Roch Kubatko

Orioles continue to conduct business despite vacancies

October 22, 2018, 4:19pm

Orioles

While the Marlins were showing off Victor Victor Mesa and younger brother Victor Mesa Jr. yesterday to their local media, making the international signings official at a press conference, Orioles fans wondered if the lack of top front office executives sabotaged the club's efforts. Don't get the impression that no one is minding the store. Director of player development Brian Graham has been assigned the duties that belonged to executive vice president Dan Duquette. As the Oct. 3 press...

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Orioles geared toward signing GastÃ³n (and other notes)

October 21, 2018, 3:48pm

Orioles

The Orioles made an undisclosed offer to Cuban outfielder Victor Victor Mesa and couldn't keep him from signing with the Marlins, who also are introducing younger brother Victor Mesa Jr. at this morning's press conference in Miami. However, pitcher Sandy GastÃ³n remains in play and the Orioles have regained a sizeable advantage in international signing bonus money. They can't match Little Havana and other geographical perks, but there are ways to entice the kid. GastÃ³n, 16, is a...

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Orioles won't sign the Mesa brothers

October 20, 2018, 12:22pm

Orioles

The Orioles are conceding that they won't be able to sign brothers Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr., a harsh blow to an organization that is trying to upgrade its presence in the international market as an important facet of its rebuilding project. Multiple reports have the Cuban outfielders preparing to sign with the Marlins, who scheduled a press conference for Monday morning that will include chief executive officer and part owner Derek Jeter and president of baseball operations...

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Updating Hunter Harvey's elbow issue and throwing schedule

October 20, 2018, 6:47am

Orioles

Updating Hunter Harvey's elbow issue and throwing schedule

Hunter Harvey is slated to begin another throwing program in December after being shut down again with soreness in his right elbow. The latest MRI last month in Baltimore didn't reveal any structural damage, the diagnosis being a mild case of tendinitis, and he's feeling good again. He was prescribed rest after the Orioles shut him down Sept. 18 from throwing on flat ground at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota. The most recent interruption ruined plans to have Harvey pitch for the...

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Recalling past playoff series and pitchers posting big innings

October 19, 2018, 8:50am

Orioles

Recalling past playoff series and pitchers posting big innings

Watching David Price plow through the Astros lineup Thursday night in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, the clincher for the Red Sox, brought reminders of the 2014 Division Series and how the Orioles bested the veteran left-hander to complete their sweep of the Tigers. They didn't dominate him, winning 2-1 and advancing to the ALCS, but they defeated three former Cy Young Award winners in Price, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer off Price in...

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More roster talk, Lee update and former Orioles in October

October 18, 2018, 4:36pm

Orioles

Setting the 40-man roster prior to the Rule 5 draft won't necessarily be the first order of business for the Orioles' reconstructed front office, with the non-tender deadline set for Nov. 30, but it's going to involve more heavy lifting. The roster is full and the Orioles need to create room for pitchers Dillon Tate and Branden Kline, who are assured of making it. Catcher Martin Cervenka and left-hander Luis Gonzalez also are expected to have spots open to them. As I've pointed out in the...

Lamenting loss of Bleier and finding silver linings among lefties

October 17, 2018, 1:49pm

Orioles

Lamenting loss of Bleier and finding silver linings among lefties

Perhaps it's because the timing of the injury and surgery came a month before the All-Star break and there were so many other issues with the club that it got lost in the pile. Check with former manager Buck Showalter and players inside the clubhouse and they'll point to Richard Bleier's absence from the bullpen as one of the most devastating hits delivered to the Orioles. He wasn't the closer or primary setup man. He didn't start. He just kept getting outs and brought some order to a...

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The latest non-update update on Orioles

October 16, 2018, 6:20pm

Orioles

I was asked again yesterday about candidates to manage the Orioles next season. Whether a particular name is in the mix. Whether I can place odds on a veteran such as Joe Girardi or Dusty Baker versus a newbie such as MLB Network analyst and former player Mark DeRosa. We must go back to my previous statement that the new president of baseball operations will choose the manager. We're putting the cart before the horse by speculating on Buck Showalter's replacement. I'm still expecting the...

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Some early roster rumblings and Rule 5 questions

October 15, 2018, 4:43pm

Orioles

Some early roster rumblings and Rule 5 questions

I've warned in the past that it's much too early to project how the Orioles will fill out their 25-man roster. It's only October and no one has been hired in the front office and as the new manager. There are so many steps ahead that it would fry a Fitbit. Players will be added via trades and/or free agency, fitting into whatever budget has been laid out by ownership. The Rule 5 draft again could be utilized, though perhaps not to the extent of the previous offseason, when three selections...

Ripken isn't currently under consideration for front office job

October 14, 2018, 5:30pm

Orioles

Ripken isn't currently under consideration for front office job

The offseason calendar for the Orioles has flipped to a new week with no news about front office hires, managerial candidates or the impact on the coaching staff and in player development and scouting. It shouldn't be much longer before the Orioles decide on a president of baseball operations. They likely have someone in mind, but any further delays could be tied to whether they want to interview an executive with a team that's still in the postseason. There has been some speculation in the...

