Category Archives: Baltimore Orioles News

Baltimore Orioles hope to fly on Opening Day

The Baltimore Orioles and manager Buck Showalter are ready to go. The bunting’s on the warehouse, the batting cages are ready to go, and the uniforms are hung in players’ lockers. It must be Opening Day in Baltimore!

As I write this now, fans are gathering at Pickles Pub & Sliders Bar & Grille across the street from the yard, “tailgating” for today’s game. I heard on the radio yesterday that the betting line has Orioles, -1. Yes, the O’s are giving a run at home on Opening Day against Minnesota. The over/under is also nine – odds makers are thinking that the wind will be blowing out today at Camden Yards!

But just a reminder, folks. Today is game 1 of 162. A win today doesn’t mean smooth sailing the rest of the way, even though the O’s have a tradition of sorts in terms of winning on Opening Day. And a loss certainly doesn’t doom the season to failure.

Part of Opening Day is the pageantry, which in reality is done for the fans. After today players won’t run down the orange carpet moving forward. And they’re fine with that, as they just want to play. And play they will – today and onward.

But Opening Day is special – especially in Baltimore. There’s not much I can offer in terms of a gameplan or in setting out what the Orioles need to do in order to win. Anyone who’s read this column knows that it begins and ends with starting pitching. But also keep in mind that this being the first game, starters might not go as deep into the games as they would in say June or July. So keep a close eye on middle relief this afternoon as well.

That said, the Birds today open a three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Camden Yards (just a reminder, tomorrow is an off day, with the series resuming on Saturday night). Dylan Bundy gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Jake Odorizzi. Game time is set for just after 3 PM.

Baltimore Orioles’ 2018 season preview

So here we are, on the eve of Opening Day for the Baltimore Orioles and manager Buck Showalter. There are a lot of questions hanging over this roster, and not only limited to the starting pitching. Will the lineup produce? Will the injured but re-tooled Orioles’ bullpen hold as strong as past renditions? All of those questions will be answered…

…come October, that is. I can’t tell you how any of that is going to work. I can’t tell you how the season is going to play out. But I can tell you for what I’d watch as we transition from the off-season into the regular season. And that’s the purpose of any season preview.

As I said, the only question at hand isn’t about starting pitching. But it’s probably the biggest question for this club. Going into camp Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman were the only starters on the roster. That made most experts pick the Orioles to finish last in the division. I said at the time that wasn’t rational, as Tampa has a double-A roster (with Toronto not far behind).

But since camp started, the Birds have re-signed Chris Tillman, and signed the likes of Andrew Cashner and Alex Cobb. The rotation is looking much stronger these days. Cobb we obviously won’t see right away, but soon enough – and I think it’ll be very soon.

The bullpen is a question, mainly because of the absence of Zach Britton. As many close games as teams league-wide play, much of the success or failure of this season may lie with the likes of Darren O’Day and Brad Brach. But don’t sleep on the middle relief either. If a starter can’t go deep into a game, it’s that middle relief that can make or break you.

At the end of the day, this is a power-hitting club first and foremost. Many people point to the likes of Jones, Machado, Trumbo (who’s injured), and Davis, while mentioning that they fell off the map at the end of last year. I think you have to assume that all players are going to revert to the mean. Their career numbers indicate that they’re much better than that.

Keep in mind that last year was taxing on everyone involved with the Orioles – including writers. So those offensive struggles came as a result of fatigue, both physical and mental. But again, I think you have to look to how guys have performed over time, and realize that we aren’t doomed to see last September play out again over an entire season.

Of course everyone wants to know how the Birds will fair this season. They’re certainly in the toughest division in baseball. I’m not going to tell you that they’ll make a run at the post-season. I can’t say that now – nobody can. But as competitive as the division is, they aren’t the worst team in it. Again, the likes of Tampa and possibly Toronto aren’t up to the Orioles’ level.

So will the O’s compete for the division crown? It would be tough for me to say that’s probable. But they won’t be fighting to stay out of the basement, either. As poor as the bottom of the division can look at times, it would be tough for me to say it’s probable that they finish near the bottom. To say so at this point would be doing a disservice to the O’s.

This will be a competitive season from my vantage point. It’ll have it’s toils and snares, but also it’s big moments. Will they be in the post-season? With their rotation having improved leaps and bounds over last year, they have as good a shot as anyone else. But one way or the other, I think they’ll be in contention well into September. Incidentally, the price of admission, you ask? One Buck.

