Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles’ future should be up to Buck Showalter

One of the biggest questions that lingers for the Baltimore Orioles is the status of manager Buck Showalter. We all know what’s going on; Showalter, along with GM Dan Duquette, is in the final year of his contract. The team as it stands now is vastly different than the one he set out coaching at the beginning of the season. And the immediate future looks different as well.

The hope however certainly is that the not-so-distant future looks bright with the plethora of young talent that’s come into the organization. But the question burns, what will become of Buck? He’s said on numerous occasions that Baltimore will be his final managing job. I suppose you never say never, but I suspect that the odds of him going to another team are very slim.

We’ve heard numerous rumblings out of ownership that the manager’s office will remain Buck’s if he wants to be there. We’ve also heard that owner Peter Angelos is increasingly detached from team operations, and that his sons John and Lou are in essence the de facto “owners.” Do they buy into the philosophy that the job is Buck’s if he wants it?

That’s actually another conversation for another day. What I’m saying is that the job should be Buck’s if he want’s it. Detractors will point at this year and this year only as evidence that he shouldn’t return. However I would invite fans to take a look back further than just to April. Buck Showalter helped to revamp this franchise from 2010-2012, on from which they were a perennial contender – until now.

Not only that, but he restored pride to an organization, fan base, and city that direly needed it. Orioles fans were sick and tired of managers who really shouldn’t be managers coming being shipped in and then shipped out. So a change was made, and in 2010 Showalter (who had been working for ESPN) was brought in.

The results were almost immediate, and almost all positive. The difference was that Buck Showalter had been around the game a long time, and fans in essence already knew him. But that aside, he brought the Orioles to where fans questioned if they could actually go again. That should never be lost on Orioles fans.

Again, the decision should be Showalter’s. That means his decision could also be to walk away. I don’t think he would do so on account of having to rebuild, because he seems like a guy who understands that process and who doesn’t mind it. But he, like all of us, has to weigh his options. As an example, he became a grandfather for the first time awhile back; that’s kind of a game-changer.

Point obviously being that for all anyone knows he might feel that it’s time for him to not be managing anymore. Now with that said I do think that if that was going to be his decision, he’d announce his intention to step down after the season – so as to give him some time to say goodbye to the fans, and vice-versa. But at this point we don’t know.

There are plenty of people who will disagree with this – and that’s okay. All I’m saying is that with his track record and with what he’s meant to this city, the decision should belong to Buck Showalter. Many people argue that the Orioles need a fresh face in the dugout. But with someone as accomplished and tenured as Buck, you don’t just shove him out the door.

The Orioles will tonight open a short two-game set with the New York Mets at Camden Yards. Andrew Cashner gets the call for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by NY’s Jason Vargas. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Did Manny Machado hoodwink the Birds?

There’ll never come a time when I won’t believe that the beginnings of this year’s problems with the Baltimore Orioles didn’t come when they caved to Manny Machado‘s demands to play shortstop. This occurred during the winter meetings last year; Machado basically told Buck Showalter and company that he didn’t want to guard the hot corner any longer. And for one reason or another, the Orioles acquiesced to his demand.

I said at the time that was misguided, and I stand by that. I’m not sure what went into the decision to allow Manny to choose his position or who had the final say, but that’s what happened. If that was a message to Manny that the Orioles wanted to play ball and keep him, it certainly didn’t work – although the way the season has played out had a role in that also.

Now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado is…playing third base regularly. Uh, excuse me?! Los Angeles’ regular third baseman, Justin Turner, is out with an injury. So in essence Machado’s just temporarily filling the role. However manager Dave Roberts made it clear that Manny kind of jumped at the chance to help (quote courtesy of Andy McCullough, L.A. Times):

He was traded here to be a shortstop, and we understand that. But the conversation that I’ve had with Manny last night was easy, and one that I anticipated, where he wanted to do whatever it was to help the ballclub, and help us win. I know he sees himself as a shortstop, as do we. But in this time, where Justin’s on the DL, it makes a lot of sense to have him play third.

