Camden Chat - All PostsPut a bird on it!https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48285/camden-fave.png2024-03-18T10:30:00-04:00http://www.camdenchat.com/rss/current/2024-03-18T10:30:00-04:002024-03-18T10:30:00-04:00Why aren’t the Orioles being connected to Snell or Montgomery at all?
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<img alt="Los Angeles Dodgers v San Diego Padres" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/pE7zqC7CnlElkzLjvjnA3ANSkDs=/1x0:4875x3249/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73215130/1579567943.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>There are enough question marks surrounding the Baltimore rotation that they could use at least one more dependable arm.</p> <p id="4GzFqm">The final week of spring training has arrived. That means a few tough roster decisions will need to be made soon, including in the starting rotation, where <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/2/15/24073877/orioles-news-injuries-spring-training-kyle-bradish">the Orioles will enter the season down two of their top arms</a>.</p>
<p id="HK2I12">Thankfully, the O’s have gotten good news on both Kyle Bradish and John Means recently. <a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/bradish-has-first-spring-bullpen-session">Bradish threw his first bullpen on Wednesday</a>, tossing exclusively fastballs, and he came out of it “looking well,” according to manager Brandon Hyde. <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/orioles-john-means-throws-bullpen-session-907270/">Means also threw a bullpen</a> on Wednesday and then followed it up with <a href="https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/1768999176690405774">live batting practice on Friday</a>. An IL stint is coming for both of them, but at least things are progressing well.</p>
<p id="B2RgF5">In their absence, the Orioles are expected to push Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin to the rotation. It’s a role that is plenty familiar to the pair. Wells has started a total of 43 games for the O’s over the last two seasons, although he has had trouble with maintaining stamina late in the year. Irvin came to Baltimore prior to last season with the expectation of being a back-end innings eater for them. That plan didn’t work, but he improved as the season went on, and he does have two full seasons as a big league starter on his resume from his days in Oakland.</p>
<p id="nKTLZ6">The options beyond Wells and Irvin are less exciting. They include Keegan Akin, Bruce Zimmermann, Julio Teherán, and Albert Suárez. These are names that would probably be fine in a spot start capacity or perhaps as a long man in the bullpen, but a longer term rotation role should not be on the table.</p>
<p id="fzSvZw">Meanwhile, there remain two high-level starting pitchers on the free agent market in Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. Snell is the reigning NL Cy Young winner, who won the award with a league-best 182 ERA+ and by limiting hitters to only 5.8 hits per nine innings pitched. Montgomery may have been the best addition at last year’s trade deadline, posting a 2.79 ERA over 11 starts for the eventual <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/world-series">World Series</a> champion Rangers. Both are left-handed and entering their age-31 seasons.</p>
<p id="moq1F0">Rumors around Snell have been all over the place, but the latest is that <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/astros-reportedly-long-shots-to-land-blake-snell.html">he would be open to a short-term deal</a>. His asking price is set at $60 million over two years with an opt out after 2024. The <a href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com">Astros</a>, specifically, are said to not be interested at that dollar amount. But a set-up like that could make sense for the Orioles considering their payroll in the short-term remains quite flexible. Where the O’s might get jumpy is the idea of draft pick compensation.</p>
<p id="Cav4qU">Snell rejected the $20.35 million qualifying offer from the Padres. So, provided that a team will sign Snell prior to this summer’s draft, they would also need to give up a draft pick. As a revenue-sharing recipient, the Orioles would have to forfeit their third-highest selection. That could hurt extra considering they already surrendered the 34th overall pick in the trade to land Corbin Burnes, although they are likely to regain a pick in 2025 if Burnes himself is given and then rejects that qualifying offer.</p>
<p id="JU3fhs">Montgomery was ineligible for the qualifying offer as he was traded midseason. That makes his continued stay on the market a bit more straightforward. With Snell, teams have to sort out his value relative to both his monetary cost but also the value of the draft pick they give up. With Montgomery, they simply need to determine whether or not he’s worth the contract he lands.</p>
<p id="OjuemV">The last reporting on Montgomery’s asking price came in late February. Here’s the situation <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/02/27/sports/mets-should-seriously-rethink-jordan-montgomery-stance/">according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="kQAx41">It is believed Montgomery wanted to be compared financially to Aaron Nola (seven years, $172 million) while the industry was more thinking Eduardo Rodriguez (four years, $80 million).</p></blockquote>
<p id="FEKn1o"><a href="https://www.philliesnation.com/2023/11/aaron-nola-rumors-toronto-blue-jays-baltimore-orioles-philadelphia-phillies/">It was reported back in November</a> that the Orioles were interested in Nola before he re-signed with the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>. So, at the very least, the idea of the dollar amount itself wouldn’t seem to be an issue. Montgomery is only a few months older than Nola, and the lefty was clearly the better pitcher in 2023.</p>
<p id="MIakRz">There is no need for a deep analysis of Snell and Montgomery relative to the Orioles’ other current starting options. While both players have flaws, they are clearly superior to Wells and Irvin, and might even be an upgrade over a fully healthy Means. </p>
<p id="hh1tuC"><a href="https://twitter.com/Buster_ESPN/status/1765343972019278036?lang=en">ESPN’s Buster Olney sees a fit for either one of them</a> in Baltimore, and he thinks it could make sense in the context of the incoming ownership group looking to make a splash. But that’s commentary rather than reporting. </p>
<p id="er4TCu">The fact remains that the Orioles have not been connected to Snell or Montgomery in any significant way. Even for a notoriously tight-lipped front office, it’s curious. What gives?</p>
<p id="7j0uZ2">The answer could be a boring one. Perhaps Mike Elias has been given a budget for 2024, and bringing on a hefty contract like that would prevent them from a major move at the deadline. Or in his mind he only wants to spend a certain amount on the rotation, and the $15.637 million that Burnes will earn this year has eaten up most of that allotment.</p>
