Monday Bird Droppings: Where José Iglesias is sticking around

Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! Did you hear the good news over the weekend? The Orioles picked up their $3.5M option on José Iglesias.

Picking up a relatively cheap option on one of the team’s best players in 2020 seems like a no brainer, but there had been question of if the Orioles would do it. If they didn’t, they’d face a barrage of scrutiny regarding such a penny pinching move. But they did take the slam dunk option, so we all avoided an offseason of hearing about how cheap the Orioles are. Huzzah!

Upcoming dates to keep in mind as an Orioles fan include tomorrow, when we find out if Anthony Santander wins a Gold Glove. But also: November 20th, which is when players have to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 draft. You can keep an eye on our front page in the coming days to learn more about the players who are expected to be added.

The next important date after that is December 2nd, which is the non-tender deadline. This date is especially important for players like Hanser Alberto and Renato Núñez who might not be worth the amount they’d get in arbitration.

Links

Orioles pick up veteran shortstop José Iglesias’ $3.5 million option for 2021 - Baltimore Sun
The big news of the weekend.

Offseason Outlook: Baltimore Orioles - MLB Trade Rumors
This write up was published before the Iglesias option was picked up, everything else is current. It's not a rosy outlook for the 2021 Orioles, but I doubt any of us expect it to be a contending season. This write up includes estimated arbitration numbers. Would you keep Hanser Alberto for $2.6M? His smile is worth at least half that!

Former Herd hurler Straily finds success in South Korea | Sports | herald-dispatch.com
Dan Straily was barely an Oriole, and his 9.82 ERA in 14 games for the Birds probably didn't result in any new Straily Heads, but I'm still happy to see his success in the KBO.

Michael Baumann expected to be ready for spring training - Steve Melewski
This post has several unrelated topics, but the most interesting bit is at the bottom. Prospect Michael Baumann was shut down in September for a flexor mass strain, which can be very bad news for a pitcher. But he has no ligament damage and is doing well.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies:

• Paul Hartzell, 67, appeared in six games for the 1980 Orioles. It’s ok if you don’t remember him.
• Big Sam Horn, 57, DH’d for the Orioles from 1990-92. He put up an OPS+ of 122 in his three seasons in Baltimore with 42 homers in 263 games.
• Sidney Ponson, 44, pitched for the Orioles from 1998-2005, with a brief stop in San Francisco at the end of the 2003 season. He appeared in 223 games as an Oriole but my lasting memories of him are an unauthorized trip to a Metallica concert and punching a judge.
• Wilson Betemit, 39, spent two years with the Orioles from 2012-2013. It was only six games in 2013, actually. The less said about his defense, the better.

On this day in 1971, Pat Dobson pitched a no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants in an exhibition game. The Orioles won, 2-0. It would be cool if those kinds of things happened these days.

In 2000, Will Clark retired after splitting his final big league season between the Orioles and Cardinals. Clark signed as a free agent with the Orioles before the 1999 season and was traded to the Cardinals for Jose Leon. It’s ok if you don’t remember him, too.

In 2005, former Orioles’ manager Lee Mazzilli re-signs as a coach with the Yankees. I think all involved in him being the manager of the Orioles probably wished he had never left New York in the first place.