In my view, that hardly sounds like the Manny Machado who informed the Orioles that he wanted to play shortstop instead of third. Granted when your team’s in a bind you try to do what you can to fill in. But here’s the flip side; Tim Beckham was injured for much of the first half, and he’s who replaced Machado at third base. Was there ever talk of Machado filling in at third with the Orioles?

It’s possible that Buck Showalter never approached him about it. It’s also possible that if he didn’t approach him about it, that was done because Buck had given Manny his word about playing shortstop. However all of that is provided that you aren’t needed elsewhere.

I’m not suggesting that Machado lollygagged through his time in Baltimore, or that he treated the Orioles overall like they didn’t matter. I’m just saying that he seemed to have no problem making the switch in L.A. now that he’s there. But literally given the exact same circumstances, that didn’t happen in Baltimore – for one reason or the other.

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb looks for a win in his old digs

Alex Cobb will start for the Baltimore Orioles tonight in Tampa, looking for his fourth victory on the season. This is somewhat noteworthy given the fact that Cobb spent six seasons as a starter in Tampa. This will be his first game pitching as a visitor at Tampa’s Tropicana Field.

It’s always interesting to see how players across sports react in situations like these. Cobb is far from a former superstar returning to his old digs per se, but he had some great years with Tampa. But needless to say, this isn’t Peyton Manning playing in Indianapolis as a visitor, or Brett Favre in Green Bay.

However I suspect that it’ll feel strange for Cobb. The mound and the view from it around the park will appear very familiar to him. Yet when he looks down he’ll see himself in road gray as opposed to home whites. And the usually sparse crowd in Tampa will be rooting against him, not for him.

However once players go between the lines, it’s game on. It’s just baseball – one way or the other. And the Orioles are certainly hoping to ride to victory behind Cobb, who as I said will be on a familiar mound.

This is game one of three in Tampa at Tropicana Field. As I said, Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles; he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Tyler Glasnow. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles fall short in the Bronx

As if today wasn’t tough enough for the Baltimore Orioles and their fans, the Birds took on the New York Yankees in the Bronx this evening. The suddenly devoid of big names Baltimore Orioles, that is. The O’s sent Yefry Ramirez to the mound at Yankee Stadium, and with mixed results at that. Ramirez’s line: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K.

Ramirez had some key moments with some good out pitches. He threw a couple of strike three’s on backdoor sliders that were fairly nasty. However he also gave up six runs. And that’s a problem.

New York won this game by getting runners on base. and that was done by being incredibly patient at the plate. They never allowed Ramirez to throw the pitches he wanted to throw, but they sat on the pitches that they wanted. Tough night for Ramirez, but that’s part of learning. And that’s what the Orioles are going to be going through for the foreseeable future.

New York took an early 1-0 lead on an RBI-single by Torres. True to form for the 2018 Orioles, this was partially due to a strange hop. The ball smacked off the mound and went into center field. How many run-scoring plays have the Orioles seen go against them this year with some strange little nuance as such?

Gregorius’ RBI-single in the third ran the score to 2-0, and two innings later it appeared that Ramirez was about to pitch out of a bases loaded jam with nobody out. Bird’s sac fly-RBI extended the lead to 3-0, however it was also the second out. However Andujar’s three-run homer closed the door on that, and the O’s trailed 6-0.

But the O’s did battle back. Jace Peterson‘s two-RBI single cut the New York lead to 6-2. Peterson would later score on a throwing error after stealing third. But that’s as close as they got, as New York’s bullpen closed the door.

Obviously however the news of the day was the Orioles in effect deconstructing the team almost in one fatal swoop. These are always tough days to stomach for players, coaches, and fans. Nobody embraces it’s players as theirs like Baltimore does. The trades made today and previously were necessary. That doesn’t mean that they were easy.

The series with New York concludes tomorrow afternoon at Yankee Stadium. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Sonny Gray. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Consider the farm sold

If you thought the Baltimore Orioles weren’t going to do anything at the trade deadline, you were wrong. Starter Kevin Gausman and reliever Darren O’Day were traded to the Atlanta Braves in a deal that broke at approximately 3:15 PM. Just about 40 minutes later (just prior to the 4 PM deadline), second baseman Jonathan Schoop was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Let’s go trade by trade in terms of the return. For Gausman and O’Day, the Birds got RHP Evan Phillips, INF Jean Carlos Encarnacion, C Brett Cumberland, and LHP Bruce Zimmerman. They also received international signing bonus slots.

