The Orioles have ended their streak of 14 consecutive losing seasons. When do they begin talks with manager Buck Showalter on a new contract?
Showalter has one year remaining on a deal he signed in August 2010. At this point, neither side has broached the subject. It's a back-burner issue, just as Showalter wants to keep it.
Showalter has no interest in going down that road with his team tied with the Yankees for first place in the American League East in the middle of September. He'll remind you that he's got a year left on the contract - more security than a lot of folks - and wouldn't expect or want negotiations to begin at this point.
He's sincere, too. It's not just the appropriate or unselfish response. He really doesn't want to go there.
Talks could take place over the winter or during next season. There's no timetable - I certainly tried to uncover one - but it's going to happen.
A high-ranking official said the Orioles "obviously want him to stay."
Showalter has done "a fantastic job and that will be taken up in due course," the official said. "We don't want him to leave. We want him to stay and he's going to stay. He's a special guy."
It's been a special season. Showalter eventually will be rewarded for it beyond the wins and accolades, assuming he wants to be here.
For now, it's not a priority. There's other business to attend to, other goals that still haven't been reached.
Stay tuned.
NOTE: As expected, Baseball America included Double-A Bowie pitcher Dylan Bundy on its 2012 minor league All-Star team.
Matt Eddy wrote:
Taken one pick after Bauer in last year's draft, Bundy spent most of the season with high Class A Frederick, where he served as the Carolina League's youngest pitcher. Bookending that stint, he dealt 30 innings for low Class A Delmarva in which he allowed five hits and zero earned runs and then finished the year with three fine starts at Double-A. Bundy fell about eight innings short of qualifying for the minor league ERA title--he averaged 4.5 innings per start--but had he kept up the pace he would have ranked among the top 10 in ERA (2.08), WHIP (0.92) and strikeout rate (10.3 per nine innings).
Here's the complete list.
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