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: Important spring training for the infield

For the first time in awhile, there are some questions facing the Baltimore Orioles’ infield going into a baseball season. And not all of them concern on-field matters. Some do, and we’ll start there. We knew that the Orioles would probably have a new shortstop in 2018; we just didn’t think it was going to be Manny Machado.

I don’t think fans should worry too much in terms of the quality of play. While Machado hasn’t played shortstop consistently in over five years, it’s his natural position. It’s why the Orioles drafted him – make no mistake about that. However the Grapefruit League schedule is going to be really key to getting Machado ready for the season, as it’ll give him a chance to face live bullets…in games that don’t count. The switch sounds simple enough, but the throw to first is different, the angles are all different, and the double-play duties are different.

Which brings up to the hot corner; Tim Beckham has vociferously said that he’ll be fine at third base. But it’s not a position at which he’s spent significant time. Now I know the emphasis that Buck Showalter puts on defense; they wouldn’t have made this move if they didn’t think Beckham could handle it. And with the way that he embraced Baltimore, the Orioles, the fans, etc. when he was traded here, you can’t help but give the guy a shot.

The elephant in the room obviously is also Machado’s contract situation. Namely, it expires after the season. He’s expected to hit free agency, however the Orioles apparently have been in close contact of late with his agent about an extension. For what it’s worth, he’s saying all the right things (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Obviously, this is the only organization I’ve ever played for and the only organization I know, so I could definitely stay here, play for this organization, play for the crowd, play for the fans. This is all I know. It’s a great organization that I’ve always played for and gave me an opportunity to come up here and play in the big leagues, but at the same time, there are some things that are out of my jurisdiction, out of my hands. What I can do is go out there and give them the best season I can and see what happens.

The Orioles also have to deal with the Jonathan Schoop situation, which came out of Orioles’ FanFest a few weeks ago. To be specific, Schoop opted not to show up – at the last minute. Later we found out that it was due to his salary situation (regarding arbitration) not being resolved, and at the time he said that his agent advised him against attending.

You might say that the fans are ultimately the ones who suffer when business and baseball intersect. It wasn’t a popular decision with the fans, and manager Buck Showalter and GM Dan Duquette both voiced frustration with Schoop as well. However to his credit, Schoop is trying to make amends (quote courtesy of Brittany Ghiroli, mlb.com):

Every fan, I’m going to sign for them and give them something back. I’m glad it’s over and I can focus on baseball now so I can focus on being out there and helping the team win.

Personally I think that Schoop may want to reevaluate who represents him if he was advised against going to an event as innocent as FanFest. And one that means so much to the Baltimore community at that. (I said at the time that if Tim Beckham – a guy mind you who had just been traded to the Orioles the previous summer – could show up and be excited for the fans on his birthday, there was no reason why Schoop needed to miss FanFest. Regardless of what his agent said.) However my hope is that fans quickly forget about that and view it as a blip on the radar once the Grapefruit League season starts next Friday. Once Schoop smacks a ball out of Ed Smith Stadium or turns a double-play with Machado, all should hopefully be well.

Similar to the year when Toronto tried to pick off Dan Duquette as their GM, there have been a lot of distractions this off season. And for all of the wrong reasons. However the Orioles hope that come Friday when games begin, all of that melts away. Needless to say, the upcoming slate of spring games are important to a lot of people for a lot of reasons.

Baltimore Orioles have been burned by boldness

Many fans question why the Baltimore Orioles are so timid on the free agent market. Especially with pitchers. Fans see other teams making big splashes, and in essence taking big risks. And often times they pay off.

But the Orioles aren’t big on dishing out contracts like other teams do – for pitchers, that is. That’s not to say that they’ve never done it. Ubaldo Jimenez‘s contract just came off the books starting this year. And while the Jimenez contract was an anomaly in that it was a large contract dished out to a free agent pitcher, it was also one that most national pundits lauded. Many people, myself included, felt that the Orioles made a good move in getting Jimenez…

…and contrary to what fans think, it wasn’t a total disaster. People shouldn’t forget that there were a few big games down the stretch (such as the 2014 AL East-clinching game) that Jimenez started and in which he came up big. When the bright lights were on, he tended to show up big. But the overall story of his tenure in Baltimore is lackluster.