In return for Schoop, the O’s got RHP Luis Ortiz, INF Jean Carmona, and INF Jonathan Villar – the latter of which was previously on the DL and about to come off. Villar of course has been at the big league level with Milwaukee, and Houston before that. He’s under team control until 2021.

Regarding whether or not this was good return, that will have to remain to be seen. The Orioles didn’t get any top prospects per se in these trades. However they did get a big league infielder. Villar’s spent time both at short and second base. I suspect he’ll slide into the starting lineup as the second baseman in lieu of Schoop.

They also got international bonus slot money, which can’t be shoved under the rug. Ultimately, the Orioles saved about $30-$35 million in salary money between the rest of this year and next year. That’s a lot in savings. Now they have to hope that some of the prospects that have been acquired in the past couple of weeks hurry up and get to the big leagues. And that they’re good at their trades. Because that’s the true judgement of any trade – if it works out or not.

Baltimore Orioles: Looking more and more like Adam Jones will stay in Baltimore

The MLB trade deadline is at 4 PM this afternoon, and Baltimore Orioles fans have their eyes on Adam Jones. The center fielder’s contract of course is up after this season, and he’s a free agent. He also has the right to veto any trade due to his 10-and-5 rights. In essence, any player who’s been in the league for ten years and with the same team for five of those years can veto any trade.

And in a somewhat surprising move, Jones appears intent on invoking that de facto no trade clause so as to remain in Baltimore. It’s been stated time and time again that it at least outwardly appears that both parties are interested in Jones being an Oriole in 2019 and onward. GM Dan Duquette has been quoted as saying that he thinks Jones will be an Oriole after today.

This kind of comes across as a scenario in which both the Orioles and Jones could have their cake and eat it too. The Birds could trade Jones to a contender and get a couple of prospects back. Jones in turn would have a shot at competing for a ring. Then as a free agent after the season, he could re-sign with the Orioles. So is Jones doing a disservice to the organization and the fans by hanging on?

There are plenty of people who are going to look at it that way. But Jones is also wary of having to uproot his family, or spend more time away from them than he already does. Along with his wife and two kids, he lives in Baltimore and makes this his year-around home. He’s away from his family when the team’s on the road, but if he were traded he’d be away from them for the next two months plus.

Issues like that do make a difference. I would remind fans that Adam Jones has really been adopted by Baltimore as it’s own. Baltimore isn’t like New York or Los Angeles where mercenaries come, win them a title, and then sometimes depart. Baltimore really embraces it’s athletes, and Jones is a perfect example of that. Baltimore’s a part of who he is, and it’s helped him become the family man he is now.

I suppose I would say that yes in fact the organization could get better in the future if they had the liberty to deal Jones and get something back for him. And if he signs a new contract to remain here, it’s really no harm no foul, right? But you can’t begrudge Jones for not wanting to waive his 10-and-5 status for the reasons he’s publicly cited. As a father and husband, he has to follow his heart first.

The Orioles head to the Bronx tonight to open up a short two-game set with New York. Yefry Ramirez gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by New York’s Masahiro Tanaka. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Is today Adam Jones’ final game at Camden Yards?

The MLB Trade Deadline is 4 PM on Tuesday, but the Baltimore Orioles have already been very active. This much we know. The question is will anyone else be dealt away? Namely, will Adam Jones be traded away?

As we all know, Jones is in the final year of his contract. He’ll be a free agent at the end of the season. If you read the tea leaves, it appears that both parties would be amenable to a new contract moving forward. That might involve Jones moving to right field, but again it appears that both parties might be okay with that.

So it makes sense that perhaps the O’s consider trading Jones now (sending him to a contender), and perhaps getting an additional prospect or two in return. The fact is that the more prospects they get, the quicker the rebuilding process will be. Jones of course would have to waive his no trade clause in order to make this happen, and again it does appear that he’d be willing to do that.

