Roch Kubatko

Mountcastle finishes tied for eighth in AL Rookie of Year voting

November 09, 2020, 1:57pm

Orioles

Mountcastle finishes tied for eighth in AL Rookie of Year voting

Ryan Mountcastle stuck his head into the Rookie of the Year voting this summer. Just a quick peek. Maybe he can take a deep dive in 2021. Mountcastle received one point via a third-place vote to finish tied for eighth in the American League, as announced tonight on MLB Network. Cal Ripken Jr., who received the honor in 1982, revealed the winner. The Mariners' Kyle Lewis was a unanimous choice with 30 first-place votes for 150 points, followed by the White Sox's Luis Robert with 83 points and...

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Major questions surround the minor league season

November 09, 2020, 9:49am

Orioles

Major questions surround the minor league season

Whatever planning is done by the Orioles for 2021 should come with the same asterisk attached to the champion of a 60-game season with numerous rule and travel changes. (OK, that's the last one. But again, my argument is based on comparing seasons, not the teams who played in a pandemic.) No decision has been made on the construction of the upcoming season, including the number of games. It's too early. The Orioles need more information as it becomes available. Some roster battles can't been...

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Graffanino felt connection to Orioles via Hardy prior to trade

November 09, 2020, 9:19am

Orioles

Before AJ Graffanino had the opportunity to join the Orioles, before he received a phone call months earlier from a former Braves employee who prepared him for the news, he began to bond with the organization as a fifth-grader taking ground balls next to a shortstop who would beat him to it by 10 years. If this sounds a little confusing, just imagine Graffanino accompanying his father, Brewers shortstop Tony Graffanino, to the ballpark in 2007. Imagine the kid on the field for pregame drills...

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Which minor league free agents should re-sign with Orioles?

November 07, 2020, 10:27am

Orioles

The beauty of becoming a minor league free agent is the freedom to go back to the organization if given an offer. It can be "see you later" rather than "goodbye." Or it can be "no thanks" and the player moves on to the next phase of his professional life. Baseball America published a complete list of free agents in baseball, including 16 in alphabetical order from the Orioles minor league system: Cristian Alvarado, Danny Barnes, Malquin Canelo, Martin Cervenka, Brian Gonzalez, Tyler Herb,...

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The business side of Mancini's attempts to return in 2021

November 06, 2020, 4:17am

Orioles

The business side of Mancini's attempts to return in 2021

The feel-good story that keeps developing with Trey Mancini - his recovery from Stage 3 colon cancer and resumption of a life that's more recognizable to him - has room for a few baseball-related chapters. Sports haven't been the main focus for obvious reasons. Playing for the Orioles again was secondary. Now it seems more imminent. More acceptable to discuss without coming across as insensitive or having priorities out of order. There's a business side to Mancini's return, including his...

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Orioles complete Tommy Milone trade

November 05, 2020, 11:37am

Orioles

The Orioles revealed the identities of the two players to be named later in the Tommy Milone trade with the Braves. The team announced this afternoon that it's receiving infielders AJ Graffanino and Greg Cullen to complete the deadline deal. Graffanino, 23, was chosen by the Braves in the eighth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Washington and rose to No. 23 among the organization's prospects in the MLBPipeline.com rankings. He's batted .316/.342/.380 in two...

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Updates on new position, third base coach, PTBNL and more

November 04, 2020, 4:53pm

Orioles

Updates on new position, third base coach, PTBNL and more

The polls are closed, the votes are counted and the winners are Orioles fans who wanted some news and notes this morning. For example: * With Chris Holt moving to the dugout as pitching coach/director of pitching, the Orioles are going to recreate the position of minor league roving pitching coordinator. It's on the organizational need list, from what I'm told. That may not be the exact title, but the duties will be similar to what Holt did prior to becoming director of pitching this season....

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Mancini on his position in 2021 and Iglesias' return

November 04, 2020, 9:05am

Orioles

Mancini on his position in 2021 and Iglesias' return

Trey Mancini has experienced the move from first base to left field and the shift to right. He's taken all the ground balls and shagged flies on back fields and in batting practice. And he's never cared where the Orioles put him. The indifference is more pronounced, if that makes sense, with Mancini coming back from colon cancer surgery and a six-month period of chemotherapy treatments. He missed the 2020 season, but baseball wasn't a priority. Mancini was fighting for his life. Do you think...

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Mancini: "I literally feel like myself again"

November 04, 2020, 8:21am

Orioles

Mancini: "I literally feel like myself again"

Reinstating outfielder Trey Mancini from the 60-day injured list over the weekend was a formality. A procedural move. A paper move. Except it felt like so much more to the guy who received a cancer diagnosis. Who stood in the middle of a spring training clubhouse in front of teammates and shared the devastating news before leaving them. Mancini is back home in Nashville with girlfriend Sara Perlman, working out and appreciating every second of his life. And that includes the exact moment that...

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What's missing without in-person Winter Meetings

November 04, 2020, 5:02am

Orioles

What's missing without in-person Winter Meetings

The sports-related fallout from the coronavirus pandemic includes the cancellation of in-person Winter Meetings in 2020. There won't be a gathering in Dallas. For once, everything is smaller in Texas. There won't be media roaming the hotel lobbies and waiting at elevators to be led by public relations to the general managers' suites. There won't be the managers' press conferences in the media workroom and the off-the-record luncheon that last year was moved up to breakfast. There won't be...