And that’s one of the reasons why the O’s aren’t willing to go after the likes of a Jake Arrieta, because they don’t want to commit a lot of money and years to a guy who may or may not produce. Now that’s not to say that finding starting pitchers in the Rule 5 draft is the way to go either, but one can’t totally blame them for being timid when it comes to signing free agent pitchers.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Andrew Cashner a good signing?

The Baltimore Orioles wowed their fans with their most exciting day of the off season yesterday when they announced they had signed Andrew Cashner. Okay, perhaps there was a hint of sarcasm there. However the fact is that Cashner will be on the Orioles for at least the next two years, possibly three. The two years guarantee him $16 million.

So…what does or should the fan base think of this? I’ve heard mixed reviews, although nobody’s out there saying this is the greatest or worst ever signing. I think that the best way to classify it is as just “a signing.”

Cashner posted a 3.40 ERA last year with Texas, which was down from 5.25 the year before with San Diego and Miami combined. He also only gave up 15 homers last year, playing his home games in Texas where the ball flies – similar to at Camden Yards. In fact, some of his career’s lower ERA’s have come with hitter’s park’s being his home field.

Detractors of course would point out that throughout his seven years in the majors, Cashner’s only had one winning season. He was 10-9 in 2013 with San Diego. This is far from a marquee signing, however consider the alternative. Ubaldo Jimenez posted a 6.81 ERA for the Orioles last year, and 5.44 the year before. So if Cashner lives up to last season’s numbers, that should be a good thing for the Orioles.

Financially, $16 million over two years isn’t that much. The contract could pay him up to $41 million with bonuses and if he ends up staying a third year. Many fans will say that the Orioles will be forever betrothed to contracts like these to players as such. However keep in mind that they took a risk with Jimenez – and were burned big time. The same is true with others as well.

So again, this is “a signing.” I don’t see Cashner winning a Cy Young, but I think he’ll at least be solid. Time will tell. As I’ve said before, the upcoming Florida Grapefruit League season is going to be a big one for the Orioles this year.

Baltimore Orioles: Andrew Cashner makes three

Another free agent has fallen, and this time it’s to the Baltimore Orioles. They’ve signed RHP Andrew Cashner to a two-year, $16 million deal. Cashner is now the third starter in camp.

I wouldn’t print your World Series tickets quite yet, however the fact is that Cashner’s another pitcher in camp. His deal also includes a vesting option worth $10 million for 2020 if he reaches 340 innings over the two years. If he reaches 360 years, it becomes a player option.

As time goes on we’ll try to figure out if this is a good move or not. Cashner’s hardly a top line starter, but he’s a warm body in camp. The O’s now have three prospective starters in camp. It appears that at least one slot is going to be filled internally by the Orioles. So…is there another free agent signing out there to be had?

Time will tell on all of that. But for now the news is that Cashner’s coming to Camden Yards – well, first to Sarasota.

Baltimore Orioles: Is business ruining sports?

As the Baltimore Orioles carry on training down in Sarasota, the clock continues to tick when it comes to free agents. And not just for the Birds – there are lots of free agents that need homes, and time is running shorter and shorter. Grapefruit and Cactus League play begins at the end of next week. Heck, the MLBPA is holding it’s own training camp which is closed to the public and to scouts in Bradenton, FL.

Whether teams are colluding not to sign anyone or the Players Association is colluding not to have anyone sign is another story. The big story is that lots of guys aren’t signed. This of course has to do with payrolls, and more broadly with the business of the game. But…do fans really want to hear about that? Do they really care?

