Roch Kubatko

Another look at the lineup and what to do with Pearce

February 14, 2015, 6:50pm

Orioles

Another look at the lineup and what to do with Pearce

I was messing around with another projected Orioles lineup yesterday during "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN. We had two hours to kill. Manager Buck Showalter can go in many directions, depending on the opponent's starting pitcher. Here's one possibility: Alejandro De Aza LF Manny Machado 3B Adam Jones CF Chris Davis 1B Matt Wieters C Steve Pearce DH Travis Snider RF J.J. Hardy SS Jonathan Schoop 2B I'm fully aware of the free-agent losses this winter, but that's still a nice...

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Davis shifting his strategy at the plate

February 13, 2015, 12:25pm

Orioles

Davis shifting his strategy at the plate

Major League Baseball has officially awarded the 2017 All-Star Game to the Miami Marlins. It's also convinced that the Orioles moved back to St. Louis. That's three straight National League cities, and Washington could make it four in a row in 2018. However, MLB is trying to be "fair" by alternating which league bats last, since these games determine home-field advantage in the World Series. Meanwhile, the scream you heard earlier this week was Ubaldo Jimenez reacting to MLB's interest in...

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Which Orioles bring the most spring curiosity?

February 12, 2015, 11:33am

Orioles

To borrow another one of manager Buck Showalter's favorite expressions, our curiosity will be satisfied in spring training. I'm curious about a handful of the 56 players reporting to Orioles camp. For instance: * Dylan Bundy: He's going to be treated like any other pitcher in camp, according to Showalter. No reason to hold him back any longer. He's healthy and on a regular schedule. No half-mounds for Bundy. Will his stuff be electric? It would be a shock - yes, you see what I did there -...

Tillman removes drama over opening day starter

February 11, 2015, 8:04pm

Orioles

Tillman removes drama over opening day starter

Spring training will provide its share of storylines, but I don't anticipate much drama when it comes to naming the opening day starter. Is it really a mystery? The past five seasons brought five different starters, but Chris Tillman will go back-to-back by taking the ball on April 6 at Tropicana Field. The only question is how long it takes for manager Buck Showalter to confirm it. "I don't let that enter my mind," Tillman said earlier this week on the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan....

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Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury

February 10, 2015, 4:35pm

Orioles

Graham on new minor league hires, Davis on spring plan and last year's injury

The Orioles crossed another item off their to-do list yesterday by announcing their camp roster, which included 15 non-roster invitees. Manager Buck Showalter counts 59 available lockers at the Sarasota complex and he uses that number as his cutoff while constructing the roster. There's room for three more players if the Orioles want to occupy the entire space. The group of instructors includes Kevin Bradshaw, who replaces Dave Anderson as minor league infield coordinator. Anderson was...

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Orioles announce spring training roster

February 10, 2015, 10:47am

Orioles

The Orioles are inviting 15 non-roster players to spring training, including pitcher Hunter Harvey, veteran left-hander Mark Hendrickson and outfielder Dariel Alvarez. Just as manager Buck Showalter stated at the minicamp, pitcher Suk-min Yoon isn't included among the non-roster invitees. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski also was excluded after moving up from low Single-A Delmarva to Double-A Bowie last summer. The Orioles could still sign another player to a minor league contract with an...

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Orioles notes, games against Cuban team and Davis' highway heroics

February 09, 2015, 6:19pm

Orioles

The Orioles are expected to announce their minor league coaching staffs this week, much later than in previous winters. Most of the holdup was attributed to the hiring of Keith Bodie as hitting coach at Double-A Bowie. Bodie spent the past three seasons as manager at Double-A Corpus Christi in the Astros organization. One more coach could be added at the lower level of the system. Otherwise, the Orioles finally are done. Executive vice president Dan Duquette said he's still working on the...

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Reimold: "I just want to prove them right for bringing me back"

February 09, 2015, 10:37am

Orioles

Reimold: "I just want to prove them right for bringing me back"

Nolan Reimold is planning to arrive in Sarasota next week for the start of spring training, well ahead of the Orioles' report date for position players. A minor league deal brought him back to the organization, and he's not wasting any time getting to work. "Obviously, I'm very happy to be back," Reimold said. "I never wanted to leave in the first place. But coming back to an organization like Baltimore that is and has become, doing great things, it's good to be back. And I want to be a...

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Orioles discussing exhibition game in Cuba

February 09, 2015, 8:00am

Orioles

An Orioles official confirmed today that the club is interested in playing an exhibition game in Cuba this spring. "The club is looking at the possibility," said executive vice president Dan Duquette. "Peter (Angelos) has contacts there and it's something we're looking at." Duquette wouldn't qualify the chances of a game being held in Cuba this spring, though it may be more realistic in 2016 with pitchers and catchers reporting to the Sarasota complex next week. "It's something we've...

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Orioles announce Reimold deal (updated)

February 09, 2015, 6:50am

Orioles

The Orioles announced today that they've signed outfielder Nolan Reimold to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. The process dragged along for a while, but the deal is official. The sides reached agreement last week after the Orioles included an opt-out clause later in the season. The Indians had the same deal on the table, though it's believed that the Orioles offered more money. There's not much more for me to add beyond what I've written in the past. You may...