<p id="YDNVqb">It could also be that Elias doesn’t see the value in Snell or Montgomery. <a href="https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2022/12/06/elias-multi-year-contracts-losing-draft-choices-areas-need-lift-off/">The O’s GM has spoken about his feelings on signing free agent pitchers before</a>. In general, he’s open to it, but he doesn’t exactly seem enthusiastic about committing multiple years to players that may or may not be on the back nine of their career. He wouldn’t be alone in that feeling among major league decision makers.</p>
<p id="qsRrBY">From the fan perspective, hopefully the reason is connected to the health of Bradish and Means. If the Orioles are confident in one or both of them being significant contributors this season, then it makes sense to hold on to what you have.</p>
<p id="22p9RE">Bradish is coming off of a fourth-place finish in the AL Cy Young voting last season. You might take him over Snell or Montgomery based on talent alone. Add in the ages and salaries of all of them, and it’s no contest.</p>
<p id="APYFfc">Means, it seems, isn’t even hurt at this point. He’s being slow played, which should mean he is playing at 100% in late April, when he is expected back. In his brief appearances last year, the lefty looked nice (2.66 ERA over 23.2 innings). Not to mention, he’s a former All-Star who has two impressive full seasons as a big leaguer under his belt. While you might still view him as a touch below Montgomery, it’s not by a huge margin or anything.</p>
<p id="CgJEI3">All of this is to say that yes, Snell and/or Montgomery would be an improvement over whomever the Orioles expect to be their fifth starter for much of the season. But the gap in value between that fifth starter and one of these two remaining pitchers must not be wider than the differences in salary, potential draft pick compensation, and the opportunity cost of allowing one of the internal options have the job instead.</p>
<p id="undgwP">It’s Elias’s job to do that baseball arithmetic and sort out what makes for the best version of the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/">Baltimore Orioles</a> in 2024 and beyond. To this point, it seems that the GM plans to stand pat. But it’s not as if the club was closely connected to Burnes leading up to that deal either. Things can change.</p>
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https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/18/24104501/baltimore-orioles-blake-snell-jordan-montgomery-why-not-2024Tyler Young2024-03-18T09:00:00-04:002024-03-18T09:00:00-04:00Previewing the AL East: New York Yankees
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<img alt="MLB: Spring Training-Atlanta Braves at New York Yankees" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mS-1Gu_87ZqAfo1J-EJZMzMOTG4=/0x0:4749x3166/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214894/usa_today_22744741.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bronx Bombers are seen as the favorites to dethrone the Orioles in the AL East thanks to the addition of Juan Soto.</p> <p id="hbvOnR">No matter what’s in the baseball world outside of the Bronx, the greater baseball-loving public just can’t seem to quit the Yankees. The boys in pinstripes are coming off their worst season in over three decades, as 2023 saw them finish fourth in the AL East and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Their 82 wins was the lowest win total a Yankees team has put up since Buck Showalter took over as manager of a struggling franchise in 1992. </p>
<p id="YqzYlT">However, the mystique of a club with 27 World Series titles and some key offseason additions have the general public believing in the Bronx Bombers once again. DraftKings currently has them dead even with the Orioles at +185 odds to win the AL East—far and away the two betting favorites. Earlier in the offseason, most sports books had them as the singular betting favorites with a win total that had them as the best team in baseball. </p>
<p id="eoWH10">The expectation is always World Series or bust in New York, but that feels more true than ever heading into the 2024 season. Manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman’s seats are so hot they’re practically Boston red. The moves the Yankees made this offseason reflect that sense of desperation and only a deep run into October will prove that these moves were worth while. </p>
<h4 id="0050DK">Additions and Subtractions</h4>
<p id="zcqFXB">The Yankees spent the beginning of the offseason completely retooling their outfield. When <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/judgeaa01.shtml">Aaron Judge</a> was out of the lineup injured in 2023, the Yankees outfield was pretty much a non-factor offensively. The Yankees swung for the fences to make sure that wasn’t the case again in 2024. After acquiring <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/verdual01.shtml">Alex Verdugo</a> from the Red Sox for three minor leaguers, they sent C Kyle Higashioka and pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez to the Padres for <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sotoju01.shtml">Juan Soto</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grishtr01.shtml">Trent Grisham</a>. </p>
<p id="ck6JIl">The new combination of Soto and Judge gives the Yankees one of the best offensive duos in the American League—up there with Alvarez and Altuve, Semien and Seager and Henderson and Rutschman. The further additions of Verdugo and Grisham not only add depth to the outfield, but add more left-handed bats to a lineup that has been overly right-handed for several seasons. </p>
<p id="sjjsWi">On the mound, the biggest addition is 2023 All-Star <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stromma01.shtml">Marcus Stroman</a>. The diminutive right-hander knows the AL East well after spending the first 5+ seasons of his career in Toronto. He comes to New York as a bit of a wild card, though. The first half of his 2023 was excellent: a 2.96 ERA, .205 BAA and 1.11 WHIP. However, post All-Star break struggles and a hip injury that cost him all of August and half of September caused Stroman’s second half numbers to balloon. In eight appearances after the Midsummer Classic, Stroman had an 8.63 ERA and opponents hit .327 off him. The Yankees also traded for <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/ferguca01.shtml">Caleb Ferguson</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gonzavi02.shtml">Victor González</a> to give them some reliable lefties in the bullpen. </p>
<p id="EMZmcY">The Yankees didn’t see any major departures, besides the major leaguers they gave up in the Soto trade. After struggling last year in the Bronx, utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa took a two-year deal with the Blue Jays. Outfielder Harrison Bader crossed boroughs when he took a one-year deal with the Mets, while bench bat Jake Bauers took a one-year offer in Milwaukee. On the mound, Frankie Montas left to sign a one-year deal in Cincinnati, while relievers Wandy Peralta left for San Diego and Albert Abreu left the country to sign with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan. </p>
<h4 id="6FYWPD">Starting Rotation </h4>
