Roch Kubatko

40-man roster could require restructuring

February 07, 2021, 12:18pm

Orioles

40-man roster could require restructuring

Pitchers and catchers are required to report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in less than a week. The offseason is about to move into the spring training workout phase, followed by exhibition games - adjusted from the original schedule to eliminate longer-distance travel - played while everyone holds their breath. Not a bad idea during a pandemic. Reduce the risk of a positive test for COVID-19. The Orioles aren't a finished product and roster moves are coming while they're in camp. More...

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Putting HernÃ¡ndez signing in proper perspective (with note)

February 07, 2021, 6:45am

Orioles

Putting HernÃ¡ndez signing in proper perspective (with note)

The return of Wade LeBlanc to the Orioles organization came as a surprise with no access to behind-the-scenes negotiations. LeBlanc walked off the mound on Aug. 23, went on the 60-day injured list, hit the free agent market again and figured to be a fading memory in Orioles history. I don't recall anyone predicting that he'd sign another minor league deal, but he's going back to the Ed Smith Stadium complex later this month. The attention given to his return disappeared as quickly as LeBlanc...

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Should Goudeau get more attention as pitching alternative?

February 06, 2021, 8:14am

Orioles

Should Goudeau get more attention as pitching alternative?

The signing of a veteran starting pitcher was a certainty as the Orioles attempted to set their camp roster. Could have been a major league deal, could have been a minor league deal. Could have been one major league and one minor league deal. Could have been two minor league deals. But an experienced starter was going to be slotted into the rotation. Deal with it. Wade LeBlanc reached agreement last week on a minor league contract, followed by former Cy Young Award winner FÃ©lix HernÃ¡ndez...

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LeBlanc: "I want to make sure that I give them everything I have"

February 06, 2021, 8:03am

Orioles

LeBlanc: "I want to make sure that I give them everything I have"

When did veteran starter Wade LeBlanc know that he was coming back to the Orioles? Shortly after he left them. LeBlanc didn't pitch after the first inning of an Aug. 23 game against the Red Sox at Camden Yards, his sixth start with his new team, due to a stress fracture in his left elbow. The Orioles put him on the 60-day injured list while recalling rookie Keegan Akin, but shortened the distance between them despite LeBlanc's return to Louisiana. The Orioles kept checking on LeBlanc's...

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The process of crafting a camp roster

February 04, 2021, 4:10pm

Orioles

Efforts made by the Orioles to find more starting options for the rotation and depth in the infield and upper levels of the farm system are synced with the task of filling out the camp roster for spring training. The amount of players allowed at complexes is expected to be capped at 75. The Orioles are going to treat the process in the same fashion as their 60-man pool and the summer training camp at Camden Yards. They didn't rush to reach their limit. They left room for players to filter in...

Orioles sign "King FÃ©lix" to minor league deal (updated)

February 03, 2021, 2:50pm

Orioles

The Orioles' quest for more starting pitching has carried them to a former Cy Young Award winner. The second minor league deal offered in two days. According to an industry source, the Orioles have agreed to terms with veteran FÃ©lix HernÃ¡ndez on a contract that pays $1 million if he's on the club. The news on HernÃ¡ndez comes less than 24 hours after confirmation that the Orioles re-signed left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a deal that offers $700,000 if he's on the active...

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Alex Cobb on trade: "I was pretty surprised by it"

February 03, 2021, 11:42am

Orioles

Alex Cobb on trade: "I was pretty surprised by it"

The warning came early Monday morning, with pitcher Alex Cobb told by his representatives in a phone call of the pending trade from the Orioles to the Angels. The bags packed for spring training weren't going to make it to Sarasota, Fla. "I had had some discussions with my agents about some possibilities, that things might be happening, so it was on my radar, but also, didn't put my stock into it," Cobb said this afternoon. "I believed I was showing up to spring training. Had my place set,...

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Learning more about Jahmai Jones through his high school coach

February 03, 2021, 9:30am

Orioles

Learning more about Jahmai Jones through his high school coach

Brian Krehmeyer first began to notice the eighth-grader on days that the kid would sit in the stands at Wesleyan School in Norcross, Ga., watching baseball practice and greeting the coaches. Always eager to strike up a conversation, always smiling. Krehmeyer had been an assistant for six years and became head coach in 2012. One of his freshman players that first season in charge was Jahmai Jones. The talkative kid who later would be drafted by the Angels in the second round and traded to the...

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Orioles re-signing LeBlanc to minor league deal (trade update)

February 02, 2021, 5:05pm

Orioles

Left-hander Wade LeBlanc is headed back to the Orioles. LeBlanc has agreed to terms on a minor league deal with a spring training invite, according to a source. LeBlanc can earn a base salary of $700,000 if he's on the club. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has sought at least one veteran starting pitcher. The trade of Alex Cobb to the Angels, which is still awaiting approval from the commissioner's office, could lead to another signing. The Orioles have major league offers...

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Learning more about start of spring training and season

February 02, 2021, 7:19am

Orioles

Learning more about start of spring training and season

The structure of the 2021 season is beginning to take shape. And just in time. The union rejected, as expected, a proposal from Major League Baseball that would have pushed back opening day about a month and reduced the schedule to 154 games with full pay. The plan included expanded playoffs and a universal designated hitter. Seemed reasonable to me - especially the part about full pay - but players are concerned that there's a higher risk of injury if the season starts on April 28. Pitchers...