If the O’s were to do this, that would mean that this afternoon’s game would be Jones’ last at Camden Yards. As an Oriole at least – for now. It’s easy to suggest that it appears to be a given that he’ll return, but nothing’s guaranteed in this world. Least of all tomorrow.

If in fact this ends up being Jones’ final game as an Oriole at Camden Yards (again, for now), it’s certainly bittersweet. There’s no doubt that regarding this year Jones would be worth more to the Orioles on the trade market than he would on the roster. However he’s also a fan favorite, and he’s done more for this community using his status as an Oriole than anyone since Ripken. Simply put, he is and always will be an Oriole.

Milwaukee and Philadelphia appear to be the two teams that are interested in trading for him. And it really boils down to whether or not they or someone else is willing to give the Orioles what they want in exchange for Jones. Just like Machado and Britton, you aren’t going to give the guy away. Especially not when this one guy has been the fact of the franchise for some time.

And in saying that, I hope that Orioles fans recognize that today could be a swan song of sorts for Jones – again, for now. I hope that they give him the salute that he’s due. The chapter of Orioles’ history over which he’s presided will forevermore go down as a successful one – withstanding this season. This isn’t to say that he shouldn’t be traded. Ideally, he’s dealt this week, goes to a contender, and re-signs with the Orioles in the off season. But either way, he deserves his due today. And my hope is that the fans show up and give it to him.

Baltimore Orioles close to dealing Zach Britton to New York (updated – deal is done)

As the Baltimore Orioles are taking on the Boston Red Sox this evening at Camden Yards, they’re also very close to finalizing a trade involving closer Zach Britton. The deal has Britton going to the New York Yankees, in return for three prospects. As a disclaimer, as I write this the deal is not done. But it’s close.

Again, this is a fluid situation. But as I’m writing this it appears that the deal is Britton to New York in return for prospects Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers, and Cody Carroll. Tate is a RHP, and Rogers a LHP, and they have ERA’s of 3.38 and 3.95 at Double-A and Triple-A respectively. Carroll, a relief pitcher, has pitched to a 2.95 ERA in Triple-A.

None of these is a top ten prospect, however it’s a pretty legit return for a one-inning reliever – assuming that the deal is Britton for Tate, Rogers, and Carroll. Those are all fairly low ERA’s, which could translate into big league nuggets at some point along the way. Key word there is could…that’s the Orioles’ hope, at least.

I’ve said before that I personally feel that trading in the division is a bad idea. Granted Britton is a rental for New York because he’s a free agent, however the fact is that teams don’t make trades out of the goodness of their hearts towards their competitors. They make trades because they think they’re making their team better (either right now or in the future). Granted the Orioles are doing that also, but why help a division rival do that in the here and now?

But that aside, it does appear that they’re getting a decent haul for Britton if this materializes. Also keep in mind that Britton had achilles surgery seven months ago. If you told most fans that at the deadline the Birds would flip Britton for two potential future starters and a potential future reliever, I think most would take that.

Again folks, this is a fluid situation. As I write this Britton is still an Oriole, and sitting out in the Birds’ pen at that. Anything could happen – the deal could fall through, another team could offer a better deal, etc. So stay tuned!

UPDATE: The trade became official early this morning. Britton is on his way to Tampa to join the NY Yankees. Tate and Rogers were assigned to Double-A Bowie, and Carroll to Triple-A Norfolk.

Baltimore Orioles: Big trouble on the horizon?

Are the Baltimore Orioles in big trouble? And no, I’m not talking on the field. Wins and losses has very little relevance in this discussion. Well, maybe just a little. But not much.

The Orioles have been in and out of court fighting with the Washington Nationals on the MASN television deal since 2011. I’m not going to get into the specifics of the deal or the case, short of saying that one could argue that there’s at least an appearance of a wink-and-a-nod deal between MLB and Washington. Basically the league saying that they’ll never have to live up to the deal.

MASN owns the television rights for both teams in perpetuity. However if MASN were to cease to exist, it’s unclear what would happen. Odds are the teams would each retain their own rights, and sell them to the highest bidder. But even that’s not the main issue.

