Steve Melewski

Remembering the Earl of Baltimore

January 20, 2017, 2:07pm

Orioles

A sad anniversary passed on Thursday with little notice. It was on that date - Jan. 19, 2013 - when the greatest manager in Orioles history, Earl Weaver, died. It happened on the morning of FanFest that year. If you ask any longtime Orioles fan to name the organization's all-time greats, they won't get very far before mentioning the Earl of Baltimore. He never played a day in the majors for the Orioles or any team, but his impact on the franchise was as significant as anyone ever to wear the...

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A look at Mark Trumbo's impact on the lineup, payroll and more

January 19, 2017, 6:37pm

Orioles

A look at Mark Trumbo's impact on the lineup, payroll and more

So what now for the Orioles after their contract agreement yesterday with slugger Mark Trumbo? How does his return impact the payroll, other players and the lineup? The payroll: When I published this story recently, the Orioles payroll was at $141.1 million for 19 players with salaries set for 2017 (or close to set pending arbitration). We don't yet know the club's obligation to Trumbo for next season, but the average annual value for a three-year, $37.5 million deal is $12.5 million per...

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A take on Mark Trumbo's return

January 19, 2017, 2:22pm

Orioles

In the end, the deal just simply must have been too good for the Orioles to pass up. They were able to agree to re-sign Mark Trumbo, the major league home run leader, for a three-year deal worth $37.5 million, according to FanRag Sports. That is $37.5 million for a player that began free agency reportedly seeking $70 million or more and who reportedly turned a down a deal at one point from the Orioles for four years and $52 million. Remember when Dan Duquette talked about his interest in the...

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Will there be a Moose call to the Hall? (plus organizational rankings)

January 18, 2017, 5:06pm

Orioles

Will there be a Moose call to the Hall? (plus organizational rankings)

If Jim Palmer is a Hall of Famer, then former Orioles right-hander Mike Mussina should be in the Hall as well, in my opinion. Palmer: 268 wins, 125 ERA+, 1.180 WHIP, three Cy Young Awards Mussina: 270 wins, 123 ERA+, 1.192 WHIP, zero Cy Young Awards Palmer was an eight-time 20-game winner to just once for Mussina. But Palmer also got more chances for wins, pitching in four-man rotations. He made 38 or more starts five times. Mussina made 36 starts once and made 34 in a season three times. But...

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No surprise: O's pass on Jose Bautista (plus other notes)

January 17, 2017, 2:18pm

Orioles

No surprise: O's pass on Jose Bautista (plus other notes)

In the end, just as expected, the Orioles did not sign Jose Bautista. He agreed to a new deal with the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday, one that will pay him $18 million for the 2017 season. Bautista will have a mutual option for the 2018 season and a vesting option for the 2019 season, according to Yahoo Sports. The maximum value of the deal, if it does last for three seasons, is reported to be $60 million. If Bautista has a big season in 2017, he can decline his side of the option and try to cash...

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After his 6.17 ERA, fan expectations are low for Wade Miley

January 16, 2017, 6:22pm

Orioles

After his 6.17 ERA, fan expectations are low for Wade Miley

The Orioles' trio of veteran starting pitchers was reduced to the duo of Ubaldo Jimenez and Wade Miley after Yovani Gallardo was traded to Seattle for outfielder Seth Smith. The Orioles sent one starting pitcher to Seattle after acquiring one from Seattle at the trade deadline last year. The addition then was left-hander Miley, who certainly has a better resume than what O's fans saw on the mound late last year. In 30 starts in 2016 between Seattle and Baltimore, Miley went 9-13 with a 5.37...

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A look at some positional rankings, plus other notes

January 15, 2017, 5:28pm

Orioles

A look at some positional rankings, plus other notes

Orioles closer Zach Britton is the top reliever in Major League Baseball. That was how ESPN's Buster Olney sized them up in his latest top 10 player and positional rankings. As great as Britton was in 2016, this was not a total slam dunk. Cleveland's Andrew Miller finished second, and while Britton got him in ERA (0.54 to 1.45), Miller topped Britton in WHIP (0.686 to 0.836). Both gave up just 5.1 hits per nine innings. Miller was more impressive in the strikeout department with 14.9 to 9.9...

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Preseason edition: "10 Questions for O's Fans"

January 14, 2017, 6:07pm

Orioles

Preseason edition: "10 Questions for O's Fans"

Is it that time already? "Why not?" an Orioles team once said. It's time for the latest edition of "10 Questions for O's Fans. 1. We'll do this again when opening day rosters are set, but based on how they look now, predict the finish in the American League East. 2. How many saves will Zach Britton have next season? 3. How many doubles and homers will Manny Machado hit? 4. Which Oriole will get the most starts in left and right field? 5. Would you be OK with Trey Mancini as primary DH? 6....

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Another look at the 2017 payroll

January 13, 2017, 6:12pm

Orioles

After the Orioles agreed to 2017 contracts with five players this week, avoiding possible arbitration hearings, their 2017 payroll is continuing to take shape. It is not dramatically different from before these agreements, since projections put the payroll in the same ballpark now as it was, say, a week ago. Locked-in dollars for 2017: $17 million - Chris Davis $16.3 million - Adam Jones $14 million - J. J. Hardy $13.5 million - Ubaldo Jimenez $11.5 million - Manny Machado $11.4 million - Zach...

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No love for the longball? (plus another Trumbo take)

January 12, 2017, 6:20pm

Orioles

No love for the longball? (plus another Trumbo take)

There is a saying in baseball that "chicks dig the longball." It seems there are some Orioles fans who would say those women need to take a closer look at things. When the Orioles' prolific home run numbers were mentioned in Thursday's blog, it touched off some comments that have become commonplace here. Such as: "Yes, but they didn't get to the World Series." "Why do people care so much about homers?" "They still need to improve the on-base percentage." I've read enough comments...

