Monday Bird Droppings: Where it’s 40-man roster decision day

Hello, friends.

There are now 128 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2018. Today is going to be quite an eventful day with very little happening. There’s the deadline to add players to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft, as well as the MLBPA’s self-imposed deadline for negotiating about whether or not Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani can be posted this year.

If the Orioles do it right, none of those decisions will have a whole lot of impact on this season. Ideally, they’ll protect everyone from the draft who might be picked by another team.

There’s plenty of room on the 40-man roster right now, thanks to all of the free agents who have hit the market from the team. They can add just about anyone they want, and if it doesn’t work out, designate them later! So hopefully they’re not stingy about it. One player sure to be added: Hunter Harvey.

Maybe the Orioles will do something to show interest in a starting pitcher today, or maybe one of the pitchers they’re said to be interested in will make some contract demand publicly known. That would be interesting. If you didn’t see over the weekend, the O’s have some interest - whatever that means - in Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn.

Around the blogO’sphere

Orioles face a tough reality with Zach Britton (ESPN)
Buster Olney is less optimistic than I am about the Orioles capability of bidding on a second-tier starting pitcher. There’s little doubt they have the ability. The willingness is another story.

Enjoy Manny Machado while you can (Birds Watcher)
Some good advice from a fellow O’s blogger that nobody really wants to accept.

The Orioles are interested in being interested (Camden Depot)
The Depot’s Matt Kremnitzer has noticed the same thing as me in recent years: The O’s are “interested” in bigger names and then sign crummy ones.

Sunday Notes: With a little tidbit about Ryan O’Rourke (Fangraphs)
If you missed last week that the Orioles signed Ryan O’Rourke, that’s OK. He won’t be ready for spring training because he had Tommy John surgery in May!

MVPs, Cys, Otani, Swihart, the Orioles, and more November notes (Gammons Daily)
Peter Gammons says the Orioles are still debating whether to make Manny Machado the shortstop next season.

Birthdays and anniversaries

There are a few former Orioles with birthdays today. They are: 2017 three-gamer David Washington, 2011 short-timer Jo-Jo Reyes, 1963-65 reliever Herm Starrette, and 1955 reserve Don Leppert. Today is Leppert’s 87th birthday, so happy birthday to him in particular.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your birthday buddies for today include: Black Sox-era commissioner of baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis (1866), insulin co-discoverer James Collip (1892), former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy (1925), novelist Don DeLillo (1936), recent vice president Joe Biden (1942), guitarist Duane Allman (1946), rapper Mike D (1965), actor Joel McHale (1971), and Maryland-born gold medal gymnast Dominique Dawes (1976).

On this day in history...

In 1407, John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, and Louis of Valois, Duke of Orleans, concluded a truce. Three days later, Orleans was assassinated by Burgundy.

In 1789, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

In 1910, the Mexican Revolution began as the Plan de San Luis Potosi was issued, calling for revolution against the ruling government.

In 1943, American forces invaded the Pacific island of Tarawa. 76 hours later, they had captured the island, but 1,696 American marines and sailors died in the fighting.

In 1947, then-Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey in London. Happy anniversary to them!

In 1969, graphic photographs of dead villagers from the My Lai massacre in the Vietnam War were published in The Plain Dealer.

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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on November 20 - or at least, until something happens later. That 40-man roster deadline is coming, and the Orioles will definitely be adding some guys. Have a safe Monday.