<p id="bo1xE0">On paper, the Yankees’ rotation is very deep. It is led by 2023 Cy Young winner <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colege01.shtml">Gerrit Cole</a> and filled with former All-Stars Stroman, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodonca01.shtml">Carlos Rodón</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cortene01.shtml">Nestor Cortes</a> and capped off by 28-year-old <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmicl01.shtml">Clarke Schmidt</a>. The biggest threat to the rotation’s success may not be opposing hitters, but rather their health. </p>
<p id="G1KrR0">Undoubtedly the biggest story line out of Yankees’ spring training is the injury to ace Cole. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/gerrit-cole-to-avoid-throwing-for-three-to-four-weeks">The latest diagnosis</a> is nerve inflammation in Cole’s right elbow that will see him shut down completely for the next three to four weeks. After that, he’ll have to go through a throwing program to ramp back up and get in shape to rejoin the rotation. In all likelihood, the reigning best starter in the AL will miss the first two months of the Yankees season—if not more. </p>
<p id="1Nt6Lp">The injury to the usually durable Cole makes the dark cloud that is this rotation’s injury history that much greater. New Opening Day starter Cortes made only 12 starts last year due to a rotator cuff injury, and struggled to a 4.97 ERA when he was healthy. Rodón didn’t make his debut in pinstripes until July 7 last season due a forearm injury, and posted a 6.85 ERA over 14 starts once he came off the IL — not exactly the return the Yankees were hoping for when they signed Rodón to a six-year, $162M contract last offseason. </p>
<p id="nodeha">If the rest of the Yankees’ rotation stays healthy, and Cole comes back on schedule, they should be competing with Baltimore (and others) for the title of best rotation in the American League. However, should injuries rear their ugly heads again, and the Yankees are forced to overly rely on depth options like <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weavelu01.shtml">Luke Weaver</a>, the rotation could be the reason they miss the playoffs entirely. </p>
<h4 id="ea1f9K">Bullpen</h4>
<p id="uQwNO1">Besides the departure of Abreu, King and Peralta, and additions of Ferguson and González as depth, the names in Yankees bullpen remain largely the same. Former All-Star <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/holmecl01.shtml">Clay Holmes</a> will return as the Yankees closer for the third straight season. <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loaisjo01.shtml">Jonathan Loáisiga</a> will look to make a bigger impact after an elbow injury limited him to only 17 appearances in 2023. The trio of right handers <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marinro01.shtml">Ron Marinaccio</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kahnlto01.shtml">Tommy Kahnle</a> and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kahnlto01.shtml">Ian Hamilton</a> will look to step into bigger roles as well to replace the outgoing right-handed relievers. </p>
<p id="Mswurx">Despite no longer sporting a household name like Mariano Rivera, the Yankees’ pen led all of baseball last year with a 3.34 ERA. Peralta was the only left-hander who got significant innings last season, so this version of the pen should prove to be slightly more balanced. The only question facing this group is how some guys will respond to bigger roles.</p>
<h4 id="O76Kqv">Lineup</h4>
<p id="kEJOwO">When everyone is healthy, you’d figure that the Yankees primary lineup will look something like this:</p>
<ol>
<li id="acBrsz">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lemahdj01.shtml">DJ LeMahieu</a> (R) 3B</li>
<li id="NLkQ4a">Juan Soto (L) LF</li>
<li id="2ftTdc">Aaron Judge (R) CF</li>
<li id="KBkvOz">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stantmi03.shtml">Giancarlo Stanton</a> (R) DH</li>
<li id="3kI46Z">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rizzoan01.shtml">Anthony Rizzo</a> (L) 1B</li>
<li id="ydBQ6n">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/torregl01.shtml">Gleyber Torres</a> (R) 2B</li>
<li id="cy83Kb">Alex Verdugo (L) RF</li>
<li id="yhUijn">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/volpean01.shtml">Anthony Volpe</a> (R) SS</li>
<li id="KoBtTH">
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/trevijo01.shtml">Jose Trevino</a>/<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsau01.shtml">Austin Wells</a> (R/L) C</li>
</ol>
<p id="E8Ceaf">While the additions of Soto and Verdugo make this team both younger and more balanced, the top half of the lineup still relies heavily on aging players like Stanton, Rizzo and LeMahieu. None were at their best in 2023, as they combined to hit .228, slug .395 and all of the three had an OPS+ below league average. </p>
<p id="56rrvc">The Yankees will also be hoping to get more offensively out of Anthony Volpe in his second season than they did in his rookie campaign. That’s not to say Volpe was a total dud in his debut season; he did manage to put up a 20-20 season with 21 HRs and a team-leading 24 SBs. However, his .209 average, .666 OPS and 81 OPS+ were all anchors on his overall effectiveness—and the effectiveness of the Yankees lineup. If Volpe can get closer to the production put up by his double play partner Gleyber Torres (.800 OPS, 118 OPS+), it will go a long way in making this a playoff worthy lineup. </p>
<p id="QeIBj4">Defensively, this lineup definitely presents some questions marks. After leading the league in Defensive Runs Saved in 2022, the Yankees defense took a step back in 2023. While they were still above average with 27 DRS, that represented a regression of over 100 runs saved year over year. </p>
<p id="PeLZnq">The Yankees’ best defensive lineup would see Grisham in CF, Judge in RF and Soto at DH. If Stanton struggles again in 2024, expect that to become Boone’s lineup of choice. That configuration would give the Yankees four upper echelon defenders, with Grisham and Judge joining 2023 Gold Glove SS Volpe and 2022 Platinum Glove C Trevino. If Verdugo and Torres can repeat their defensive performance from 2023, New York could once again be a top 10 defensive ball club. Soto is by far the worst defender among the regular starters, so the strength of their defense may ultimately come down to how he and Stanton share at bats at DH. </p>
<h4 id="iHOUjn">Projections</h4>
<p id="r7MgIr"><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/standings/">PECOTA</a>: 92-70</p>
<p id="mSZbUl"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fmlb%2F2024%2F02%2F14%2Fmlb-win-totals-2024-projections-odds%2F72583546007%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.camdenchat.com%2F2024%2F3%2F18%2F24104299%2Fal-east-preview-new-york-yankees-mlb-2024" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">USA Today</a>: 92-70</p>
<p id="t9MqXJ"><a href="https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=Standings">FanGraphs</a>: 88-74</p>
<p id="dSxgrM"><a href="https://sportsbook.draftkings.com/leagues/baseball/mlb?category=team-futures&subcategory=regular-season-wins">DraftKings Sportsbook</a>: Over/Under 91.5 Wins, +185 to win the AL East, +500 to win the AL Pennant, +1100 to win the World Series</p>
