Steve Melewski
Steve Melewski

With the big dollars about to roll in, some fans are not pleased

With the big dollars about to roll in, some fans are not pleased
It seems predictions that former Oriole Manny Machado and current National Bryce Harper could get each contracts totaling $300 million or even $400 million have ruffled a few feathers among baseball fans. I'm paraphrasing a bit here, but readers have stated such thoughts on the blog the last few days about this duo, expressing the sentiment that no player is worth that kind of money. That ballplayers should have to work for a living like the rest of us. That ballplayers are greedy. I think...
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Steve Melewski

2018 season recap: David Hess could emerge in 2019 rotation

2018 season recap: David Hess could emerge in 2019 rotation
You may be surprised to learn that among pitchers still on the team that made starts for the Orioles last year, right-hander David Hess had the lowest ERA at 4.88. Kevin Gausman, since traded, had an ERA of 4.43 in 21 starts for the Orioles. Plus, Hess had a strong finish. No one is guaranteeing Hess a spot in the rotation for the rebuilding 2019 Orioles. But he certainly has to be a leading candidate to join Alex Cobb, Andrew Cashner and Dylan Bundy in that starting five. Hess certainly had...
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Steve Melewski

The 2018 road woes and timing of O's big hires

The 2018 road woes and timing of O's big hires
With 115 losses, the 2018 Orioles were easily the worst team in the majors this year, and they posted their worst record since their move to Baltimore in 1954. But their road record was where it went from bad to worse. And worst. In six months and 162 games of baseball, the Orioles won all of three road series. They split a two-game series in Yankee Stadium on July 31-Aug. 1. After that, they lost their last nine road series. They won their third road series June 22-24 at Atlanta. After that,...
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Steve Melewski

Are Machado and Harper looking at a possible $400 million each?

Are Machado and Harper looking at a possible $400 million each?
There have been 12 contracts in baseball history producing total dollars of $200 million or more, but outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed the only pact for over $300 million. In November 2014, he signed a contract extension with Miami for 13 years and $325 million. That was the richest contract in major league history. This winter, not one but two players could top that, and might even surpass the $400 million threshold. In their annual predictions and projections for free agents,...
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Steve Melewski

A look at a catcher trending up with the Orioles

A look at a catcher trending up with the Orioles
He is not currently on the Orioles' 40-man roster, although it seems likely he will be before the 2019 Rule 5 draft. The Orioles might add a catcher to their 40-man roster to avoid him possibly being taken in the Rule 5 draft. They got him in that draft just last year - in the minor league phase of the Rule 5. Credit to the Orioles for adding catcher Martin Cervenka last December in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 from the San Francisco Giants. From the Czech Republic, Cervenka was...
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Steve Melewski

A few thoughts on where the Orioles go now with their international bonus pool

A few thoughts on where the Orioles go now with their international bonus pool
The Orioles tried but failed to sign any of the big three international prospects that were most recently available. Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. signed with Miami. Pitcher Sandy Gastón signed with Tampa Bay. So now what? The Orioles still reportedly have something north of $6 million remaining in their pool amount to sign international amateurs. But many of the top players were scooped up when the signing period officially began July 2. Teams can still sign players though through...
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Steve Melewski

A new-look Orioles offense began to take shape in 2018

A new-look Orioles offense began to take shape in 2018
The transformation of the Orioles offense began in the final two months of the 2018 season. With one or two key additions, the Orioles pumped some needed speed into their lineup and began morphing into an offense that could be less dependent on homers. As a new regime takes over at some point, perhaps we'll see a team producing fewer homers and strikeouts and an offense more reliant on contact, on-base skills and speed. That will be music to the ears of some fans, but before you celebrate too...
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Steve Melewski

Branden Kline's impressive comeback continues with ascension to 40-man

Branden Kline's impressive comeback continues with ascension to 40-man
After a very long road back that included Tommy John surgery and later dealing with complications from that procedure, right-hander Branden Kline moved a step closer to his big league dream. He was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster for the first time yesterday. He'll go to spring training with a chance to win a roster spot out of the bullpen. If he doesn't head north for opening day, no doubt his chance should come at some point next season. Between Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie...
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Steve Melewski

2018 season recap: For Dylan Bundy, it turned south around midseason

2018 season recap: For Dylan Bundy, it turned south around midseason
As June came to an end, Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy had a 6-7 record and an ERA of 3.75. In June, Bundy went 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts. He was well on his way to a solid 2018 season, but it didn't end up that way. Not even close. Completing his third straight year as a key member of the pitching staff and second straight in the rotation, Bundy went 8-16 with a 5.45 ERA in 31 starts. While he set career highs for starts, innings, strikeouts and strikeout rate, he also had the...
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Steve Melewski

Long World Series game was more what's right than wrong with MLB

Long World Series game was more what's right than wrong with MLB
I've heard few complaints about the length of Game 3 of the World Series, but this being sports and this being 2018, no doubt someone griped about it. Sure it ended about 3:30 a.m. Eastern time and some who started watching at the beginning, over seven hours before that, could probably not make it to the end to see the walk-off homer to complete an 18-inning game won 3-2 by the Los Angeles Dodgers over the Boston Red Sox. But can we blame Major League Baseball for anything here? I don't think...
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Steve Melewski

