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: A look back at 2016

This being New Year’s Eve, it’s probably appropriate to look back on 2016 and some of the moments the Baltimore Orioles provided. And there were quite a few, starting with their Opening Day win over Minnesota that featured two rain delays. The Birds found several games rained out in April, which pushed their schedule later on down the line.

But if I had to remember one thing from the 2016 season, it would be the stretch run. Even from the perspective of a writer covering the team, August and September were flat out exciting times in Birdland. We literally had five or six teams in the American League bunched together vying for wild card spots or division titles.

Part of that stretch run was taking three of four from their regional rivals, the Washington Nationals. These two teams always play each other tough, but as has usually been the case the Birds came out on top. The O’s also took two-of-three in San Francisco, with the final game of the series being perhaps one of the biggest wins of the season. The Birds came back from six runs down to defeat San Francisco and take the series in dramatic fashion.

A series win in Detroit also aided the cause, potentially ending Detroit’s playoff hopes. However it was taking two-of-three in New York in the final series of the regular season that sealed the Orioles’ fate. They clinched the final playoff spot at Yankee Stadium, and went onto Toronto for the Wild Card game.

Obviously we know how that ended up. But in the end it’s the fact that they made it to the post season that really counted. And as I said, those final two months of the season were pure excitement almost everyday.

With that said, at midnight tonight it’ll be time to turn the calendar. 2016 will be history across the board. Hope springs eternal.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the Birds reconsider Jose Bautista?

The Baltimore Orioles have been steadfast in their denials of Jose Bautista thus far this off season. Whatever the reason is – the fans, clubhouse, coaches, or something else, the O’s just don’t want him. His agent seems intent on Bautista wanting a long-term deal, whereas it seems franchises aren’t so keen on the idea.

However I do want to re-visit this idea for the purposes of this column. Are the Orioles doing themselves a disservice? Bautista’s camp has recently come out and casually indicated that they might be ameanable to a shorter deal. So…should the Orioles consider making an offer?

Let’s say that Dan Duquette was totally on the level when he said that the Orioles didn’t want him because the fans didn’t like him. I think he would have been right – Orioles fans have never liked Bautista. Mainly because he’s never not taken an opportunity to show the Orioles up on the field. Beating them is one thing, showing them up is quite another.

Bautista’s a showboater, and guys like that have never done well in Baltimore. In any sport. But would he help the Orioles on the field? That’s the true question. And that’s ultimately the one that a lot of Orioles fans will want to know before they render judgement on a potential deal for Bautista.

I’m not sure that there’s anyone out there who would look at Bautista’s attitude and say that’s exactly what the Orioles need. Bautista’s a guy who’s going to get his teammates injured if he isn’t careful. Remember the time he tried to throw an Orioles’ runner out at first base after a base hit? That’s the type of bush league attitude that he brings to the table and that the Orioles are trying to avoid. Again, I’m not sure that anyone’s looking at his attitude and thinking that the Orioles sorely need someone like that. Whether he would help the team on the field or not.

For the record, Bautista had a WAR (wins above replacement) of 1.0 last year. That in effect means that Bautista’s team will get one additional win as opposed to if some other run-of-the-mill player was in his spot. That’s certainly a positive WAR, and there’s no doubt about that. But keep in mind that stat can’t tell you how many losses he might induce with his attitude. So…do we really think that it would behoove the O’s to go after Bautista?

Baltimore Orioles awaiting word on minicamp

The Baltimore Orioles are expecting to continue their time-honored tradition of hosting an annual minicamp next month. The Birds gather every year at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota to work out young players and to gauge where they are in their progression. It’s normally something that leads into Orioles FanFest week.

However right now there’s a hangup in this process: the union. The MLBPA has to sign off on any baseball-related activity that occurs during the off season. This has never been a problem before, and I don’t expect it to be this year.

But the Birds are still in a holding pattern in a sense. I wouldn’t expect anything to happen before the New Year’s holiday. You can kind of understand how this might be frustrating for a team given the fact that they’re trying to get their ducks in a row in terms of sending out invitations and getting lodging for players. But still…we wait.

Personally I think it’s a good thing that the O’s hold these minicamps, as it gives guys a chance to hone their skills in the middle of the winter doldrums. And Sarasota in January is similar to Baltimore in May, so that’s not a bad thing in the least for most players. At the end of the day, this has me thinking far too much about spring time!

Baltimore Orioles: Looking back on ratings once again

Looking back on the autumn, I wrote here and there about lessons that the Baltimore Orioles and MLB could learn from the NFL in terms of over-saturation and TV ratings. I would argue that the NFL is over-saturating it’s product which in turn is diluting it – if that’s possible. In their quest to own almost every night of the week, they’re providing an almost unwatchable product in Thursday Night Football. But I digress.