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Orioles remaining quiet in their pursuit of three Cuban prospects

October 13, 2018, 4:22pm

Orioles

I'd love to provide a meaty update on the Orioles' interest in Cuban outfielders Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. and pitcher Sandy GastÃ³n. However, there isn't much more to write beyond the presence of five representatives at the workout in Miami, the meeting that transpired the following day with the players, their families and agent Barry Praver, and the likelihood that an offer has been submitted for Victor Victor. The Orioles are keeping their business out of the press, whether...

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More arbitration-eligible talk and catching concerns

October 12, 2018, 5:54pm

Orioles

More arbitration-eligible talk and catching concerns

I wrote earlier in the week about decisions pending on the arbitration-eligible players. MLBTradeRumors.com came out with their annual projections on raises, which will be referenced here multiple times in the coming months. Jonathan Villar is expected to have his salary bumped from $2.55 million to $4.4 million after batting a combined .260/.325/.384 with 14 doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 46 RBIs and 35 stolen bases in 40 attempts over 141 games, the last 54 with the Orioles. The Orioles...

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Whittling down the walks would work wonders for Orioles

October 11, 2018, 4:22pm

Orioles

A new manager for the Orioles likely will bring in his own pitching coach rather than inherit Roger McDowell. It's the usual outcome. Few coaches carry over to the next skipper. The ones that do should receive an award bearing Elrod Hendricks' name. Manager Mike Hargrove inherited Eddie Murray on his 2000 staff, giving him an extra coach and forcing Brian Graham, formerly on the Indians' staff, to the press box as the "eye in the sky." Graham also was given the title of "offensive and...

New hire will want to know commitment to Davis beyond salary

October 10, 2018, 2:31pm

Orioles

New hire will want to know commitment to Davis beyond salary

Let's push aside for a minute the uncertainty within the front office and in the manager's chair, and how the impact could echo throughout the organization. Anyone who's interviewing to become president of baseball operations is going to wonder how Chris Davis and the $110 million remaining on the richest contract in franchise history can fit into the rebuilding process. How a square peg fits into a round hole. This individual will be told that it doesn't. That giving one player, coming off...

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Wondering how Orioles approach rebuild as they continue interviews

October 09, 2018, 5:20pm

Orioles

The individual who replaces Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette or is given a different title already will have relayed his or her vision of the rebuilding process to John and Louis Angelos. There won't be a more important point in discussions. It starts right there. Interviews are underway and it's possible that the Orioles make two hires, including a president of baseball operations. The wheels, as they say, are in motion, and the Orioles really do need to get moving because...

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Orioles won't leave their tender moments alone

October 08, 2018, 12:12pm

Orioles

As the organization undergoes its makeover, decisions must be made regarding arbitration-eligible players and whether to extend contracts for 2019. The non-tender deadline is Nov. 30, giving the Orioles plenty of time to figure it out. A new high-ranking executive should be in place to handle it. Starter Dylan Bundy, reliever Mychal Givens and infielder Jonathan Villar are the no-brainers to receive contract offers. The Orioles aren't letting them hit free agency. The only questions pertaining...

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Leftovers for breakfast

October 07, 2018, 6:13pm

Orioles

The Orioles wouldn't consider trading reliever Mychal Givens at the Winter Meetings, valuing his potential as a future closer and contract status that kept him under team control through 2021. They steered rival executives toward pending free agents Zach Britton and Brad Brach and came as close to hanging an untouchable tag on Givens as they could have without actually tying the string behind his neck. Givens followed the two previous seasons that netted a combined 16-3 record by going 0-7 in...

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More on the showcase and floating another name

October 06, 2018, 3:25pm

Orioles

More on the showcase and floating another name

If you happen to be craving incremental updates on the showcase in Miami, you've again come to the right place. The Orioles' five-man contingent met yesterday with Victor Victor Mesa, Victor Mesa Jr. and pitcher Sandy GastÃ³n, their families and representatives from Magnus Sports, which arranged for the workouts to be closed to the media. Bits and pieces have flowed out of them - the workouts, not the agents. GastÃ³n flashed a fastball clocked at 96-97 mph. I've heard that Victor Victor...

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This, that and the other

October 05, 2018, 5:23pm

Orioles

We already know that the Orioles will undergo significant changes beyond their roster after moving away from executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter. There will be ripple effects, the only question how far-reaching. The press release noted how vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson, director of player development Brian Graham and director of scouting Gary Rajsich are "currently" under contract, and the wording jumped off the page and rolled under the...

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More on the process of finding a new manager

October 04, 2018, 3:35pm

Orioles

More on the process of finding a new manager

If you've been trying to pry a list of Orioles managerial candidates from family, friends or beat writers, do yourself a favor and forget about it. There's an order here and it begins with the hiring of a replacement for executive vice president Dan Duquette, with the title to be determined. I've heard more than once that the new hire will compile the list of candidates to replace manager Buck Showalter. He or she will choose the successor. He or she won't be overruled. So, until we know...