These qualities could be important for the next O's general manager

These qualities could be important for the next O's general manager
Now that Chaim Bloom will not become the next general manager of the New York Mets, he could be in the running to join the Orioles front office. That is simply my speculation and based on nothing from the club, which has been completely tight-lipped on anything that may be happening or about to happen involving its front office. But Bloom would interest most teams, you would think. Bloom joined the Tampa Bay Rays in February 2005 and become a director of baseball operations in November 2011. A...
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Steve Melewski

Rebuilding O's will need to max out team control for youth

Rebuilding O's will need to max out team control for youth
In hindsight, it was probably not a good idea for the Orioles to call up outfielder Austin Hays on Sept. 5, 2017. The Orioles started his service clock and player options before they needed to. And while at the time of his call-up the Orioles were still very much in the American League wild card race, Hays hardly played in the first week to 10 days after he was added to the roster. So he wasn't added to immediately play and help the team win. The Orioles selected Hays in round three of the...
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Steve Melewski

Velocity and strikeouts are up and the Orioles need to get on board

Velocity and strikeouts are up and the Orioles need to get on board
It is not exactly this easy, but one way for the Orioles could improve their pitching staff is to add pitchers who throw with premium velocity and/or pitchers who have strong strikeout rates. It is not a direct correlation, but the teams with the best strikeout rates and those that throw the hardest are often good teams with good pitching staffs. The sport keeps trending toward more and more velocity, and the trend of managers pulling starters sooner just gets teams into bullpens sooner, and...
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Steve Melewski

A look ahead: Is Renato Núñez the choice for third base in 2019?

A look ahead: Is Renato Núñez the choice for third base in 2019?
The Orioles acquired third baseman Renato Núñez off waivers from Texas on May 13 and sent him to Triple-A Norfolk. On July 20, he got the call to join the Orioles and stuck with the team through the remainder of the season. After almost eight full seasons in the Oakland organization, Núñez is trying to find a major league home, and so far his biggest chance to play has come with the Orioles. In the big leagues, he got 15 plate appearances with the Athletics in 2016 and 16 in 2017....
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Steve Melewski

Díaz struggled with Bowie as he made swing adjustments with his new team

Díaz struggled with Bowie as he made swing adjustments with his new team
The Orioles lost out on signing Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa, who signed with Miami. He was the No. 1 ranked international amateur prospect. But they have another Cuban outfielder in their system in Yusniel Díaz, who was ranked as the No. 3 international prospect in 2015. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Díaz then, and he became a top 100 prospect on their watch. They traded him with four other players on July 18 in the deal for Manny Machado. The Dodgers paid $31 million to sign...
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Steve Melewski

Machado's Boston return, World Series odds and more

Machado's Boston return, World Series odds and more
As he returns to Fenway Park tonight to begin the World Series, Manny Machado will be a bad guy again in Boston. But Matt Barnes probably won't throw at his head this time and maybe Chris Sale won't throw one behind him and tell us the pitch got away from him. That Sale is a real cutup. A few games and an entire year plus have gone by since Machado was thrown at in Boston in May 2017. After that game, he said he lost respect for the Boston organization, but this time he says he simply is...
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Steve Melewski

After 2018 low point, odds are against Chris Davis being productive again

After 2018 low point, odds are against Chris Davis being productive again
It may be very difficult - and perhaps almost impossible - at this point for first baseman Chris Davis to salvage his career and his frosty relationship with Orioles fans. It would seem about the only way that could happen would be for Davis to once again become one of the most productive hitters in the American League or something reasonably close to that. He can only win fans back by playing better. A lot better. After his performance of the last two years, that seems like a longshot and it...
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Steve Melewski

O's miss out on Victor Victor Mesa, the World Series is set and more

O's miss out on Victor Victor Mesa, the World Series is set and more
According to various reports, the Orioles will lose out on signing both Victor Victor Mesa and his younger brother, Victor Mesa Jr. Both are now likely to sign with the Miami Marlins and that is expected to become official during a press conference on Monday. It was fun while it lasted for fans in Birdland to think their club could actually sign the highest-rated international amateur after years of mostly neglecting that market. There is no prize for finishing second here, only frustration for...
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Steve Melewski

How to build a winning roster

How to build a winning roster
When it comes to 40-man roster makeup, the numbers can sometimes be deceiving. The Boston Red Sox are four wins from winning the World Series. Yet according to rosterresource.com, the Orioles have more homegrown players on their 40-man roster than Boston, 18 to 15. Of course, right now the Orioles have a roster of 44 per that website, counting players currently on the 60-man disabled list. That roster will be changing, presumably when the new regime is in place. But this article from MLB.com...
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Steve Melewski

2018 season recap: Givens thrived in closer role

2018 season recap: Givens thrived in closer role
If you just look at a few basic stats, it appears that Orioles reliever Mychal Givens had a much better season in 2017 than he did in 2018. In 2017, he went 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA. This year, he was 0-7 with a 3.99 ERA. But a look at other stats shows Givens' last two seasons were more comparable than the above would indicate. And he had a stunningly strong finish to the 2018 season, but it went under the radar as the Orioles were setting a team record for losses and there was rampant speculation...
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