Author Archives: Domenic Vadala

Welcome to Birdland Crush! Yes folks, for the record it's a spin off of the popular summer beverage native to the Mid-Atlantic Region - "orange crush." Nevertheless, I've been covering Orioles' baseball since 2009 in some capacity, and it's basically the greatest gig of all time so far as I'm concerned! But for those who aren't familiar with my work or bio, I'm familiar with pretty much every sport out there. But baseball is king - we all know that. So my hope is that you come back and check in after every Orioles' game, and throughout the off-season. I'm always on duty!

Baltimore Orioles: Shane Baz to the Birds

The Baltimore Orioles made a move to acquire starting pitching today, trading for RHP Shane Baz, formerly of the Tampa Rays. In return, the Orioles sent OF Slater de Brun, C Caden Bodine, RHP Michael Forret and OF Austin Overn back to Tampa. The teams have not confirmed the deal, which also includes a Competitive Balance Round A pick going to Tampa.

Baz, 26, made a career-high 31 starts in 2025. He pitched to a 10-12 record with a 4.87 ERA. He struck out 176 and walked 64. He’s also under team control until 2029.

That last part is probably the key, presumably the reason the price was so high. Controllable pitching is a hot commodity. Many of the big names on the trade market are on the docket BECAUSE they don’t have much team control left on their contracts.

Controllable pitching is key. So is keeping your core. Any discussion of involving the likes of someone such as Jackson Holliday should be a non-starter.

Baltimore Orioles: Pete Alonso is for the Birds

Don’t say that the Baltimore Orioles weren’t aggressive this offseason. It’s being reported today at the MLB Winter Meetings that the O’s are signing former New York Mets’ first baseman Pete Alonso. The club has not confirmed the signing as of yet, as it’s pending a physical.

Alonso signed a two-year deal with New York last year, which had an opt-out clause. The deal with the Orioles is a reported five years and $155 million, and allegedly has no opt-out clause. Alonso, 31, is excepted to be the Orioles’ starting first baseman on Opening Day.

President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias said he went to the Winter Meetings partially to get a big bat, and he did. Alonso hit .272 last year, with 38 homers. Also 41 doubles. He should plug into the Orioles’ lineup well.

The question now becomes what to do with Ryan Mountcastle, who was recently tendered a contract. It’s entirely possible that he’ll be packaged in a trade for a starting pitcher. Or perhaps Coby Mayo could be that guy. Either way the O’s have a logjam now at first base, despite this being a winning move.

Baltimore Orioles trade Grayson Rodriguez to Anaheim

The Baltimore Orioles made a trade overnight. And a stunning one at that. Pitcher Grayson Rodriguez was traded to the Anaheim Angels in return for OF Taylor Ward.

For starters, Ward is a career .247 hitter. He did hit 25 homers in 2024, and 36 in 2025. Whether that translates to anything in 2026 of course remains to be seen. However we do know that Camden Yards tends to favor hitters, this despite the newish dimensions.

Rodriguez of course was expected to be a stalwart in the Oriole rotation at one time. He was injured in 2024, and missed all of 2025. Are the Orioles not confident that he’ll ever amount to what was thought to be his full potential?

At its surface, it’s a curious trade. The O’s had a lot invested in Rodriguez, and he was thought to be the future. Ward is also a free agent in 2027, for what that’s worth. Again, seems curious.

My thought is that yes, Rodriguez returning to form (or at all in 2026) could be in question. But keep in mind that we’re not even at Thanksgiving yet. The Hot Stove season has barely been ushered in. Maybe the Orioles have a trade in the works for a bigger name pitcher.

If they do, it may not even be one that’s consummated in the near future. But it’s a thought. For now, Grayson Rodriguez has gone to Anaheim, and the Orioles have Taylor Ward in the outfield.

Baltimore Orioles: Craig Albernaz appears to be it

The Baltimore Orioles appear to be hiring Craig Albernaz as their new manager. You might find yourself asking, “who?” You aren’t alone.

