Grayson Rodriguez celebrated his 23^rd birthday yesterday by hopping on a video call with some members of the local media.

One big wish had already come true for Rodriguez. The Orioles selected his contract on Tuesday, placing him on the 40-man roster at the deadline prior to next month’s Rule 5 draft.

Rodriguez referred to it as “an honor,” while others in the industry viewed it as a foregone conclusion.

Baseball’s top pitching prospect expressed his disappointment at failing to make his major league debut after recovering from a grade 2 lat strain, settling for rehab starts and a return to Triple-A Norfolk before the Orioles shut him down.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has noted the expectation that Rodriguez will break camp next spring in the rotation. Rodriguez is ready for it.  

A week of Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards announcements makes a stop tonight at Cy Young.

Each ballot had room for five candidates. None of the Orioles are expected to make an appearance.

The winner will come from a group consisting of Chicago’s Dylan Cease, Toronto’s Alek Manoah and Houston’s Justin Verlander.

The Orioles’ dry spell, dating back to Steve Stone in 1980, continues for at least one more year.

Yesterday brought us to an intersection of announcements – players added to the 40-man roster before the Rule 5 draft and Brandon Hyde finishing runner-up to the Guardians’ Terry Francona for American League Manager of the Year.

The Orioles’ rise from 110-loss team in 2021 to playoff contender this summer, their record settling above .500 to shock the industry, couldn’t launch manager Brandon Hyde toward another award.

Hyde was runner-up tonight to the Guardians’ Terry Francona for the American League’s Manager of the Year in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He finished first last month in The Sporting News balloting.

In his fourth season with the Orioles, Hyde guided the Orioles to an 83-79 record for one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history. He received nine first-place votes, nine second and seven third for 79 points.

Francona, who won the AL Central with the youngest roster in the league, received 17 first-place votes and nine second for 112 points. The Mariners’ Scott Servais was third with one first-place, eight second and 14 third.

Dusty Baker, whose Astros won the World Series, was fourth with three first-place, three second and seven third. The Yankees’ Aaron Boone was fifth with one second and one third. The Rays’ Kevin Cash, who won it the past two seasons, was sixth with one third-place vote.

The shuffling of the 40-man roster, with some cards tossed out of the deck, grows louder with today’s deadline for setting it prior to the Dec. 7 Rule 5 draft in San Diego.

The Orioles have met multiple times this week to finalize their list. They’ve created six openings, with the freedom to fashion more as they seek to add players from outside the organization via free agency and trades.

Top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez and shortstop Joey Ortiz, the No. 8 prospect in the organization per Baseball America, are simple additions. Those internal talks must have lasted two seconds.

Rodriguez is expected to be in the rotation on opening day. Ortiz could compete for the shortstop job in spring training after batting .346/.400/.567 with seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 14 RBIs and nine walks in 26 games with Triple-A Norfolk after his promotion from Double-A Bowie.

Left-hander Drew Rom, 22, is a strong candidate to be protected. The fourth-round draft pick in 2018 struck out 144 batters in 120 innings between Bowie and Norfolk, and he surrendered only 10 home runs.

The next round of awards are handed out this week, starting tonight with Rookie of the Year from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman is a finalist in the American League with Cleveland’s Steven Kwan – his former college teammate – and Seattle’s Julio Rodríguez.

Rodríguez already was chosen by The Sporting News, Baseball America and his peers in the Players Choice Awards. He won a Silver Slugger Award last week. He’s just waiting to hear from People Magazine on the results for “Sexiest Man Alive”.

The BBWAA isn’t expected to veer away from Rodríguez, but we’ll find out tonight on MLB Network beginning at 6 p.m.

A first- or second-place finish for Rutschman would give him a full year of service time under the new collective bargaining agreement. That’s a year closer to arbitration and free agency. And it’s why some writers were uncomfortable with the ballot or declined to vote.

The launching of true free agency last week, with executives allowed to begin negotiations with representatives of players outside the organization, also ignited the annual offseason predictions, speculation and rumors that spread like weeds.

The baseball media’s popular board game, matching player with team. A low-risk roll of the dice.

The Athletic tabbed the Orioles as a best fit for seven of the top 10 free agents – Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander, Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Rodón and Kodai Senga. Forget the cost. The club is seeking a top-of-the-rotation starter and a big-time run producer, so that qualifies as a “fit.”

But we can’t ignore the cost.

Does deGrom work for the Orioles at a projected two-year deal worth $90 million and including an opt-out clause after the first season? Or Verlander at three years and $135 million, Correa at 10 years and $327 million, Turner at eight years and $264 million, Bogaerts at seven years and $196 million, Rodón at five years and $144 million, and Senga at three years and $72 million?

