If the Orioles found an outfielder under their tree yesterday, they are not saying so yet. That must have been a pretty big tree, however.
As the end of the calender year approaches, the Orioles' search for an outfielder is ongoing. If said player has some speed, a good on-base percentage and plays solid defense, that would be quite welcome in a lineup that needs the first two and an outfield defense that needs the third.
Here are four players that have been linked to the Orioles. These are...
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, Birdland!
I hope you have a great day today and a great holiday season with your family and friends. I'm sure baseball will be a part of it, either with gifts you may give or receive, or conversations at the dinner table.
Providing a short entry today, so feel free to jump in with any comments and/or questions.
Here are a few topics we've discussed here recently along with one or two in the news in the last few days.
What is the ceiling for Manny Machado?:...
On MLB Network yesterday, there was an interesting discussion about hitting. It is simplistic, but one analyst suggested that hitting the ball on the ground is generally not a good idea.
While ground balls do get through the infield, they are often gobbled up by fielders who not only may have good range, but are now positioned most often, through shifts, where the hitters actually hit the ball most often. Hitting the ball in the air obviously produces more damage and there is one fewer fielder...
It was a suggestion from his Double-A pitching coach that came after the 2015 season and before opening day in 2016. For right-hander Joe Gunkel, it was advice that he put to good use.
A pitcher that was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster in November, Gunkel has always been minus a blazing fastball. He gets outs with a fastball between 88 and 92 mph, so he is always looking to work on and improve his secondary pitches to improve overall as a pitcher.
That suggestion led to him making a change...
For now, the assumption is that catcher Matt Wieters has played his last game for the Orioles. Everything is subject to change - things can change with one phone call - but that appears to be the case.
The club's first-round selection (taken No. 5 overall) in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech, Wieters has played 882 games in an Orioles uniform. In 124 games last year, Wieters hit .243/.302/.409 with 17 doubles, a triple, 17 homers, 66 RBIs and an OPS of .711.
Among catchers...
The Orioles have six starters for five spots. That we know. We also know there have been reports about the club being open to trading one of its veteran arms.
While the club is excited about what Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy could do at the top of the rotation, what about Yovani Gallardo, Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez after that?
The Orioles have hopes that a healthy Gallardo in 2017 could pitch more like he did in 2015 with the Rangers, when he went 13-11 with a 3.42 ERA....
In a sport that often seems almost obsessed with high-end velocity, right-hander Joe Gunkel has had a strong minor league career without lighting up any radar guns. Now he wants to take a shot at doing that in the major leagues.
Gunkel took a big step toward his major league debut when the Orioles added him to their 40-man roster on Nov. 18. He'll go to spring training as a long shot to make the team, but during the 2017 season, he might get his chance to help the Orioles at some point.
From...
Heading into the 2016 season, there was some concern about right-hander Chris Tillman, a pitcher who has been the club's opening day starter the last three years and who was a 2013 American League All-Star.
In the three seasons from 2012-2014, Tillman went a combined 38-16 with an ERA of 3.42. In those years, he ranked tied for 11th in the AL in wins and was 15th in ERA. From 2012-14, the Orioles went 55-27 (.671) in Tillman's 82 starts.
But the concern about Tillman heading into last year...
At 24, third baseman Manny Machado has become an Orioles superstar, producing two back-to-back finishes in the top five of American League MVP voting. He produced a career-high OPS of .861 in 2015, then topped it last year at .876.
While Orioles fans ponder if the club has a realistic chance of signing Machado to a long-term deal, there is another question worth debating: How much better can this kid get?
First, a look at the last two seasons for Machado: 2015: .286 average, .359 OBP, .502...
Get your answers in before the year ends. It's the last edition of "10 Questions for O's Fans" for 2016, as we take a look back and ahead.
As usual, answer one, two or all 10 questions. Leave a short answer or a longer one, the choice is yours.
And now today's 10 questions:
1. Catcher Caleb Joseph drove in 49 runs in 320 at-bats in 2015, then drove in zero runs in 132 at-bats last year. How many RBIs will he have in 2017?