Albernaz, 43, was hired as the Cleveland Guardians’ bench coach for the 2024 season. He was promoted to Associate Manager for this past year. He was also the San Francisco Giants’ Bulloen Coach in 2019, and he’s coached in the Tampa Rays’ organization,

A minor league catcher, Albernaz never made it to the big leagues. He wasn’t on anyone’s short list as a candidate. My personal opinion was that it was going to be former Seattle skipper Scott Servais. But Albernaz did enough to woo Mike Elias to get the job. For what it’s worth, he was also rumored to be a finalist for at least one other job.

He’s another young hire, at 43. Brandon Hyde was 45. He’ll inherit a team that was riddled with injuries in 2025, and couldn’t quite put it together even in the short amount of time they were close to full strength. But he’ll also inherit a roster that has the potential to make a run at a title – IF the likes of Elias and the front office can add perhaps a big name in the field and on the mound. But one way or the other, Craig Albernaz it seems to be.

I wouldn’t expect a formal announcement until after the conclusion of the World Series, but this appears to be the direction in which the Orioles are going.

Baltimore Orioles: 2025 Season in Review

For the first time in their history, the Baltimore Orioles began the season north of the border in 2025. They played a four-game set in Toronto, splitting the series. But they did it in grandiose fashion, defeating Toronto 12-2 on Opening Day.

However the harbinger for the season dates back to 2024, that being injuries. The Orioles lost Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, and Tyler Wells in 2024, with Bradish and Wells returning at the tail end of 2025. On top of that, they lost Gunnar Henderson in the first week of spring training (through the first week of the regular season), and Colton Cowser over the opening weekend.

As the season was in its infancy, it was evident that something wasn’t clicking. And injuries piled up. Jordan Westburg ended up on the IL over time, as did Ryan Mountcastle. Down the stretch, Adley Rutschman even hit the injured list. And the players who were on the field weren’t producing.

Things came to a head after a blown save in May against Washington at home. GM Mike Elias called a press conference, and announced the next day that he had relieved manager Brandon Hyde of his duties. Tony Mansolino would be the interim manager for the rest of the season.

Things improved under Mansolino, and injured players started to return. However even wins were a struggle. The O’s had to settle for at times winning one of three in a series, with that one being a struggle. And at times it didn’t make sense. The games they would lose were very much against the run of play. But wins are wins, and losses are losses.

The Orioles made a few trades at the deadline, including their lone all-star, Ryan O’Hearn. Sadly, these were necessary moves. You may as well get something for a guy as opposed to getting nothing. The likes of Bradish and Wells would return late in the season, but the O’s also lost the likes of Ryan Mountcastle down the stretch, among others.

Part of the story of this season was that the right hand never seemed to compliment the left hand. In games where they scored runs, the pitching dumped out. And on nights when they pitched well, the bats fell silent. This year will be remembered for the injuries first and foremost. But never being able to put it all together was as much a problem as anything else.

There were some bright spots, however. Trevor Rogers worked his way into being the MVO, leading the pitching staff in a down year. The Orioles also called up Dylan Beavers and Samuel Basallo towards the end of the season. And the boys made an immediate impact. Basallo was also given an eight-year contract, four games into his tenure.

End of the day, they finished with 75 wins. You have to hope that playing this back next year, presumably under different leadership, maybe things are different. In 2025 just about everything went against them – things within their control, and outside of it. Maybe in the future, some of those things break the other way.

Baltimore Orioles: The End

Some fans are probably happy that the Baltimore Orioles’ season is over. But for the vast majority the end of baseball season is always somewhat sad and reflective. If for no other reason than it means cold temperatures will eventually be setting in. Kyle Bradish got the start this afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the season finale. Bradish’s line: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

Bradish surrendered a solo home run to Rice in the first inning, but allowed no further damage. However back-to-back home runs in the fourth gave the Orioles the lead. Jordan Westburg got the party started, and his solo homer was followed by one from Gunnar Henderson.

