Steve Melewski
Steve Melewski

Prospect Profile: Oliver Drake makes it back to the 40-man roster

Prospect Profile: Oliver Drake makes it back to the 40-man roster
If it was exciting for pitchers Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright when they were recently added to the Orioles' 40-man roster maybe it was doubly so for pitcher Oliver Drake. The 27-year-old right-hander was recently added to the 40-man, as well - and for the second time. Three years after Drake made it the first time in November 2011, he did it again. This time may have been even more satisfying since it followed shoulder surgery. There was no guarantee Drake would return to pitch at a high...
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Steve Melewski

Dan Duquette takes fans' questions at Camden Yards

Dan Duquette takes fans' questions at Camden Yards
Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette took questions from the fans last night at Dempsey's Brew Pub during a benefit for the Babe Ruth Museum. Here are some of the highlights from the nearly hour-long session. On the departures of Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz: "We tried to sign Nick and there were several times I thought we were going to close the deal, but we just couldn't quite get to closure on that. Nick had a nice career with the Orioles and was our longest-tenured player. Have...
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Steve Melewski

What now for the Orioles?

What now for the Orioles?
So should the Orioles have considered the feelings of the fans when negotiating with Nick Markakis? And just because some fans are very upset over his departure to Atlanta, others said he was not worth such money with his declining stats. So even if the O's did take the fans into account, who will win out? If you sit in Dan Duquette's chair, you have a lot to consider and that probably does include fan sentiment, but it has to rank well behind plenty of other aspects to be considered. Things...
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Steve Melewski

Blow to the fan base: Nick Markakis is leaving the Orioles

Blow to the fan base: Nick Markakis is leaving the Orioles
What seemed very unlikely is now going to happen: Nick Markakis is going to leave the Orioles. The O's right fielder since 2006 and a first-round draft pick in 2003 will leave the organization after 1,365 games sporting the orange and black. Markakis has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal worth $44 million with Atlanta. So much for reports he might have had a deal for four years and $48 million from the Orioles. This will be a gut punch for some fans. Fans that get attached to players for...
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Steve Melewski

When it comes to Adam Jones, opinions are often plentiful

When it comes to Adam Jones, opinions are often plentiful
Nelson Cruz is gone and Nick Markakis may be the next to go. But one outfielder that we know will be a part of the 2015 Orioles is center fielder Adam Jones. He remains among the best Orioles and one of the top center fielders in the game. While Jones is a lightning rod for criticism and drives some fans crazy when he chases pitches, he filled up the stat sheet again in 2014. Jones batted .281 with 30 doubles, 29 homers, 96 RBIs and 88 runs. He was voted a starter in the All-Star Game for the...
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Steve Melewski

A tale of two men leaving the Orioles organization

A tale of two men leaving the Orioles organization
You talk about something good happening to a guy who flew under the radar - well, it happened yesterday. Longtime Orioles minor league coach Butch Davis was hired by the Minnesota Twins as their first base coach. Seeing reaction on Twitter, it is clear that Davis had a lot of fans among O's minor league staff and players. They are thrilled he is returning to the show - his eight-year major league career, which included parts of the 1988 and 1989 seasons with the Orioles, ended in 1994 - after...
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Steve Melewski

Appreciating Nelson Cruz as he heads to Seattle (Butch Davis note)

Appreciating Nelson Cruz as he heads to Seattle (Butch Davis note)
One and done. That is it for Nelson Cruz and the Orioles. Cruz repeatedly said he was very interested in re-signing and the team showed interest in retaining him. But in the end, the Orioles were apparently unwilling to offer the 34-year-old Cruz a fourth year and he agreed today to a new deal with Seattle. Cruz had a heckuva one season as an Oriole. He led the majors with 40 homers, posted his highest OPS (.859) since 2010 and could not have handled himself much better on and off the...
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Steve Melewski

One week to the Winter Meetings, the rumor mill is heating up

One week to the Winter Meetings, the rumor mill is heating up
Here is a good question: What is taking the Orioles so long to re-sign Nick Markakis? And is there truly a chance now that they may not re-sign him? Is the holdup on the O's or Markakis' side right now? Fans are getting restless on this one. With neither side commenting on it, we are left to mostly guess and speculate here, but it sure seemed like this would be done by now. You don't hear many rumors connecting Markakis to other teams, but he hasn't gotten a new deal with the Orioles. It's...
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Steve Melewski

Talking velocity with Mike Wright and a quick take on the Josh Donaldson deal

Talking velocity with Mike Wright and a quick take on the Josh Donaldson deal
When the Orioles drafted right-handed pitcher Mike Wright in the third round out of East Carolina in 2011, they envisioned a big strong innings eater that has good velocity. He is 6-foot-6 and throws a fastball that can touch the mid 90s, sometimes more. You can't just teach that, and his size and velocity doesn't grow on trees. A recent addition to the Orioles' 40-man roster, Wright pitches with a wide range of velocity with his fastball, one that he said can vary about eight miles per hour...
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Steve Melewski

After his 2014 struggles, can Ubaldo Jimenez turn it around next season?

After his 2014 struggles, can Ubaldo Jimenez turn it around next season?
When the Orioles signed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to a four-year deal worth $50 million in February, the fan response was overwhelmingly positive. Now, less than a year later, most fans are down on the 30-year-old right-hander who went 6-9 with a 4.81 ERA in 25 games. Jimenez had a few good moments as an Oriole, but not enough to keep him from losing his rotation spot late in the year or fans from losing confidence in him. He was signed coming off an excellent 2013 with Cleveland, where he went...
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Steve Melewski

Is Kyle Seager's new contract a glimpse at a possible future deal for Manny Machado?

