Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles: Should MLB tweak interleague play?

The Baltimore Orioles are off today, as are their next opponent: the Philadelphia Phillies. These two teams used to be one another’s “local rival,” that is prior to the Washington Nationals moving in closer. However you still have a situation where the further north of Baltimore you go the more the fan bases start bleeding together. For the record, I’ve always seen the Delaware/Maryland state line as the demarcation point so to speak.

However that aside, the Orioles will go into interleague play tomorrow evening when Philadelphia comes in for the first time this season. But keep in mind that this series, along with their next interleague series against Washington, won’t necessarily be a huge deal for the Birds. It’ll be like any other game in a sense, because the games will be played at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That means American League rules – under which the Orioles play almost every game.

It’s when the Orioles make a return trip to Washington and Philadelphia in June and July respectively that things will feel different. The Orioles will have to then surrender their DH, and insert their pitchers into the lineup. Let me be honest; I prefer the National League game. I enjoy seeing pitchers hit, and quite frankly I’d prefer to see the American League get rid of it. I recognize that the NL is much more likely to adopt it at some point than anything else, however that’s just my personal preference.

However do the different rules in different leagues not give the National League teams a distinct advantage? For this week’s short series, Philadelphia will be able to in essence take a position player and have him swing a bat as a DH instead of a pitcher. However fast forward to when the O’s go on the road in an NL park. They lose a bat in favor of a pitcher.

This is not to say that there aren’t pitchers who can’t make a difference at the plate. Washington’s Max Scherzer has turned into a decent hitter (hitting .292 on the year thus far, although with only 24 plate appearances). He even stole a base earlier this year. The Orioles once won a game in Washington off of a swinging bunt by reliever Danys Baez. Again folks, off the bat of a relief pitcher – even National League teams seem to rarely have a relief pitcher have to take his turn at the plate. (The Orioles were out of hitters in that situation and had no choice.)

But you get where I’m going with this; the National League has a distinct advantage. Interestingly enough however, the American League has the historical advantage in interleague games at 2890-2574 (dating to the end of 2017). However I’m not talking about overal records between the leagues. I’m talking more about in the here and now. That’s the bigger deal.

While Philadelphia is in Baltimore, New York will be in Washington this week. Thus they’ll surrender their DH, while Boston won’t be. Philadelphia will be enjoying the luxury of a DH (a better bat in the lineup), whereas Washington won’t be. Yes it all evens out in the end, but sometimes it does matter when you end up facing teams and so forth.

So I would submit that the rules should be streamlined for interleague play. Pick a set of rules, and have all interleague games played by those rules. Odds are that if such a thing happened they’d pick American League rules, and have a DH universally used during interleague play – both in American League and National League parks. If I had my pick it would be the pitchers hitting in both league’s parks. But either way, make it uniform across the board.

Baltimore Orioles, David Hess gas Tampa in game one of twin bill

You have to love what David Hess did this afternoon in game one of a doubleheader for the Baltimore Orioles. In his big league debut, Hess only shut Tampa down (after a bit of a rocky start), pitched a quality start, and saved the Oriole bullpen from overuse for game two. Hess’ line: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

Unfortunately for Hess, from the outset it looked like he was going to be the one getting gassed. He allowed a couple of base runners, and a three-run homer by Duffy in the third inning. However Hess managed to do what seasoned veterans at times can’t – he centered himself. After that rocky first inning, he settled down and just pitched.

And Oriole bats rewarded him for it. Jonathan Schoop smacked a solo homer to left in the last of the second. Later in the inning Chance Sisco’s RBI-double cut the Tampa lead to 3-2. So the Birds put Tampa on notice right away that they weren’t going away.

But they weren’t done – for the game or that inning. The O’s called for a double-steal later in the inning with runners at the corners. And it was Sisco who scored from third, with a steal of home plate. Tampa challenged the play on the basis that the runner was out at second, however it was upheld. How often do you see a catcher stealing any base, much less home plate?!

One inning later the Birds had the lead for good. Manny Machado’s solo homer gave them a 4-3 lead. But before the crowd could even settle down after that home run, Schoop came back up to bat and hit another one of his own. So it was a two homer game for Schoop, as the Birds went back-to-back.