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Checking in with a few facts and opinions

January 11, 2017, 4:17pm

Orioles

Checking in with a few facts and opinions

Today, I will be presenting some Orioles facts and opinions about those facts in this space. Then, as usual, I hope you add to the discussion in the comments section. Fact: An Oriole has led the American League (and the majors) in homers for four straight years. Chris Davis hit 53 in 2013, Nelson Cruz hit 40 in 2014, Davis hit 47 in 2015 and Mark Trumbo hit 47 last year. The last time the same team produced a league homer leader four straight years was when the San Francisco Giants did it from...

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Notes on Mark Trumbo, Chris Lee and Michael Bourn

January 10, 2017, 1:14pm

Orioles

Notes on Mark Trumbo, Chris Lee and Michael Bourn

When it comes to free agents, looks can deceive and there are always surprises. But the current thinking is that 2016 Oriole Mark Trumbo will be with another team in 2017. Were Dan Duquette's recent comments confirmation of that? Overanalyzing any GM's comments at any time can be risky, but Duquette said Sunday on MLB Network Radio: "We kind of like the value of that draft pick that's been enhanced with the negotiation from the new collective bargaining agreement. In other words, it's...

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Will the Orioles improve against left-handed pitching in 2017?

January 09, 2017, 1:18pm

Orioles

The Orioles struggled to hit left-handed pitching last season, ranking last in the American League in batting average, slugging and OPS against southpaws. At a time when they could see a few lefties in the AL East starting in April, they will need to improve those numbers. As a team, the Orioles hit .234/.301/.391 against left-handers last season, ranking 15th, 14th and 15th among all AL teams, respectively, in average, OBP and slugging. The Orioles fared much better against right-handed...

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A look at both first-pitch swings and working counts, plus links

January 08, 2017, 2:44pm

Orioles

A look at both first-pitch swings and working counts, plus links

It would probably not surprise an Orioles fan to know that their team was among the American League leaders in number of times swinging at the first pitch of an at-bat last season. It might surprise to know they fared pretty well at it. In 2016, Orioles hitters swung at the first pitch 30.6 percent of the time, trailing only Houston at 34.7 percent and Tampa Bay at 32.8. Boston took the most first pitches, swinging just 20.9 percent of the time. The league average was a swing rate of 27.9...

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Outfield platoon talk

January 07, 2017, 2:01pm

Orioles

How many platoon spots in the outfield are too many? Right now, the Orioles appear headed for platoon situations in both left and right field. That is probably fine, since the only other lineup spot looking at a potential platoon is designated hitter, pending how the rest of the offseason goes with signings and/or acquisitions. Going by the 2016 statistics, the Orioles ranked below average on offense in left field, above average in center field and well above average in right field. But Adam...

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A few ramifications of the Seth Smith trade

January 06, 2017, 5:02pm

Orioles

A few ramifications of the Seth Smith trade

The Orioles made a nice addition on Friday. They added a lefty-hitting corner outfielder with solid numbers against right-handed pitching and one that could upgrade their team on-base percentage. They acquired 34-year-old Seth Smith from the Seattle Mariners for right-handed starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo and cash considerations. So what happens now and how does that deal impact the outfield, lineup and rotation moving forward? Smith is a platoon player: Smith has clearly defined splits and...

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O's add outfielder, subtract pitcher in Smith-for-Gallardo trade

January 06, 2017, 9:14am

Orioles

O's add outfielder, subtract pitcher in Smith-for-Gallardo trade

In one trade this afternoon, the Orioles added a corner outfielder and solved their six-for-five starting rotation problem. They acquired Seth Smith from Seattle for right-hander Yovani Gallardo and cash considerations. Both players had one year remaining on their contracts, although the Orioles held a 2018 option on Gallardo. Smith signed an extension with Seattle in July 2014 that paid him $6 million in 2015 and $6.75 million last year. An option on his deal for 2017 was picked up for $7...

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Still looking for outfielders, as some names come off the board

January 05, 2017, 12:37pm

Orioles

Still looking for outfielders, as some names come off the board

It can be easy to feel that time is running out on the Orioles to add an outfielder now that the calender has flipped to 2017. But while there is still plenty of time to make an addition or two, several outfielders have come of the board. When the free agent season began, the Orioles were certainly unlikely to pursue the bigger dollar options and apparently were indeed not in the hunt for Yoenis Cespedes, Dexter Fowler or Ian Desmond. Other outfielders that have signed for 2017:* Josh Reddick...

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It's been a very different offseason for free agent spending

January 04, 2017, 1:23pm

Orioles

It's been a very different offseason for free agent spending

You don't have to look very long and hard to figure out that teams are spending much less on free agents this year throughout baseball. But that doesn't mean teams are curtailing their spending, as much as the crop of players is very different from year to year. Last winter, 10 free agents signed for total dollars of $80 million or more. This winter, just four players have signed for $80 million or more. Last winter, of the top 10 contracts, seven went to starting pitchers, including two that...

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Prospect profile: Brian Gonzalez made solid improvements in 2016

January 03, 2017, 5:39pm

Orioles

In the minor leagues, sometimes a young player has to repeat a level to improve. That was the case in the 2016 season for Orioles left-handed pitching prospect Brian Gonzalez. A third-round pick (No. 90 overall) in the 2014 draft, Gonzalez pitched at Single-A Delmarva in 2015 at 19. He went 4-9 with a 5.71 ERA. Last season, back again with the Shorebirds at 20, Gonzalez went 10-8 with a 2.50 ERA and ranked third in the South Atlantic League in ERA and innings. He ranked second in ERA among...