O's top pick DL Hall preps for his first full season of pro ball

O's top pick DL Hall preps for his first full season of pro ball
SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles' 2017 top draft pick, prep lefty pitcher DL Hall, is very excited about beginning his first full season of pro ball. He's ready for a lot of baseball. "I've heard numerous stories about the long grind of the season," Hall said Wednesday morning during an interview at Twin Lakes Park. "But I could not be more excited to get in my first full pro ball season. Want to pitch in a live game with fans and really good hitters and showcase my talent again." Hall is...
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Richard Bleier on his outing at minors camp (plus other notes)

Richard Bleier on his outing at minors camp (plus other notes)
SARASOTA, Fla. - When the Orioles' minor league spring training games got underway this afternoon at Twin Lakes Park, the Orioles' two Single-A teams had major league pitchers on the mound. Right-hander Mychal Givens was pitching for the team representing Single-A Delmarva and left-hander Richard Bleier for Single-A Frederick. Both got in two innings, but yielded runs to aggressive young hitters from the Minnesota Twins. Givens allowed three hits and one run with one walk and three...
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O's 2016 top pick Cody Sedlock is fully healthy at minors camp

O's 2016 top pick Cody Sedlock is fully healthy at minors camp
SARASOTA, Fla. - For Orioles 2016 top draft pick, right-handed pitcher Cody Sedlock, his first full season of pro baseball did not go as planned. He spent two stints on the disabled list, injured for the first time in his life. He also could look at a stat sheet that he may not have liked, also probably for the first time in his life. He went 4-5 with a 5.90 ERA for Single-A Frederick. He missed time due a right elbow flexor strain and a forearm strain. But he is back now, completely healthy...
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Mychal Givens on his connection with Alan Mills and more

Mychal Givens on his connection with Alan Mills and more
SARASOTA, Fla. - Let's just say he will work to keep it pretty basic and not overthink it. Once drafted as a shortstop, right-hander Mychal Givens has become a quality late-inning reliever for the Orioles. After a very good 2017, he will just look to do more of the same this year. "Pretty much will try to keep things simple and just get better," he said concisely of his goal for this season. Givens put together one very solid season, going 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA over 78 2/3 innings last summer....
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Lefty Tanner Scott finds a mentor during spring training

Lefty Tanner Scott finds a mentor during spring training
SARASOTA, Fla. - If you are a young lefty reliever with the Orioles at spring training, one hoping to have a nice big league career, you can do worse when looking for a mentor then closer Zach Britton. Britton might be one of the best relievers in the sport. But right now, he's out injured, giving him more time to pass on some pointers and provide some guidance to hard-throwing left-hander Tanner Scott. They are both southpaws with big fastballs and Britton resides where Scott looks to go - as...
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Self critic: Gausman not happy when he looks back on 2017

Self critic: Gausman not happy when he looks back on 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - Right-hander Kevin Gausman knows the Orioles are counting on him. They are counting on him today, tomorrow and hopefully for many years to come as a key member of their pitching rotation. He is a homegrown Oriole - drafted No. 4 overall in 2012 out of LSU - and he's made 106 career starts in the orange and black. But when you ask Gausman about the rotation's poor performance last year, he directs the criticism at himself, throwing himself under the bus after a season where he...
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Dylan Bundy talks about his start today against Pittsburgh

Dylan Bundy talks about his start today against Pittsburgh
BRADENTON, Fla. - Considering he had yielded 10 runs and 11 hits in 4 1/3 in his first two Grapefruit League starts, Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy produced much better results this afternoon at LECOM Park against Pittsburgh. Bundy became the first O's pitcher to throw five innings this spring and he allowed seven hits and one run with no walks and five strikeouts. He did not have a strikeout in those first two games. But this afternoon, he had a nice pitch mix working, throwing 84 pitches,...
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Kevin Gausman on Andrew Cashner (DJ Stewart on time in camp)

Kevin Gausman on Andrew Cashner (DJ Stewart on time in camp)
SARASOTA, Fla. - Kevin Gausman's spring training has gotten considerably better since his first game on Feb. 26. That day he collided with the Tigers' Jeimer Candelario backing up at home plate. It left him with a cut above his left eyelid and some soreness in his back. But since then he pitched three hitless and scoreless innings with five strikeouts March 3 versus the Phillies. He threw four innings and 65 pitches March 9 in a simulated game. Last night he was a spectator and enjoyed...
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For the Orioles, youth was served in Sunday's win over Boston

For the Orioles, youth was served in Sunday's win over Boston
SARASOTA, Fla. - It was in a spring training game that will soon be forgotten, but some of the Orioles promising young pitchers put up some zeros on Sunday in Fort Myers versus the Boston Red Sox. And this is after two of their young guns - Hunter Harvey and Tanner Scott - combined to allow three runs (two earned) over the first four frames. It could have been worse for that duo, but they impressively pitched out of a couple jams. In the last of the fifth, soon to be 23-year-old lefty Keegan...
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Hunter Harvey on his start today against Boston (O's win 7-3)