Peter Angelos is not a popular owner in the league office. He hasn’t been since 1994 when he publicly stood with the players against the owners. Then came all of the litigation and threats thereof when MLB wanted to put a team in Washington. And now this.

Peter Angelos is in ill health, according to multiple reports. We know that his sons, Lou and John, have in essence been running the team. So the Orioles’ ownership status is in somewhat of a state of flux. In fact, I suspect that the Angelos family would like to do what Washington just did (in an unrelated matter), where owner Ted Lerner in essence handed the team off to his son Mark.

However the league has very publicly made it clear that they can make the Orioles’ lives miserable – unless the Orioles play ball (meaning on the MASN deal). This could include future schedules, hosting an all-star game, or even ownership issues. The implication there is that the commissioner might not approve a “sale” (or more likely a hand off) of the team from Peter Angelos to his sons.

Say what you want about Peter Angelos, but he made a commitment to keep the team in Baltimore. And given that his sons are Baltimore-area residents and natives, there’s no reason to believe that they aren’t just as invested in keeping the team here. That wasn’t always guaranteed with other potential ownership groups. What if Peter Angelos passes away at some point and the league refuses to approve his sons as the new owners?

At that point they basically force them to sell the team. But what about MASN? Regardless of whether the network still exists and is operated by the Angelos family or not, that’s where it could get hairy for the Orioles. If you uncouple the Birds from MASN, they aren’t worth anywhere near as much. So that said, is a new owner going to have the same incentives to keep the team here as the Angelos’ did?

If the team were purchased by a local guy such as Steve Bisciotti (the Ravens’ owner), I think that things would be fine. But do Orioles’ fans really want to run that risk? Once Washington got a team, MLB didn’t have a city to dangle out there to convince teams to play their game – otherwise the team could move there. Now suddenly we hear that the league would like to return a team to Montreal, or even go to Charlotte, NC.

I’m not suggesting that the Orioles should play the game MLB wants them to play. To do so in essence would be to collude against themselves. This all the while when attendance and ratings are down. I always say that cities only really need to consider that the team could move if it gets sold to an out-of-town businessman. (In essence, people don’t move teams out of their hometowns.) But again, regardless of what they might think of the Angelos’, do O’s fans want to run that risk?

Baltimore Orioles have to move on from Manny Machado

The Manny Machado-less Baltimore Orioles are in Toronto this evening to open up the second half of the season with a three-game set on the road against their AL East rivals. I do find it interesting that we still call the post-All Star break the second half. The Birds have already played 97 games, which is 16 more than halfway through the season. But I digress.

This has been a tough week for the Orioles, and I’m not talking personally per se. Machado had a lot of friends in the clubhouse, all of whom are sad to see him go. But the very public departure and the lead up to said departure of a player wears on a team. The trade discussions were already hot as it was, but the fire really got hot when Machado was lifted from Sunday’s game against Texas. While the official reason was a wet field in the wake of a rain delay (which in theory was true), we obviously knew something was up.

However all of that needs to be in the past now. It goes without saying that the Orioles aren’t in contention, nor could they potentially play their way back into contention. But the season’s still on. There in fact does appear to be a new direction in which the franchise is heading, and that has to begin tonight. Granted, the roster might well look different in a week. However the players that remain now, tomorrow, and onward need to put this out of their minds and just play ball.

In effect, I’m saying that the term I used in the first sentence (the Manny Machado-less Orioles) isn’t one that should really be used. They aren’t the Machado-less Orioles, nor will they be the Britton-less Orioles or the Jones-less Orioles. They’re the Orioles. If players keep in their minds that this player or that one is now gone and question how they’re going to go on as a team (in the manner that some fans do), things will go from bad to worse.

The Orioles will have to make a roster move prior to this evening’s game, for the mere reason that they’ll need to fill Machado’s slot on the roster. It’s unclear who will be coming up, but the Orioles will announce something before the game. Incidentally, while the Birds do open the second half on the road, it’s really just a one-series trip. Monday they’ll be back at Camden Yards for a homestand that includes Boston and Tampa.

The series at Rogers Center opens this evening. Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s Sam Gaviglio. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.