Baltimore Oriol Trumbo to attend this weekend’s FaFest

In case you weren’t aware, the Baltimore Orioles will be holding their annual FanFest this Saturday at the Baltimore Convention Center. It was announced yesterday that the newly re-signed Mark Trumbo will be in attendance. As will new catcher, Welington Castillo.

Both players were late adds, and in fact Trumbo will be introduced to the media (or “re-introduced” I suppose) at a 3 PM press conference tomorrow afternoon. Trumbo is expected to draw a lot of interest from fans, as there were varying opinions as to whether or not he should be brought back.

At the end of the day however, the yea’s won out and Trumbo will be an Oriole for the next three years. However I would submit that Castillo will draw some interest as well, given that he’s taking over for a perennial all-star and a longtime fan favorite in Wieters. Those are big shoes to fill, however if the rest of the league’s reaction to Wieters being on the free agent market is any indication one might think that the Orioles did the right thing in moving on.

Incidentally folks, I’ll be wandering around the convention floor on Saturday myself. If you see me, feel free to say hello!

Baltimore Orioles: Power wins in the AL East

Many fans like to say that the Baltimore Orioles use power as a crutch in a sense. In bringing back the likes of Davis (last year), Trumbo, etc, the Orioles are expecting to slug their way into the post season. And in the eyes of some, that’s misguided.

If you look at recent history, perhaps it is. The Cleveland Indians made it to the World Series last season playing small ball, and there are plenty of other examples of that. However what I would say is that the Orioles need to be a power team that can play small ball. There’s no reason that guys shouldn’t be able to bunt for a base hit, or sac bunt. That’s part of the game.

But that’s not how you win games in the American League East. It never has been and probably never will be. You win games in the AL East based on two things: power and pitching. The pitching part we know is a constant struggle in Baltimore. I’m focusing on the power.

How many AL East games are 1-0 or somewhere of the like? Not very many. You win games in the AL East by bashing your opponents’ brains in. Teams consistently win games 9-7 or 10-9. That’s just how it works.

While the Orioles do need to focus a bit more on OBP, if they started playing small ball consistently in their division, they’d lose a boatload of games. It’s perfectly okay to only score four runs in a game overall. But when your opponent is putting up seven, that’s a problem.

So my hope is that people try to understand that it isn’t that the O’s don’t want to work harder on their team OBP. The fact is that they need as much power as they can get. The other teams aren’t just going to change at will simply because the Orioles did. That’s not how it works! The American League East is always won or lost on power hitting at the plate. And good pitching…but again, that’s a totally different story!

Baltimore Orioles: How important are wins and losses this spring?

The Baltimore Orioles will begin spring training games at the end of next month. Yeah, I just wrote that! But as we start looking to Grapefruit League play, how important are wins and losses once games start? Is there or should there be more of an emphasis on that?

It’s tough to say. First off, keep in mind that wins and losses are tough to gauge in road games in spring. Most teams only bring a handful of regular players on their travel rosters, and the lineups are thus not really what one would expect to see in a regular season game. And even in the home games, sometimes we see lineup changes and tinkerings here and there.

So any discussion about wins and losses in spring should be prefaced with that. If a guy who’s basically earmarked for triple-A makes two errors and strikes out three times in a spring game, that will probably have no bearing on how the team will finish the regular season.

However I do think that perhaps there could be more of an urgency this year. With Wieters presumably gone and Castillo behind the dish, these spring games are going to be key in building rapport with the pitching staff. Does that mean that winning games is a must? Not necessarily per se. However it helps.

Make no mistake about the fact that similar to what I said above about the guy earmarked for triple-A, if the starters come out of a game in which they have the lead and the reserves blow it, that’s meaningless. At the beginning of camp the starters will get two or three at-bats in games, and then turn things over to some of the minor leaguers. Furhermore, the pitchers’ appearances are all going to be choreographed.