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Do the Orioles have other trade chips stacked on their table?

February 01, 2021, 11:34am

Orioles

The question was delivered with Anthony Santander and Trey Mancini in mind. During a recent Zoom conference call with the local media, Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias was asked about the possibility of acquiring players via trades rather than free agency. "Trades where we're adding to the major league team or trades where we're trading veterans for prospects?" Elias asked. Either way, but I was more interested in talks involving Santander and Mancini. "I think...

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More thoughts on Alex Cobb

February 01, 2021, 7:28am

Orioles

Immediate reaction to yesterday morning's news that the Orioles were working on a trade to send veteran starter Alex Cobb to the Angels included the following: Why now? How many young pitchers are coming to the Orioles? What happens to the rotation? What is it about the Angels? How about that payroll? Not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea. Cobb might carry more value in early February than at the trade deadline, when he's a rental with free agency approaching. And there are no...

Orioles attempting to trade Cobb to Angels (updated)

February 01, 2021, 6:05am

Orioles

The Orioles aren't done reducing their payroll and increasing the amount of young talent funneled into the organization during the rebuild process. An industry source confirmed this morning that the Orioles are in trade discussions with the Angels involving starting pitcher Alex Cobb, 33, who's entering the final year of his four-year, $57 million contract and currently stands as the second-highest paid player on the team. There's work to be done before the deal is finalized - a source told...

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Grenier staying on shortstop grid

January 31, 2021, 12:50pm

Orioles

As Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias rattled off the names of shortstop prospects in the system during a recent Zoom conference call, the topic born from a question relating to how the club might fill the position next summer, he made sure to include the 37th overall selection in the 2018 draft. The former teammate of catcher Adley Rutschman at Oregon State University. A product of the final draft under the previous front office and head of scouting. Cadyn Grenier has...

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Questions abound as report dates near

January 30, 2021, 3:23am

Orioles

We've entered a new month that draws us closer to the Feb. 16 report date for Orioles pitchers and catchers. The equipment truck left Camden Yards on Wednesday to begin the 1,000 mile journey to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla. And yet, we still aren't certain that Major League Baseball is offering a full spring training and 162-game regular season. There are assumptions, hope and the ever-present possibility that ownership and the union will be unable to agree on crucial...

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Orioles' lingering lineup questions

January 27, 2021, 3:09pm

Orioles

We know where newest Orioles infielder Freddy Galvis is going to play. He's the starting shortstop and expected to be part of a new double play combination with second baseman Yolmer SÃ¡nchez. But where does he hit? Why wait to gather more information? There's no fun in being patient and letting the process play out. Begin speculating and predicting now and beat the post-holiday rush. JosÃ© Iglesias was slotted second and third in the lineup last summer, which seemed ridiculous until he...

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More on Galvis, Martin and shopping list

January 27, 2021, 11:40am

Orioles

More on Galvis, Martin and shopping list

The shortstop market unclogged in a hurry. Life comes at you fast. Daniel Robertson signed with the Brewers on Jan. 21 to get the ball rolling. Ehire Adrianza reached agreement with the Braves Tuesday afternoon on a minor league deal, the Blue Jays agreed to terms with Marcus Semien on an $18 million deal and the Twins agreed to terms with Andrelton Simmons on a $10.5 million contract. There was local interest here based on the Orioles' contact with representatives for Robertson and Adrianza,...

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Martin undergoing surgery on left hand (plus other notes)

January 27, 2021, 9:00am

Orioles

Martin undergoing surgery on left hand (plus other notes)

Made available this afternoon to talk about the Freddy Galvis signing, Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias shifted focus to another shortstop in the organization who's undergoing a second surgery. An unexpected piece of news dumped within a 20-minute interview. Elias revealed that Richie Martin broke the hamate bone in his left hand, apparently in a workout mishap over the weekend, and will undergo a procedure in Sarasota to remove it. Martin was expected to be ready...

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Eshelman on return: "It was ultimately what I wanted to do"

January 26, 2021, 4:06pm

Orioles

Eshelman on return: "It was ultimately what I wanted to do"

Thomas Eshelman is a new father with a new contract that keeps him tied to his old team. The Orioles re-signed Eshelman to a minor league deal three weeks ago, or about three weeks after the birth of his son, Trey. The foray into free agency led Eshelman back to his comfort zone. "Ultimately, the opportunity is one of the biggest (reasons), but also familiarity with everybody there," he said earlier this week in a phone conversation. "I've been there obviously for two years now and got to...

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Orioles sign shortstop Freddy Galvis to one-year deal

January 26, 2021, 1:59pm

Orioles

The Orioles found their shortstop. As expected, they got him on the free agent market. The team announced tonight that it signed veteran Freddy Galvis to a one-year contract. Galvis is guaranteed $1.5 million, per a source, and can receive $250,000 if he's traded. The deal doesn't include an option. Galvis is the starting shortstop after the Orioles traded JosÃ© Iglesias to the Angels on Dec. 2 for minor league pitchers Garrett Stallings and Jean Pinto. Iglesias was set to earn $3.5 million...