Thursday Bird Droppings: Four days until the trade deadline

Hello, friends.

Another day has dawned with the Orioles in fourth place in the American League East. The day also finds the team six games out of a wild card spot, with six teams to pass. That would be just in order to claim the road spot, which they made so much of last season.

The Orioles fell to that point after losing their series to the Rays, with a 5-1 loss on Wednesday afternoon. If you didn't see it, check out my recap of the game in which Ubaldo Jimenez actually pitched well but the offense didn't get anything done and so they lost. They probably have to win 60% of their games from here on out.

All of that sounds like the Orioles should be sellers at the deadline, doesn't it? Too bad Zach Britton's value is not high, and even if you want the Orioles to trade Brad Brach, a big possible suitor for him - the Rockies - dealt for Phillies reliever Pat Neshek last night instead. This is not shaping up to be a very action-packed deadline for the Orioles.

With how the Orioles are playing, you might be happy for them having a day off. How are you planning to spend it? You should definitely enjoy it because the next Orioles off day after this isn't going to be until August 17. I just have a feeling the O's will be farther out from a wild card than six games on their next off day.

Heck, even if they're still six games out, with another three weeks of baseball off the board, the situation would be fairly hopeless. Are we having fun yet?

Around the blogO'sphere

Orioles' Ubaldo Jimenez pitches well vs. Rays | MLB.com
So who's feeling hopeful for Ubaldo's next start now?

MLB -- A trade deadline deal for all 30 teams (ESPN)
ZiPS creator and ESPN writer Dan Szymborski proposed a trade for every one of the 30 MLB teams. His trade for the O's involves dealing Adam Jones to the Nationals. I think we can file that under unlikely.

KATOH’s Midseason 2017 Top-100 | FanGraphs Baseball
A little Fangraphs love for Chance Sisco, Austin Hays, and Cedric Mullins, although honestly, I don't really get the point of this projection system other than to say that somebody made a prospect projection system.

A rally falls short and some prospects talk - Steve Melewski
Here's Melewski to break down some of the changes to the O's top 10 prospects list on Baseball America, which recently got a midseason update.

Should the Orioles buy, sell, or stay at the MLB trade deadline? (SB Nation)

It's SBN's Grant Brisbee on the Orioles, so you know that's a must-read. I think he has a good sense of the situation.

If O's sell, should they target best pitching available or best overall package? (Baltimore Baseball)

The question has only one acceptable answer, though I have the unfortunate ceiling that whatever selling the Orioles do will involve the wrong answer.

Ryan Flaherty could start rehab assignment Thursday in Bowie (Baltimore Sun)

Well, now we're saved.

Was the Dexter Fowler contract a mistake? (Viva El Birdos)

Our friends over at the Cardinals blog are asking the question. I still would have liked to have had Fowler on last year's Orioles, but maybe it's good they don't have him signed through 2021.

Birthdays and anniversaries

One current Oriole has a birthday today: It's that same Ryan Flaherty, turning 31 on this very day. No, really!

Today is also the birthday of Floyd "Honey Bear" Rayford of the 1980-87 Orioles, and Rich Dauer of the 1976-85 O's. Dauer turns 65 years old today.

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Along with those current and former Orioles, your birthday buddies for today include: Battle of Baltimore General Samuel Smith (1752), Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher (1905), Medal of Honor-winning submariner George L. Street III (1913), Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax (1938), wrestling personality Triple H (1969), SNL alum Maya Rudolph (1972), and Orange is the New Black actress Taylor Schilling (1984).

On this day in history...

In 1054, Siward, the Earl of Northumbria, invaded Scotland, where he defeated Macbeth, King of Scotland - yes, that one - in a location believed to be north of the Firth of Forth.

In 1299, history generally agrees that Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, invaded the territory of Nicomedia, which marked the founding of that state.

In 1663, the English Parliament passed the Navigation Act, requiring that any goods shipped to the colonies in America must be sent in English ships from English ports. Surely, no one would ever object to this sort of decision.

In 1953, fighting in the Korean War came to an end as the United States, China, and North Korea signed an armistice. South Korea did not sign the armistice and the two Koreas remain technically at war to this day.

In 1974, the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives voted by a 27-11 margin to recommend the first article of impeachment, for obstruction of justice, against President Nixon in connection to the Watergate scandal.

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And that's the way it is in Birdland on July 27 - unless something changes later, which it probably won't, unless somebody gets traded. Have a safe Thursday. Go Orioles!