The O’s would add another run later in the game as Trumbo scored on a wild pitch in the last of the sixth. However the story of the game was David Hess. If you’re going to write a story on how your big league debut will go, you can’t write a better one than that. The question is whether or not Hess stays with the club. Personally I say yes. At the very least I see him staying until Tillman comes back. What happens after that remains to be seen. But all of that is merely my take. He may be on his way back to Norfolk by now for all I know.

The O’s now turn their attention to the nightcap of this doubleheader. Alex Cobb gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s May Andriese. Game time is set for approximately 6:10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Should Dan Duquette be making deals?

Here’s an interesting take regarding Dan Duquette that Baltimore Orioles fans should consider; should he be making trades? As we know, Duquette’s contract is up at the end of the season. Most fans and writers alike agree that odds of Duquette getting a contract extension are slim. However regardless of that, he’s a lame duck (unless or until he gets a new contract).

The trade talk regarding Manny Machado and others has heated up the past couple of weeks. But…do fans really want Duquette making that decision? As a lame duck, one might question the motives behind what he’s doing, or how he’s doing it. Am I suggesting that Duquette would do anything shady or that he operates in a shady manner? Not in the least. But the potential for something unfortunate to happen is there.

Could you imagine what would happen if the Orioles made a trade with say the Los Angeles Dodgers, and then Duquette turned around and signed on in their front office next year? You could have the semblance of collusion, tampering, or something else. You also could have a situation in which someone (Dan Duquette in this instance) becomes a victim of circumstance after doing something very innocent.

Dan Duquette may be a lot of things, but he’s never done anything that would make anyone distrust him. So I don’t think that anything along these lines to occur. All I’m saying is that it could.

And this should be a lesson to John & Lou Angelos. Just to be clear, I respect the fact that Peter Angelos and the Angelos family has not only held people to their contracts, but not let them go unless it was absolutely necessary. People can say what they wish about the Angelos’ management style. But I do respect people who honor their commitments.

Now with that said, the act of allowing a GM to go into the season as a lame duck doesn’t work in sports. It allows for scenario’s like I described above to come into play. Now in fairness, John & Lou Angelos just took over management of the team from their father, Peter. This was back in January. So for all we know the decision to have Duquette serve as a lame duck wasn’t theirs.

What should have happened was that they decided last year whether to extend Duquette or move on. Would that have potentially meant firing him? Yes. But if the goal is to win, the organization is severely handicapped right now on that front. Perhaps next time around things will be different.

Baltimore Orioles: Jonathan Schoop to return tonight

The Baltimore Orioles begin a nine-game home stand this evening against Kansas City. And with the home winds comes a welcome re-addition to the club: second baseman Jonathan Schoop. Schoop is expected to come off the DL for this evening’s game, requiring a roster move. If I were a betting man I’d go with Engelb Vielma being optioned back to the minors.

There can be no question that the Orioles have missed Schoop across the board. The infield defense suffered big time in his absence. And his bat has been missed as well in the lineup, and the hope is that it’s presence now helps to streamline the offense just a bit. The Birds aren’t as far away as people want to believe. A base knock here or a homer there – and some of these games might look a little different. The hope is that Schoop provides that type of spark.

It’s still unclear as to whether there will be any personnel changes in the organization before tonight’s game. I was under the impression that if they were going to do anything it would have happened yesterday. But obviously nothing happened. But if anything happens today, stay tuned to my twitter feed, @DomenicVadala, as well as to Birdland Crush for updates.

The series with Kansas City opens this evening at Camden Yards. Dylan Bundy will try to get back on track for the O’s in the starting rotation, and he’ll be opposed by Kansas City’s Danny Duffy. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Does an aspect of MLB’s collective bargaining agreement hurt team’s chances?

I’m inviting readership to take a break from the doom and gloom of the beginning of the Baltimore Orioles’ season for a moment. Trust me folks, if anything breaks regarding personnel moves from the team, you’ll hear them here. So be ready!