The Orioles contingent that traveled to Las Vegas this week for the general managers meetings huddled with about a dozen agencies that rep players of interest to the organization, feelings expressed as a method of identifying potential fits.

Making the most out of a couple days before returning to the B&O warehouse.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias was joined by assistant general manager/analytics Sig Mejdal, senior director of international scouting Koby Perez, assistant GM/baseball operations Eve Rosenbaum, director of pro scouting Mike Snyder and director of baseball strategy Brendan Fournie.

“The meetings are always an invigorating event, and especially post-COVID, I think we’ve kind of learned to appreciate the face-to-face opportunities that we get with the other executives, with the league officials, and then probably most of all, with the agents that are there,” Elias said.

“I think one thing that was a little bit unique with these meetings is, because of the lockout and the late start to the season, there was still an ongoing quiet period, but that’s lifted as of (yesterday) and it feels like things are already starting to move fast.”

A big week is reaching its weekend.

No, I don’t mean the McRib’s farewell tour.

The GM Meetings have concluded in Las Vegas. The Orioles didn’t make any trades, but they’re now cleared to begin negotiating with free agents outside the organization. The exclusive window has shut.

A much nicer sound than the slamming of the playoff contention window after 2017. Or was it ’16?

The year is open to debate. The repercussions can’t be argued.

Outfielder Yusniel Diaz, formerly a top prospect in the Orioles’ farm system and the centerpiece of the Manny Machado trade with the Dodgers, has been removed from the 40-man roster.

The Orioles assigned Diaz to Triple-A Norfolk today after he cleared outright waivers.

The number of players on the 40-man remained at 34 after left-hander John Means was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, a procedural move due today. Means is continuing his rehab from Tommy John surgery and won’t be ready to pitch on opening day.

Diaz, 26, finally made his major league debut Aug. 2 in Texas after the Orioles traded Trey Mancini, and he struck out in his only at-bat. He was optioned the next day to make room for outfielder Brett Phillips and didn’t return to the active roster, though he served as the 27^th man in the Little League Classic.

An assortment of injuries, both in the minors and the Arizona Fall League, have wrecked Diaz’s career after he’s impressed in spring training. He appeared in 70 games at Triple-A Norfolk this summer and batted .251/.346/.360 with nine doubles, six home runs and 66 strikeouts in 286 plate appearances.

A new day brings us to the latest announcement on award recipients, as opposed to just the finalists.

It’s got to be one or the other this time of the year.

The Silver Sluggers will be dispensed tonight beginning at 6 p.m. on MLB Network, which is condensing the show into one hour. Less filler.

Orioles' catcher Adley Rutschman and outfielder Anthony Santander are finalists.

Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk, Oakland’s Sean Murphy and Seattle’s Cal Raleigh are the other finalists among catchers. The outfielders are New York’s Aaron Judge, Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez, Los Angeles’ Mike Trout and Taylor Ward, Toronto’s Teoscar Hernández and George Springer, Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena, Houston’s Kyle Tucker and Texas’ Adolis Garcia.

The Orioles have decided to decline pitcher Jordan Lyles’ $11 million option for the 2023 season, choosing to give him a $1 million buyout and allowing the veteran to test the free agent market.

An announcement was made this afternoon.

The door isn’t closed on Lyles’ return, however. They could double back to Lyles over the winter, with the possibility of reaching an agreement on a new contract.

The early juncture of the offseason and the current price point led the Orioles to decline the option. But conversations with his representative could be held later.

The Orioles had until Thursday to make the decision, which lowers their 40-man roster to 33 players. Left-hander John Means will be activated from the 60-day injured list this week and return the total to 34.

A byproduct of the Arizona Fall League is the chance for scouts to get their eyes on certain players, whether for the first time or to continue evaluating and filing reports.

There’s a popular theory in baseball that allowing prospects to play in the AFL who need to be protected in the Rule 5 draft is risky because other organizations could be swayed to select them.

The Orioles are safe with outfielder Heston Kjerstad. He doesn’t need to go on the 40-man roster.

He just needs to stay healthy and keep swinging the bat as he’s done in Arizona.

Kjerstad went 3-for-4 with his first triple on Friday to raise his average to .371 with a 1.063 OPS. His 33 hits and nine doubles before yesterday led the AFL, his five home runs tied for second and his 17 RBIs and .663 slugging percentage ranked third.

The Orioles shaved another catcher off their 40-man roster.

They’re down to two.

The club announced tonight that Cam Gallagher declined his outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and elected free agency after clearing waivers. Gallagher was selected off waivers from the Padres Sept. 11 but didn’t play for the Orioles.

Gallagher was eligible for arbitration. That list is down to six players.

Anthony Bemboom accepted his outright assignment to Norfolk, as previously reported, and is expected to compete for a backup job in spring training.

The first post-World Series mailbag has been emptied. Much like my hopes for a Game 7.

