Monday Bird Droppings: Free agents are starting to sign

Happy Monday, Camden Chatters!

It’s Thanksgiving week, so it will probably be a slow one around Birdland. Of course, I feel like I say that about most weeks during the offseason. One of these days Mike Elias is going to prove me wrong.

One big free agent did come off the board yesterday, one that some Orioles fans thought would look good in Baltimore. The Phillies re-signed Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million contract. Of course, the Orioles were never going to come close to signing a pitcher to that kind of contract. Not only is the money big, but seven years to a 30-year-old pitcher is definitely not the Orioles’ style.

And speaking of free agents that Orioles will never sign, today is the day the Orix Buffaloes are expected to post pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. MLB Trade Rumors projects that the 25-year-old will get a nine-year, $225 million contract from whichever team is willing to pony up the cash it will take to get him. The MLBTR article links Yamamoto to all of the typical big-market teams but also the Diamondbacks and Tigers. Since the Orioles will never go for it, I’ll root for him to end up on one of those teams.

I don’t expect that the Orioles will make their big moves via free agency this year, but maybe I’ll be surprised.

Links

These 3 players are potential trade chips for Orioles - MLB.com
Jake Rill identifies Anthony Santander, Ramón Urias, and Jorge Mateo as possible trade chips for the Orioles this offseason.

Answers to your Orioles questions, Part 2 - BaltimoreBaseball.com
Rich Dubroff has opened the mailbag.

Ryan Minor, former Oklahoma Sooners star, placed in hospice care - The Oklahoman
Our thoughts go out to former Oriole player and minor league manager Ryan Minor, who was diagnosed with colon cancer about a year ago.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, but I forgive you if you don’t remember any of them. David Washington, who turns 33 years old today, amassed six plate appearances over three games for the 2017 Orioles.

In similar short-timer fashion, it’s also the birthday of Jo-Jo Reyes (nine games in 2011), Herm Starrette (27 games from 1963-65) and Don Leppert (40 games in 1955).

On this day in 2012, Orioles legend Robert Andino was traded to the Seattle Mariners for Trayvon Robinson. Robinson never played for the Orioles, while Andino got into 29 games for the Mariners in 2013.