Friday Bird Droppings: Where probably nothing will happen for a while

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

For much of the Orioles’ 2019 campaign, I couldn’t stop thinking about how ready I was for the season to end. That tends to happen when you’re watching a 108-loss ballclub. A nice, long offseason seemed like a refreshing change of pace from watching the Orioles’ nightly calamities.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Once winter arrives, though, it doesn’t take long for me to start jonesing for baseball again. I’d forgotten just how sloooooow and booooooooring the MLB offseason really is, especially for a team like the Orioles that isn’t expected to make any major splashes.

After the brief excitement of the O’s adding four prospects to the 40-man roster on Wednesday, we’re now in a lull on the offseason schedule. The next important date, the non-tender deadline, doesn’t arrive until Dec. 2. That’s when we’ll find out if the Orioles offer a 2020 contract to Jonathan Villar and other arbitration-eligible players. Until then, though, don’t expect a lot of action.

Perhaps the O’s will swing a trade involving Villar, or someone else, before that date. I wouldn’t bank on it, though. The hot stove may be awfully quiet for a while.

Links

O’s progressing toward deal with Sanders as first base coach - School of Roch
The O’s are close to hiring a new first base coach. And here I thought there was nothing exciting going on!

Looking deeper at which prospects the Orioles added to their 40-man roster — and four that they didn’t protect – The Athletic
Dan Connolly profiles the four O’s who were added to the 40-man, and looks at four who were left out. Somehow I’ll manage to soldier on if the O’s lose Zack Muckenhirn.

Four to the 40-man: Hearing from the O’s added to the roster - Steve Melewski
The aforementioned four new roster additions talk about what it means to them to join the 40-man. Keegan Akin didn’t know the deadline was coming until his uncle texted him, so I guess he wasn't stressing over it too much.

After Career Year, Is Trey Mancini A Building Block Or Trade Chip For Orioles? - PressBoxOnline.com
Matt Kremnitzer estimates that a Mancini extension could be something like $10 million a year for five or six years. That doesn’t sound unreasonable to me for a productive player and the Birds’ most recognizable face, although I get why not everyone would be on board.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Your two O’s birthday buddies are 2007-08 outfielder Jay Payton (47), whom I only remember for getting chirpy with Melvin Mora one time during the dark ages, and 2016-17 lefty Jayson Aquino (27), whom I don’t remember but whose name I want to sing in the same rhythm as “Jason Derulo.”

On this day in 1965, O’s outfielder Curt Blefary was named AL Rookie of the Year, the second of six players in Orioles history to win the award. The 21-year-old hit .260 with an .851 OPS, 22 homers, and 70 RBIs. Blefary started his career with three decent years for the Birds, but his production fell off a cliff after the O’s traded him to Houston for Orioles Hall of Famer Mike Cuellar. Blefary’s MLB career was finished by age 28.