Baseball contracts are famously guaranteed. Many of you have tweeted me and commented ad hoc about how the Orioles should release this guy or DFA that one over the years – currently I’m hearing that a lot about Chris Davis. And those comments are always met with the same response from me: MLB contracts are guaranteed, so the Orioles would not only have to continue paying [insert player name], but any other team could claim him off of waivers – and the O’s would still be on the hook for his contract. 

Most of the time that shuts down the argument, although there are some who’ll suggest that paying the guy in question to play for someone else would be money well spent. But in general most people understand what a poor business model that would be. This actually worked to the Orioles’ favor one year, when in 2011 they acquired Julio Lugo towards the end of spring training. Lugo had been traded from the BoSox to St. Louis after being DFA’d, and then was subsequently DFA’d again and traded to the O’s. He played that season with the Birds and was on Boston’s payroll.

From a labor perspective I support the idea of guaranteed contracts. It’s akin to job security. I’d never want to see MLB go to a system such as the NFL, where if you get cut your contract is null and void. I think that’s unfair to the athlete – what’s the point of having a contract if a team can cut you and be done with it?

Obviously in the NFL you still have to abide by the salary cap, and if you cut someone his salary still counts against the cap for that year. However teams are basically forced to keep players who may end up being a dead weight on their books and on their roster. You’re using up a roster spot and spending money on someone who’s probably not helping your club. And it causes bad feelings all around, because usually the guy knows that rule’s the only reason he’s still there.

So what’s the alternative? Using the NFL’s model? No, I don’t think so. First off baseball doesn’t have a salary cap, so it wouldn’t work. (And that’s another story for another day.) However there is a happy medium. If a player gets DFA’d, I agree that his contract should still be guaranteed. So long as he’s a free agent, the original team should be on the hook for his salary.

However, if he gets claimed by another team, let them assume responsibility for the contract. That seems like common sense to me. It also makes teams think twice about whether or not they want to claim someone. That’s not to say that I ever see that happening, but hey you never know – right?!

Baltimore Orioles: Are changes coming in Birdland?

As we wait for the Baltimore Orioles’ lineup in Oakland, it’s dawned on me that tomorrow is an off day for the Birds. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised – the schedule came out in September! Plus they’ll be going cross country to get home, so it’s only fair I suppose.

Given the way the season has started, it also provides a chance for the O’s to make changes if they want to. And no, I’m not talking about the lineup. (Although a roster move will have to be made at some point, as it’s expected that Jonathan Schoop will come off the DL on Tuesday.) I’m talking within the organization – perhaps even in the dugout.

Buck Showalter is the second-best manager in franchise history. (I’ll let you figure out who gets the top nod.) However more importantly, he presided over a re-birth in the franchise from top-to-bottom, and restored the civic pride in the team that had been lacking for awhile. Yet if I’m to believe the legions of people who tweet at me on a daily basis along with some of the commenters on this site (incidentally, many of who’s comments don’t get published due to their vulgar or mean-spirited nature), that goodwill has been rolled back in an instant.

Unequivocally, there’s NOBODY better to manage the Orioles than Buck Showalter. Take yourself back to circa 2006 or 2007. If I told you that Buck would one day manage the Orioles, would you not take that? It’s not just a matter of X’s and O’s, or on-field decisions. As he’s said many times, Buck “gets Baltimore.” And Baltimore truly is a place that you have to “get” in order to have success here. Ask John Harbaugh. Heck, on the flip side of that as Robert Irsay.

Yet, there’s a percentage of you who want Buck gone – and NOW. I remain on the record as saying that I think that would be a huge mistake. Is it something that could happen? Yes, for sure. But I think it would be a mistake. It’s one thing to punt out a manager who in essence had no credentials when he walked in the door – like the Orioles did with the likes of Mazzilli, Perlozzo, and Trembley. Or like Washington did with Matt Williams. But a manager as accomplished and tenured as Buck Showalter, who has the rapport with many of the current players that he does? That’s a stretch.

But yes folks, that could happen. I think much more realistically however you might see someone such as Scott Coolbaugh become the sacrificial lamb and get the ax. But even that might be a stretch, as Buck Showalter has a reputation for being intensely loyal, both to players and the coaches underneath him.