That’s how spring games work – they’re almost planned out! Starters are earmarked to only pitch two innings in their first outing, maybe three in their second, and so forth. And the same with the position players; after two or three at-bats, they’re rotated out of the lineup.

My point is that it’s tough to judge by wins and losses in spring. First off the games don’t count, so it’s pointless. But when you go into a game knowing that your time is limited and in essence you know how long you’re going to be playing, it’s also tough to judge. Wins and losses are important, even in spring. Especially with a new starting catcher. But how the spring develops in terms of quality at-bats and outings is more important.

Baltimore Orioles, MLB mourn loss of Yordano Ventura

The Baltimore Orioles join the rest of Major League Baseball in mourning the death of the Kansas City Royals’ pitcher Yordano Ventura. His Jeep was found overturned yesterday in the Dominican Republic. Along with Ventura’s body was found that of former Pittsburgh Pirate, Andy Marte. Condolences to all who knew and loved them.

This is only the latest players killed in accidents over the past few years. It’s unclear if this is something that the league will address, or if there was any ort of substance abuse involved. Time will tell.

I want to be up front about the fact that I wasn’t a fan of Ventura’s style. He was a great pitcher, and a great talent. However he caused multiple incidents involving bench-clearing brawls after beaning people – including one here in Baltimore last year. It got to the point to where if you looked at Ventura wrong, you were in danger o being hit.

But that’s beside the point. Someone’s death, especially one in that manner for someone that young, is always a sad affair. I never met Yordano Ventura in person, and for all I know he was the nicest person in the world off the field. But again, even that’s irrelevant.

What is relevant is that he had a family that loved him, and who now lacks him for the rest of time. That’s an incredibly sad prospect. Again, condolences to all who knew and loved him.

Baltimore Orioles: More on Matt Wieters

As I’ve said before, I’m shocked that former Baltimore Orioles’ catcher, Matt Wieters, is still out there on the free agent market. If I were him, I’d be looking at my agent (Scott Boras) and wonder what the heck is goin on. There’s little doubt that if Boras wasn’t so stingy and stubborn at times, Wieters might already either be back with the Orioles or have a new team.

Incidentally, it’s probably to the Orioles’ credit that they found a new direction in Castillo and all but immediately moved on. I suspect that they wanted no part of Boras’ reindeer games, and knew that the only thing they stood to gain from being in whatever Wieters sweepstakes were going to be out there was next-to-nothing. Odds are the Orioles would have been leveraged to get more money out of other teams, and then they would haave been unceremoniously jilted at the altar.

Supposedly there are teams that are still interested – including the Orioles (according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick). Crasnick says that they’re a long shot, but they could do exactly what I said they might consider doing earlier in the off season: platooning Wieters and Castillo and then DHing him the rest of the time. It’s an idea for sure, and one that could incidentally yield the Birds a couple of prospects at the deadline as well.

But again, I really feel that Boras has really overplayed his hand on this one. Only he knows what kind of offers have been out there thus far, but needless to say I suspect that someone has made an offer on Wieters. I just don’t see him coming back to Baltimore, regardless of the role he might play. But stranger things have happened.

Baltimore Orioles: Matt Wieters is surprisingly still available

This column is not me suggesting that the Baltimore Orioles need to or should re-sign Matt Wieters. With the catchers that the Birds have right now, that ship has sailed. However this column is me saying that I’m shocked that Wieters is still a free agent. Are teams really that afraid of a guy who had Tommy Johns a few years back?

Again, the Orioles don’t need a catcher. However there are plenty of teams who do – such as the team down the pike. Wieters was also apparently earmarked for Atlanta at one point, which is where he went to school. But even that hasn’t materialized. So again, what gives?

We’re talking about a guy who’s appeared on multiple all-star rosters, and who’s a true team leader. The only thing I can muster is that agent Scott Boras is either stubornly asking for too much money (still), or teams really do have questions about Wieters’ health. Or could it go deeper than that?

