Friday Bird Droppings: Where the Orioles are decluttering the roster

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

As of this writing, the Orioles don’t seem to be any closer to hiring a president/GM or manager. But somebody, at least, is calling the shots in the meantime, and right now their task is to expel the dead weight from the Orioles’ roster.

Cue the jokes. “They’re clearing the dead weight? So...everybody?”

You’re not totally wrong. A look at the Birds’ current 40-man roster reveals a ton of flotsam and jetsam; plenty of chaff with not much wheat. Yesterday, the O’s whittled four players off the list by outrighting Sean Gilmartin, Corban Joseph, Jace Peterson, and Gabriel Ynoa. Joseph and Ynoa immediately re-signed with the club on minor league contracts, while Gilmartin and Peterson elected free agency. So sorry to all you Jace-heads out there; it appears his O’s career is over.

That leaves 36 players on the active roster. The sad thing is you could easily find about 10 more names on that list that you could send packing without shedding a tear. It’s...not a deep group. And it doesn’t bode well for the immediate future of the Orioles.

Links

Camden Depot: Schrödinger's Farewell
Camden Depot, which was a mainstay in the Orioles blogosphere for over a decade, has officially shut down. Jon Shepherd says his goodbyes in his final post.

More changes coming to Orioles front office and scouting - School of Roch
The Orioles are working to cast off the last vestiges of the Dan Duquette era, recently parting ways with several front office staffers hired by Duquette.

Myriad Orioles Thoughts: Executive search grinds on, Ron Johnson gone, Pearce praise, Kline’s perseverance – The Athletic
Dan Connolly gets the sense that the Orioles will hire “a younger GM who is perhaps more analytics-based.” But do we expect the team to make the right move for once?

A new-look Orioles offense began to take shape in 2018 - Steve Melewski
Melewski notes that the Orioles stole more bases and played more small ball in the final two months of the season. But the O’s still scored the second-fewest runs in the AL in September, so did it really make a difference?

Hoerner, McKenna added to Fall Stars rosters
When the AFL Fall Stars rosters were first announced, the Orioles' Ryan McKenna somehow didn't make it despite batting .404 in 12 games. Happily, that oversight has been corrected thanks to the fans voting him in. Congrats, Ryan!

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with everyone’s favorite judge-punching, drunk-driving Aruban, Sidney Ponson (42), an Oriole for two stints from 1998-2003 and 2004-05. Ponson’s off-the-field shenanigans are probably how he’s known best in Baltimore (and how the O’s attempted to void his contract in 2005), but did you know he pitched 28 complete games as an Oriole? I never would’ve guessed.

Other ex-Orioles celebrating birthdays today are 1990-92 DH and 2017 old-timers home run derby participant Sam Horn (55), the terrible-fielding 2012-13 third baseman Wilson “Can’t Find a” Betemit (37), and 1980 reliever Paul Hartzell (65), one of 11 members of #teampaul in O’s franchise history.

On this day in 1971, during an Orioles overseas tour in Japan, Pat Dobson threw a no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants. It didn’t officially count, of course, but it was the only no-no Dobson ever threw as a major leaguer.