Steve Melewski

Because You Asked - minor league version

December 11, 2020, 12:13pm

Orioles

Because You Asked - minor league version

Taking a page from the School of Roch blog, today I'm trying to answer some of your minor league questions. Some you have specifically asked and some I'm pretty sure you may be curious about. How did you feel about Frederick losing its O's affiliation this week? In a word, sad. I worked at WFMD Radio in Frederick out of college from 1982 into 1987. That was even before the Keys' first year of 1989. I've been to many games there and have come to love the Frederick community and still have...

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Remembering last time the O's lost two in the Rule 5

December 10, 2020, 12:38pm

Orioles

Remembering last time the O's lost two in the Rule 5

When the Orioles lost two players in the major league phase of Thursday's Rule 5 draft, it was a good news/bad news situation. On the one hand, for the first time since 2015 the O's lost a player in the Rule 5. And only five Major League Baseball clubs lost two or more players in this draft. On the other hand, the Orioles may have lost two players for good. Players often get sent back to their original teams in this draft, but it's not a given, obviously. The O's never sent Richie Martin...

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O's Mike Snyder and Kent Qualls on today's additions

December 10, 2020, 10:47am

Orioles

O's Mike Snyder and Kent Qualls on today's additions

The Orioles added two right-handed starting pitchers today in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. And they added two-right handed pitchers and a catcher in the Triple-A phase of the draft. While it cost $100,000 to make a pick in the major league phase and that player must stay on the selecting team's big league roster all year or be offered back to his former club, no such rules apply in the minor league phase. Each selection costs $24,000 there and the player is now fully part of the...

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Looking at Frederick's immediate baseball future, while Aberdeen moves up

December 09, 2020, 2:27pm

Orioles

Looking at Frederick's immediate baseball future, while Aberdeen moves up

So yesterday, as it turned out, was the day. We finally got some clarity on the Orioles minor leagues for 2021. We hope that we get to see a full season of baseball as the country recovers from the pandemic. What we do know now is the likely makeup of the O's farm moving forward. Four teams were invited to be O's full-season affiliates. They are Triple-A Norfolk, Double-A Bowie, high Single-A Aberdeen and low Single-A Delmarva. Major League Baseball is asking the clubs to sign Professional...

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Orioles extend minor league affiliate invitations for 2021

December 09, 2020, 7:58am

Orioles

The Orioles today announced invitations for their four full-season affiliates for the 2021 season. They have invited the Norfolk Tides to continue as their Triple-A affiliate and the Bowie Baysox to remain their Double-A team. They invited their previously short-season Single-A team, the Aberdeen IronBirds, to serve as their high Single-A affiliate and the Delmarva Shorebirds to remain as their low Single-A club. O's executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias confirmed yesterday...

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Frederick Keys will not be an O's affiliate in 2021

December 09, 2020, 5:49am

Orioles

Frederick Keys will not be an O's affiliate in 2021

The Single-A Frederick Keys will not be part of the Orioles organization in the 2021 season, an industry source confirmed today. The Keys, who have been an O's affiliate since 1989, will become the sixth team in the MLB Draft League, a new summer amateur wood-bat league expected to attract draft-eligible players. Baseball America was the first to report the news about Frederick. It appears that Frederick may still have longshot hopes to be an affiliate for some organization in 2021. The Keys...

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O's expected to field two GCL teams, notes on shortstop and more

December 08, 2020, 3:57pm

Orioles

O's expected to field two GCL teams, notes on shortstop and more

Baseball America recently reported that baseball officials have tweaked the restructuring of the minor leagues. Previously, each organization was expected to have five domestic farm clubs - four full-season teams and one complex-based team. That is a Rookie-level club playing at their spring training complex. But Baseball America reported that officials are now expected to allow clubs to field two complex-based clubs. This would allow organizations with two such teams to employ as many as 180...

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Garrett Stallings on his southeast Virginia roots and joining the O's

December 08, 2020, 10:51am

Orioles

Garrett Stallings on his southeast Virginia roots and joining the O's

When the Orioles traded shortstop JosÃ© Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels last week for minor league pitchers Garrett Stallings and 19-year-old Venezuelan right-hander Jean Pinto, it was clear that executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was a fan of Stallings' work in the Southeastern Conference. The Orioles did their homework on Stallings and his three years in the SEC. The pitcher did some homework of his own on his new team. He knew some of the four Angels minor league...

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Checking in with Baseball America's J.J. Cooper on Rule 5 draft

December 07, 2020, 1:28pm

Orioles

Checking in with Baseball America's J.J. Cooper on Rule 5 draft

For 14 straight years, the Orioles have made a pick in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. The streak may well be extended this Thursday during the latest Rule 5 draft. Will the Orioles be looking for infielders after non-tendering Hanser Alberto and trading JosÃ© Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels? J.J. Cooper of Baseball America said if the O's want to add an infielder, the Rule 5 may be a good place to look. "If you want infielders, I do think it's a pretty good Rule 5 class for...

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A look at a player who may be the next O's top 100 prospect

December 06, 2020, 12:51pm

Orioles

A look at a player who may be the next O's top 100 prospect

When he arrived at the Orioles' alternate camp at Double-A Bowie on Aug. 7, he became the youngest player on the field there at 19. But also among those with one of the potentially brightest futures. He would face pitchers more advanced than he would have been facing in a normal 2020 season, but that would also eventually prove a great benefit. And the fact that shortstop Gunnar Henderson was holding his own by the end of that camp was further verification that the Orioles made a solid draft...

