Because You Asked - Wings of Change

ARLINGTON, Texas - The grind of the first half finally caught up to the mailbag. It lacked energy. It stranded questions.

The break came at the ideal time.

Let's get to the latest edition of the beloved 2008 original while the Orioles are enjoying an off-day - after playing only three games to begin the second half.

There are worse places to be than Miami. I had my fun during those South Florida spring trainings. Let someone else have a turn.

The post-break doesn’t bring serious changes to the mailbag. Same rules as the first. I don’t need to improve the clarity, shorten the length or adjust the style.

Also, my mailbag is an All-Star and yours was dropped by the good hands at Allstate.

If things go according to plan with Coby Mayo and Jackson Holliday permanently reaching the majors between now and early next season, what happens to Jordan Westburg, our newly-minted All-Atar? MLB rules seem to frown on having five infielders.
Rosters can hold at least five. The lineup, however, becomes crowded, but these are pleasant team problems. Westburg would play a lot of third base. Mayo could move to first base or serve as designated hitter. However it plays out, someone is going to be impacted, and that includes Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn.

Have you seen any plans for the reported upgrades to Camden Yards? What is proposed? Any chance they move Walltimore in a few feet?
A big one is renovating the audio/video systems to include new video boards, sound systems, televisions, etc. Also, lower and upper concourse renovations, removing left field upper deck seats to create “social spaces, relocated and expanded kids’ zone, various seating options, and bar/outdoor restaurant.” Expanding the flag court to include the removal of select seats below the main scoreboard to create a center field bar/hospitality area. Relocation of main concourse restrooms to allow for the creation of bar and social spaces with field views. And this one certainly got the media’s attention: relocation of lower press box, home plate restaurant and club with new seating. There’s a bunch more. The wall isn’t among them, at least yet. And that doesn’t mean you’re going to see all these changes in 2025.

Is Mayo a condiment, sauce or the next player to be called up?
One and three.

Does Mayo come up before or after the trade deadline?
I see there’s lots of interest in Coby Mayo. How unusual. I could see it happening either way. I’m not aware of a determined date for his debut. Removing an infielder from the current roster would open a spot for him.

Did you get your tickets to the Creed reunion concert?
That would be my sacrifice.

How many?
One.

We could do this all day.
Let’s not.

How likely will Mike Elias be to trade for a rental for this year's run versus seeking controllable pitchers knowing that we're probably without Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells for most, if not all, of next year? It would seem like, as someone with long-term vision, he would also be trying to solidify next year's rotation before the free agency frenzy, maybe with the exception of talking to Burnes come November.
The preference is a controllable pitcher, but this isn’t a Wendy’s. You can’t just pull up to the drive-thru and place your order. Elias will try to upgrade the rotation for a run at the 2024 World Series. You give up more for a pitcher who isn’t a rental, but that’s fine in the right deal. Maybe he can get one of each.

Do you think Craig Kimbrel would be happy as a setup man for Félix Bautista? And would the O's take his option to be a setup man?
Kimbrel would have 13 million reasons to be OK with it, but he’d obviously prefer to close. I don’t know that the club would commit that kind of money to a primary setup man, but it would create a formidable back end of the ‘pen with Yenner Cano and Danny Coulombe. Bautista could do some setup work, too. I've always made the assumption that Kimbrel would re-enter free agency over the winter, but you know what happens when you assume.

Are Cedric Mullins and Ryan Mountcastle going to be used as trade chips?
Mike Elias will listen. That isn’t the same as dangling. You know the risks of subtracting from the major league side as opposed to the farm system, but you also see the roster crunch. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden reported that the Phillies talked to the Orioles about Mullins. That would be an interesting transition for center field, where I guess we’d see a lot more of Colton Cowser. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The Phillies are checking on Mullins. That doesn’t mean anything is close.

If we acquire Skubal, obviously his Hyder-ism nickname is "Skubie." Will Gunnar become known as "Shaggy?"
Well, now I have a reason to root for a trade.

Is Skubal the No. 1 target?
Elias hasn’t shared his order of preference. The teams have talked. The Tigers obviously would want a huge return. There are reports that the Tigers are unlikely to trade him. One report used the words "long shot." But they’d move Jack Flaherty.

I just saw “The Getaway” and didn’t realize how hot Kim Basinger was. No question. Just thought I’d mention that.
OK, thanks.

Is there any warehouse scuttlebutt regarding Coby Mayo and a possible promotion, and if so, what position is he expected to play? Are they still intent upon him being at third base or will his defense dictate a move to first base or the corner outfield?
Can anyone hold the Mayo? He’s gonna get promoted. I say he won’t be traded. He could shift between third and first, along with designated hitter. He will not play the outfield if he hasn’t done it in the minors at any level. My guess is he’ll work out in the outfield in the offseason and in spring training. I thought it was supposed to happen this past offseason and spring, but nope. Hopefully, he doesn’t come down with a nasty case of scuttlebutt. That could sideline a guy for weeks.