<p id="ZpBQw5">Like last year, the Yankees are the consensus favorite to win the AL East, though in most places the margins are razor thin between them and the Orioles. USA Today is the only one of the prognosticators who predict the Orioles to repeat as division champs. To be fair to the predictions, the last five full seasons have seen five different teams win the AL East title. The last team to win back-to-back division titles (while playing a full season) were the 2017 and 2018 Red Sox. </p>
<p id="Gy5bLt">However, this is a much deeper AL East than the last time the Yankees won the division in 2022. Four of the five teams have legitimate playoff aspirations and the Red Sox aren’t a complete pushover as the presumptive fifth-placed team. At the very least, the Yankees should make a return to the postseason with their revamped offense led by Soto and Judge. Whether they can chase down the O’s will largely come down to the health of the rotation and whether or not they get bounce back years from some of their veteran bats. </p>
<p id="PXr3Bu">**</p>
<p id="xPLvrR">Do the Yanks have what it takes to dethrone the O’s in 2024? Let your opinion be heard in the comments. </p>
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https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/18/24104299/al-east-preview-new-york-yankees-mlb-2024John Beers2024-03-18T07:00:00-04:002024-03-18T07:00:00-04:00Monday Bird Droppings: Let’s talk Kyle Stowers
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<img alt="Baltimore Orioles v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Eb3C0ISoNOECRhMRq1a1KtjvgTk=/1x0:6505x4336/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73214657/2061421505.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Stowers has had a huge spring. Will it be enough to get him on the Opening Day roster?</p> <p id="Fez8Zs">Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you had a nice weekend. The weather was beautiful in the Baltimore area. It’s starting to feel like spring, which means baseball season is right around the corner. </p>
<p id="O0bZ8g">Speaking of good weekends: Kyle Stowers. With the ascension of multiple prospects in the last year, the outfielder had fallen off the radar despite continuing to play well at Triple-A. He has been scorching hot this spring, getting hits and hitting for power against lefty pitchers since the Grapefruit League began. Yesterday he expanded his repertoire, blasting three home runs against right-handed pitchers. </p>
<p id="2TgbMq">I have been advocating for a while for the Orioles to trade Stowers. He has seemingly been passed in the system by Colton Cowser and Heston Kjerstad. He’s 26 years old and has played 185 games at Triple-A across three seasons with an OPS of .867. Sending him back there this year seems cruel. He has nothing more to prove there. </p>
<p id="pVdytA">But now...I’m reconsidering. With the usual caveat about spring numbers, it’s hard to deny what Stowers has done so far. I think that he has played himself onto the big-league roster and deserves the chance to prove that he can succeed with the Orioles. But how can he fit onto the roster? </p>
<p id="lPJghz">For me, it means bidding farewell to Ryan McKenna and having Heston Kjerstad start in the minors. McKenna is the only true backup to Cedric Mullins in center field, but if the Orioles are satisfied with the Jorge Mateo in center experiment, that could solve the issue. Colton Cowser, who I believe will also make the team out of spring training, can also play center in a pinch. </p>
<p id="KTp9gH">Heston Kjerstad was an incredible story last year. He rebounded from his illness and injury to play a partial season in 2022. He started 2023 with the Bowie Baysox and finished with the Orioles. He even made the playoff roster. But he is still the least experienced of the trio of young outfielders making a push for the roster. </p>
<p id="eQ7uMk">There are just 10 days until Opening Day. Decisions need to be made soon. With so many young, talented players, it would never be easy. Kyle Stowers has made it even more difficult. </p>
<p id="GeJi6h"><strong>Links</strong></p>
<p id="D3fpDL"><a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/14/24095329/camden-chats-2024-pre-season-contest">Camden Chat’s 2024 Pre-Season Contest - Camden Chat</a><br>Don't forget to answer the questions in the pre-season contest. We've gotten 120 responses so far. You know you want to join the fun.</p>
<p id="KxIvv6"><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/17/orioles-observations-kyle-stowers-tyler-wells/">Orioles observations on Kyle Stowers, Tyler Wells - Baltimore Sun</a><br>An article from Jacob Calvin Meyer on the spring successes of Kyle Stowers and Tyler Wells. Here's hoping their good work translates to the regular season.</p>
<p id="A07GaE"><a href="https://eutawstreetreport.com/jackson-holliday-cal-ripken-sr-7/">Baltimore Orioles: O's Should Unlock No.7 for Jackson Holliday - Eutaw Street Report</a><br>The author argues that the unofficial retirement of #7, last worn by Cal Ripken Sr., should be lifted if that's the number Jackson Holliday wants. His father wore that number and Jackson Holliday wore that number in the minors before switching to #18.</p>
<p id="QctsES"><a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/mountcastle-health-update-orioles-split-squad-lineups">Mountcastle health update, Orioles split-squad lineups - MASN Sports</a><br>Ryan Mountcastle has now missed five games due to a stiff neck. He believes he'll be good to go for Opening Day.</p>
<p id="fZViDS"><strong>Birthdays and History</strong></p>
<p id="1NuZG5">Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have six Orioles birthday buddies including fan favorite Trey Mancini. Mancini is celebrating his 32nd birthday today. He had a rough 2023 where he was released by both the Cubs and the Reds. He is currently at spring training with the Marlins trying to win a spot on their roster. </p>
<p id="XyadH9">Other former Orioles born on this day are Chris Vallimont (27), Craig Tatum (41), Gerónimo Berroa (59), Randy Miller (71), and Dick Littlefield (b. 1926, d. 1997). </p>
<p id="IR7zSs">In all the years that the Orioles have existed, they have signed just one free agent on March 18: Beau Taylor in 2022. He did not make it to the majors. </p>
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https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/18/24104395/orioles-news-links-kyle-stowersStacey2024-03-17T08:00:00-04:002024-03-17T08:00:00-04:00Sunday Bird Droppings: The Orioles have one more week of games to inform their decisions
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<figcaption>Coby Mayo isn’t going to make it easy for the Orioles to decide to send him down. | Photo by Josh Tijong/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A week from today, spring training will reach the end and the Orioles will have to figure out who’s making the team</p> <p id="qzI8GH">Hello, friends.</p>
<p id="DNddZs">There are now just 11 days to go until Orioles Opening Day. For current Orioles, that’s Jordan Westburg days to go until the first game that counts. In older times, that’s a number that also belonged to Doug DeCinces, Luis Aparicio, and Gus Triandos.</p>