Baltimore Orioles: Parity in MLB must be achieved for the good of the game

As the Baltimore Orioles prepare for Opening Day they aren’t expected to be in the creme de la creme of the league per se. Where do I think they’ll finish up? Tough to say. But I disagree with one national publication who projected them to finish last in the AL East. Teams such as Tampa and Toronto have been gutted – so I just don’t see that happening.

However that aside, MLB should really think twice about the fact that they don’t have a salary cap. The Orioles have spent money on the team this year. Granted much of that spending came late, but the fact is that they’ve given fans a reason to come to the ballpark each day. Do fans in Tampa have that same incentive? Or Miami?

If MLB continues to allow uncapped spending, the rich will continue to get richer. Believe me, in general I’m in favor of earning an honest living. However what I also believe is that the game itself cannot thrive across the country if only fans in certain cities are seeing winning teams. And I’m not talking just now – but in the future as well.

What incentive does a fan in Kansas City have to come to games over the years? Or Pittsburgh, Tampa, San Diego – or even Baltimore? And at the end of the day, is MLB really served by having only fans in NY, Boston, Chicago, and LA being interested in the sport? I would submit not.

So a salary cap, as well as a salary basement (forcing teams to be above a certain pay grade) would ensure some sort of parity in the league. It keeps people interested in smaller markets.

Baltimore Orioles: Camp’s a wrap!

The Baltimore Orioles are formally breaking camp this morning, as they leave Sarasota for Baltimore. Of course they’ll stop in Norfolk, VA to play the Tides, which has turned into a tradition of sorts. And let me tell you, that game is a huge deal in the Hampton Roads area. The O’s played the Washington Nationals down there in the final spring game in 2009, and I drove down for the game (seeing that my kid sister went to school in nearby Newport News). The town had been buzzing all week at the prospect of a big league game being played there.

But at the end of the day, that game won’t be covered too much here or on other outlets. As I’ve said ad hoc, it doesn’t even count towards the Grapefruit League standings. Mind you, the Grapefruit League standings themselves don’t count; so this game doesn’t count towards the unofficial standings that don’t count!

That gives the Orioles two full days back in Baltimore to get settled at home before real league play begins. They’ll have a team workout at Camden Yards on Wednesday, and of course the curtain goes up on the 2018 season on Thursday. And the Minnesota Twins will be the opponent – as if the O’s didn’t see enough of them in the spring.

At this time of year I’m always reminded of how thankful I am when camp is over. Covering some of these games are like watching paint dry. And each year as a writer I go through a bit of a dead period during spring training. Since there’s no ebb or flow to the games whatsoever, they’re very hard to cover. So you save your “best stuff” for the regular season. And that’s now on the horizon.

Once teams get into a routine and a groove, the road gets much easier. But the Orioles will open up at home, have a day off, and then close out that weekend series before heading out on the road to Houston. So that presents a bit of a challenge in a sense – you get home and get settled, but not too much because you’re heading back out of town.

There’s also a lot of pomp and circumstance to Opening Day, as well there should be. Not to mention the day off after Opening Day, which in a sense grinds the season to a halt. But you manage as best you can. And as I said, once the O’s get into a groove all of these concerns will cease to exist.

Baltimore Orioles: Derailed early by injuries?

I would submit that April is a supremely important month for the Baltimore Orioles. I say that with wins and losses in mind, but through one specific lense: injuries. You can’t win a division pennant in April. But you sure can lose one.

Mark Trumbo will start the season on the DL. Chris Davis has missed time this spring. Tim Beckham tweaked a groin late this past week. It all adds up.

Davis of course has since returned to the lineup, and there’s a rumor that Beckham’s going to play tomorrow. Trumbo, as I said, will begin the year on the disabled list. So the Orioles are looking at perhaps getting him back mid-way through the month.

But is there a greater story to these injuries? I’d point to Chris Tillman last season, who ended up beginning the season on the DL, only to end up having a lackluster year with the O’s. Could that end up happening again?

And the answer is that the jury’s still out. Plenty of players end up on the DL for various reasons over the course of any season. And they come back and still play great. The key is to catching an injury in time and getting the player the rest and rehab that he needs before returning to the lineup.

And the hope is that the Orioles did just that. Trumbo obviously will be shelved for the first couple of weeks, during which he’ll be rehabbing his injury per the specs given by the Orioles’ training staff. He’ll then go out to a minor league affiliate on a rehab assignment, after which he’ll join the team.

However Beckham and Davis’ injuries weren’t harsh enough to put them on the DL. Will they be ready? Will the injuries re-surface? The Orioles certainly hope not.

