Because You Asked - The Winter Soldier

The offseason halts play for the Orioles but can't stop the mailbag.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. Same rules apply. You ask and I try to answer. I don't believe in editing, but I believe in love.

Also, my mailbag sweeps other mailbags and yours sweeps the confetti that fell after my latest championship.

Any updates on Tyler Wells for 2025?
None. He was back with the team for the postseason but probably won’t pitch next summer until the second half. The question is how deeply into it. His return from June elbow surgery is supposed to be quicker because he underwent a revision ulnar collateral ligament procedure with UCL repair and internal brace augmentation. It requires less recovery time than the traditional Tommy John surgery. Maybe he gets back before Kyle Bradish, but a first-half return seems really optimistic.

What is the logic/benefit to having multiple hitting and/or pitching coaches? During the season whenever a pitching coach headed for the mound, it was only one of the two. It's not like they sent both out together.
That’s a funny image. The jobs are considered so big now that they require two coaches. Like having co-hitting coach Matt Borgschulte working with a player in the cage during a game. Having two pitching coaches to offer instruction to the large groups at spring training. Two who can wade through all of the analytic data and video. A second coach also can focus on advanced preparation for the next opponent. Two voices with one message. The Orioles aren't bringing back co-hitting coach Ryan Fuller. Here's what manager Brandon Hyde said about the co-hitting coach approach during his season-ending press conference: "Yeah, hitting coach is a tough job, because you're never going to have 13 or whatever guys going at the same time. You're going to have three guys going, you're going to have three guys struggling, and you're going to have six guys kind of in between, and it changes every three or four days. So it's a really, really tough job. Hitting is so hard to do. I think our guys do an amazing job of preparing our guys. I think they're unbelievably likable. Guys love to hit with them in the cage. They're incredibly prepared, they're unbelievably positive, and they're living and dying with every single one of our guys’ at-bats. That's all you can ask for."

If our IL pitchers are healthy next year, do we need to acquire a “true ace”?”
International League? Oh, injured list. Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells won’t be on the active roster for Opening Day. Any rotation planning proceeds without them. Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez can be aces, but the Orioles might go after another big-time arm like they did with Corbin Burnes.

Was Dean Kremer going to start Game 3 if it had happened?
Yes, unless he was needed in relief in Game 2. In that case, Cade Povich would have started Game 3.

How concerned is the FO that the left field dimensions will limit their options to acquire right-handed hitting?
Field officer? Fiscal officer? Finance officer? Foramen Ovale? Why are you people speaking in code?

Front office.
Got it. I think it’s more interested in attracting pitchers who used to view Camden Yards as a career-killer. Or CK. But that’s the trade-off. You can’t make the ballpark more desirable for pitchers and hitters. It wouldn’t surprise me if the wall undergoes another redesign sometime down the road, so that the changes in distance and height aren’t quite as dramatic. But it’s never going back to the days of lazy fly ball home runs.

Do we re-sign James McCann. and Seranthony Domínguez? And is that a good move?
Domínguez’s contract includes an $8 million option for 2025. McCann is a free agent. There’s a difference. The Orioles must decide if $8 million is too extravagant for a set-up man who backs up closer Félix Bautista. This would be an easy “yes” back in the day, but we have new ownership and the odds increase that he returns. He’d make the bullpen deeper. That’s a good move. McCann could sign a new deal but the Orioles will have competition. He was hesitant to accept a trade to the Orioles because Adley Rutschman blocked him, but getting out of New York was a smart move and he played more than a lot of backups. He could be retained, but it’s gonna be harder to do if a club comes along and blows the Orioles’ offer out of the water.

Has there been any talk with the team about winning playoff games?
Someone’s angry.

What is your sense of MASN's future?
Seems strong. A new CEO with Greg Bader’s promotion, Kevin Brown's contract extension, the network continuing to carry Nationals games.

Is there any consideration to moving Jackson Holliday to the outfield?
I haven’t heard a peep about it. He’s never played in the outfield. The goal is to get him more comfortable at second base.

Manny Machado has now thrown his bat and a baseball at the opposing dugout. Will he throw his glove or helmet at the opposing dugout next?
As long as his pants stay on, we’re good. Manny’s leadership techniques don’t work for everyone, but he’s trying. And he ain’t taking your crap.

Is there a free agent out there who really intrigues you? And you can’t say “Burnes” or “Santander.”
Who makes the rules around here? Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández would be an ideal replacement for Santander if he signs elsewhere. Batting from the right side increases the appeal on a club with Cedric Mullins, Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad.

What is the exact amount of the qualifying offer?
The QO is set at $21.05 million, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

So Vanderbilt, huh?
I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Is the youth a factor in the poor finishes the past two years? And if so, is it physical maturity or experience?
The lack of experience was evident in the 2023 Division Series, and especially in the rotation. I don’t know if “youth” is an excuse this year. The pitching was good. Veterans stopped hitting, and that was the case long before the playoffs.

Any scouting changes coming, now that the coaching staff is experiencing a shakeup?
The only one confirmed so far is Ken Guthrie leaving for the Mets, as first reported by The Baltimore Banner. Guthrie was based in Texas and this is basically the same position. He signed Jackson Holliday and Heston Kjerstad, among others.