Obviously Dan Duquette is a guy who could be on the chopping block also. And it wouldn’t cost the Orioles much in the way or money to relieve him of his duties. Like Showalter, his contract’s up at the end of the year. Incidentally, Brady Anderson could fill either Duquette’s or Coolbaugh’s role for the rest of the season if need be. Perhaps even long term.

But going back to Showalter for a moment, as I said I think relieving him of his duties would be a huge mistake. But anytime a coach is on the hot seat in sports, my response is always what’s your plan to replace him? It might be one thing to fire a coach/manager towards the end of the season and let an assistant fill in for the rest of the way. But we’re still early in the season…

…the last time this situation came up in Baltimore was 2010. And I said the same thing; what’s the plan going forward to replace him? In that case it turned out that the Orioles had a plan: Buck Showalter. They had an interim manager for most of the summer while the T’s were crossed and I’s dotted with Buck, but he was the plan. So again to appease all of the folks who want a change in the manager’s office, what’s your plan?

Disregarding the fact that I personally believe Buck’s still the best guy to guide this franchise, there are three names out there who might be considered to be on par with him: John Farrell, Joe Girardi, and Dusty Baker. Two of those guys have won World Series’, and the other is very accomplished as a big league manager. Now many of you are going to say that the Orioles should start fresh and pick a young manager that’s up and coming. But…that sounds great until it doesn’t work. Ultimately it’s a roll of the dice.

When you hire a manager you want someone who’s going to walk into the clubhouse and have immediate street cred. That’s why Showalter was such a great hire in 2010. Any of the three names I mentioned above would also have that. But would someone’s bench coach, who while deserving of an opportunity in the big leagues, bring that type of attitude to a team? Probably not.

Changes may well come to this franchise, and it might be tomorrow. I just wouldn’t expect it to be in the form of a new manager. But if it were, Orioles fans should hope for someone with a resume similar to Buck’s. Anything less would be a downgrade. However I suspect that if change comes, it’ll come somewhere other than the manager’s office.

Baltimore Orioles: Manny Machado needs to be in Dodger Blue

The Baltimore Orioles this evening will open up a three-game set out on the west coast against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – known by my generation as the California Angels. In past years the O’s have mostly gotten their entire west coast swing out in one fatal swoop. However they’ll return to the Pacific Time Zone in early September to visit Seattle.

However the big news out of Los Angeles overnight regarded the Angels’ crosstown rival – the Los Angeles Dodgers placed SS Corey Seager on the DL, pending Tommy John surgery. Seager will miss the rest of the season, and perhaps the beginning of next year. Often times guys can be out for the better part of a year after having that procedure.

The Orioles of course have a shortstop in Manny Machado, who’s been the speculation of trade rumors here and there. And the fact that the Orioles have started slowly this year have fueled speculation that the team could deal Machado and others. So with Seager on ice, would the boys in Dodger Blue be a good trade partner for the Orioles?

The answer to that question is unmistakably YES. The Los Angeles Dodgers in fact have a fairly deep farm system, chock full of prospects that would interest any team. Gifts don’t fall in your lap very often, especially when you’re the Orioles. So I would submit that the O’s should take advantage of this and call the Dodgers if they already haven’t spoken.

In using the term gift, I literally mean a gift. The conventional wisdom is that a trade partner may not want to give up too much for a guy like Machado who in essence would be a rental. But the Dodgers literally have a need, and that need is RIGHT NOW. And it’ll be for the remainder of the season. That’s a variable that no other team in the league can match. And odds are it’ll drive the price for Machado back up to what the Orioles might expect.

The Dodgers’ farm system is deep with pitching, which as we know is something of which you can never have too much. Their top prospect is a 23-year old RHP named Walker Buehler, who’s posted a 3.35 ERA following Tommy John surgery, and who can get his fastball up to the 98-100 MPH range. They also have prospects who look to be solid big league starters named Mitchell White, and Yadier Alvarez – one of whom could be in play in trade conversations as well.

The idea of trading Machado has never been about buying or selling in terms of this year. It’s always been about getting someone for a guy who’s contract’s expiring. Trading Machado wouldn’t be punting the season – per se. It would be re-loading the organization with talent that could help them down the line.