The Birds will close out the home portion of their spring schedule this evening at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota against the Minnesota Twins – also their Opening Day opponent next week. Chris Tillman will be on the bump for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Gabriel Moya. Game time is set for just after 6 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: Dylan Bundy named Opening Day starter

Baltimore Orioles’ manager Buck Showalter has named an Opening Day starter. And it’s going to be Dylan Bundy. Mind you that Opening Day is only one game. However it’s certainly an honor for Bundy, and one that’s well deserved.

Bundy said that it wasn’t something that he expected, however he’s looking forward to the opportunity (quote courtesy of Britt Ghiroli, mlb.com):

Obviously I’m honored and humbled by it. Very excited. Going to have to control the emotions a little bit and just pitch my game.

Bundy was by far the Birds’ most consistent starter last year, joining the rotation for the first time in his career. He finished the season at 13-9, with an ERA of 4.24. If you look at the spring numbers this year, they indicate that Bundy has struggled – as an example, he has an ERA of 9.00. But Showalter doesn’t pay too much attention to spring stats, and ultimately it’s an honor that Bundy earned.

Tim Beckham left yesterday’s 10-7 victory over Boston after tweaking his groin. Buck Showalter said after the game that it was in essence done as a precaution, however the hope is that Beckham returns before the Orioles even break camp. Which incidentally is Monday morning – following their Grapefruit League finale against Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon in Clearwater.

The Birds of course will stop in Norfolk to play the Tides in a non-Grapefruit League exhibition game on Monday afternoon, and head back to Baltimore after that. Even though you want to continue the momentum of the spring immediately into Opening Day, I think that the couple of days off that they’ll have before Thursday’s opener is a good thing. It allows guys to get settled at home before going back out onto the field. And yes folks, we’re under a week before the opener!

Baltimore Orioles: Alex Cobb is coming to Baltimore

The Baltimore Orioles finally made their big splash when it comes to free agent pitchers. Alex Cobb‘s deal is signed, sealed, and delivered – pending a physical. That’s always an important part when it comes to the Orioles. (And just to be clear, the Orioles do tend to scrutinize physicals more than do other teams; but the caution of their doctors has also proven to be right over time.) But the O’s aren’t anticipating any issues popping up.

This is an incredibly late signing for sure. But the fact is that lots of free agents are still out there given the inactivity of the league as a whole. Cobb’s deal is for four years and approximately $56 million. Some of that money is also to be deferred. The Orioles tended to not want to offer a deal that long, however the fact is that they got their man.

Cobb does have a minor league option remaining, however due to his amount of service time he has the option of refusing a minor league option. However it’s believed that there’s a clause in the contract whereby he’ll go to the minors for a short period to begin the year. After all, he’s coming in at the very tail end of camp and has to get game ready.

So what does this do to the rotation and the guys already in camp? Needless to say, the likes of Bundy, Gausman, Tillman, and Cashner are going to be starters. Once Cobb takes his spot on the roster, that will even out the five starters. So that means that the work done by the likes of Castro, Cortes, and others thus far in camp is now even more important. They’re battling for spots in the bullpen, which is how that work will be viewed.

Having a starter such as Cobb will also take pressure off of the bullpen, given that they presumably won’t be as taxed in terms of having to work more innings. And that’s a good thing for everyone involved. Does this move put the Birds in a spot whereby they’re guaranteed a division crown? No. But does it make them more competitive and does it put them in the thick of the wild card race (on paper)? I believe that it does.

Baltimore Orioles’ Mark Trumbo to begin 2018 on the DL

The Baltimore Orioles received some bad news yesterday regarding OF/DH Mark Trumbo. An MRI revealed a Grade 2 right quad strain. Trumbo had missed some time, and returned to the lineup on Wednesday but felt discomfort. This is expected to sideline Trumbo for 3-4 weeks, meaning he’ll begin the season on the DL.

So what does this do to the Orioles’ roster and lineup? For starters, Pedro Alvarez might well begin the season with the team. That’s not set in stone obviously, however it’s a possibility. It could also open up a roster spot for the Birds in terms of keeping one of their three Rule 5 players. All of that remains to be seen.

The broader question however is what does this do to the Orioles moving forward? Having someone on the DL isn’t ideal, but will Trumbo be as productive as he could have been this year? Is this something that will linger throughout the year? These are all questions that face the Orioles going into the regular season.

Next week begins the final week of Grapefruit League play, culminating next Sunday afternoon in Clearwater against Philadelphia. The Birds have been “on the road” a lot this past week, however they’ll be in Sarasota more often next week. They’ll play road games against Detroit on Monday, and New York on Wednesday night. And the aforementioned spring finale against Philadelphia on Sunday.