2. Who will be the Orioles' best starting pitcher next year?
3. Who...
He has only had 14 major league at-bats, but he sure got a lot done in a short amount of time. Trey Mancini began his major league career in September by becoming the third player in major league history to homer in his first three starts. Not bad for a player who was not even called up at the beginning of September, but who ended the year making the Orioles roster for the American League wild card game.
When the season ended, Mancini took some time to let his body rest and ponder what he did...
Don't blame Orioles pitching prospect Hunter Harvey if he feels he is due for some good fortune over the next few seasons. That might make up for the last few seasons. Harvey, who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on July 26, has pitched just 12 2/3 innings since July 25, 2014.
Ranked as the No. 68 prospect in the sport by Baseball America after the 2014 season, Harvey's O's career started off in very promising fashion after the club made him the 22nd-overall pick out of a North...
As pitchers who often only pitch one inning, they were expected to get big dollars and they sure did. When the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to re-sign closer Kenley Jansen yesterday, the trifecta of closer signings was complete.
It started when the San Francisco Giants added right-hander Mark Melancon on a four-year deal worth $62 million. Then lefty Aroldis Chapman returned to the New York Yankees on a five-year deal worth $86 million, which became the largest contract ever given to a closer.
So...
Jose Bautista on the Orioles? Yeah, that is really not a very good fit and is not going to happen. Probably not. But what if Bautista's market completely bottoms out and he is still looking for work in February or even March?
Would the Orioles go for Bautista if he came at an enormous discount? That seems unlikely since they've already said they are not going there and a team will have to give up a first-round draft pick to sign Bautista, who perhaps unwisely turned down the qualifying offer...
A few days ago, baseball's most well-known and powerful player agent, Scott Boras, had a large forum and he sure used it.
Each year at the Winter Meetings, Boras makes an appearance and the media flocks in his direction. This year, I was part of the flock - one that featured reporters like me who cover just one team, as well as national reporters.
When the subject turned to Boras' take on the new collective bargaining agreement, he went on a lengthy rant that took several minutes. One that...
When asked about free agent catcher Welington Castillo on Wednesday at the Winter Meetings, Orioles manager Buck Showalter said, "That's a good name."
Welington is a good name, but Showalter didn't mean that. He meant the Orioles had some interest in the catcher that was non-tendered by Arizona. At least that is the way I took it. And I haven't been wrong since earlier this morning.
The Orioles have been talking about finding a catcher to pair with Caleb Joseph for the 2017 season as they...
So much for the narrative that no contending team would make a pick in the Rule 5 draft. There were 18 players selected yesterday and picks were made by Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Texas and Detroit.
Add in the Orioles' two selections and all five teams that made the American League playoffs in October made Rule 5 selections on Thursday.
O's vice president Dan Duquette made it clear that just because the Orioles selected two outfielders, they are not done pursuing outfielders. Rule 5 picks...
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Orioles today took not one, but two players in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Both are outfielders and both will need to stick on the major league roster all year to stay in the organization beyond the 2017 season. The Orioles will take a good look at both in spring training.
They selected 24-year-old Aneury Tavarez from the Boston Red Sox. The lefty hitter from the Dominican hit .330/.394/.495 between Double-A Portland (106 games) and Triple-A Pawtucket...
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette made it very clear yesterday, but it was no surprise anyway, that the Orioles are not shopping closer Zach Britton and/or third baseman Manny Machado. They are players the Orioles are looking to build around - two of their top core players - not players they want to subtract from a contending team. Or at least a team that has designs on contending again in 2017.
The issue the Orioles are facing is trying to win in the present...
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - In asking ESPN's Keith Law today about what it would take for a team like the Orioles to trade for outfielder Adam Eaton, he mentioned that it would be tough. The package would probably have to start with their No. 1 prospect, catcher Chance Sisco, Law said.
The point is moot now; Eaton was traded to the Nationals this afternoon and the price was very high. The Nats surrendered three pitching prospects, including top mound prospect Lucas Giolito.
But back to Sisco. In...
