masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThe Orioles have three Gold Glove winners in 2014. However, I wouldn’t expect the team to bring home the Platinum Glove for a second consecutive season.
Third baseman Manny Machado won it in 2013. Shortstop J.J. Hardy, center fielder Adam Jones and right fielder Nick Markakis are eligible this year.
It would be an upset if Royals left fielder Alex Gordon didn’t win it. The announcement will come on Nov. 7 during the Gold Glove ceremony.
Hardy, Jones and Markakis deflected credit in their…

The Orioles have three Gold Glove winners in 2014. However, I wouldn’t expect the team to bring home the Platinum Glove for a second consecutive season.

Third baseman Manny Machado won it in 2013. Shortstop J.J. Hardy, center fielder Adam Jones and right fielder Nick Markakis are eligible this year.

It would be an upset if Royals left fielder Alex Gordon didn’t win it. The announcement will come on Nov. 7 during the Gold Glove ceremony.

jones-white-smiling-sidebar.jpgHardy, Jones and Markakis deflected credit in their respective statements last night, praising teammates and coaches Bobby Dickerson and Wayne Kirby. Dickerson works with the infielders and Kirby works with the outfielders.

Jones was interviewed on ESPN2 following the announcement.

“It’s a team award for me,” he said.

“There’s a lot of prestige in Orioles history with Gold Gloves, with Brooks (Robinson) obviously at 16, Paul Blair at eight. There’s some people … I’m staying motivated so that I can try to join that kind of class of guys.”

Jones was asked how much pride the Orioles take in their defensive skills.

“We take a lot of pride in our ability,” he said. “You’ve got the Royals. Their defense is unbelievable. Obviously, they showed it off in the playoffs. But Markakis, me and him together, we’ve played together for seven years and we seem to just know how each other works, what we’re thinking. It’s pretty incredible that we both get it in the same year because we both put in the tireless work.

“It’s good to see Markakis get awarded something because he’s not stylish, obviously. He dives and throws it back in. He’s so nonchalant, and it’s good that the guys are seeing him for what he’s doing and contributing to our defense.”

Sports Illustrated ranked Jones’ Twitter account among the 100 best in the sports industry. Must be a lot of foodies at that magazine.

Hardy is the first American League shortstop to win three consecutive Gold Gloves since Derek Jeter from 2004-06.

MLB Network’s Bill Ripken and Harold Reynolds predicted last night that Buck Showalter will win American League Manager of the Year in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Showalter is up against the Angels’ Mike Scioscia and the Royals’ Ned Yost.

I’m sure that Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon also received votes, but not enough to crack the top three.

I wrote a few days ago that the Orioles will send scouts to Guatemala on Nov. 12 to watch switch-hitting Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada’s showcase. They’ve also been scouting power-hitting Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas for two years.

One scout in the organization said Moncada will be a future All-Star, but Tomas is “the bomb.”

Tomas, 23, defected from Cuba in June after playing five seasons for Serie Nacional. He also played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

It always comes down to how much the Orioles are willing to spend on the international market.

Orioles minor league pitcher Zach Davies is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in six starts with the Glendale Desert Dogs of the Arizona Fall League. He’s permitted one run in his last 17 innings.

Davies, 21, went 10-7 with a 3.35 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) at Double-A Bowie.

Showalter has talked up Davies in the past. That’s always a good sign.

MLBTradeRumors.com posted its salary projections for the Orioles’ 11 arbitration-eligible players. I’ll post the names, 2014 salaries and predicted raises.

Alejandro De Aza: $4.25 million/$5.9 million
Matt Wieters: $7.7 million/$7.9 million
Steve Pearce: $700,000/$2.2 million
Bud Norris: $5.3 million/$8.7 million
Tommy Hunter: $3 million/$4.4 million
Chris Davis: $10.3 million/$11.8 million
Brian Matusz: $2.4 million/$2.7 million
Chris Tillman: $546,000/$5.4 million
Miguel Gonzalez: $529,000/$3.7 million
Ryan Flaherty: $513,000/$1 million
Zach Britton: $521,500/$3.2 million

Wieters appeared in only 26 games, but I’m still surprised by the projected small bump in pay. I also figured Matusz would experience a bigger increase. We’ll see how it works out.

Tillman, Gonzalez and Britton won’t have any complaints.