NFL ratings were down this autumn, due in large part in my view to the election. However again, there were other reasons for this, not limited to the whole National Anthem debate. However the ratings have started to pick up as the season’s gone into it’s stretch run, which in my view is no coincidence given that the election is over. However the NFL feels differently as to why this has happened – and the Orioles should take note.

I’ve read a few articles to the effect that part of why ratings have spiked again is due to the success of the Dallas Cowboys this year. Their success isn’t debatable, however to pin the ratings of the entire league being up again on that is a bit much. I’m not debating that they have a national following, because that goes without saying. However I highly doubt that someone was more motivated to watch last week’s Chargers/Browns game because the Cowboys are good.

However if in fact this is a prevailing sentiment, it’s entirely possible that MLB might start thinking to themselves, gee, maybe our ratings would spike if certain teams are running the table also. Obviously by that, I mean teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox, both of whom have national followings. Could and would MLB make things easier for those teams in a sense?

Well first off, could they? And the answer is no – at least not any more so than they already have. The luxury tax in baseball was designed to squeeze teams who go over a certain level when it comes to salaries. However teams like that simply work that into their budget. MLB couldn’t really do anything to tangibly ensure that those two teams are perpetually good; again, more so than they already have.

The other part is would  they? And the answer there is probably. Baseball’s heyday in the lasrt 15-20 years was probably when New York and Boston were battling year after year in the post season. People paid attention – BIG TIME. Heck, most of America seemingly adopted either New York or Boston during these series’ just to have a rooting interest. So again, if in fact the Dallas Cowboys are single-handedly driving NFL ratings, MLB could look to that and think of how good their ratings might be in some of their more polarizing teams were in it big.

And incidentally, you notice I used the word polarizing. I didn’t say popular. The Los Angeles Dodogers and Chicago Cubs are popular teams. The Green Bay Packers are a popular team. But those franchises aren’t polarizing, like the Cowboys, Yankees, and Red Sox. People who despise them are just as likely to tune in and watch as people who love them. And when you combine the lovers and the haters, yes you have a vast audience.

One thing that MLB could and probably will do is ensure that Boston and New York are on national television as often as they can be. Granted that’s been happening for years, but of course teams get more revenue for national telecasts. When the two sides play over a weekend, you can expect them to be shown nationally on FOX on Saturday afternoon, and of course on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.

So where does that leave the Orioles? In an uphill fight for sure. But that’s been the case for a long time, and since 2012 at least they’ve always found a way.

Baltimore Orioles: Fools or kings?

The Baltimore Orioles are either really dumb or really smart. Take your pick. I say that in the tradition of how in international politics they say that one man’s criminal is another man’s freedom fighter. Now I don’t personally believe that because regardless of anything else terrorism is terrorism. But work with me.

The Orioles hold out seemingly every year for value. While other teams make big splashes that are very costly in November and December, the Orioles wait until the waning days of the hot stove season to make their moves. And they aren’t necessarily taking pieces off the scrap heap.

Many would argue that with the likes of Gallardo and Jimenez that’s exactly what they did. But that’s called revisionist history; at the time those deals were signed, they were widely praised. The Orioles got a bargain on both players, according to most experts. And that’s how you have to judge a move like that – in the moment. If you let production in real time taint the deal, it either becomes the greatest deal or the worst deal of all time.

However the same was true of guys like Cruz, Alvarez, and even Davis. The Orioles waited until the market forced the price to come down. And they got themselves a great deal on a great player. Those moves of course are considered great moves given the way the player’s production turned out. But again, that’s the wrong way to judge a move.

Nevertheless, it’s also playing a game of chicken in a sense. You never know when someone else is going to swoop in and grab the player on whom you have your eye. That might have just happened with Cleveland signing Encarnacion. I would agree that $20 million a year for three years is too much for him. Cleveland basically threw caution to the wind and overpaid him.

The question is how much interest did the Orioles actually have in him? I think there was some muted interest, but they weren’t hot on the trail. However what Cleveland did is a player’s dream; just swoop in and make an offer like that which can’t be refused. And again, that’s why you run a risk when you wait for the price to come down on players. If someone says screw it we want this guy at all costs, you’re done before you started.

So the strategy is either brilliant or ridiculously dumb – take your pick. If the Orioles end up with a guy like Trubo returning because the market went down late in the game, they’ll be incredibly lucky and look incredibly smart. But it’s also a game of roulette – and time will tell whether or not their number comes up.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Mike Napoli a fit?