The savvy ones do for sure. In fact the savviest of the savvy are actually fascinated by it. However that doesn’t attest for Johnny Fan Boy sitting in the bleachers who just wants to watch baseball. All he sees is a bunch of rich millionaires who may well be good players, but who are holding out and splitting hairs over whether they’re going to make $15 or $17 million.

That type of attitude tends to turn people off. And while there are a lot of other types of factors involved as well, don’t be so sure that the same isn’t true in the NFL. Have ratings not gone down the past two seasons or so? So what does this all mean? That everyone should just play ball and not worry about the rest of it?

That’s a tough sell to players and coaches. All the public sees and knows is that these guys make a heck of a lot more money than most people. They travel on charter flights which in terms of amenities is probably leaps and bounds ahead of flying first class on a commercial airline. They stay in the nicest hotels in every city, and eat at the best restaurants.

But there are other things that the public doesn’t see or chooses not to see. The travel schedule is grueling, especially when you finish up with a night game in one city and have another one in another city the next night. In terms of money, players also pay fees to their union, which comes out of their pockets. That and they all pay clubhouse fees towards the services they get in the locker room.

I suspect that the pros far outweigh the cons. But even still, the general public doesn’t want to hear about the cons. All they know is that millionaires are squabbling over pennies. However the fact is that if your attitude is I don’t care about the money I just want to play, you’re going to get exactly what you asked for. You’ll play, and make no money. Why should a team pay you the big bucks when you just said they didn’t have to?

So there has to be a happy medium somewhere. Because the same fate that’s befalling the NFL right now could happen to baseball as well. People could stop showing up or stop watching. That would be hard for me to imagine, but stranger things have happened.

Baltimore Orioles avoid arbitration with Kevin Gausman

The Baltimore Orioles and Kevin Gausman agreed to a contract yesterday for 2018. Or a salary, that is. The contract will pay Gausman $5.6 million in base salary, with the possibility of up to $200,000 in incentives. In the business world that translates as a bonus.

This means that all seven of the Orioles’ arbitration-eligible players have agreed to deals. Gausman’s arbitration hearing was scheduled for today in Phoenix, however that’s no longer necessary. This is a good thing for the Orioles, because first off Gausman doesn’t miss any time. However secondly, it also means that the front office did their job in coming to agreements with players. Any year you don’t have to go to arbitration is a good year.

Gausman and Bundy are the only two starters in camp right now. But that will change. Gausman was the team’s Opening Day starter last year, and my prediction is that he’ll also get the starting assignment on Opening Day here in 2018. This is an important Spring Training for him, because the Orioles really need him to step up and have a quality season in 2018.

All the more reason to be happy that Gausman’s signed and in camp. Now that his salary is set they can focus on fundamentals. And on whomever else ends up trickling into camp in terms of starting pitchers.

Baltimore Orioles: Pitchers and catchers are reporting

Well here it is, the day for which we’ve been waiting. Pitchers, catchers, and injured players report to Sarasota today for the Baltimore Orioles. Let’s be frank, however; this isn’t earth-shattering. The world doesn’t look different today as opposed to yesterday, nor has anything changed.

However pitchers and catchers reporting is the first beacon of light in the off season which indicates that baseball season is coming. Heck, position players reporting next week doesn’t even really get the fanfare that we see when pitchers and catchers report. And that’s probably because many of those position players are already there.

We all know some of the challenges facing this Orioles team right now and this year. And many of them will be highlighted throughout camp. However for now, the Birds are in Sarasota and working towards the season. As I said above, position players will report next week – at least those who aren’t already there. The Grapefruit League schedule opens one week from this Friday, with a home game in Sarasota against the Tampa Rays.

Fans cal follow along right here on The Orange Crush for updates about camp progress on a daily basis. However once games start we’ll really kick it into high gear. Follow along for game updates and scores via twitter, @DomenicVadala. Happy Spring Training!

Baltimore Orioles interested in Houston’s Collin McHugh?

