and Yolmer Sánchez. Today, the scout takes a look at Chris Shaw and Garrett Stallings. Shaw is a 27-year-old lefty-hitting...
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New season brings opportunity for young pitchers like Zac Lowther

New season brings opportunity for young pitchers like Zac Lowther
He got a taste of big league camp with the Orioles in Sarasota last season. Now as a new season is about to begin, Zac Lowther is ready to leave his home near Cleveland and head south. He's a bit leaner than last year, and after a 2020 season spent trying to get better without games, looks forward to putting his best forward soon at Ed Smith Stadium. The 24-year-old lefty has quite the minor league resume. An All-Star with short-season Single-A Aberdeen in 2017, the O's co-Minor League...
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Remembering that time the O's faced three Cy Young winners

Remembering that time the O's faced three Cy Young winners
The Los Angeles Dodgers now have a rotation featuring three Cy Young Award winners, and the Orioles of a few years ago know what it is like to challenge that. I think the Dodgers made a smart move with the free agent signing of right-hander Trevor Bauer. Yes, Bauer can opt after the first or second years of the deal, but Los Angeles hopes to get the top-of-rotation quality Bauer and maybe win another World Series or two over the next two years. For that, they could be out $40 million for his...
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On O's podcast, Elias on acquisition of Félix Hernández

On O's podcast, Elias on acquisition of Félix Hernández
He may have ultimately opted out of the 2020 big league season, but the Orioles would certainly take a repeat of Félix Hernández's spring training performance from last year when the right-hander takes the mound in Sarasota over the next few weeks. Signed by the club this week to a minor league deal that will pay him $1 million if he's in the majors, Hernández recorded a 1.98 ERA with 14 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings. He was well on his way to wrapping up a spot in the Atlanta...
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A scout's take on the O's potential double play combination

A scout's take on the O's potential double play combination
If Freddy Galvis is at shortstop and Yolmer Sánchez is at second base for the 2021 Orioles, their up-the-middle infield defense will no doubt be very solid. And they could have some real durability. Between 2017-19, Sánchez played in 148 games per year for the Chicago White Sox. From 2015-19, Galvis averaged 156 games per season. I had a recent conversation with a National League scout, who noted that durability in assessing what the O's might be getting with these two players. The...
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Félix Hernández brings quite a resume to Baltimore

Félix Hernández brings quite a resume to Baltimore
Normally, the signing of a pitcher to a minor league contract who went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in his most recent season would not garner much interest. Or much enthusiasm. There would be a story here and fans would await the pitcher getting his shot to prove he still has it during spring training. But it's not every day a rebuilding team can sign someone with the resume of right-hander Félix Hernández. Some fans, certainly not all, did express some excitement last night when the Orioles...
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Prospect positional rankings and other notes

Prospect positional rankings and other notes
Baseball America recently released its prospect position rankings, which followed up its release of the publication's top 100, where the Orioles placed five players. Adley Rutschman, ranked No. 2 in the Baseball America top 100 (subscription may be required), is rated as the No. 1 catcher in what Baseball America calls a loaded group of catchers, with nine of their top 10 rated also in their top 100. Baseball America points out that it was only three seasons ago that there were only four...
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The rotation after the trade and more on Jahmai Jones

The rotation after the trade and more on Jahmai Jones
With right-hander Alex Cobb expected on his way via trade to the Los Angeles Angels, the Orioles rotation, thought to have at least one opening, now has at least two. It's two if you have John Means atop that rotation, which anyone certainly must at this point. But that is if you also have at least penciled in Dean Kremer and Keegan Akin, who combined to make 10 starts late last year. Their chance to make up 40 percent of the starting five may be more secure today than yesterday. But the...
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As spring training approaches, the uncertainty remains in MLB

As spring training approaches, the uncertainty remains in MLB
Welcome to February. The month, we think, when teams will report to spring training in Florida and Arizona. Orioles pitchers and catchers remain scheduled to report to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota on Feb. 16. The first spring training game is set for Feb. 27. Opening day is scheduled for April 1 at Boston. And that's no joke. Those are the dates as of this morning. It's all subject to change, of course. We're still in a pandemic. Most teams still could not sell tickets to any fans if they...
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On the passing of a great reporter and an even better person

On the passing of a great reporter and an even better person
Those of us who work in baseball in this area and region today are feeling such a loss. Our friend here at MASN and MASNsports.com, our treasured colleague, Mel Antonen, passed away last night. Mel was 64 and battled a rare autoimmune disease and other health issues that made his battle against this disease one that was beyond challenging. That word just doesn't do it justice here. Baltimore-area media and friends of Mel would get updates over about the last year this was all going on. Mel...
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A few questions for O's fans

A few questions for O's fans
Just a short entry today that features a few questions. As always, feel free to answer one, two or all of them. Respond with comments on the answers of your fellow readers too. Feel free to pose any of your own questions with topics you may be wondering about as we are now weeks away from the scheduled start of spring training. We certainly have a few unanswered question about the coming season but we are now less than a few weeks away from report dates around Major League Baseball. So, on to...
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The comparisons will be coming for these shortstops

The comparisons will be coming for these shortstops
Even though anything he does good or bad for the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 won't help or hurt the Orioles, no doubt O's fans will still be quite interested in the performance of former shortstop José Iglesias. After the O's traded Iglesias to the Angels, they signed Freddy Galvis to replace him. So the comparison of the two and how well or not they do this coming season is an obvious one. But it is only a one-season comparison since both players were signed by their respective clubs just...
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