Some 2025 concert tours are already being announced. Any murmurs or rumors about any OPACY shows?
Nothing yet. I feel like concerts aren’t at the top of the priority list anymore, but sure, a band could pass through Camden Yards. Maybe Pink Floyd will reunite for “The Left Field Wall” tour. All in all, it’s just another fly ball to the wall.

How many of your younger readers get the reference?
Let me worry about that.

Seems like the Orioles are tops in the league when it comes to implementing analytics into their hitting approach. Is there "room" for a grizzled veteran hitting coach to work alongside the young, inexperienced hitting coaches who rely on analytics over experience?
What about a grizzled young coach? Is that a thing? The Orioles wouldn’t bring in someone who wasn’t on the same page and didn’t believe in their approach. That would be way too confusing to hitters. You’ve got to be all-in one way or the other.  

Rate these guys from most likely to least likely to be back: Mullins, Santander, O'Hearn, Suárez, Domínguez.
That’s a tough assignment. Santander is the easy No. 5 based on free agency and the contract that he’ll command. Suárez is on the opposite end because I can’t come up with one reason why the Orioles would omit him from the pitching staff until he posts a 50.00 ERA in spring training. He can start or relieve. He can consume innings in the bullpen and replace an injured starter, as he did this season. In between, I guess Mullins is No. 2 after his strong finish and how much the Orioles value his defense and speed. They’ll need to tender him a contract, and MLBTradeRumors.com projects his salary at $8.7 million. You can put O’Hearn and Domínguez in any order. I can envision a scenario with both of them on the Opening Day roster. As usual, it comes down to money.

What roster changes do you see for next season?
I see a different Opening Day starter instead of Corbin Burnes. There could be a different right fielder and backup catcher. At least one starter should be added via trade or free agency while Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells rehab their elbows.

Which former Orioles that you have covered likely would be a great college baseball head coach?
James McCann, but I’m tweaking your question. He’s gonna be a major league manager. And it won’t take long after retirement.

Two biggest free agent/trade needs for the offseason?
A big veteran bat, like Nelson Cruz in 2014, and a starter to deepen the rotation. And I don’t mean a No. 5.

Is there an update on Ed Smith damage from Hurricane Milton?
I provided one a few days ago. It appears that the facility was spared serious damage. “We are evaluating the Sarasota complex at this time, but initial assessments have not yet uncovered significant damage,” Orioles senior vice president of communications Jennifer Grondahl said in a statement. “FP&L (Florida Power & Light) is activating from our facility to help restore power to our community. We will share additional ways in which we intend to support the response efforts as plans are finalized.”

The Orioles are among several teams that have zero contracts with player options. I don't think Mike Elias will ever sign a contract for anything other than a club option or a mutual option. What do you think? I think a contract with a player option year allows the player to walk if he's good, and forces the team to pay him if he's bad or injured. My impression is that's too one-sided for Elias, but what do you think?
I think it’s too one-sided for most clubs. I haven’t done the research. How many of those options exist among the 30 teams? Allowing him to walk if he’s good and forcing the team to pay him if he’s bad or injured sounds like the exact reason why executives want to avoid it. You answered your own question. Maybe you should have your own mailbag.

Do you think Elias will let Santander and Burnes walk away in free agency so that they can receive two compensation picks, possibly three if Cowser wins the ROY, and reload the farm system in next year's draft?
ROY? Return on Yield? OK, let’s not do that again. I certainly can imagine that outcome. But I’m not saying that the Orioles definitely won’t make an offer, especially to Santander. He’s a more reasonable pursuit. But the compensation picks are a nice consolation prize. Or CP, if you will. Which also can stand for College Prep and Corporal Punishment.

This is annoying. Please stop.
This isn’t a question.

Any discussions of installing a fence about 10 feet in to make LF a bit more attractive for right-handed hitters like Mountcastle?
Not that I’m aware. Again, changes could be made down the road but not that soon.

Along the line of time clock and larger bases, what change would you make to baseball in 2025.
Any player responsible for a lead change in the eighth inning or later must write the game story. Also, teams should be allowed to carry more than 13 pitches in the postseason. And an extra pitcher in the regular season who only can be used in blowouts of a certain magnitude, to avoid watching position player lob balls to home plate.

Do the Orioles have the depth left to make any significant trades or are personnel moves going to have to be free agents?
Yes, they do. But some of the “untouchables” might need to become touchable.

Who sets ticket prices for the playoffs: teams, MLB, or a combination of the two?
My research came back as “MLB.” I found this annoying response in a Google search: “All individual game ticket prices are subject to variable and dynamic pricing, which provide fans with more price options based on changing factors that affect market demand.” Gee, thanks for the clarity.

Can we allow the Rays to play at Ed Smith next season in exchange for Taj Bradley?
I don’t think that’s allowed but it never hurts to ask.

Will the Greg Bader move to oversee MASN have anything to do with you not going to Toronto on road trips?
Hey, I’ll be there for Opening Day 2025. What else do you want?

How far do you think the O's will go in the playoffs?
Guess I should have run this one earlier. I’ll say they get swept in the Wild Card. And this is probably a good place to stop.

When do you get to be Mr. Splash?
As soon as my Speedo comes back from the dry cleaner. And this is definitely a good place to stop.