I would submit that the shelf-life of a catcher has gotten shorter and shorter. When the likes of SF’s Posey get hurt in the manner that he did, it makes teams think. Furthermore you have the Washington Nationals who literally sent Harper to the outfield – never allowing him to crouch behind the dish.

This is how the league ebbs and flows. Sports are very reactionary in the sense that if injuries happen to high-profile people, something will eventually be done to prevent them. And I get that, however…Wieters is probably the best catcher on the market. It’s shocking to me that he’s still out there.

So just for the sake of saying it – should the Orioles bring him back? I say no. They’re set at catcher, and in fact within the organization they’re deep at that position. We’re getting to the point to where prices will start to drop. So someone will get a bargain. My guess is that it’s Atlanta.

Baltimore Orioles re-sign Mark Trumbo

If you got a kick out of seeing Mark TrumboMark Trumbo in a Baltimore Orioles’ uniform last year, you’re in luck! As of late yesterday afternoon, the Birds agreed in principle to a deal that will keep the former free agent slugger in Baltimore. Pending a physical, Trumbo and the Orioles have a three-year deal in place, reportedly worth just below $40 million.

Speaking for myself, I think that’s a bargain. Trumbo was a huge factor in the Orioles’ offense last year, and he was going to be a tough act to follow. He still will be a tough act to follow – he’ll be taxed with replicating last year’s production.

Whether or not this was the right move for the Orioles remains to be seen. Many detractors point to his lack of defensive skills, although he actually had a fairly respectable year in the field. However the season he had at the plate would be tough to replicate.

Again, detractors will say that he’ll be going into the downside of his career and that it’s unrealistic to hope he can continue at that pace. However many of the same people wanted the Orioles to make a move. Well, they made a move. And personally I think it was the right move.

This signals that the Orioles are going to continually try to be competitive in 2017. They recognized that there would be a huge hole in their offense if they didn’t re-sign Trumbo or at least replace him. They went for him – and they got him.

Obviously the deal is pending a physical – so they still have to get over that hurdle. We all know the Orioles’ history with physicals, so it’s perhaps more than a mere formality. Having said that, we also know that more often than not the Orioles have tended to be right when it came to these physicals. But that’s a different story.

Trumbo is also a guy who fit into the Orioles’ clubhouse very well, so I’m sure that Buck and company are going to be happy to have him back from that perspective as well. Building a team isn’t easy, but the O’s took a big step yesterday in building their team moving into 2017.

Baltimore Orioles: A game for fathers and sons

Tim Raines of course is not going into the MLB Hall of Fame this coming summer as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. Raines played for the Birds for four games at the very end of the 2001 season. And I mean the very end; as in the last four games of the year.

The Orioles consummated a trade with the Montreal Expos for cash considerations in the future to bring the future Hall of Famer to Baltimore – mainly so that he could play alongside his son, Tim Raines Jr., who was in his first season in professional baseball (with the Orioles). Junior patrolled center, while Senior hung out in left.

That was a publicity stunt for sure, however on this day we can truly say that another former Oriole is in the Hall of Fame. However Raines is obviously just another name who played for the Orioles – for a very short period. However it would be unfair to say that Raines was “an Oriole.”

At the time, I supported that “publicity stunt.” And I still do. Baseball is one of the only sports that can provide us with a moment like that. The odds of seeing a father and son playing on the same team in the NFL or in any other sport are pretty slim. At the time, Senior was 42 years old; for the most part, players in other sports don’t make it that far. There are always exceptions, such as George Blanda of the Oakland Raiders, and Robert Parish of the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets.

But also keep in mind that baseball is a sport which at it’s core begins with fathers and sons – having a catch in the backyard. And yes, as far along as the 1980’s when I grew up that was still the case. I think it still is now as well – although there’s no doubt that mothers and sons, mothers and daughters, and fathers and daughters have come a long way. However I would submit that there’s no greater example of that image of fathers and sons than the Orioles.

Orioles fans had the pleasure of watching the various Ripkens in various roles for so long. Cal Sr. of course was the architect of what we know as “The Oriole Way”…and we all know what his oldest son accoplished at the big league level as a player. Not to mention his “other son,” Billy.