Hunter Harvey on his start today against Boston (O's win 7-3)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - After facing the Rays and Twins earlier this spring, today right-hander Hunter Harvey got his toughest test of camp. He faced the two-time defending American League East champion Red Sox and most of their regulars were in the lineup. "It was fun. Been watching this team for a couple of years and it was cool to face them," Harvey said outside the Orioles clubhouse. He threw 49 pitches, 29 for strikes with a fastball that often touched 93 and 94 mph on the JetBlue Park radar...
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Harvey expected to get more spring starts (O's lead 4-3)

Harvey expected to get more spring starts (O's lead 4-3)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey is making the start here this afternoon against the Boston Red Sox. It is a split-squad game for the Orioles with the other half of their roster taking on the Phillies at home tonight. It will definitely not be his last this spring in the Grapefruit League. Harvey is expected to pitch in a simulated game, likely next Friday and then get his fourth Grapefruit League start on March 21 in Tampa versus the Yankees. "He's staying. He's...
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Taking a guess at the minor league pitching rotations

Taking a guess at the minor league pitching rotations
SARASOTA, Fla. - On Friday we took a shot at projecting the rotation for Single-A Delmarva. It seems the Orioles have discussed using seven pitchers as starters with the Shorebirds. They would pitch as part of a five- or six-man rotation. The seven that we could see in Salisbury include include 2017 top draft pick left-hander DL Hall along with fellow 2017 picks Zac Lowther, Michael Baumann and Cameron Bishop. They would be joined by 2016 draft picks Matthias Dietz and Brenan Hanifee and 2015...
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More free agent talk and some props for Hays

More free agent talk and some props for Hays
Even if the Orioles or any other team gets one of the big three remaining free agent pitchers, can any of them even be ready for opening day at this point? We are talking about Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn and the answer is that they probably can't be ready by March 29. Teams play nearly five weeks worth of spring training games and starting pitchers need that entire time to ramp up their innings and get their arms ready. Even at that point, some are only prepared to throw 90-100...
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Projecting Delmarva's rotation: Young, talented, crowded

Projecting Delmarva's rotation: Young, talented, crowded
The Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds will very likely have more starting pitchers than rotation spots when the season begins next month. The Orioles have to be excited about a group of seven young and talented pitchers that project to pitch in either a five- or six-man Shorebirds rotation. The Orioles could use one or more pitchers in piggyback situations, when they pitch as part of the rotation yet follow another starter into the game somewhere in the middle innings. The group of seven currently...
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The Rays' unique starting rotation and O's that are trending up

The Rays' unique starting rotation and O's that are trending up
Well, it is not a four-man rotation in the traditional sense that the club will use only four starters, but the Tampa Bay Rays will use four starters and then a bullpen game every fifth day this season. This is the plan, according to their manager Kevin Cash. In this story in the Tampa Bay Times, Cash said his four main starters will be Chris Archer, Blake Snell, Nathan Eovaldi and Jake Faria. On the fifth day, the Rays will fill in with several multi-inning relievers, and they will not name...
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With each day, Hunter Harvey moves farther from surgery, closer to majors

With each day, Hunter Harvey moves farther from surgery, closer to majors
For Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey, when he has thrown so far in spring training, the postgame interviews have become more about how he threw rather than how he felt. When the Orioles selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2013 draft, they dreamt of a day he was among their best starting pitchers. As manager Buck Showalter might say, for a while that dream was delayed but not denied. For O's fans, they can again dream on a day that three homegrown first-round picks in Dylan...
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After farm apprenticeship, Chance Sisco looks for big league shot

After farm apprenticeship, Chance Sisco looks for big league shot
You could once find scouts that felt there was a good possibility that Chance Sisco would never catch in the majors. But he's already done that. You could also find some that said he is the future catcher of the Orioles. He is still trying to become that. Drafted by the Orioles with the 61st overall pick out of a California High School in 2013, he has seen all levels of the O's farm. It began with Sisco batting .371 that summer in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and .340 the next year for...
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Be ready early: Orioles' April schedule is brutal

Be ready early: Orioles' April schedule is brutal
When the 2018 season begins, the Orioles will be afforded no time to ease into the action. The early season schedule is tough and littered with 2017 playoff teams. Of the 15 American League teams, just five finished over .500 last year and they were all playoff teams. Cleveland won 102 games, Houston won 101 on its way to the World Series title, Boston won 93, New York won 91 and Minnesota 85. Of their first seven series of the 2018 season, the Orioles play each of those five teams once. They...
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Week in review: Looking back and also ahead with a few questions

Week in review: Looking back and also ahead with a few questions
The last week of stories in this space featured a look back at a pretty great trade for the Orioles, a look at a prediction for the opening day 25-man roster and a look at improved outfield depth on the farm. I really enjoyed writing this blog entry on Monday. In an interview with long-time Orioles scout Jim Howard, we got some insight into the 2008 trade of left-hander Erik Bedard to Seattle. It brought five players to Baltimore, including current O's outfielder Adam Jones and pitcher Chris...
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With less than a month to opening day, key free agents are still out there

With less than a month to opening day, key free agents are still out there
The Orioles could still use a pitcher and three key free agent pitchers are still available in Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb. Opening day in Baltimore is now less than four weeks away and that trio is still out there. It has been a strange, bizarre and confusing free agent winter, one that could have long-range ramifications. But that is a story for a different day. For now, the O's could still get Lynn or Cobb. Arrieta is in play for everyone, but has not been linked to the Orioles....
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