Is Kyle Seager's new contract a glimpse at a possible future deal for Manny Machado?
The news came out this week, but didn't get the same publicity and coverage as the Red Sox's signings of free agents Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. The Seattle Mariners agreed to a long-term deal with young third baseman Kyle Seager, a deal that could potentially provide a framework for a future contract for Orioles third baseman Manny Machado. Seager, who turned 27 on Nov. 3, agreed to a seven-year deal worth $100 million with an eighth-year option at $20 million. The Mariners bought out...
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Steve Melewski

Turkey Day wishes and a few notes

Turkey Day wishes and a few notes
Happy Thanksgiving to all the loyal readers here today and to everyone throughout Birdland! I am thankful for so many things, including a great family, wonderful friends and getting to cover and write about my hometown team. But also that so many come here every day to read what I have to say, take the time to leave comments and engage in daily baseball conversations. This is a great community of Orioles fans and I'm appreciative that you are here today and every day. Here a few quick notes...
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Steve Melewski

For Tyler Wilson, a memorable few weeks ends with his addition to 40-man roster

For Tyler Wilson, a memorable few weeks ends with his addition to 40-man roster
This has been a November to remember for Orioles pitching prospect Tyler Wilson. The right-hander turned 25 in September and got married on Nov. 15. Two days later, he and his wife Chelsea left for their honeymoon in Jamaica and three days later, he got an important phone call. It was the one where he found out he was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster. "Yeah, it was a big week and it was my wife's birthday that Tuesday. A lot going on that week," Wilson said. Big week indeed, and now...
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Steve Melewski

Will new hitting coach lead to any changes in O's approach on offense?

Will new hitting coach lead to any changes in O's approach on offense?
So the Orioles will have a new hitting coach for the 2015 season with the news yesterday that Jim Presley is being reassigned. While this comes at Presley's request, I can see some fans jumping to the conclusion that manager Buck Showalter wants a new hitting coach. That does not appear to be the case, and several times late during the 2014 season, Showalter remarked that he was excited that his entire coaching staff would return for the coming year. Here is a look at Presley's four seasons...
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Steve Melewski

The AL East: Never a shortage of money or moves

The AL East: Never a shortage of money or moves
Heading into the 2013 season, the Toronto Blue Jays were a trendy pick to win the American League East. They made some bold moves and spent some money the previous winter. They acquired players like R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Melky Cabrera and Jose Reyes. But it didn't work out and Toronto finished in last place at 77-84. It got a little better last season, when the Blue Jays finished 83-79, and they've been spending again this winter, already signing catcher Russell Martin to a...
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Steve Melewski

Prospect Profile: Brian Gonzalez had strong debut season in O's system

Prospect Profile: Brian Gonzalez had strong debut season in O's system
When the Orioles finally made a draft pick last June, they selected a high school player with their top pick for the fifth time in six years. But unlike in some recent years, they didn't have one of the top picks in the draft. In fact, this time the Orioles' first selection came on Day Two and in the third round of the First-Year Player Draft. With the 90th overall selection, the Orioles tabbed left-handed pitcher Brian Gonzalez from Archbishop McCarthy High School in Florida. Gonzalez...
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Steve Melewski

Second offseason edition: 10 questions for O's fans

Second offseason edition: 10 questions for O's fans
This is like a game show, just without any prizes, pretty models or a TV network. It is the latest edition of 10 question for O's fans, and it comes exactly one month after the first one. It is again time to survey Birdland. Answer one question, two, three or all 10. Provide a one or two-word answer or one that is longer. It is completely your choice. Please put the question number before your answer as it is easier to keep it all straight that way. No need to repeat the question in your...
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Steve Melewski

One step closer to the bigs: Mike Wright gets added to the O's 40-man roster

One step closer to the bigs: Mike Wright gets added to the O's 40-man roster
Mike Wright's chances to help the Orioles in 2015 increased yesterday as the 24-year-old right-hander was added to the 40-man roster. Wright joined right-hander Tyler Wilson as 40-man additions Thursday and now neither pitcher can be taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft in December. "It is really awesome that the Orioles like me enough to protect me and I get to go to big league camp again," Wright said. "It makes me a lot more confident that the Orioles added me to the roster. It's...
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Steve Melewski

A look at the O's strong braintrust, plus Adam Jones finds a pie he actually wants to eat

A look at the O's strong braintrust, plus Adam Jones finds a pie he actually wants to eat
The Orioles are the only team in baseball that can claim this distinction: The current executive and manager of the year reside in Baltimore. Dan will do it. In Buck we trust. What Buck Showalter started when he changed the culture with the Orioles franchise, Dan Duquette enhanced it and took a step further as he picked up the ball left behind by Andy MacPhail. Those three men changed a few things around here. Once the doormat of the division and a franchise that endured 14 straight losing...
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Steve Melewski

Comparing Miller and Robertson, and passing along props to Oliver Drake

Comparing Miller and Robertson, and passing along props to Oliver Drake
During the 2014 season, Andrew Miller pitched better than David Robertson. Miller has the stats to prove it. He had a better ERA, more strikeouts per nine innings, fewer walks per nine innings, a better WHIP and beat Robertson in other statistical categories as well. So will Robertson get a better contract via free agency than Miller? Should he? Ken Rosenthal discussed that question on MLB Network's "Hot Stove" morning show Tuesday. "The answer might not be as obvious as you would think,"...
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