Roch Kubatko

Holt on Bailey: "There's a lot to like"

December 24, 2019, 11:50am

Orioles

As Brandon Bailey gets settled in the spring training clubhouse and begins the bonding process by meeting his new Orioles teammates, he'll be able to find a familiar face and voice to offer comfort and the type of instruction that could lead to a spot in the 2020 rotation. The Rule 5 pick knows and respects Chris Holt, the former Astros minor league pitching coordinator who's been promoted by the Orioles from the same role to director of pitching. "When I first spoke to him after the Rule 5...

Tags:

Orioles gifts that keep giving

December 24, 2019, 7:08am

Orioles

The holidays are a time for giving, which is complicated since someone has to be on the receiving end to make it work. (It's a thinker) I'd like to give Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias an unlimited budget to supplement a rebuild process. Funnel cash into the international scouting and analytics departments, but also push some of it toward the best starting pitchers on the market - whether to sign as free agents or inherit fat contracts. Do you think the Astros...

Tags:

alex cobb austin hays brandon hyde cedric mullins hanser alberto john means josh rogers mike elias mychal givens orioles pedro severino renato nunez rio ruiz ryan mountcastle stevie wilkerson tanner scott featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Orioles announce 2020 coaching staff

December 23, 2019, 10:38am

Orioles

The 2020 Orioles coaching staff is now official. The hiring of Anthony Sanders as first base coach, Fredi GonzÃ¡lez as major league coach and Darren Holmes as bullpen coach have been announced after various reports surfaced over the past four weeks. Sanders replaces Arnie Beyeler and GonzÃ¡lez replaces JosÃ© HernÃ¡ndez, who shifts to assistant hitting coach, the role previously held by Howie Clark. Holmes replaces John Wasdin. Beyeler, Clark and Wasdin weren't retained for next...

Tags:

anthony sanders brandon hyde chris holt darren holmes don long doug brocail fredi gonzalez jose flores jose hernandez orioles tim cossins featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Hess hopes copying Means' offseason leads to similar results

December 23, 2019, 3:15am

Orioles

Hess hopes copying Means' offseason leads to similar results

David Hess isn't certain if he'll follow John Means in the Orioles rotation. However, he's decided to follow in the left-hander's offseason footsteps. Means turned from fringe pitching prospect to staff ace and runner-up in American League Rookie of the Year voting after a winter spent at P3 (Premier Pitching & Performance) in St. Louis - a center that offers personalized baseball training to athletes across the Midwest with the goal of providing instruction and individualized strength...

Tags:

chris holt david hess doug brocail john means orioles featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Ruiz on his up-and-down season

December 21, 2019, 6:34am

Orioles

The holiday season is presenting a new set of challenges for Orioles third baseman Rio Ruiz, who can't seem to avoid them. Some are a grind, others pure joy. Trying to make the club out of spring training, trying to stay in the lineup, trying to get back to the majors after a surprise demotion, life as a first-time father. Which brings him to the current situation, relayed with a laugh as he ponders spending Christmas with his 5-month-old son, Luca James. "Completely different," he said...

Tags:

hanser alberto orioles rio ruiz featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Trying to set the roster in December

December 21, 2019, 6:19am

Orioles

Knowing that the Orioles have more work to do on their roster is on par with being able to recite your zip code. You won't gain the respect of your peers or earn bragging rights among friends. The rotation and middle infield are in a construction zone. The bullpen and bench aren't set. A new rule allowing teams to carry 26 players also increases the guesswork. I reached my yearly deadline for submitting a mock lineup, rotation, bullpen and bench for consideration by a national publication....

Bailey on Rule 5 selection: "It was pretty surreal"

December 20, 2019, 11:21am

Orioles

Bailey on Rule 5 selection: "It was pretty surreal"

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...

Tags:

brandon bailey chris holt michael rucker mike elias richie martin sig mejdal featured_sidebar orioles frontstory_orioles3

Orioles hire Darren Holmes as bullpen coach

December 19, 2019, 11:05am

Orioles

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...

Tags:

anthony sanders brandon hyde chris holt darren holmes don long doug brocail fredi gonzalez jose flores jose hernandez justin lord orioles tim cossins featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles2

Does Smith retain same status with Orioles?

December 19, 2019, 7:49am

Orioles

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...

Orioles expressed interest in reliever Fernando Abad

December 19, 2019, 3:52am

Orioles

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...

Tags:

featured_sidebar fernando abad mike elias orioles paul fry richard bleier tanner scott frontstory_orioles2

Answering some popular Orioles questions

December 17, 2019, 5:39pm

Orioles

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,...

Tags:

brandon bailey brandon hyde dave anderson fredi gonzalez michael rucker mike elias mychal givens orioles tim cossins trey mancini featured_sidebar frontfeatured_orioles

Severino, superstitions and more

December 16, 2019, 10:07am

Orioles

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...

Tags:

austin wynns brandon hyde chance sisco eve rosenbaum matt blood mike elias orioles pedro severino renato nunez sig mejdal stevie wilkerson featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles2

More from Saturday's Winter Warm-Up

December 15, 2019, 10:01am

Orioles

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...

Tags:

brandon hyde mike elias orioles sig mejdal featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles2

Minors notes on Stowers, Clark and Minor

December 14, 2019, 4:59pm

Orioles

Minors notes on Stowers, Clark and Minor

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...

Tags:

adley rutschman brandon hyde cadyn grenier fredi gonzalez howie clark jose hernandez kyle stowers mike elias orioles ryan minor orioles farm report frontstory_orioles1

Orioles take fan questions at first Winter Warm-Up

December 14, 2019, 10:34am

Orioles

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,...

Tags:

anthony santander brandon hyde chris davis john means mason mccoy mike elias orioles rylan bannon sig mejdal featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Learning and confirming more about the Orioles

December 13, 2019, 7:46am

Orioles

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...

Talking about Orioles catchers and outfielders

December 12, 2019, 10:02am

Orioles

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...

Tags:

anthony santander austin hays austin wynns brandon hyde chance sisco mike elias orioles pedro severino trey mancini featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Orioles select Bailey and Rucker in Rule 5 draft

December 12, 2019, 8:48am

Orioles

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...

Tags:

brandon bailey kent qualls michael rucker mike elias mike snyder orioles featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Orioles ready to make selection in Rule 5 draft

December 11, 2019, 4:57pm

Orioles

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 SimÃ³n 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...

Tags:

cody sedlock gray fenter mike elias oroles richie martin featured_sidebar frontstory_orioles3

Elias on meetings, Rule 5 draft, pitching, catchers and more

December 11, 2019, 4:16pm

Orioles

Elias on meetings, Rule 5 draft, pitching, catchers and more

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 DiplÃ¡n off waivers Monday and selecting one or more players in the Rule 5 draft. The extent of their activity that...