So perhaps it was fitting that it was the Orioles who made that moment happening – father and son playing together in the same outfield. It was a moment that even the Ripkens never got to experience. (Although a father managing two of his sons at the big league level is pretty special – and something that’s only happened once, of course!) We hear the moniker “football is family” from the NFL a lot – and I agree in a sense. But perhaps that fits baseball a bit more so than it does football. At it’s core, this game is about fathers and sons.

Incidentally, I found this article in the archives of the Baltimore Sun. It’s from 1999, which is the year I graduated from high school – just to offer some perspective! However it details the forgotten Ripken brother, Fred. At the time, he was coaching his daughter’s softball team. I’ll be honest, I got a real kick out of the part where they talked about how he waves runners home similar to his Dad. At it’s core, this game is about fathers and…their children.

Baltimore Orioles: Should the Birds consider trading Manny Machado?

Let’s play devil’s advocate for a moment regarding the Baltimore Orioles and third baseman Manny Machado. Humor me, if you will. Should the Birds consider trading him?

The idea is out there, and it’s being discussed by fans across the board. Yes, I said by fans. There’s a prevailing sentiment that the Orioles won’t be able to sign Machado when the time comes. So they may as well trade him and get something for him – right?

However I would submit that’s akin to admitting defeat. In this case, it’s admitting defeat before you even start. How many people thought the Orioles were going to re-sign Davis last year? Remember that send-off at Camden Yards in the last game of 2015?

Point being, it came as a surprise when Davis finally re-signed. Obviously Machado is going to cost a pretty penny more than what Davis did. That’s about par for the course when you’re dealing with a would-be hall of famer like Machado.

Here’s my point; don’t just assume that Machado’s going to be gone before the time comes. So on that point, no the Orioles shouldn’t trade him. In fact I would submit that it would be foolish to do so. But apparently people on message boards know better than I.

Baltimore Orioles: Is Jose Bautista being used to negotiate with Trumbo?

The Baltimore Orioles’ aversion to signing Jose Bautista has been well-documented here, and elsewhere. Yet over the weekend there were reports that the Orioles had in fact been in contact with Bautista’s camp. Are the Orioles actually interested?

My view on this is well-documented. I think that Bautista’s history with some of the Orioles’ players is too much of an issue for them to be able to “welcome” him into the clubhouse as one of their own. Furthermore he’s 36 years old, and injury-prone. So with all of that being the case, I just don’t see him as a viable fit in Baltimore.

Up to this point, that appeared to be the case on the team’s side as well. It’s often tough to say when stories like this come about who put the rumor out there. It may well have been someone on Bautista’s side who started this “rumor” so as to generate interest for the free agent slugger. Or it could…have even been the Orioles.

Why would the Orioles do that? Well first off, I suppose it’s possible that there is some muted interest on the team’s side. You really never know. However keep one other thing in mind: Mark Trumbo is still out there on the free agent market.

Regardless of which team we’re talking about, does anyone out there actually think that Bautista would be a better bargain than Trumbo at this point? I don’t think that Trumbo brings the baggage Bautista does, and I think his potential for production is higher. Again, that’s an opinion on my part. You may disagree, and that’s okay.

But I wouldn’t put it past a team to claim to be flirting with another player (even one as potentially odious as Bautista) so as to pressure someone else into signing. Sometimes that’s the name of the game. The reason Trumbo is even on the Orioles at all is similar to that. They made the trade to get Trumbo in anticipation for the fact that Chris Davis might not have been back. Davis obviously saw that the Orioles had a contingency in place, and decided to sign. In some situations, that’s all it takes.

My personal opinion is that Bautista will stay in Toronto. Further reports have surfaced to that ends as well. Toronto is where he’s made his name, he’s a fan favorite, and he seems to fit in with the city and organization. Mind you, that’s also a fan base that throws open beers at players…