<p id="5eRpWf">In spring training yesterday, the Orioles ended up with a walkoff win over the Braves. Dylan Beavers picked up a base hit with a man on third base to turn a 4-4 tie into a 5-4 victory for the Orioles. In the game, prospect Coby Mayo had four of the ten Orioles hits. Corbin Burnes had another “he’s working on stuff in spring training and it doesn’t matter” outing, allowing four runs, three earned, in a five-inning start. He had two separate errors on pickoff throws. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/red-sox-vs-orioles/2024/03/16/747948/final/box">Check out the full box score here</a>.</p>
<p id="3pUpWU">After that victory, the Orioles are 17-5-1 over their Grapefruit League schedule. That’s a pretty good record, wouldn’t you agree? We’re all aware that none of it matters, but I think if the Orioles were 5-17-1 instead, that might feel like slightly more concerning irrelevant information.</p>
<p id="xAnbSp">It’s a split squad day today for the O’s. Half the team will stay at home to play a Braves split squad, with another half hitting the road to play the Tigers. Both games are scheduled for 1:05 Eastern starts. The home game will be broadcast on the Orioles Radio Network. The road game has a Detroit broadcast, if you have MLB.tv or some other means to access that.</p>
<p id="61b54N">Over the course of yesterday, the Orioles made a few more cuts from the spring training roster. Catching prospect Samuel Basallo was reassigned to minor league camp, and following the game, pitchers Kaleb Ort and Matt Krook were optioned. That leaves the O’s with 47 players in camp, which is still a lot of cuts to be made. Yesterday’s moves didn’t involve any of the big decisions.</p>
<p id="X9iiJa">Additionally, the Orioles claimed outfielder Peyton Burdick on waivers. Burdick was previously in the organization for nine days last month before being waived and now he’s back. The 40-man roster is full again, at least for now. It seems like some spots will open up when camp ends and the out of options players have to either make the team or be placed on waivers.</p>
<h4 id="Ovi6xm">Around the blogO’sphere</h4>
<p id="9IJAbv"><a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/updates-on-mountcastle-hays-and-means-orioles-and-red-sox-lineups">Updating Mountcaste, Hays, and Means</a> (School of Roch)<br>Ryan Mountcastle has now gone four straight games without an appearance due to neck stiffness. John Means is keeping on track for a return, although there’s still not a firm timetable for him.</p>
<p id="G9MY0x"><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-spring-training-standouts-heston-kjerstad-connor-norby-2BNGFB7PCJD5ZGCWMA52G5TNTE/">Who’s up? Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby, and other standouts at Orioles spring training</a> (The Baltimore Banner)<br>So many people who are in the roster mix have been standing out in the spring games so far. It’s impressive, and for Mike Elias, it’s going to make for some tough decisions.</p>
<p id="cbnzRO"><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/16/orioles-embrace-lofty-expectations/">Confidence soaring, young Orioles ready to embrace lofty expectations</a> (The Baltimore Sun)<br>I wonder what it would be like if *I* was ready to embrace the lofty expectations about the Orioles. I can’t imagine it! I hope they can live up to this.</p>
<p id="VWeXCs"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/orioles/news/craig-kimbrel-gears-up-in-spring-as-orioles-new-closer">Craig Kimbrel gears up in spring as Orioles new closer</a> (Orioles.com)<br>Kimbrel had a couple of tough early outings but he’s unconcerned because his goal is to get ready, and he’s been working towards that successfully.</p>
<h4 id="Er7Mtb">Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries</h4>
<p id="ozS2oM">There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2011-20 slugger Chris Davis, 2020-21 reliever César Valdez, and 2006 catcher Raúl Chávez. Today is Chávez’s 51st birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.</p>
<p id="hcKd90">Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: musician Nat King Cole (1919), astronaut Ken Mattingly (1936), designer Alexander McQueen (1969), and Maryland-born gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky (1997).</p>
<h4 id="kYQcqa">On this day in history...</h4>
<p id="k2m4qj">In 45 BC, Caesar led a force that defeated Pompey the Younger in the Battle of Munda, in the southern part of modern-day Spain. It’s believed to have involved around 100,000 men between the two sides. This was the final victory of Caesar’s life, as it enabled him to take power of Rome until his assassination the following year.</p>
<p id="BYUG1U">In 1776 AD, British forces evacuated the city of Boston after a ten month siege by the Continental Army. The difference-maker for the rebelling colonials was getting artillery set up in range of Boston.</p>
<p id="PIZuvk">**</p>
<p id="3w23kY">And that’s the way it is in Birdland on March 17. Have a safe Sunday.</p>
https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/17/24103246/orioles-news-rumors-spring-training-roster-cutsMark Brown2024-03-16T09:00:00-04:002024-03-16T09:00:00-04:00Saturday Bird Droppings: The pitching staff is shaping up
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<img alt="MLB: MAR 09 Spring Training - Orioles at Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EHFIg5_jBxawaYiU2P872-rKn-4=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73211468/2064220710.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Burnes is on the bump, the kids are ready, and O’Hearn is leading.</p> <p id="RnZ1Y0">Good Morning, Birdland!</p>
<p id="xnwyou">The Albert Suárez hype train has been derailed a bit this week. On Sunday, the righty managed to earn the win with four innings of work, but he also served up three runs in the process. Then on Friday he got knocked around to the tune of five runs on six hits, a walk, and three strikeouts over 2.1 innings. His ERA in the Grapefruit League is up to 6.35.</p>
<p id="mRypjf">It’s not all about on-field performance. After all, Corbin Burnes owns a 12.71 ERA right now, and he’s going to be taking the hill on Opening Day. But the evaluation process and goals of the spring are different for an ace compared to a non-roster invitee. </p>
<p id="rYdsSm">Making things harder on Suárez are the successes of others in a similar tier of the roster. Keegan Akin is yet to allow a run and has eight strikeouts over 6.1 innings. Bruce Zimmermann is tip-toeing around baserunners to compile a 3.52 ERA over 7.2 innings. Jonathan Heasley has bounced back from early struggles to allow just one run over his last 6.1 innings. There may still be a path to a roster spot for Suárez, but it’s narrowing, and it is not entirely in his own hands.</p>
<p id="SfSnwe">We won’t see Suárez today. Well, we won’t “see” anyone because the Orioles aren’t on TV, but you get the meaning. Burnes starts on the mound for the O’s as they host the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. You can listen to a local radio broadcast though! First pitch is 1:05.</p>
<p id="Dg8Cc8"><strong>Links</strong></p>