The rumor’s out there – that the Baltimore Orioles are interested in free agent first baseman and catcher, Mike Napoli. He of course played with the Cleveland Indians in 2016, helping to lead them to the World Series. And he wasn’t just a role player – Napoli was a big part of the team.

Napoli played in 150 games, hitting .239 and getting on base at a .335 clip. He also smacked a career-high 34 home runs. So before we go any further, is there more than meets the eye to those numbers?

Obviously what I’m questioning is whether or not Napoli was juicing. And I’d be willing to put my hand to the fire and say that he wasn’t. Granted I can’t say that for sure, however there are always rumors about guys when that type of thing is going on. Due to varying injuries in the past, those questions have been raised about Napoli. But nothing was ever definitively proven or even insinuated. Where there’s no smoke, there’s often no fire.

So what would Napoli do the Orioles’ lineup? I suspect that the days of him being a regular catcher are over, and the Orioles already have the likes of Joseph as their backup catcher. So…would Napoli be the Orioles’ first baseman? Perhaps a DH?

I suspect that signing Napoli to be a DH would waste a roster spot. That’s why a guy like Trumbo was so valuable, because he was an outfielder. The Birds need to beef up their outfield, specifically in right. So if they’re going to platoon a guy at DH, he should be an outfielder. So where does the Orioles’ interest in Napoli stem?

I suspect that if they were to bring him aboard, the idea would probably be that Davis would move to right field semi-regularly. We know he can play the position, dating back to the waning days of the 2012 season – and onward. On days when Napoli would DH, we’d probably see Davis at first base again.

That’s not a horrible idea, incidentally. However Davis is a good first baseman. The Orioles in my view would be foolish to lose his glove over there. Granted in the scenario I just gave you he would still play there part-time, but you get my point. When you have something good going you don’t change it up.

So could Napoli play in the outfield? In 2015 he did play 11 games as a left fielder for Texas…and held a .600 fielding percentage. So scrap that idea. Napoli’s bat, leadership skills, and savoir faire would definitely help the Orioles. However I’m not sure there’s space for his skill set on the roster. Time will tell.

Baltimore Orioles: Pass on Rajai Davis

As the Baltimore Orioles and the rest of the world celebrate Christmas morning, there’s been a name out there the past couple of days in Birdland: Rajai Davis. Davis spent last year as a member of the Cleveland Indians, and of course was a part of their World Series run. And now apparently there’s interest in the Warehouse in signing him.

And I’m one writer who’s going to suggest that’s a bad idea. First off, let me contradict myself for a moment; he would fill a need for the Orioles in the outfielder. Davis is solid in the outfield, presenting a .980 fielding percentage last year across two different positions. So if he came to town, the Orioles would fill that need.

However at 36, Davis would probably be signing a one-year contract. Trust me folks I’m going to be 36 in a couple of weeks; nobody’s banging the door down for your services at that age! last year Davis hit .249 with only 12 homers in Cleveland (over 134 games). He also only got on base at a .306 clip. That isn’t exactly what the Orioles need right now.

Dan Duquette is on record as saying that he wants to improve the Orioles’ OBP this off season. A guy who only gets on base in some manner 30% of the time isn’t exactly going to cut it. Now with that said, there are also much worse signings out there than Davis. However I just don’t see him as being a viable option for this team.

In general however, I would normally thrown in a disclaimer of you never know what putting him in a ballpark like Camden Yards will do for him. That’s always a valid point, however in this case perhaps not so much so. Davis played last year at Progressive Field in Cleveland, which was modeled after Camden Yards.

You can see his production numbers for yourselves above. Davis has had a solid career without a doubt, and quite frankly he’s always played well against the Orioles. However that shouldn’t be a factor in the Orioles’ decision. This is nt to say that there isn’t a place for a guy like Davis out there somewhere. I suspect that there is, and that he’ll be on someone’s roster in 2017. I just don’t think it should be that of the Orioles.

So if you’ve made it this far, thank you! There are other things to do today besides read a baseball column, or even worry about the 2017 Orioles. There are gifts to be given and opened, and in my case a big vat of tomato sauce to be made in for my parents. So fro my family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!

Baltimore Orioles: Wrap your presents, Birds fans!

Merry Christmas Eve, Baltimore Orioles fans! I’m going to keep this short and sweet for the next couple of days. Admittedly I’m in holiday mode, as I’m sure are many of you. So why are you reading a baseball column with that said?!

Being of Italian descent, this is “the holiday” in my culture. Christmas Eve is the feast of seven fishes in the Italian tradition. I’m not at all clear what those seven fishes are meant to be, as we’ve Marylandized it a bit. We’ve always done crab cakes, clams oysters, among other things. And plenty of Old Bay!

