Steve Melewski

About that No. 1 draft pick ...

Orioles
About that No. 1 draft pick ...
It is several months away. but another big decision that new Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias will have to make is which player to take with the No. 1 pick in the June 2019 First-Year Player Draft. For just the second time in Baltimore Orioles history, the club will have the top pick next June. That is since the draft began in 1965. In 1989 selecting first overall, the Orioles took LSU right-hander Ben McDonald. The Orioles have never had the No. 2 pick, and...
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Steve Melewski

Mike Elias should hit the ground running with a lot on his plate

Orioles
Mike Elias should hit the ground running with a lot on his plate
New Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias will no doubt hit the ground running. He'll be introduced to the Baltimore media at the Warehouse on Monday. Elias for now inherits several staff members already in place and some scouts likely already have contracts in place for the 2019 season. Other staff likely does as well. There is nothing wrong with this and no one coming in would change everything. There will no doubt be some members in the front office that Elias...
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Steve Melewski

A new day: Mike Elias hiring made official by the Orioles

Orioles
A new day: Mike Elias hiring made official by the Orioles
The Orioles made the expected announcement today, that Mike Elias will head up their baseball operations, and they made it clear that his leadership and vision will take this team through the rebuilding process. He is the top decision maker. Elias' title is executive vice president and general manager. A club announcement states that "Elias will oversee all baseball operations for the club and have full autonomy to build his staff and make decisions on all baseball matters that he believes...
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Steve Melewski

One former Oriole endorses Joe Espada as manager

Orioles
One former Oriole endorses Joe Espada as manager
Not long after Mike Elias' addition to head up Orioles baseball operations is made official, one of his first big moves will be choosing which manager he hires to succeed Buck Showalter. Would Elias consider someone from Houston? If he does, he could look to Astros bench coach Joe Espada, who has interviewed for multiple managing openings this year, including in Toronto. He's been a hot candidate after serving just one season as Houston bench coach. He joined the staff in 2018, replacing Alex...
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Steve Melewski

What they are saying about soon-to-be-Oriole Mike Elias

Orioles
What they are saying about soon-to-be-Oriole Mike Elias
There is a lot to like about Mike Elias, who is expected to soon officially join the Orioles and head up the club's baseball operations. He got his start in scouting in a sharp and smart St. Louis Cardinals organization. He worked closely in Houston with general manager Jeff Luhnow for perhaps the most progressive and forward-thinking organization in the majors. Elias saw Houston lose 107 and 111 games in his first two years in that organization in 2012 and 2013, and then was a big part of...
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Steve Melewski

Looking at the AL Cy Young race and a new GM report

Orioles
Looking at the AL Cy Young race and a new GM report
I was not among the writers assigned to vote for the American League Cy Young Award this year, but that doesn't keep me from having an opinion on who should win. First, a quick look at the three finalists. In alphabetical order they are Corey Kluber of Cleveland, Blake Snell of Tampa Bay and Justin Verlander of Houston. Kluber won the AL Cy Young in both 2014 and 2017 and was third in 2016. Verlander won in 2011, finished second in 2012 and 2016 and has been in the top five six times. Kluber...
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Steve Melewski

A look at the 2018 rotation struggles and more

Orioles
A look at the 2018 rotation struggles and more
The Orioles rotation was bad - really bad - during the 2017 season. The team ERA for its starters was 5.70, was last in the American League and was the highest rotation ERA in Orioles history, which of course, began in 1954. While the rotation ERA was a tick better last year at 5.48, that still rated last in the AL, and a case could be made that it wasn't that much better than the disaster of 2017. The 2018 rotation pitched fewer innings than the year before (846 to 833 2/3) and posted a...
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Steve Melewski

Tanner Scott has been closing the gap between potential and performance

Orioles
Tanner Scott has been closing the gap between potential and performance
On a team that doesn't feature many pitchers with either big strikeout totals or premium velocity, the Orioles have a young lefty that checks both boxes. Reliever Tanner Scott made some nice gains in the second half of the 2018 season and the vast potential the club felt was there all along started to present itself. He doesn't yet have the stats to grab much attention, but as his control and slider have improved over the last two years, you can start to see the makings of a possible...
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Steve Melewski

Second offseason edition: "10 questions for O's fans"

Orioles
Second offseason edition: "10 questions for O's fans"
It's that time again: time for me to ask you some questions and get your responses. Once again today, I've thrown out 10 questions and am looking for your responses. Answer one question or all 10. Provide short answers or long. Respond to answers by other readers. It's all welcome. The first two questions are the same from last time as we're all still looking for answers from the team so let's get reader input on it. Here are the questions: 1. Who do you like to become the next general...
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Steve Melewski

The outfield: A good place to begin for rebuilding O's

Orioles
The outfield: A good place to begin for rebuilding O's
For the rebuilding Orioles, the outfield is a good place to start. There is some youth there that has shown promise, and four of the six players listed at outfield on the 40-man roster were drafted by the team. It is a position of some depth in the organization, and late last year we began to see some of that make its way to the big league roster. With Mark Trumbo listed as a designated hitter, the oldest player on the 40-man in the outfield is Joey Rickard at 27. The four home-grown...
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Steve Melewski