<p id="miHomB"><a href="https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2024/03/16/kremer-sharp-orioles-7-2-loss-rays-suarez-allows-5-runs-7th/">Kremer sharp in Orioles’ 7-2 loss to Rays; Suárez allows 5 runs in 7th | Baltimore Baseball</a><br>Dean Kremer already looks to be in midseason form. His 4.38 ERA is right around where you expect the righty to be in the regular season. Pair that with a healthy volume of innings, and the Orioles would be perfectly happy with his production.</p>
<p id="Mo6ZNJ"><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/16/orioles-embrace-lofty-expectations/">Confidence soaring, young O’s ready to embrace lofty expectations | The Baltimore Sun</a><br>It has been cool to hear how focused and determined this team seems to be coming off of their 2023 season. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything, and you would imagine most teams are “focused” at this point. They are professionals after all. But considering how young this team still is, it feels important to set the tone early in order to reach the goals they aim for.</p>
<p id="qLrGxo"><a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/french-remembers">French recalls early days coaching Pérez | Roch Kubatko</a><br>Hopefully this familiarity allows Cionel Pérez to duplicate his second-half success all year long. His spring numbers so far don’t instill a ton of confidence, but he’s got enough of a track record with the Orioles that we shouldn’t worry too much.</p>
<p id="vjiVrt"><a href="https://www.mlb.com/orioles/news/ryan-o-hearn-a-leader-for-orioles-in-2024-season">‘It’s an honor’: O’Hearn emerging as O’s veteran leader | </a><a href="http://Orioles.com">Orioles.com</a><br>Ryan O’Hearn is a player that is going to make this team, but I have no real feel on what to expect from him. He was so good early and then faded. Ideally, someone like Heston Kjerstad will hopefully push for his playing time at some point. </p>
<p id="sbG5ae"><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-spring-training-standouts-heston-kjerstad-connor-norby-2BNGFB7PCJD5ZGCWMA52G5TNTE/">Who’s up? Heston Kjerstad, Connor Norby and other standouts at Orioles spring training | The Baltimore Banner</a><br>I will admit that back in February I was weary of Jackson Holliday making the team out of camp. He’s just so young! And he barely had a cup of coffee in Norfolk. But I am a full-blown believer at this point. Normal rookie caveats apply, but this guy looks completely ready for the show. </p>
<p id="uwlyeK"><strong>Orioles birthdays</strong></p>
<p id="udAnFY">Is it your birthday? Happy birthday! </p>
<ul>
<li id="BZ8IqL">Hobie Landrith (b. 1930, d. 2023) was born on this day. The late catcher spent parts of two seasons with the O’s from 1962-63.</li>
<li id="njFSWX">Clint Courtney (b. 1927, d. 1975) has a posthumous celebration today. He had three brief stints in Baltimore, first as one of the original Orioles in 1954, again in 1960, and then once more in 1961</li>
</ul>
<p id="MSVMj9"><strong>This day in O’s history</strong></p>
<p id="8RHzzy"><strong>1953 </strong>- Bill Veeck’s motion to move the St. Louis <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Browns</a> to Baltimore is turned down by a 6-2 vote of American League owners. The objections are led by Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith.</p>
<p id="FkHMGK"><strong>1954 </strong>- The O’s purchase first baseman Eddie Waitkus from the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>. Waitkus would spent just a season-and-a-half in Baltimore before returning to Philly.</p>
https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/16/24102882/baltimore-orioles-spring-training-roster-bullpen-2024Tyler Young2024-03-15T09:00:00-04:002024-03-15T09:00:00-04:00Orioles 2024 preseason projections: Craig Kimbrel
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<img alt="MLB: Baltimore Orioles-Media Day" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QIMecn34FNHiLzfiwh2L9mIL-So=/0x118:3846x2682/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73209111/usa_today_22578478.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The free agent signee is one of the best closers ever to play the game, but how well he fill the Félix Bautista-sized hole in the bullpen?</p> <p id="Alowbw">It’s no exaggeration to say that the expectations for the 2024 Orioles are the highest they’ve been in decades. And why not? Coming off a 101-win season and AL East title, the Birds’ roster seems just as strong, if not more so. The acquisition of ace Corbin Burnes has made the rotation a real force, even with Kyle Bradish and John Means injured to start the year. The offense didn’t lose any players of significance over the winter and will be bringing several more prospects to the majors at some point this season, likely starting with Jackson Holliday.</p>
<p id="YerLBw">On paper, it’s the most talented Orioles team in a long time. Still, if there’s one aspect of the team that makes O’s fans most nervous — and the one that represents the most likely downgrade from last season — it’s the bullpen. Specifically, it’s the new closer, Craig Kimbrel.</p>
<p id="7ingJy">I say that not as a slight to Kimbrel, an accomplished reliever with a stellar career who will one day get Hall of Fame consideration. He’s eighth on the all-time MLB saves list, six away from passing likely Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, who was Kimbrel’s teammate when he debuted in the majors for the Braves in 2010. If Kimbrel notches at least 21 saves this season, he’ll move to fourth or fifth on that list, jockeying for position with the still-active Kenley Jansen (who is three ahead of him). Kimbrel’s career numbers are eye-popping: a 2.40 ERA, 171 ERA+, a sub-1 WHIP (0.99) and 14.2 K/9. He’s a nine-time All-Star, including just last year, when he closed out the Midsummer Classic for the National League. Kimbrel’s track record is beyond reproach.</p>
<p id="kaNHFP">That said, Father Time comes for us all, and Kimbrel, at 35, is not the unhittable hurler he used to be. Since 2019, his age-31 season, he’s posted an ERA (3.57) that’s close to double what it was in his nine years prior. He’s allowed an extra hit and a half per nine innings, up to 6.3 H/9 since 2019 compared to 4.8 before. And after racking up eight straight seasons of 30+ saves in his heyday, he hasn’t topped 24 in the five years since.</p>
<p id="kOatRX">Perhaps Kimbrel’s biggest weakness, though, is the simple fact that he isn’t Félix Bautista. Even if Kimbrel has another solid performance as he did in 2023 for the <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a>, when he converted 23 of 28 save chances and struck out 12.3 batters per nine, he won’t come close to matching The Mountain’s 2023 dominance. Frankly, nobody could. Bautista was in the midst of one of the greatest relief seasons ever before his season came to an unfortunate end with a UCL injury in late August, necessitating the Tommy John surgery that will sideline him for all of 2024.</p>
<p id="dyHTZ0">Bautista was a weapon who transcended the typical closer role, often pitching beyond the ninth to lock down late-inning O’s victories. On nine occasions last year, Félix recorded more than three outs, including four appearances in which he worked two full innings. He earned the win in all four. Kimbrel, by contrast, is strictly a three-outs-and-done kind of pitcher. In his 71 games last year, he never worked more than one inning.</p>