The Orioles’ final home game at Ed Smith Stadium for the season is next Saturday night (March 24th) against Minnesota. It’s also fireworks night, and the fans and the team will be treated to a fireworks display immediately following the game. And then comes the turn north, as the Birds break camp and come home to Baltimore to get ready for Opening Day.

Baltimore Orioles fall to Minnesota in Ft. Myers

The Baltimore Orioles’ four-game spring training win streak was snapped this afternoon with a 9-8 loss in Ft. Myers to Minnesota. As has been covered ad hoc, these types of caddywampus games happen in spring. But the good news for the Birds is that starter Hunter Harvey had a good outing at the beginning. Harvey’s line: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 1 K.

The O’s got on the board early in the second inning with a solo homer by Danny Valencia. Incidentally, Valencia has a clause in his contract which allows him to opt out on a certain date if he’s not in the big leagues. So odds of Valencia being on someone’s major league roster on Opening Day are pretty good.

Minnesota would tie the score with a solo homer of their own in the bottom of that inning, however the Birds took the lead right back. Manny Machado‘s two-RBI single in the third gave them a 3-1 lead. However this was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams never letting the other get out of range. Buxton’s RBI-double in the last of the third brought them back to within one at 3-2. Again, these types of games happen in the spring.

However the O’s thought that they had broken it open in the fourth. Santander smacked a solo homer, and Caleb Joseph‘s RBI-single gave the Orioles a 5-2 lead. But keep in mind that Minnesota’s one of these small ball teams that’s given the Orioles fits over the years. In the fifth they scored on a sac fly-RBI with the bases loaded, an RBI-single, and an RBI-double.

And that right there shows you the difference in philosophies in the various divisions. From my standpoint, a sac fly-RBI with the bases loaded is akin to almost failing. With the bags juiced you need to get a lot more than that. But Minnesota’s attitude is that it’s just another run. And they’re right. I still think it’s more efficient to get them all in one fatal swoop, however one run leads to another…which leads to another one.

When the smoke cleared, the Birds trailed 7-5. However Joseph would smack another RBI-double in the sixth, and Craig Gentry an RBI-single. One inning later Pedro Alvarez would add an RBI-double of his own, and suddenly the O’s held an 8-7 lead. However two Minnesota runs in the seventh would end up doing them in, and the Birds fell 9-8 in Ft. Myers.

Several of the Orioles’ regulars made this trip, and many others will be on the road trip tomorrow. They were given the option of picking one of these two games in which to play. Admittedly this is a bit of a strange week because they had the day off yesterday, two road games mid-week, a home game on Thursday, and then again on the road Friday. This followed by back-to-back home games this weekend.

The Orioles travel back to Port Charlotte tomorrow to take on the Tampa Rays. Mike Wright gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Tampa’s Blake Snell. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.

Baltimore Orioles: AL East vs. the rest of the league

2016 was obviously considered a down year for the Baltimore Orioles. However while not officially, for all intents and purposes they finished in the neighborhood of .500 (37-39) against their division, the AL East. This kind of works against the grain because in general you figure if you can compete in your division, you’re going to win games.

Having said that, the Orioles actually play non-AL East teams for more games than they do division teams. This discrepancy is slight, but it’s there. But how could the O’s finish in that .500 neighborhood in division play, but still end up 18 games out of first place when all was said and done?

It’s actually fairly simple if you think about it. The Orioles are constructed to compete in the AL East. The division has always been about bludgeoning your competition to death. Look at the Orioles and look across the division – it’s just a fact of life.

Whether it’s Davis, Jones, Mancini, Machado, or someone else, the Orioles can hit the ball out of the ballpark. The past few spring games have told us that as well. And that’s how you win games in the American League East. This is true both in the present, as well as historically.

However this is also just another way of saying that Oriole pitching hasn’t held up it’s end of the bargain. The Orioles both win and lose games 9-8 and so forth. Ideally you’d rather win 9-1. Now last year may not be the greatest example off which to look, given that everything kind of went south at once. Odds are against that happening in general. But it did.

So the question is whether or not the Birds would be better off trying to compete with the rest of the league as opposed to the AL East? And my answer is no. If you take ten division wins away does that mean you’re adding 20 wins in non-divisional games? Odds are against it. The best way forward for the Orioles is to maintain their divisional record, and improve their non-division record. If they can do that, they’ll have a better shot at the post season.

The Orioles will resume play this afternoon, traveling to Ft. Myers to take on the Minnesota Twins. Hunter Harvey gets the start for the O’s, and he’ll be opposed by Minnesota’s Adalberto Mejia. Game time is set for just after 1 PM.