Sunday Bird Droppings

School of Roch: Yovani Gallardo again under consideration for the Orioles
"Just when it appeared that the Orioles had no interest in surrendering their first pick in the draft, they definitely are reconsidering as right-hander Yovani Gallardo remains on the free agent market." Don't do it, Dan Duquette! Don't do it!

Why did Andrew Cashner struggle in 2015? - Beyond the Box Score
"While he wasn't a bad pitcher - Andrew Cashner still produced 2.3 fWAR in 2015 - he was more pedestrian than San Diego had hoped. His walk rate rose to 8.2 percent, opponents' BABIP rose to a career-high .330, and his ISO against jumped to .157." One frequently mentioned trade target had a rough 2015. Here's why.

Early projections have Orioles allowing third-most runs in majors for 2016 season - Baltimore Sun
"Considering the scarce and volatile free-agent pitching options available to the Orioles, and the cost in both draft-pick compensation or prospect talent for more established pitchers, the 2016 edition of the team appears set to enter spring training in a difficult position." And yes, the starting rotation is mostly to blame. According to FanGraphs’ projections, the Orioles are expected to allow the third-most runs in the majors this year — an estimated 4.66 runs per game, ahead of only the Milwaukee Brewers (4.75) and Colorado Rockies (4.85).

How many home runs can the Orioles hit? | CSN Mid-Atlantic
"The addition of Hyun-soo Kim could help. Kim had a remarkable on-base percentage in South Korea, but it’s an open question of how his .438 will translate to the United States. In Korea, he actually walked more than he struck out. It would be nothing short of miraculous if he did that here." Yes, it would.

Steve Melewski: Mancini wraps up his degree work, Walker on his strong 2015 second half
"Not long after he was named the Orioles minor league Player of the Year and helped Double-A Bowie win the Eastern League championship last September, first baseman Trey Mancini took on a different but familiar role - that of a student. He returned to Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., in pursuit of a degree and he got it. Mancini added 24 credits over two offseasons to earn a political science degree from the prestigious university." Good for you, Trey Mancini!

Happy Birthday to former Orioles Scott Feldman (thanks for nothing, Feldman), Jon Leicester, Endy Chavez, Dave Borkowski, Benny Ayala, and Al Smith. They share it with famous folks like 1478 Sir Thomas More, English statesman, humanist, and author; 1804 John Deere, industrialist, and whose company's HQ is the reason my in-laws met and married; 1812 Charles Dickens, English novelist; 1867 Laura Ingalls Wilder, author; 1885 Sinclair Lewis, novelist/social critic; 1887 Eubie Blake, US ragtime composer/pianist; 1910 Buster Crabbe, swimmer and Olmpic champion; 1960 James Spader, actor; 1962 Garth Brooks, country vocalist and favored country singer of the Bowser Emeritus of Camden Chat; 1962 Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian; 1966 Chris Rock, comedian; 1975 Wes Borland, American guitarist; and 1978 Ashton Kutcher, American actor.

On this day in Baltimore baseball history...
1899 - Under a joint ownership arrangement, several Baltimore Orioles players are shifted to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and that club transfers several to the Orioles. Manager Ned Hanlon takes Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, and others with him to Brooklyn, while John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson remain in Baltimore to stay close to their businesses there. The powerful new Brooklyn team is now sometimes called the "Superbas", after a stage show in New York called "Superba" that is produced by the Hanlon brothers (unrelated to Ned Hanlon).

2012 - The Korea Baseball Organization files an official protest against the signing of 17-year-old pitcher Seong-Min Kim by the Baltimore Orioles earlier this off-season. The KBO alleges that the Orioles failed to inform it that they were negotiating with Kim, as they are bound to do, and expresses fear that if such poaching of talented young players becomes more common, it will have a huge detrimental impact on the development of the national game. As a form of retaliation, the Korea Baseball Association announces that it will ban Orioles scouts from any event it organizes, such as national high school and college tournaments.

In world history today...

1238 The Mongols burn the Russian city of Vladimir.
1301 Edward of Caernarion (later Edward II) becomes first (English) prince of Wales
1842 Battle of Debre Tabor: Ras Ali Alula, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia defeats warlord Wube Haile Maryam of Semien.
1856 The colonial Tasmanian Parliament passes the first piece of legislation (the Electoral Act of 1856) anywhere in the world providing for elections by way of a secret ballot.
1991 The IRA launches a mortar attack on 10 Downing Street during a cabinet meeting.

Consider this your discussion space for International Cricket Council action: New Zealand vs Australia. Oh, and there's some NFL game today, too.