However the O’s did have a lead in this game. That is until Stanton’s RBI-single in the home half of the frame tied it back up at two. And the game would be knotted at two for almost the rest of the way. However Rice’s solo shot in the eighth ended up putting New York over the top, and they won 3-2 over the O’s to close the season.

The big question in the air for the Orioles now is where do they go from here. One thing we know indubitably for sure; Tony Mansolino has managed his final game as interim manager. He’ll either be offered the full time job, or the Orioles will hire someone else. Either way, today was his last day with that interim tag.

I maintain that if Mike Elias was going to extend Mansolino, he would have already done so. So my prediction is a new guy will man the dugout next year. One way or the other, odds are it won’t be announced during the MLB postseason. Teams tend to lay low during that time.

Make no mistake, the 2026 Orioles are not a tear down and rebuild. This is a team that was done in by injuries before the season even started. I would submit that it started going awry when Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells went down last season. On top of that, Gunnar Henderson went down in spring training, stunting his early season. Not to mention Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, and others.

Point being, this season was doomed in advance. However that also means that IF the O’s don’t suffer that same fate in 2026, things could be different. I maintain that they need an experienced manager who’s been around the block. Someone who isn’t freaked out by analytics, but also one who isn’t bound to them. Someone who manages more by the book as opposed to by the computer.

There’s an entire off season to discuss this. But one way or the other, hope will spring eternal in a few very short months. Before you know it, pitchers and catchers will be reporting. And everything is renewed.

Baltimore Orioles: You can’t nibble

The Baltimore Orioles should listen to former Hall of Fane manager Earl Weaver more often. Weaver preached attacking the strike zone. Starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano didn’t do it today at Yankee Stadium. Sugano’s line: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Sugano gave up a solo homer to Judge in the first, and then one to Stanton in the second. McMahon followed with a solo shot of his own later in the inning. And the O’s trailed 3-0 early on.

Many of those pitches (not all) were on the fringes of the strike zone. That’s very consistent with what we’ve seen all year. Earlier in the season there were times where it appeared the Orioles were not only nibbling like this in the zone, but were also tipping pitches. Dangerous combination.

And I say that because home runs were being hit on pitches that shouldn’t be winding up in the stands (based on their location) – unless the hitter knew where it was coming in. Or guessing right. But when you don’t attack the strike zone, you play not to lose. In football they call it the “prevent defense.”

The reason for nibbling as opposed to attacking the strike zone of course is understandable. The likes of Judge and Stanton are imposing. But wouldn’t you rather they beat you than you beating yourself?

The other thing that happens when you nibble is that you lose the benefit of the doubt. New York loaded the bases in the fifth before Judge smacked an RBI-single. The pitch to Judge, in fairness, was right down the pike. But many of the pitches which led to the bases being full were borderline. Many were in the strike zone. And they were called balls.

Bellinger added a sac fly-RBI before the inning ended. Coby Mayo would add a solo homer to get the Orioles on the board in the eighth. But the Birds fell, 6-1 in the Bronx.

I’m sure there’s some analytical statistic out there saying that if you live on the fringes of the strike zone you have a better probability of winning. And I’m not suggesting that every pitch needs to be in the strike zone. Not under any circumstances. However again, traditional managers all say you have to attack the zone. The Orioles haven’t used that mantra as a modus operandi in some time. That should be a goal going into 2026, lest they want to watch home run after home run fly over their outfielder’s heads. Their outfielders who incidentally are positioned too deep to stop soft contact – which invariably seems to occur.

The series and the season concludes tomorrow at Yankee Stadium. Kyle Bradish gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Luis Gil. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: A struggle for Trevor Rogers in the end

Trevor Rogers has had quite a season for the Baltimore Orioles. He rightfully was given the MVO award this week, and has been a stabilizing force on the staff and in the clubhouse. Unfortunately he struggled in his final start last night at Yankee Stadium, making that his lasting impression of 2025. Rogers’ line: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 3 K.

After issuing a first inning walk, Rogers gave up a two-run homer to Stanton in the first inning. However the O’s did briefly have the lead. Jordan Westburg uncorked a three-run home run in the top of the third, and suddenly the Orioles led 3-2.