<p id="jRU2NX">So yes, the closer switch from Bautista to Kimbrel is, even in the best-case scenario, a step down. That doesn’t mean it’ll be a disaster, though. The O’s are a good enough team that they don’t need Kimbrel to be perfect. They don’t need him to be Félix. They just need him to do what he’s done for the majority of his career: hold a ninth-inning lead when it’s handed to him, <a href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/2023/5/16/23723816/craig-kimbrel-fastball-artist">spider-arms stance and all</a>.</p>
<p id="LgqbpE">How likely is he to do so? Let’s see what ZiPS projects:</p>
<blockquote><p id="n85CMM">58 G, 26 SV, 4.42 ERA, 10.96 K/9, 0.1 fWAR</p></blockquote>
<p id="rng7Hv">Hmm. ZiPS is not too optimistic about Kimbrel’s contributions, pegging him as only the tiniest better than a replacement-level player. That 4.42 ERA would be his worst ever in a season in which he pitched at least 25 games. But since he’s a closer, let’s focus specifically on the saves projection.</p>
<h4 id="YWEFOh">The case for the over</h4>
<p id="PNkOYH">If the Orioles are as good a team as we think, it’s not hard to imagine a scenario in which Kimbrel tops 26 saves. Last year the O’s held a lot of late leads but also tended to play close games, a combination that led to a lot of save opportunities. Bautista had 29 saves by the end of July. If Kimbrel stays healthy and pitches as frequently as Félix did, even if not as well, he should easily churn out his highest saves total since he had 42 for the <a href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> in 2018.</p>
<h4 id="NSWPQ8">The case for the under</h4>
<p id="oCmkfe">For Kimbrel to clear 26 saves, he’ll need to remain the closer for the majority of the season, something that isn’t guaranteed. Kimbrel ended 2023 on a sour note, getting torched in the NLCS as the Phillies were upset by the <a href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a>, and he’s also been hit hard in spring training this year, if that’s the kind of thing you want to put any stock into. If Kimbrel blows several games early in the season, an Orioles team with postseason aspirations isn’t going to give him a long leash to figure things out. They won’t hesitate to entrust ninth-inning duties to Yennier Cano, Dillon Tate, or someone else while relegating Kimbrel to a different role.</p>
<p id="PoUdGX">What do you think, Camden Chatters?</p>
<div id="P5IQdC"><div data-anthem-component="poll:12278714"></div></div>
https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/15/24099697/orioles-2024-preseason-projections-craig-kimbrelPaul Folkemer2024-03-15T07:00:00-04:002024-03-15T07:00:00-04:00Friday Bird Droppings: An Orioles prospect-palooza was on display
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<img alt="Baltimore Orioles v. Pittsburgh Pirates" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tOq7MOv0g3cHcw0aUE1IpsorXmc=/0x0:3421x2281/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73208921/2076716204.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Orioles fans got one of their first looks at Samuel Basallo in last night’s Spring Breakout. | Photo by Josh Tijong/MLB Photos via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Many of the Birds’ top young talents took the field together — probably not for the last time — in yesterday’s Spring Breakout game.</p> <p id="HS33hP">Good morning, Camden Chatters.</p>
<p id="vwBbAs">We’re now just 13 days from Opening Day, and yesterday brought a ton of spring training action for the Orioles. In their Grapefruit League contest, they won again, taking a 5-2 decision over the Pirates to improve their record to 16-4 (plus one tie). Once again it was Kyle Stowers who put on a show, crushing a three-run homer to give the O’s the lead in the seventh. Stowers has hit four home runs this spring, all of them off left-handers. He’s done everything he possibly can to make a case for the Opening Day roster, but I just don’t see how there’s room for him, barring an injury to one of the starting outfielders. He certainly deserves a major league opportunity, and hopefully he’ll get that chance somewhere else if it doesn’t happen in Baltimore.</p>
<p id="2KO5Ho">The other big event yesterday was the Orioles’ first-ever <a href="https://www.mlb.com/orioles/news/jackson-holliday-enrique-bradfield-jr-featured-in-orioles-spring-breakout">Spring Breakout game</a>, which pitted their top prospects against those of the Pirates. The O’s, who boast baseball’s best farm system and are particularly strong in position player prospects, ran out a lineup that included MLB’s top prospect Jackson Holliday (Orioles’ #1 on <a href="https://www.mlb.com/prospects/orioles">MLB Pipeline</a>), Samuel Basallo (#2), Coby Mayo (#4), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (#6), Connor Norby (#7), and Dylan Beavers (#8). That’s each of the Orioles’ top eight prospects who don’t already have MLB experience. </p>
<p id="IcKPX3">On this occasion, that crew didn’t exactly put on the kind of show that O’s fans were hoping to see. The Orioles’ prospects combined for just one hit in the seven-inning game, though that one hit was an impressive bunt single by Bradfield that <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBStats/status/1768432559527178543">showcased his eye-popping speed</a>. In a matchup of Holliday vs. right-hander Paul Skenes, the two most recent #1 overall picks, the Pirates fireballer <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBPipeline/status/1768421726239777242">got the best of Jackson with a strikeout</a>, consistently hitting triple digits on his fastball. Oh well. There’s no shame in letting that guy beat you. Something tells me Holliday will be just fine, and I’m glad Skenes will mostly be only the National League’s problem in the years to come.</p>
<p id="BAU6C9">It was a fun event, despite the loss, and a great opportunity for Orioles fans to see some of the prospects they haven’t gotten a good look at before (particularly Basallo, who had a walk and a strikeout after a stress fracture delayed his spring training debut). And it won’t be too long until many of these guys are sharing the field again, this time at Camden Yards.</p>
<h4 id="6yd4cw">Links</h4>
<p id="Wj0mpI"><a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/rodriguez-works-into-fifth-mullins-returns-stowers-wins-latest-left-on-left-battle">Rodriguez works into fifth, Mullins returns, Stowers wins latest left-on-left battle (O’s win 5-2) - School of Roch</a><br>Roch Kubatko has more details from the Orioles’ Grapefruit League victory, including an up-and-down outing by Grayson Rodriguez. Grayson never seems to pitch very well in spring training, although this year it won’t cost him a roster spot like it did in 2023.</p>
<p id="5Ifk4Y"><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/14/orioles-jackson-holliday-mlb-top-prospect/">Orioles’ Jackson Holliday takes mantle as MLB’s top prospect - The Baltimore Sun</a></p>