So I’m saying that this needs to happen. As early perhaps as today. Los Angeles is a team that’s been rumored to be in on the Machado sweepstakes anyways – if he isn’t going to stay in Baltimore, the Orioles I’m sure would be interested in him landing outside of the AL East. Chavez Ravine would be an ideal spot.

Of course for the Orioles that would mean a bit of re-shuffling players in the immediate interim. I think that Pedro Alvarez has been playing a solid enough third base to warrant keeping him there for now. When he returns from injury, Tim Beckham could slide right back into the SS spot, which is much more natural to him than third base. The Orioles also have Ruben Tejada at Norfolk who they could call up to play shortstop for the time being. Not to mention Jace Peterson. And going back to the hot corner for a moment, don’t forget about Chris Davis, who plays a solid third base as well.

So the Orioles have some options. This almost makes too much sense not to do if you’re them. Would those set-ups totally replace Machado? Of course not – he’s too great a player to replace totally. But could they get away with that type of set-up? Yes. While the Dodgers are in Arizona starting tonight, the fact that the Orioles are in Anaheim would make this an easy transition for all as well.

The series in L.A. begins tonight at Angels Stadium. Alex Cobb gets the start for the Orioles, and he’ll be opposed by Los Angeles’ Nick Tropeano. Game time is set for just after 10 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Too much preparation?

As we know by now, Pedro Alvarez started at third base in yesterday’s game with about twenty minutes’ notice due to an injury. Those types of things happen, and they happen across all sports. The good news is that Alvarez was ready to go, both defensively and offensively.

The results say that Alvarez was ready to go. But that’s the job of any professional athlete. I suspect that Alvarez knew he wouldn’t be in the (original) lineup yesterday well before that lineup was posted for the media. In the back of his head, he probably knew there was a good chance he might pinch-hit late in the game, but that for the most part he’d be on the bench watching.

And that’s especially true with the Orioles facing a southpaw yesterday. But is it not possible that part of the issue with streaks like those is that it gets into the player’s head? Alvarez nary had time to think or breath before taking the field yesterday. He just “acted” when the team needed him.

So the question on a bigger scale is whether or not we have so many numbers and are now so prepared that in effect we fail. That’s a tough question for me to ask, because I pride myself in my own attention to detail, and care that I put into doing something. But in effect, can you get so close to the forest that you can’t smell the trees?

Maybe I’m doing a poor job of getting to the point; but in essence, if you just act as opposed to thinking, are you possibly more prone to success? Basically, are your chances of success better if you just fly by the seat of your pants? Speaking for myself, I hope not – because I believe in strong preparation and attention to detail. But anything’s possible.

Baltimore Orioles: Command issues hurt Andrew Cashner

Andrew Cashner‘s had a tough go in his first month as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. He’s had a tough go of things, and in fact that trend continued last night against Detroit. Cashner’s line: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R (6 earned), 3 BB, 4 K.

Cashner suffered from command issues in last night’s game, which had the Orioles playing catch-up literally from the beginning. Cashner gave up an RBI-single in the first inning. One inning later Martin’s RBI-single ran the tally to 2-0, which was followed up by a Cabrera three-run home run. And before we knew it, the Birds trailed 5-0.

Cashner was throwing strikes. If anything he was getting too much of the plate with his pitches. And that can be as big of a problem as not catching the plate. Because if you’re catching too much of it, you’re going to get hammered. Buck Showalter on Cashner (quote courtesy of Roch Kubatko, MASNsports):

Just, you could see the very first hitter, that’s something that’s not very characteristic of him. His command. He just didn’t have a good feel for it. He’s trying to go off the plate and almost bounced a breaking ball I think to Cabrera and kind of centers it up a little bit. Just never really got into sync, so to speak. He’s been pitching so well for us for the most part. I know that’s frustrating for him.