Will the front office be watching Max Scherzer extra closely tonight?
This is an old one. Sorry. And they didn’t get a long look. He was gone after two innings due to arm fatigue.

Will the club trade for a position player?
It could happen but I’m not expecting it. They have enough issues trying to fit their own guys on the roster.

Why do the Orioles always draft players with long hair and cool names?
They do seem to have a type. But it was a total waste of time scouting Margot Robbie.

Anthony Santander is going to get paid, and if the Yankees won’t be paying Juan Soto’s next contract, I can see them making an attempt to sign Tony. Santander will be 30 in October, but he can be useful for another five years, and the way he was toying with Yankee Stadium’s short porch the past few games, he’s a good fit for New York. Santander is a better fit for the Orioles, especially if Heston Kjerstad and Kyle Stowers are traded for pitching. Do you think Anthony Santander will be an Oriole for the 2025 season-plus? Do you think Heston Kjerstad and/or Kyle Stowers will be traded before this season’s trade deadline?
Are you done? How long was I out? It’s conceivable that Kjerstad or Stowers are moved for pitching at the deadline. I wouldn’t classify them as untouchable, and that’s especially true of Stowers, who can’t hold onto a roster spot due to the lack of space. There’s got to be some frustration building. The Orioles love Kjerstad’s power, but so do other teams. One National League scout said Kjerstad would hit 40 homers in his ballpark if playing every day. As for Santander, yes, I could see the Yankees making a run at him. I used to think there was zero chance that the Orioles would re-sign him due to the salary – this is pre-new ownership - and their outfield depth, but that’s a 30-plus home run bat from both sides of the plate and he’s playing a really good right field. You can make a solid argument for keeping him, and he absolutely wants to stay.

You're all alone in a motel in the middle of nowhere with only one screen available and two viewing options. Which would you choose, an Orioles World Series game or Vikings regular season game? And don’t say “your mom.”
I’d never! Depends on which game. Definitely not a Vikings Super Bowl.

Who is the Most Valuable Oriole if the season ended today?
Gotta be Gunnar, right? And then you can talk about Adley Rutschman, Corbin Burnes, Anthony Santander, Grayson Rodriguez, Jordan Westburg.

What's the best thing about being in Arlington, Texas for two days with no game to cover?
Blackout curtains. And waking up knowing that I didn’t have to be anywhere. The day and night were my own. That’s rare.

What do you think the Orioles will do within the next 10-days?
Play some games, make some trades. Maybe remove that hyphen you put between 10 and days.

Makes sense to me that the agents for Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays would ask for them to be traded this offseason so that they have a chance play every day somewhere else in their season before free agency. If I were them, I'd be worried about going into free agency as an Orioles sub. What do you think? Is this the end of the line for them as Orioles, for their own good?
I don’t think they both return. Maybe one, not both. That’s just my opinion. Hays has an “advantage” because he hits from the right side, but that doesn’t mean he has better odds. He’s been a team guy all along, but going from starting outfielder in the All-Star Game to part-timer is rough. I’d think his agent would like to get him back in a regular role.

Is this the year to go for it?
Yes. Or are we talking about the Orioles? Also yes.

Would the O’s consider a reunion with Big Mike Baumann?
Too late. The Giants got him Sunday. I thought they’d consider it, but they’d be faced with the same issue of having another reliever who can’t be optioned without passing through waivers. You could check the bullpen and try to decide whether he’d be an upgrade. He had a 5.51 ERA in 18 games with Seattle and walked eight batters in 16 1/3 innings. Of course, that’s why he was available.

Are you still convinced that the Orioles make the playoffs?
I am 100 percent convinced. I don't know whether they win the division. If forced to submit a prediction, I'll say yes, but the trade deadline and health are major factors that are unknowns. The Kyle Bradish elbow surgery was a harsh blow. Having Corbin Burnes, Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez as the top three starters in the playoffs would be a fearsome threesome. I don't know if the Orioles will bring in a starter of Bradish's caliber. And by "caliber," of course, I refer to both the size of their gun barrels and the high quality of their characters. Two meanings. Caliber. It's a homonym. Forget it.

Nice Dr. Evil reference. Did you have that one locked and loaded for a while?
Next question.

Is “Eyes Wide Shut” a Christmas movie and did “Thelma & Louise” start the selfie craze?
Both of these questions are thinkers. And I think this is a good place to stop.

What is your favorite misspelling of a player’s name? Austin Hayes? Gunner Henderson? Matt Weiters? Carl Ripkin?
Benny Bowcock with the 1913 St. Louis Browns. Hold on, that was his actual name. And this is definitely a good place to stop.