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Orioles who need to get defensive

February 08, 2015, 6:13pm

Orioles

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has issued warnings in the past about never overlooking an orchid while searching for a rose. It's one of his favorite phrases. During the Q&A forum at FanFest last weekend, Showalter was asked which orchids were being overlooked on the current roster. He immediately brought up second baseman Jonathan Schoop. "If you look back through the normal progression of young players, the thing that allowed us to stick with Jonathan Schoop last year when he was...

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This, that and the other

February 07, 2015, 12:52pm

Orioles

The Orioles re-signed outfielder Julio Borbon to a minor league deal after selecting him from the Cubs organization in the Triple-A phase of the 2013 Rule 5 draft. Borbon batted .288/.342/.356 with 9 doubles, four triples, five home runs, 44 RBIs and 34 stolen bases in 124 games at Triple-A Norfolk. He never made it to Camden Yards. Former executive and current MLB Network Radio analyst Jim Duquette, appearing yesterday on "Wall to Wall Baseball" on MASN, said the Orioles kicked the tires...

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Latest look at the lineup

February 06, 2015, 8:22pm

Orioles

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette told me yesterday that he's still working on the spring training roster with manager Buck Showalter. The club is expected to add at least one more player to a minor league deal before heading south. Former hitting coach Jim Presley remains under contract with the Orioles after being reassigned following the 2014 season, but it hasn't been determined whether he's going to work for them in some capacity. There were early talks of giving him a...

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Duquette on De Aza negotiations

February 06, 2015, 11:46am

Orioles

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that the club is headed to an arbitration hearing with outfielder Alejandro De Aza on Feb. 20 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The sides exchanged figures last month, at which point the Orioles decided to "file to go" rather than make a serious attempt to negotiate a settlement. De Aza submitted $5.65 million and the Orioles countered at $5 million. He made $4.25 million last season. I've heard that talks were limited despite a modest...

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Coolbaugh's potential influence on Jones and others

February 05, 2015, 12:13pm

Orioles

Coolbaugh's potential influence on Jones and others

The Orioles continue to piece together their camp roster, which apparently won't exceed 59 players. They've settled on their invites from inside the organization and may add someone else from outside. I'm told that the current head count includes outfielder Nolan Reimold, though he may not sign his contract until arriving in Sarasota. The more I check, the more I'm certain that the Orioles are headed to an arbitration hearing with outfielder Alejandro De Aza. I keep getting confirmation....

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Britton settles on contract for 2015

February 04, 2015, 1:27pm

Orioles

The Orioles have reached agreement on a 2015 contract with closer Zach Britton, according to a source, leaving them with only one unsigned player as spring training approaches. Britton will receive $3.2 million guaranteed and he could earn another $300,000 in incentives based on games finished. He submitted $4.2 million when the sides exchanged figures last month and the Orioles countered at $2.2 million. He made $521,500 last season. Notice how these things usually are resolved at the...

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Hearing from Wallace, Navarro and Joseph

February 04, 2015, 12:14pm

Orioles

Hearing from Wallace, Navarro and Joseph

Orioles manager Buck Showalter has stated on multiple occasions this winter that right-hander Dylan Bundy will be treated like everyone else at spring training. The top pitching prospect in the system won't be brought along slowly or placed in a separate group. He's completely healthy. The governor is off, as Showalter likes to say. Pitching coach Dave Wallace is eager to get a better look at Bundy, 22, who underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow on June 27, 2013. "I...

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More on Orioles arbitration and minor league staff

February 03, 2015, 7:19pm

Orioles

Considering that the Orioles began the offseason with 11 players who were eligible for arbitration, they should view it as a victory that they've shaved the list to two. Only Zach Britton and Alejandro De Aza remain unsigned as spring training approaches. Everyone gets a raise, which is sort of like every kid getting a trophy. The Orioles' payroll has increased again this year despite the absence of a big-ticket item in their free agent shopping cart. Reliever Tommy Hunter got the ball...

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Gonzalez signs for 2015

February 03, 2015, 2:23pm

Orioles

The Orioles have gone from 11 unsigned arbitration-eligible players to only two. Miguel Gonzalez agreed to a $3.275 million deal tonight, according to sources, which leaves closer Zach Britton and outfielder Alejandro De Aza without contracts for the upcoming season. Gonzalez, 30, submitted $3.95 million when the sides exchanged figures last month and the Orioles countered at $2.5 million. He made $529,000 last season. Though he's often overlooked in discussions regarding the rotation,...

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Orioles trade Lombardozzi to Pirates

February 03, 2015, 1:20pm

Orioles

The Orioles are having a busy day. The club just announced that it traded minor league infielder Steve Lombardozzi, a graduate of Atholton High School, to the Pirates for cash considerations. Earlier today, the Orioles sent minor league catcher Michael Ohlman to the Cardinals in another cash transaction. Lombardozzi isn't the player to be named in the Travis Snider trade. This is a separate transaction with the Pirates. The PTBNL will be announced in spring training. Lombardozzi, 26,...