Over the weekend MASNsports’ Roch Kubatko reported that the Baltimore Orioles were talking to the Houston Astros about a trade that would send Collin McHugh to the Birds. Despite being injured for much of last year, McHugh garnered a 3.55 ERA. He also went 5-2 on the season.

He’s also looking at the reality of potentially not having a spot in Houston’s rotation. The Orioles obviously need starting pitchers right now, so there could be a potential match there. The downside is what would the the O’s have to give up to get McHugh? And honestly, I’m not even going to speculate. It’s worth mentioning that the Orioles have quite a few outfield prospects that could be flipped, but I digress.

You’re going to have a portion of the fan base who’s not going to like a move like that because it would cost the O’s something. But those are the same folks who no matter who they sign and for how much, are going to say that they overpaid. You can’t please everyone.

But we’re getting to the point in the off season where Dan Duquette starts to kick into overdrive. Most of his big deals seem to occur in February and March. And with spring training games starting one week from this Friday, we’re getting down to crunch time to get players into camp.

Baltimore Orioles: Are chips beginning to fall?

The Baltimore Orioles and the rest of MLB may be starting to see the very beginning of chips starting to fall in regards to free agency for the 2018 MLB season. RHP Yu Darvish yesterday signed as a free agent with the Chicago Cubs. The deal is a six-year contract worth a reported $126 million.

This is in reality the first big name free agent to fall this off season. And go figure, it was a pitcher. However mind you that there are still well over 200 free agents that are going to need to find a team for the upcoming season. And pitchers and catchers report this week.

However this tells us two things. First off, perhaps the idea of waiting this long to sign someone isn’t necessarily going to “get you a deal.” Previously teams used to think that if you waited until right before spring training or perhaps even once it’s begun, you’ll be able to get a player (potentially of Darvish’s quality) on a shorter contract worth less year-over-year. The deal that Darvish just signed is hardly “on the cheap.”

But the other thing it could tell us is that Chicago isn’t about to wait for Jake Arrieta. The Orioles of course traded Arrieta to Chicago in the middle of the 2013 season. Since getting there, his career has taken off. Might he be willing to return to his old team?

At the end of the day, it really matters as to whether his old team is willing to pony up the money to get him. But as I said, many teams used to think that if you waited this long to get someone the price would go down. That’s potentially been refuted by Darvish’s signing, however I suspect that if anyone’s still sitting out there after next Friday (Opening Day of spring training), the price will in fact go down.

Baltimore Orioles: Division rival getting a new park?

One of the two worst ballparks in which the Baltimore Orioles play each year is Tropicana Field. In fact, it’s probably one hair above having to play at the Oakland Coliseum, which in my opinion is the worst park in the majors. The difference is that the O’s play at Tampa nine times a season since they’re in the AL East. Unfortunately, it’s a ballpark they kind of know well.

However yesterday the Tampa Rays announced that they had settled on a site for a new ballpark, in Tampa’s Ybor City. The Orioles, along with the rest of the league, are probably looking forward to the Rays getting new digs. Whether it’s in Ybor City, or – anywhere really. As long as it’s not “The Trop.”

I have my doubts as to whether this will happen. Apparently the Rays have nine years left on their lease at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. My question would be whether or not their current situation is tenable for nine years. What exactly do I mean by that? Well, when they’re playing midweek evening games in front of 4,000 people, tell me that their continued existence there is possible for nine years.

Tampa’s never been a place where baseball should have expanded. And yes, I recognize that I’m calling out a division rival. However aside from their first game, they’ve had attendance issues from the start. And the fact is that there are a lot of northeastern transplants in the Tampa area. Miami also. And sure while some people might venture out to a game if they get tickets here or there, in reality those people are only going to go when their hometown team comes to town.

So it’ll be interesting to see if they’re able to work something out. However one thing is certain – neither the Orioles, nor any other visiting team, will be sorry to see the Trop go by the wayside.