So what gifts are the Orioles wrapping for fans this year? It’s always tough to say, however I maintain that a playoff birth is one worth mentioning. But that was 2016. What about next year?

Again, hard to say. But I would expect a solution to the perpetual RF/DH situation, as well perhaps as some additional support in the bullpen. Not that the Orioles need it, but depth is always a good thing.

Nevertheless, my wish for anyone reading this is that you have a wonderful Christmas Eve night – regardless of your plans. Just another few short months until Spring Training – and that’s a great gift, for the record!

Baltimore Orioles: Don’t forget about Chris Tillman

In talking about future Baltimore Orioles free agents, Chris Tillman is a guy who’s often forgotten. Tillman will be a free agent in 2018 – a year which is looking to be a red-letter one in terms of contracts being up. So where does that leave the O’s?

Tillman’s the one pitcher in the rotation that’s seemed to work out for the Orioles. So from my standpoint, they can’t afford to lose him. Does that mean he’s priceless? No, of course not. However he is a guy that the Orioles are going to have to pay in order to keep.

It’s not worth getting into dollar amounts now, because we don’t know what the market is going to yield for a guy like Tillman at that point. Heck, we don’t know what kind of season he’s going to have in 2017. However he’ll be due a raise in wherever his next contract is.

Again, Tillman’s not priceless. If he went to other teams he probably wouldn’t be a staff ace, although he wouldn’t be a back-of-the-rotation guy either. So the Orioles do need to keep that in mind, and in fact it can be a shaky slope to walk. Tillman and his agent will probably want ace-type money since Tillman has been the staff ace here in Baltimore. However the Orioles will argue that on other teams he wouldn’t be an ace and so forth.

In essence, we’re talking about the type of ridiculous conversations that occure in arbitration hearings. The team’s actually talking it’s own guy down in a way. But that’s part of the game, and part of the sport.

So if I were the Orioles, I’d try to get this done as soon as possible. Keep in mind that until his contract expires the O’s are the only team with whom Tillman can negotiate. Both sides are a known commodity to the other, given that nobody knows what Tillman’s worth would be on the open market. So there’s that.

Pitching has been a sore spot for the Orioles for years. So Tillman is a guy that they need to find a way to keep. I can’t imagine his price to go way past what’s considered reasonable, so for the team’s sake hopefully they can come to some sort of arrangement at some point. Sooner rather than later, again for the sake of the team. And the fans…and writers who cover it all!

Baltimore Orioles: Does the media want Manny Machado out of Baltimore?

The Baltimore Orioles are starting to hear rumblings about Manny Machado again. Whereas however it used to be teams trying to pry him away from them as a young prospect because of his promise, now he’s wanted because of who he is. And the voices are only getting louder.

Many Orioles fans are starting to say that the Birds should simply trade Machado away now and get a huge return. Now I’ll grant you that he’s probably at his peak value right now (up until the beginning of spring training) on the trade market with two years of team control remaining. However I’m on record as saying that I feel this is an incredibly misguided way of thinking. It would be much better for the Orioles to committ themselves to re-signing Machado as opposed to just giving up now.

However this “story” has started to leak into the national media as well. ESPN’s Buster Olney has addressed it, among others. So…would it be better for the national media if a guy like Machado played somewhere else besides Baltimore?

It goes without saying. For whatever reason, the league doesn’t see fit to give a team like the Orioles a lot of national television exposure. This has nothing to do with success or lack thereof – the O’s have more regular season wins than any other franchise from 2012 onward. But the fact is that we don’t see them in the national spotlight very often…

…and I’m speaking almost exclusively about Sunday Night Baseball. Yes the league has national telecasts on Monday and Wednesday nights on ESPN, and yes there are regional/national games on Saturdays via FOX. But let’s face it; Sunday Night Baseball is MLB’s equivilant to Monday Night Football. And for whatever reason, be it political or due to market size, we don’t see the Orioles on those telecasts too often.

So could the national media perhaps put more of a spotlight on a guy like Manny Machado if he played for another team? Obviously I’m suggesting a team such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles, etc. The answer is yes. And by a longshot at that.

Obviously the national media really has no say in the matter. But it wouldn’t surprise me to start seeing pieces written about how the Orioles should consider trading Machado among other guys, so as to get a big haul in return. If Machado were traded to the LA Dodgers as an example, national writers such as Olney would be able to cover him easier, and make him even more into a household name than he already is.

I’m not saying that any of this is definitely happening. But the fact is that national media members have a stake in where a guy of his caliber plays, because they have a job to do just like the rest of us. And anything that makes that job easier for them is going to be something they’ll want to explore.