Manny Machado in the spotlight as free agency begins

Orioles
Manny Machado in the spotlight as free agency begins
While we know that the Orioles won't be chasing top free agents, they are tied to one, and that is infielder Manny Machado. Drafted No. 3 overall by the Orioles in 2010, he went on to play 860 games for the team until they traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July. Three times, he would finish among the top nine in the American League MVP race while an Oriole. But now he's a free agent, and despite his controversial postseason, he's likely to get a huge contract via free agency. Maybe...
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Steve Melewski

Rebuilding Orioles need to look within, not at free agents

Orioles
Rebuilding Orioles need to look within, not at free agents
As baseball free agency gets going, we know the Orioles will not be playing in the deep end of the pool. No chance of a Manny Machado reunion or a run at one of the top starters out there, such as Patrick Corbin or Dallas Keuchel. But should the Orioles even stick their toe into the shallow end of the pool? There certainly will be players to be had on one-year contracts who could help a club. The Orioles could use a sound defensive shortstop, and there are a few available. While José...
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Steve Melewski

With the big dollars about to roll in, some fans are not pleased

Orioles
With the big dollars about to roll in, some fans are not pleased
It seems predictions that former Oriole Manny Machado and current National Bryce Harper could get each contracts totaling $300 million or even $400 million have ruffled a few feathers among baseball fans. I'm paraphrasing a bit here, but readers have stated such thoughts on the blog the last few days about this duo, expressing the sentiment that no player is worth that kind of money. That ballplayers should have to work for a living like the rest of us. That ballplayers are greedy. I think...
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Steve Melewski

2018 season recap: David Hess could emerge in 2019 rotation

Orioles
2018 season recap: David Hess could emerge in 2019 rotation
You may be surprised to learn that among pitchers still on the team that made starts for the Orioles last year, right-hander David Hess had the lowest ERA at 4.88. Kevin Gausman, since traded, had an ERA of 4.43 in 21 starts for the Orioles. Plus, Hess had a strong finish. No one is guaranteeing Hess a spot in the rotation for the rebuilding 2019 Orioles. But he certainly has to be a leading candidate to join Alex Cobb, Andrew Cashner and Dylan Bundy in that starting five. Hess certainly had...
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Steve Melewski

The 2018 road woes and timing of O's big hires

Orioles
The 2018 road woes and timing of O's big hires
With 115 losses, the 2018 Orioles were easily the worst team in the majors this year, and they posted their worst record since their move to Baltimore in 1954. But their road record was where it went from bad to worse. And worst. In six months and 162 games of baseball, the Orioles won all of three road series. They split a two-game series in Yankee Stadium on July 31-Aug. 1. After that, they lost their last nine road series. They won their third road series June 22-24 at Atlanta. After that,...
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Steve Melewski

Are Machado and Harper looking at a possible $400 million each?

Orioles
Are Machado and Harper looking at a possible $400 million each?
There have been 12 contracts in baseball history producing total dollars of $200 million or more, but outfielder Giancarlo Stanton signed the only pact for over $300 million. In November 2014, he signed a contract extension with Miami for 13 years and $325 million. That was the richest contract in major league history. This winter, not one but two players could top that, and might even surpass the $400 million threshold. In their annual predictions and projections for free agents,...
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Steve Melewski

A look at a catcher trending up with the Orioles

Orioles
A look at a catcher trending up with the Orioles
He is not currently on the Orioles' 40-man roster, although it seems likely he will be before the 2019 Rule 5 draft. The Orioles might add a catcher to their 40-man roster to avoid him possibly being taken in the Rule 5 draft. They got him in that draft just last year - in the minor league phase of the Rule 5. Credit to the Orioles for adding catcher Martin Cervenka last December in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 from the San Francisco Giants. From the Czech Republic, Cervenka was...
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Steve Melewski

A few thoughts on where the Orioles go now with their international bonus pool

Orioles
A few thoughts on where the Orioles go now with their international bonus pool
The Orioles tried but failed to sign any of the big three international prospects that were most recently available. Victor Victor Mesa and Victor Mesa Jr. signed with Miami. Pitcher Sandy Gastón signed with Tampa Bay. So now what? The Orioles still reportedly have something north of $6 million remaining in their pool amount to sign international amateurs. But many of the top players were scooped up when the signing period officially began July 2. Teams can still sign players though through...
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Steve Melewski

A new-look Orioles offense began to take shape in 2018

Orioles
A new-look Orioles offense began to take shape in 2018
The transformation of the Orioles offense began in the final two months of the 2018 season. With one or two key additions, the Orioles pumped some needed speed into their lineup and began morphing into an offense that could be less dependent on homers. As a new regime takes over at some point, perhaps we'll see a team producing fewer homers and strikeouts and an offense more reliant on contact, on-base skills and speed. That will be music to the ears of some fans, but before you celebrate too...
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Steve Melewski

Branden Kline's impressive comeback continues with ascension to 40-man

Orioles
Branden Kline's impressive comeback continues with ascension to 40-man
After a very long road back that included Tommy John surgery and later dealing with complications from that procedure, right-hander Branden Kline moved a step closer to his big league dream. He was added to the Orioles' 40-man roster for the first time yesterday. He'll go to spring training with a chance to win a roster spot out of the bullpen. If he doesn't head north for opening day, no doubt his chance should come at some point next season. Between Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie...
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