Detroit would plate two more runs in the fourth and one in the seventh, but the O’s would start a comeback attempt in the fifth on Gentry’s RBI-groundout. However it was the last of the seventh which really put them in business. The Birds would load the bases with one out, and Chance Sisco was hit by a pitch – scoring a run. Jace Peterson would then walk, netting another run. And Manny Machado‘s two-RBI single would bring the O’s to within 8-5. However Martinez would smack a solo homer in the top of the ninth, giving Detroit an insurance run and an eventual 9-5 win.

As Buck Showalter says all the time, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the other side. Detroit starter Liriano was really good last night. And that’s a quality that a lot of Oriole opponents have shown this month. The question is whether or not opposing starters have been good BECAUSE of the Orioles, of if they’ve just been really good. I suppose it matters how you want to look at it.

The O’s will have a shot to win the series in the finale this afternoon at Camden Yards. Kevin Gausman gets the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Detroit’s Daniel Norris. Game time is set for just after 7 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: If the Birds sell who is possibly in play?

With the manner in which the season has started, many fans are screaming for the Baltimore Orioles to sell. Before I go any further, let me remind you that it’s only the end of April. Granted things have started out as poorly as they could for this team (regarding things that are both controllable and non-controllable), however it’s only April. Even teams that ultimately sell aren’t about to do it now, because it sends a horrible message to you the fans.

But let’s say that the Orioles go ahead and break up the band at some point closer to the deadline. It would be a given that the likes of Manny Machado would be in play. In fact, he’d probably be the guy on whom the Birds would be most focused in terms of moving. You might even move someone like Adam Jones, who’s contract is up at the end of the season. (That sounds tough to hear for sure; but mind you that the O’s could re-acquire Jones as a free agent if there was a mutual interest. And I think there would be.) Anyone else?

How about Dylan Bundy? Or Kevin Gausman? Not to mention Jonathan Schoop…?) Those names might sound more surprising than throwing Jones’ name out there. Of the “youngish” players the Orioles have, those are the most promising for sure. One would think that it would behoove the Orioles to keep them if in fact they decide to sell. Keep them and build around them, right?

In a perfect world, yes. But in the ever-changing landscape of sports and the world, sometimes apparently we have to think outside the box. As I said, those three names are probably the guys who have the most value to the Orioles moving forward. So…would they not have value also on the trade block?

Point being, I suspect that they’d give the Orioles the most bang for their buck in terms of a return haul. Machado or Jones are potentially half-season rentals for a team. Now they’ll still probably bring big league-ready talent in the form of a young minor leaguer. You aren’t going to trade one or both of them for a single-A prospect, which is a step away from a bag of balls.

But the likes of Gausman, Schoop, or Bundy are under team control going into the 2019 season. That makes them more than a half-season rental. And when it comes to trades, that makes one heck of a difference.

I’m not advocating that this takes place. It would leave one heck of a hole in the franchise, and in the immediacy of today it would leave one heck of a hole in the starting rotation and lineup. Furthermore, teams generally like to get pitching in return for a superstar player. So would it make that much sense to sell pitching and get pitching in return?

Again, the point is that selling off some or even all of the aforementioned players would probably bring lots of major league-ready talent in return. And potentially re-stock the Orioles’ farm system as well. But I maintain that all of these decisions come back to one man: Buck Showalter.

Regardless of what we’re seeing on the field now, next year’s managing job is Buck’s if he wants it. I think that John and Lou Angelos (and Peter) would re-sign him now to some sort of extension if he said he wanted to remain in the dugout. And if that were to be the case, he would have a significant say in how the roster shapes up.

In saying that, he’ll probably want some sort of continuity. Now on the flip side, if Buck decides to hang ’em up (or move to the front office, which is also an option I think the Angelos’ would offer him), then I see the Orioles going with a much younger manager next season. Probably a guy who’s been a bench coach for awhile and who the industry feels is ready to take the plunge and become a manager.

And if that ends up being the case, then perhaps they do in fact decide to sell off more pieces – so as to allow that guy (whomever he ends up being) to start from scratch. Young team, young manager. And here’s the other thing folks; I say that as someone who doesn’t put much faith in youth. I’d just as soon as not deal with the brashness and inexperience of youth, as opposed to the steady hand of experience – such as Buck, such as Adam Jones, et al. But going the youth route makes sense, if Buck isn’t the manager next year. Time will tell.