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Taking the Orioles rotation for another spin

November 03, 2020, 6:11am

Orioles

I can't recall the last Orioles offseason that didn't include the expectation that they'd sign a starting pitcher in free agency. Maybe two. Competition is a good thing, as we've been reminded. Can't have enough pitching. You need at least 10 starters just to find five. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is searching for more of them. He's content with John Means and Alex Cobb in the top tier, the latter a trade candidate over the summer if a partner can be found. Keegan...

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Reviewing news and notes from yesterday's Elias video call

November 02, 2020, 3:06pm

Orioles

Reviewing news and notes from yesterday's Elias video call

The biggest news to come out of yesterday's Zoom conference call with executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias was the latest promotion bestowed upon Chris Holt. That's three titles in three years with the Orioles. I'd hold out for space cowboy. The Orioles hired Holt as minor league pitching coordinator in November 2018 and bumped him a year later to director of pitching, a move intended to more closely connect him to the major league team. Now he's adding pitching coach to his...

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Holt and Holmes given new titles (plus other notes)

November 02, 2020, 11:21am

Orioles

Holt and Holmes given new titles (plus other notes)

The Orioles are down to one vacancy on their major league coaching staff. In his Zoom conference call this afternoon, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said Chris Holt will be the primary on-field pitching coach as the replacement for Doug Brocail. Holt also will retain his duties as director of pitching - an arrangement that had been expected for a while and is unique in baseball. His new title is "pitching coach/director of pitching" as his reach keeps expanding across the...

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Reimold's retirement routine includes instruction for stepson

November 02, 2020, 4:39am

Orioles

Reimold's retirement routine includes instruction for stepson

As Jack Porter continues to gain the notice of baseball evaluators as a high school junior in Tennessee, he can keep seeking advice and instruction from two prominent men in his life. Both of them former professional players. One of them quite familiar to Orioles fans. His father, Scott, was a pitcher and a fifth-round draft pick of the Blue Jays in 1999. His stepfather, Nolan Reimold, was an outfielder and second-round pick of the Orioles in 2005 who played eight years in the majors. Lots of...

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This, that and the other

November 01, 2020, 9:27am

Orioles

With the World Series over and teams firing up the hot stove, it shouldn't be much longer before the Orioles identify the return on the trades of pitchers Tommy Milone and Hector VelÃ¡zquez. When is it considered late to be announcing players to be named later? The Orioles sent VelÃ¡zquez to the Astros on July 29 for a PTBNL. He never threw a pitch in 2020 outside of summer training camp and alternate camp sites. Milone was traded to the Braves the following day for two PTBNL, an...

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Orioles pick up option on JosÃ© Iglesias' contract (updated)

November 01, 2020, 6:04am

Orioles

The Orioles made their one option decision for the 2021 season. Shortstop JosÃ© Iglesias is returning to the Orioles. They're picking up his $3.5 million option, according to a source. The alternative was Iglesias accepting a $500,000 buyout and re-entering the free agent market this winter. The deadline arrived this afternoon. A coronavirus pandemic complicated the process with revenue lost this season and teams seeking ways to save money, including a slew of furloughs and layouts...

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Hess talks about his departure from Orioles organization

October 31, 2020, 5:54pm

Orioles

David Hess understood that the only team he'd known since the 2014 First-Year Player Draft was moving closer to removing him from the 40-man roster. A handful of pitching prospects had been promoted to the major league roster over the summer. He was limited to three relief appearances and vulnerable to an offseason transaction. The Orioles outrighted Hess, 27, on Thursday after he cleared waivers, but he's able to become a free agent for the first time and explore his other options. He...

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Orioles claim Yolmer SÃ¡nchez off waivers (updated)

October 30, 2020, 11:19am

Orioles

The Orioles have tossed an interesting name into their infield mix. Former Gold Glove recipient Yolmer SÃ¡nchez was claimed off waivers today from the White Sox, increasing the 40-man roster to 33 players and leading to speculation over the team's plans for a few incumbents. The Giants signed SÃ¡nchez, 28, as a free agent in January and granted his release on Aug. 21. The White Sox brought him back to the organization less than a week later and he went 5-for-16 with three doubles, a home...

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Could Kohl Stewart stay with Orioles? (and other notes)

October 30, 2020, 10:23am

Orioles

Three months after leaving the Orioles due to health concerns related to COVID-19, pitcher Kohl Stewart has no regrets and is working out in preparation for the 2021 season. The reps are done now with Stewart coming off the 40-man roster, a move announced Thursday by the Orioles. He declined his outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk and became a free agent. This is the second time that Stewart has been outrighted, with the Twins removing him from their 40-man roster in November 2019, so he...

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Hess becomes free agent, surgery for Baumler (updated)

October 29, 2020, 11:01am

Orioles

Hess becomes free agent, surgery for Baumler (updated)

The Orioles have created another opening on their 40-man roster as part of their early offseason business. Pitcher David Hess cleared waivers today and entered the free agent market, according to an industry source. Hess, 27, made three relief appearances this summer and allowed five runs and 10 hits in seven innings. He's 4-20 with a 5.86 ERA and a 1.466 WHIP in parts of three major league seasons covering 190 1/3 innings. Young pitching prospects Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer and Bruce Zimmermann...