Hyde working to keep trade rumors from becoming distraction

Players are kept in confinement this summer beyond their trips to the ballpark, where interactions are unavoidable but also narrowed. Arrive later than usual, dress for the games, have the option of showering or heading out immediately and repeat the process the next day.

What can't be done is shielding them from trade rumors and speculation that builds as the deadline approaches. They swirl around the subjects, who find out via social media or friends and family.

Manager Brandon Hyde is tasked with making certain that it doesn't become a distraction.

Alex Cobb and Mychal Givens are pros at blocking out the chatter, whether it comes near the deadline or at the Winter Meetings. Tommy Milone signed his minor league contract at spring training knowing that the Orioles could attempt to flip him. Wade LeBlanc knew it, too, before suffering a season-ending elbow injury.

But Miguel Castro is a newbie with his name floated like a parade balloon. And former waiver wire wonder Hanser Alberto is now classified as a chip on the old block.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias could be busy dealing or decide that it's more worthwhile to revisit talks during the offseason. A market flooded with buyers and teams perhaps more hesitant to absorb salary with the sport impacted by COVID-19 create multiple layers of unpredictability.

In the meantime, Hyde is interested only in the 28 players on his active roster, the four-man taxi squad and the guys who are rehabbing from injuries. And he'll feel confident that anyone who's labeled as a chip won't have his attention divided because of it.

"I think the one thing is, when you have a bunch of names beings surfaced, that means they're usually playing well and teams want them," Hyde said. "This is such an odd year in so many ways and this is an odd deadline. But, yeah, I think I'll have some conversations, but I think that we're all used to it a little bit and know that a lot of things can happen around the deadline and a lot of it is just stuff that you read and there might not be anything behind it.

"I do think our guys are focused on being here and playing to win on a nightly basis."

MLBTradeRumors.com compiled a list of the top 50 trade candidates this week and ranked Givens 16th, Castro 17th, Alberto 22nd and Cobb 28th. José Iglesias was a "would-be" candidate on the injured list.

Cobb's salary is the anchor that drags him down the list. He's set to make $15 million next season. The Orioles probably would need to absorb money like a sponge.

Iglesias' contract includes an option for 2021 that the Orioles valued because their middle infield prospects sat low in the farm system and they wanted Richie Martin to play every day at Triple-A Norfolk. Iglesias was a nice insurance policy while also regarded as a potential chip, and he's the type of player who could garner more interest over the winter or next summer.

The back issue at summer training camp and a strained quadriceps that forced him onto the injured list could make teams more reluctant to offer anything substantial in a pennant race. But he's enjoying a career year at the plate, remains a plus-plus defender and seems to have become a positive clubhouse influence.

All three points carrying tremendous importance.

Alberto can't become a free agent until 2023, is a lethal weapon against left-handed pitching, has improved this year against right-handers and is an adequate defender at multiple infield positions. Won't win a Gold Glove, but won't be a liability in the Wilson Betemit mold.

The same qualities that make him attractive on the market are reasons why the Orioles like him so much.

Alberto avoided arbitration by signing for $1.65 million, a substantial raise from the $578,000 he made in 2019. I have no idea how the process is going to work in a truncated season, but how high are the Orioles willing to go in a rebuild?

The list of arbitration-eligibles heading into the 2021 season also includes Givens, Castro, outfielders Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander, infielders Renato Núñez and Pat Valaika, catchers Pedro Severino and Bryan Holaday, and pitchers Asher Wojciechowski and Shawn Armstrong.

None of this is Hyde's concern, as he reiterated yesterday when asked in his Zoom conference call about his input in trade discussions.

He has none. It's not in his set of responsibilities. He's the manager.

"I'm not involved in trade decisions," he said. "I take the 28 guys that we have here - 28 guys are going to be here today, we've got 28 guys who are going to be here tomorrow. We're going to coach these guys the best way we possibly can and try to win games. So any trade talk is not in my department."