Pitcher Brandon Bailey was in the middle of a workout at Driveline Baseball, a data-driven performance center in Kent, Wash., when one of his personal trainers approached him with news that the Orioles hadn't been able to deliver.
It tends to travel fast and can come via anyone with access to the internet.
The Orioles had selected Bailey in the Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings in San Diego. He'd be placed on the 40-man roster and compete for a rotation spot after spending the entire 2019...
The Orioles have completed their major league coaching staff for the 2020 season.
According to an industry source, the Orioles have hired former pitcher Darren Holmes as bullpen coach. The team hasn't made an announcement, but the deal is done.
Holmes, 53, had served as Rockies bullpen coach since 2015. He didn't have previous experience on a team's coaching staff, but he worked in 2014 as the Braves' biomechanics pitching consultant.
The Rockies replaced Holmes last month with minor league...
How does a player who appeared in 101 games pull a disappearing act while staying on the roster?
That's how it feels with Dwight Smith Jr.
He's on the 40-man roster, but tends to be excluded from the outfield conversation or led late into it.
Manager Brandon Hyde couldn't be pinned down on a set outfield as he handled his media obligations at the Winter Meetings. A suggestion was made that Hyde might have a better grasp of his starters now with Austin Hays flanked by Anthony Santander and...
Four days at baseball's Winter Meetings didn't cause the Orioles to scrap their plans and edit their shopping list. Nothing really changed since the team's contingent arrived at the Manchester Grand Hyatt beyond a waiver claim that barely drew notice in the industry and won't impact the roster on opening day, and two pitching selections in the Rule 5 draft that provide starting options for a rotation lacking in numbers.
While multiple starters and a veteran middle infielder remain the most...
Rather than take the usual deep dive into my "mailbag," I've decided to skim the surface after the Winter Meetings and address, so to speak, a smaller batch of the more popular questions.
I'm skipping anything that includes the phrase "printing the playoff tickets." Also ignored will be the ones that begin with, "Why should I bother to ..."
I can't make the decision for you. You'll support the team and the rebuild or you'll bail on them. You could be supportive from your recliner,...
The trio of Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, assistant GM of analytics Sig Mejdal and manager Brandon Hyde did more than brave the nasty elements at Saturday's Winter Warm-Up at Camden Yards. They also faced a group fans during a question-and-answer session who had reason to be grouchy, based on the ugly results of 2019 and rain that occasionally shifted to downpour status.
No one was injured in the making of the session. The mood was mostly light and there were...
The sky turned blue Saturday afternoon and the sun began to shine shortly after Orioles fans filed out of Camden Yards at the first Winter Warm-Up.
There's some symbolism at work here. The dark clouds, the dreary conditions.
If it's got to rain, let it be on a World Series parade.
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias spoke again about the need for patience, how the process can't be rushed and the reward will make it worthwhile. And he'd appreciate fans spreading the word so...
The Winter Meetings are providing opportunities for Orioles prospects to find out what all the commotion is about and sharpen their interview skills with the beat crew.
Shortstop Cadyn Grenier visited the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last December because he lived about 10 minutes away and couldn't pass up the opportunity, which included an introduction with executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias.
Outfielder Kyle Stowers, a California native chosen with the 71st...
The Orioles decorated Eutaw Street this morning to create a holiday theme at Camden Yards. A winter wonderland with temperatures above freezing.
The rain that fell varied from drizzle to downpour, with umbrellas opening and closing over a three-hour period at the first Winter Warm-Up.
A live band sang and performed carols on the flag court in right field before the covered stage was cleared for a question-and-answer session with Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias,...
Three full days and parts of two others spent at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in sunny San Diego taught us a few things about the Orioles and confirmed lots more.
They need pitching. In the same way that a sailboat needs a stiff breeze.
This didn't qualify as breaking news at the Winter Meetings, but the possibility of sticking at least one of the Rule 5 picks in the rotation provided an interesting nugget.
The Orioles rule the Rule 5 kingdom. They've made a selection every year since 2006 and...
