:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44160772/456593450.0.jpg)
Hello, friends.
There are now 141 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2015. This is the dawning of the rest of our lives.
You probably already know that there are two things going on with the Orioles: One of them is jack and the other is squat. Thankfully, there is one thing to celebrate today. We are free from another offseason of endless rumors about a pursuit of A.J. Burnett, who signed with the Pirates yesterday for $8.5 million. Burnett gave up an extra $4 million with the Phillies in the process. I would probably want to get out of that mess, too.
Maybe Nick Markakis will sign today. Probably not. Maybe Nelson Cruz will sign today. Probably not. Maybe someone, somewhere, will sign today, or get traded, or something.
Until something happens, here's a few links from around Birdland to keep you occupied...
Thoughts on Nelson Cruz, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis' contract talks with the Baltimore Orioles - Baltimore Sun
The Sun runs down the latest with the two Orioles free agent outfielders and what might happen with them. If you've been studiously ignoring all of the little rumors, this is a great place to catch up.
Orioles do well with collection of postseason awards | Comcast SportsNet Baltimore
CSN's Rich Dubroff takes stock of the Orioles winning a bunch of postseason awards this year, with some historical notes about the last time that the franchise has won the various other awards, such as Cy Young and Rookie of the Year.
School of Roch: Burnett off the board
Roch reacts to Burnett signing elsewhere. No one in the Orioles beat crew seems surprised; you kinda get the idea that Burnett rumors were driven by national media rather than local media.
Elsewhere around the SB Nation MLB network...
Watch Giants players impersonate Madison Bumgarner - McCovey Chronicles
Our counterparts at the Giants blog have found a video where assorted members of the Giants team try to impersonate World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner. This was funnier than I expected.
One current Oriole has a birthday on this day: Dylan Bundy. It is also the birthday of a couple of forgettable Orioles from the early 2000s: John Stephens (2002) and Darwin Cubillan (2004).
And that's the way it is in Birdland on November 15 - at least, unless something happens later today. Have a safe Saturday.