But it didn’t last long. Judge hit a second New York two-run homer in the last of the third, and they retook the lead at 4-3. Stanton added a second later in the inning, ballooning it to 6-3. Many of these home runs came following walks and with two strikes. Dylan Beavers was also replaced in the lineup after his fourth inning at-bat after fouling a ball off his shin. X-Rays were negative.

Tyler O’Neill attempted to bring the O’s closer. His solo homer in the sixth cut the lead to 6-4. However New York would tack on two additional runs as insurance, and the Birds fell 8-4 in the Bronx. For Rogers, not the way he wanted to end the season. But it does little to dim the light he represented this year.

The series continues this afternoon at Yankee Stsdium. Tomoyuki Sugano gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Cam Schlittler. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Drama at the end

Tyler Wells got the start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Tampa. Not the greatest start on planet earth, albeit in a game played under the constant threat of rain. Wells’ line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 4 K.

Wells surrendered an RBI-double to Lowe in the first inning. An inning later Feduccia added a second RBI-double, and Lowe a solo homer I. The third.

On the flip side, the O’s didn’t get a hit until the seventh inning. But by that time Tampa had extended its lead to 6-0. The O’s did get on the board with a two-RBI single in the eighth. But they fell, 6-2 in the final night game of the season at Camden Yards.

Samuel Basallo was hit during last night’s game. The Orioles also hit Caminero later in the game. My personal opinion was that wasn’t intentional – in both cases. Guys get hit all the time in baseball. Camiero’s body language at the time however indicated that he thought it was purposeful.

Nevertheless Basallo led off against Tampa reliever Pete Fairbanks in the last of the ninth tonight. On an 0-2 count, he was hit in the hand with a 97 MPM fastball. He winced in pain and immediately moved towards the clubhouse. Coby Mayo pinch ran in his place.

After recording the final out, Fairbanks proceeded to blow a kiss towards the Orioles’ dugout while staring them down. Fairbanks may have had some plausible deniability on the intent of the pitch before that. However that sort of petty bush league gesture removed that.

The whole thing seems like it didn’t need to happen. Granted nobody knows what was said or what might have been said earlier in the season. But without admitting to the league that he threw at Basallo intentionally, Fairbanks publicly admitted he threw at Basallo intentionally. The league should take note of that. Especially given that Basallo is a top prospect.

Baseball’s a stoic game. It’s not the NFL or NBA where taunting is all but expected. It’s seen as childish, especially in this context. Again, Fairbanks lost plausible deniability with that act. The league should taken notice.

The series concludes tomorrow afternoon at Camden Yards. Cade Povich gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Drew Rasmussen. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dean Kremer strong in final start

If the Baltimore Orioles’ rotation stays on schedule, Dean Kremer made his final start of the year last night against Tampa at Camden Yards. Perhaps fittingly, it was a start that was delayed an hour and eleven minutes by rain before it even started. But needless to say, Kremer finished strong once he took to the mound. Kremer’s line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K.

When Kremer left the game he did so to a standing ovation from the fans. He’s a guy who’s chiefly important to this rotation next year. And while he did have his struggles at times this year, he quietly had a very strong season.

He had the lead early, as the O’s manufactured two runs in the first inning. Gunnar Henderson’s sac fly-RBI and Tyler O’Neill’s RBI-groundout gave the Orioles a 2-0 lead. Henderson came up again in the third and added on an RBI-single to extend it to 3-0.

Kremer, for his part, was crisp all night. He also pitched-to-contact, which is all but the opposite of what Oriole pitchers did over the weekend against New York. And the results speak for themselves. In both instances.

Jordan Westburg would tack on a sac fly-RBI in the fifth to extend the lead further. And Colton Cowser put the exclamation point on in the sixth with a two-run home run. The Oriole bullpen was virtually as strong as Kremer, and the Birds went home 6-0 winners in the first game with Tampa, the last home series of the year.

The series continues this evening at Camden Yards. Tyler Wells gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Shane Baz. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.