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Surveying fans on the O's rebuilding efforts

December 05, 2020, 11:23am

Orioles

Surveying fans on the O's rebuilding efforts

We hear from Orioles fans here every day, getting constant and steady feedback on the team and the moves it makes. Today is a bit different. Different in that I'm seeking your grades today on a scale of one to 10 on the O's rebuilding efforts. With a grade of one being terrible, not a good place at all. And 10 being great, everything is going in a wonderful direction. Put another way: 2 - Way below average4 - A bit below average6 - A bit above average8 - Well above average, very strong10 -...

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Earl Weaver would approve: Keep adding shortstops

December 04, 2020, 2:37pm

Orioles

Earl Weaver would approve: Keep adding shortstops

With the trade of JosÃ© Iglesias to the Los Angeles Angels this week, who will play shortstop for the 2021 Orioles is an unanswered question right now. But the future O's shortstop may currently be in the organization. Over his first two drafts, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias has drafted five shortstops. In 2019, three of his top six picks were shortstops, and in 2020 two of his first four selections were. Elias has also acquired two shortstops the club likes...

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O's fans again hit with realization that looking to future is not easy

December 03, 2020, 1:54pm

Orioles

O's fans again hit with realization that looking to future is not easy

The phrase "No pain, no gain" is one that Orioles fans can relate to this week. They clearly didn't feel physical pain, but there was some distress over the trade of JosÃ© Iglesias. As there was over trades of Jonathan Villar and Dylan Bundy last December and others during the 2020 season when bullpen vets like Mychal Givens, Miguel Castro and Richard Bleier were dealt. Orioles fans came to know and like these players. They became attached to them, which is normal for passionate fans. The...

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Still in talent-addition mode, O's part with popular shortstop

December 02, 2020, 5:29pm

Orioles

Still in talent-addition mode, O's part with popular shortstop

The rebuilding of the Orioles was always going to be hard for fans. The non-tender deadline for two straight years has been hard on fans. The trades last year of right-hander Dylan Bundy and infielder Jonathan Villar. The trade last night of shortstop JosÃ© Iglesias. For a few hours yesterday - after news of an agreement with Yolmer SÃ¡nchez - some fans wondered about the possibility of a strong up-the-middle defense of Iglesias and SÃ¡nchez. Then the Orioles, as they did with those deals...

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Taking a look at the Pedro Severino agreement

December 01, 2020, 1:11pm

Orioles

Taking a look at the Pedro Severino agreement

The Orioles provided a vote of confidence yesterday in 27-year-old catcher Pedro Severino. A potential non-tender candidate when the deadline hits tonight, the Orioles made a pre-emptive move to retain a player that has played in 144 games for the club over the last two seasons. The O's agreed to $1.825 million deal with Severino to avoid a possible arbitration hearing and keep him with the club that claimed him off waivers from the Washington Nationals on March 23, 2019. The agreement was...

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The non-tender date approaches for the Orioles

November 30, 2020, 12:02pm

Orioles

The deadline for teams to offer arbitration eligible players contracts for 2021 is tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The Orioles have some decisions to make with seven remaining arbitration-eligible players. Let's take a look at them in alphabetical order and list the three projected salaries that MLBTradeRumors.com has listed after the shortened 60-game 2020 season. They came to the three figures this way: The first model dealt only with the stats from the 60-game season. The second...

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A few questions for O's fans

November 28, 2020, 2:35pm

Orioles

Today we throw a few questions your way. We didn't make it to 10, but that was because we're looking at a few recent blog entries and topics here and revisiting them. Then we'll ponder a few questions. * We recently wondered if an O's streak that started in 2006 will end soon. The Orioles have made at least one Rule 5 pick in every such draft dating to 2005. The was the last year the Orioles did not select in that draft. As noted in this entry, that was the year that the movie "Fever...

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Will 2021 see O's top prospect in Baltimore?

November 28, 2020, 6:16am

Orioles

Will 2021 see O's top prospect in Baltimore?

It is not a pressing question, but rather an intriguing one for the Orioles: Will catcher Adley Rutschman make his major league debut in 2021? That might seem quite unlikely for a player with just 130 professional at-bats and 12 games of full-season ball - and that at low Single-A - on his resume. But of all the prospects that were fortunate enough to play at alternate camps this year with no minor league season, he may have gained among the most. It's pretty clear that Rutschman got in...

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O's free agent pitching additions could have familiar look

November 27, 2020, 11:54am

Orioles

O's free agent pitching additions could have familiar look

When he spoke to reporters early this month, Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said the club would pursue signing starting pitching this winter and heading into the 2021 season. They could add major or minor league free agents. The Orioles rotation ended last season in a pretty good spot after Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer made their major league debuts. Jorge LÃ³pez had some nice moments as well, while John Means and Alex Cobb were both pitching well at the end of...

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When signing international amateurs, your mileage may vary

November 26, 2020, 12:08pm

Orioles

When signing international amateurs, your mileage may vary

How much would a big league team pay to sign an amateur who becomes a future Most Valuable Player candidate? Many millions, no doubt. But when you sign a young talent, no one can know for sure what will happen many years later. When signing teenagers out of high school and international amateurs at 16 and 17, teams have to project down the road. How big will that player grow to be physically? Does he have the work ethic needed to become a big league regular? Will injuries cause issues? For the...