<p id="qirGLd"><a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/holliday-on-basallo-he-is-the-real-thing">Holliday on Basallo: “He is the real thing” - Steve Melewski</a><br>Just when you can’t get enough of the Holliday hype, he casually passes the hype onto the next prospect. Way to pay it forward, Jackson!</p>
<p id="UeeKhG"><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-top-prospect-samuel-basallo-profile-T2I4LWAOS5F65LNRV6VXKOPN5Y/">Orioles prospect Samuel Basallo had to learn to control his emotions. He turned to a journal. - The Baltimore Banner</a><br>Danielle Allentuck has a deep dive into Basallo’s background and what makes him such a promising prospect. Turns out it involves a lot of journaling. Who knew?</p>
<p id="tdyZqz"><a href="https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2024/03/14/orioles-spring-training-performances-shouldnt-forgotten/">Orioles’ spring training performances that shouldn’t be forgotten - BaltimoreBaseball.com</a><br>Rich Dubroff takes note of some solid showings by a bunch of players who nevertheless won’t make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster (and in many cases will probably never play for them).</p>
<h4 id="wvEQAf">Orioles birthdays and history</h4>
<p id="n34HuE">Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 65th birthday to Hall of Famer and native Marylander Harold Baines, whose 22-year career in the majors included three stints and parts of seven seasons with the Orioles. The Easton-born Baines is one of nine MLB Hall of Famers from Maryland, and the only besides Cal Ripken Jr. to have played for the modern-day Orioles. Other former Orioles born on March 15 are infielders Freddie Bynum (44) and Mike Pagliarulo (64).</p>
<p id="rJ7iJh">On this date in 1960, the O’s traded two players to the Dodgers for first base prospect Jim Gentile in what turned out to be an outstanding deal. Gentile, given a chance at everyday playing time, emerged as a standout slugger for the Orioles, finishing as Rookie of the Year runner-up in 1961 and following it up with a 46-homer, 141-RBI breakout in 1962. That stood as the highest single-season RBI total for an Oriole for more than 30 years until Rafael Palmeiro broke it with 142 in 1996 (and Miguel Tejada topped it again with 150 in 2004). Gentile, who finished with 124 homers and 398 RBIs in four years in Baltimore, was inducted to the Orioles Hall of Fame in 1989.</p>
https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/15/24100665/orioles-news-linksPaul Folkemer2024-03-14T19:00:00-04:002024-03-14T19:00:00-04:00Orioles vs. Pirates prospects Spring Breakout game thread
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<img alt="Baltimore Orioles v Philadelphia Phillies" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o6xypWCqudEkt92jf4mLUp4HCA0=/0x15:2969x1994/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73208107/2062544077.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>#1 overall pick Jackson Holliday will be facing #1 overall pick Paul Skenes tonight. | Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>You can catch the Orioles prospect team playing Pirates prospects on MLB Network</p> <p id="jR0VB6">The Orioles of the future are on TV tonight, as long as your TV gets MLB Network, anyway. MLB’s new Spring Breakout will play out over the next few days, with Orioles prospects getting the first featured prime time slot here. No surprise, because this is a loaded team! </p>
<p id="NI2uKC">Even the reserves who aren’t among the starters should be an interesting bunch. Assuming Bowie’s manager Roberto Mercado makes use of his reserves at some point, Maryland-based fans could get their first real look at guys like infielder Leandro Arias and outfielder Braylin Tavera, two of the higher-profile international amateur signings of a couple of years ago.</p>
<p id="ylAkEq">A big league-level Orioles team has already beaten the Pirates today, as these two clubs played a regular spring training game earlier in the afternoon. The O’s won by a 5-2 margin, with a late three-run home run hit by Kyle Stowers - another left-on-left victory for him this spring - making the difference in the game. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/gameday/orioles-vs-pirates/2024/03/14/747977/final/box">Check the full box score here.</a></p>
<h4 id="xOTPhn">Orioles lineup</h4>
<ol>
<li id="y3oIAV">Enrique Bradfield Jr. - CF</li>
<li id="QtwCLh">Jackson Holliday - SS</li>
<li id="vkzB19">Connor Norby - 2B</li>
<li id="v1reZI">Coby Mayo - 3B</li>
<li id="KC2bSS">Samuel Basallo - DH</li>
<li id="Q2bCqr">Dylan Beavers - RF</li>
<li id="lkdYPL">Jud Fabian - LF</li>
<li id="EbXVLo">Billy Cook - 1B</li>
<li id="EV4JRH">Silas Ardoin - C</li>
</ol>
<p id="pGGN40">Cade Povich is scheduled as the starting pitcher for the Orioles prospects. He’s the biggest name guy on the list of pitchers <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-spring-breakout-roster-2024">for this game’s roster</a>, although there is one more guy (Trace Bright) on MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Orioles prospects.</p>
<p id="3f6qMV">Here’s something to think about: How many of the players in this lineup will carve out multi-year careers as Orioles regulars? Will any of them become successful big leaguers but outside of Baltimore because they ended up getting traded?</p>
<p id="PP264H">At the moment, I don’t think it takes much in the way of orange-colored lenses to like the chances of the 1-5 players in that lineup to make it. The Orioles infield situation being what it is, Norby might be the most likely to be traded out of this group. Beavers has his share of fans, and Fabian has some fans. Even Ardoin might have some years as a backup in his future due to a good defensive reputation.</p>
<p id="Nf2XIA">Over the next few days, every team will be playing one of these Prospect Breakout games. There aren’t many rosters that can even come close to being as good as the Orioles one here is right now. Hopefully that will make for a fun game to watch.</p>
<h4 id="J5eNmQ">Pirates lineup</h4>
<ol>
<li id="upwqrr">Tsung-Che Cheng - SS</li>
<li id="AKi2eJ">Termarr Johnson - 2B</li>
<li id="SNudpc">Lonnie White Jr. - RF</li>
<li id="7XQH2M">Jack Brannigan - 3B</li>
<li id="L6lARz">Tres Gonzalez - LF</li>
<li id="3zHIyf">Jase Bowen - CF</li>
<li id="6lTLoi">Garret Forrester - 1B</li>
<li id="HPmnpl">Mitch Jebb - DH</li>
<li id="4aCDh7">Abrahan Gutierrez - C</li>
</ol>
<p id="fJYnxv">Paul Skenes, the #1 overall pick in last year’s draft, is the Pirates starting pitcher, so there will be one and maybe two more spring matchups between the former 1-1s Holliday and Skenes in this game.</p>
<p id="H9UMBB">This group of Pirates prospects doesn’t have as many familiar names for me. Johnson was considered a possible Orioles pick when they ended up drafting Holliday. He hasn’t made it above the High-A level yet but is looking like a solid prospect - just not, you know, the level Holliday has turned into. Some people thought Jebb might be of interest to the Orioles in last year’s draft, but the Pirates took him at the top of the second round before the O’s could get another pick.</p>
https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/3/14/24101117/orioles-pirates-spring-breakout-lineups-prospectsMark Brown