There’s nothing better in sports. And it delays the actual offseason for one more day.

I’ve grown to love the period of calm. A few small-scale transactions and some announcements on awards, but that’s about it.

(I picked the Astros in six games, but I digress …)

Now we’re ripe for rumors. I’ve already seen one prediction that the Orioles will sign Carlos Correa.

The Orioles have two finalists for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards, with manager Brandon Hyde a candidate for American League Manager of the Year and catcher Adley Rutschman a candidate for American League Rookie of the Year.

Two names that have been anticipated for months. No surprise omissions or entries.

Hyde joins the Guardians’ Terry Francona and the Mariners’ Scott Servais as finalists. Rutschman, Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez and Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan are vying for the rookie award.

The Sporting News already selected Hyde. Rodriguez, the only player in major league history with 25-plus home runs and 25-plus stolen bases in his debut season, won the Players Choice Award.

Hyde can become the first Orioles manager honored since Buck Showalter in 2014. Rutschman can become the first Rookie of the Year since reliever Gregg Olson in 1989.

Finalists for the four Baseball Writers’ Association of America awards will be announced tonight beginning at 6 p.m. on MLB Network. Plan your meals around it.

The top three finishers will be revealed in alphabetical order, so don’t panic if it takes a while for Adley Rutschman’s name to appear among American League rookies.

Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez will be called ahead of him. Rutschman, Rodriguez and the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. were finalists for the Players Choice Award, with the Mariners outfielder taking the honor.

The Guardian’s Steven Kwan could bump Witt from some BBWAA ballots. It would be shocking if Rutschman or Rodriguez were excluded. Rodriguez is widely viewed as the favorite.

MLB.com’s rookie power rankings posted on Oct. 5 had Rodriguez first in the AL, followed by Rutschman, Kwan, Witt, the Twins’ Joe Ryan and the Mariners’ George Kirby.

Armchair general managers remained on call throughout the World Series. Can't put away the cell phone or shut the laptop.

There's lots of work to do. Never mind that your salary isn't enough to tip the DoorDash driver.

You're in it for the love of the game.

I already posed three questions: whether you’d re-sign first baseman Jesús Aguilar, whether you’d pick up Jordan Lyles’ $11 million option and whether you’d trade an outfielder.

Here are two more:

Helping a friend move yesterday wasn’t part of Anthony Servideo’s offseason workout program, but it offered further evidence of his improved health. Some heavy lifting that couldn’t be taken lightly after everything he’s gone through.

The Orioles chose Servideo in the third round of the truncated 2020 draft out of the University of Mississippi, intrigued by his athleticism at shortstop, the lateral movement and soft hands. He was a top 30 prospect in the system until injuries and the influx of other talented young infielders lowered his status.

Professional baseball has exposed its fickle side to Servideo. Rewarding on draft day and in many of the games that he’s played, but cruel in its delays and interruptions.

The pandemic caused the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season, circumstances beyond his control. Servideo underwent sports hernia surgery in July 2021, stayed back at extended spring training this year and returned to the injured list in July with a groin strain.

A total of 44 games in two seasons spread between the Florida Complex League and Single-A Delmarva. Not exactly how he imagined it.

Outfielder Jake Cave is no longer eligible for arbitration.

The Orioles reduced their list today by agreeing to terms with Cave on a split contract for the 2023 season, with his salary determined by whether he’s in the majors or minors.

Cave was claimed off waivers from the Twins on Oct. 11, the Orioles’ second roster move following the season. They designated reliever Jake Reed for assignment and the Red Sox claimed him.

Cave, 29, appeared in 54 games with the Twins and batted .213/.260/.384 with seven doubles, three triples, five home runs and 20 RBIs in 177 plate appearances. He’s a career .235/.297/.411 hitter in parts of five major league seasons.

The Yankees selected Cave in the sixth round of the 2011 draft out of Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Va. The Reds chose him in the 2015 Rule 5 draft and returned him on April 5, 2016. The Yankees traded Cave to the Twins on March 16, 2018 for pitcher Luis Gil.

The Orioles can’t be assured of anything next season based on their success in 2022. It might be a launching pad. It might raise hopes and expectations that can’t be met.

If momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher, it can’t be relied on to sustain through the winter and spring. The slate is clean for everybody.

Though it’s still early, with the last game played only a month ago, the Orioles are anticipating a return to absolute normalcy.

The pandemic shut down spring training in 2020, chopped the schedule down to 60 games and destroyed the minor league season, and its influence remained in 2021. The expiration of the old collective bargaining agreement last December led to a prolonged shutdown, late start to a shortened spring training, and significant adjustments to the schedule and how earlier games were managed.

Everyone had the same challenges, but the field wasn’t level. Some teams were better equipped to handle the strife than others.