The Orioles are moving into the weekend with the same catching arrangement and the desire to find a veteran on a minor league deal. Unclear is whether the new player would be given a legitimate chance to win a job or be ticketed for Triple-A as a depth piece.
The sales pitch figures to include an opportunity to break camp with the team. But what happens after the ink dries on the contract?
Chance Sisco currently holds the advantage of being the only left-handed hitter among a trio that includes...
SAN DIEGO - The Orioles' ties to the Astros and Cubs organizations came into play again this morning in the Rule 5 draft.
The second-overall pick was used on right-hander Brandon Bailey from Houston's Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi. The Orioles also were active in the next round by selecting right-hander Michael Rucker, who made 34 of his 36 appearances this summer with Chicago's Double-A affiliate in Tennessee.
The Orioles didn't lose any players on the major league phase, but the...
SAN DIEGO - The Orioles have made a selection in the major league phase of baseball's Rule 5 draft at every Winter Meetings since 2006. Pitcher Alfredo Simón began the streak, though the Orioles traded him to the Phillies for catcher Adam Donachie.
It's a streak that's certain to grow this morning with the Orioles holding the second-overall pick behind the Tigers.
Which position is the only element of mystery. The pitching pool is much deeper than last year, when the Orioles chose...
SAN DIEGO - Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias met earlier today with several agents representing middle infielders and starting pitchers, again targeting the two biggest areas of need. However, he doesn't expect any signings or deals to be completed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
The Winter Meetings will close with the Orioles claiming pitcher Marcos Diplán off waivers Monday and selecting one or more players in the Rule 5 draft. The extent of their activity that...
SAN DIEGO - Orioles manager Brandon Hyde can't make roster projections for 2020 without knowing it's exact composition. However, he said this afternoon that center fielder Austin Hays is "definitely" in the mix to bat leadoff.
A healthy Hays is going to be on the opening day roster. There's no gray area in center field.
Hyde also told the media during his 20-minute session that he'd like to have eight candidates for the starting rotation in camp. The Orioles are pretty much down to three...
SAN DIEGO - The Orioles can't share their concrete plans for the 26-man roster until they're done finding players for it. One move might impact how they handle a separate position. The work won't be done this month or in January, given the organization's track record for late signings, trades and waiver claims.
Reaching an agreement last week with infielder Dilson Herrera on a minor league contract enables the Orioles to lay out three possible scenarios for him.
They could reassign him to...
SAN DIEGO - Would the Orioles be willing to take on a significant salary if the trade also included a prospect that they held in high regard?
Would the budget support such a move?
The Giants did it yesterday in their deal with the Angels, acquiring infielder Zack Cozart and 21-year-old shortstop Will Wilson in exchange for cash considerations. They're on the hook for Cozart's entire $12.167 million salary next season.
This is basically a way for the Giants to buy a prospect, while the Angels...
SAN DIEGO - The Orioles are trying again with Chris Davis.
Trying to find a way to get him swinging more freely and making more consistent contact. Which again has led them to agent Scott Boras and the latest plan to nudge Davis closer to the form that prompted the club to hand over a $161 million contract prior to the 2016 season.
A hard shove is more like it.
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias confirmed this afternoon that he spoke last week with Boras and "a member of his...
SAN DIEGO - The annual Scott Boras media scrum at the Winter Meetings was held earlier than usual this week, with the super-agent making himself available at noon today to provide updates on clients Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon.
He stood in front of a backdrop bearing his agency's logo. A nice touch in 2019.
Boras fielded a question pertaining to Orioles first baseman Chris Davis about 30 minutes into the session, as he's done in the past. His response today was similar to the one he...
SAN DIEGO - Mike Elias isn't tuning out fans who vent over a 108-loss season and two trades of popular players that followed. Who demand reasons why they should buy tickets next season and support a team that is moving backward at a pace that could park it in the International League if the brakes aren't applied.
He listens and he understands. He just can't let it influence how he conducts business.
Which brings us to his first media session yesterday afternoon at the Manchester Grand Hyatt...
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