The first offseason mailbag filled up quickly and required a second dumping.

Here are some extras from earlier this week. Same rules against obsessive editing and crowing about it. Same weird mix of baseball and anything else.

Given Grayson Rodriguez’s health issues, and Kyle Bradish (and Tyler Wells) coming back from injury, might the Orioles reconsider starting the season with a six-man rotation? If/when someone gets hurt, they could drop down to five if they don't see it as a season-long thing.
The issue with a six-man rotation always has been the added stress it places on a bullpen. You’re a man short. I see your logic, but you’d need relievers to cover those innings. I think Rodriguez is the only one who could be babied at the beginning because he hasn’t pitched since July 31, 2024. We’ll know more about the team’s plans after camp opens, but my expectation is a standard five-man rotation with the possibility of expanding it later in the summer.  

How many former catchers will interview for the manager's job?
Rick Dempsey would love a shot at it. Not happening. But he needs to be on the guest coaching list at spring training. The man only caught in the majors for 24 years and won a couple World Series. But back to your question. The odds are much better for David Ross, Bob Melvin, Brad Ausmus and Mike Matheny.

Does being a former Oriole weigh into the club's decision on a new manager?
The Orioles aren't saying much about the search but that doesn't make much sense. Brandon Hyde had no ties to the Orioles. Ryan Flaherty, as another example, played under Buck Showalter. Why would that matter to the current regime? His playing career ended with Cleveland in 2019. Maybe the Guardians will call if they need another manager. If the Orioles hire Flaherty, it will be because of his coaching background after retirement, his knowledge and implementation of analytics, his intelligence, what he learned as a player.  

Do you think the team will sign any players to contracts that exceed $100 million, including current players?
I don’t know about 2025-26, but sure, I can see it happening. The chances are better now than they’ve been in the past, for what that’s worth. Better than the years after the ink dried on Chris Davis’ contract. They offered Corbin Burnes $180 million over four years, but he took $210 million over six to pitch near his Arizona home.

Would Mike Elias be open to hiring a manager and letting that person hire all of his own coaches and then letting those people run the team as they see fit with only data as the input from the front office on a day-to-day basis?
I can see a manager hiring his own coaches and I can see the Orioles wanting a few coaches to remain from the current staff. How’s that for covering my bases? I have no idea how it’s going to play out. It could depend on who’s hired. The front office always is going to have a certain level of input, especially with the roster. Show me a team with the manager and coaches running the entire show.

How many grizzled, old-school coaches will the Orioles hire this offseason? By grizzled, I mean someone who played the game, took cleats to the mouth while sliding, got hit in the groin on the field, chewed enough tobacco to make the Surgeon General pause, and told enough baseball stories to fill a novel.
Excellent descriptive text. Bravo. The hiring of John Mabry as senior advisor is evidence that they wanted an experienced coach with a playing background. Their appreciation of those traits won’t fade over the offseason, and especially if they go with another first-time manager. If I knew that James McCann was ready to retire as a player, I'd be blowing up his phone. 

Will I be banned if I start openly and constantly discussing politics on here?
Warned, put on time out, and then booted out the door if it persists. The alternative is to audition for the mascot job after you’re tarred and feathered. I’d choose banning.

If David Rubenstein called you tomorrow and asked your advice on one thing he could do to boost attendance, besides the team’s W-L record, what would you tell him?
10-cent beer night. What could go wrong?

Who would be a good trade partner for Ryan Mountcastle?
The Phillies. They could lose Kyle Schwarber in free agency and there are former Orioles working in the organization who really like Mountcastle. I’m not saying that those two are duplicate players. I’m saying that the Phillies could be a match.   

Has Brandon Hyde been linked to other teams who are seeking a manager? Is he interested in managing again?
Hyde absolutely wants to manage again and I hope he gets another chance. I haven’t seen him linked to any teams beyond opinions stated that he’d make sense in places like D.C. and Colorado. Hyde certainly doesn’t need to jump into another job with one more year on his contract, but he wants to stay in the game and has so much experience in various roles that he should land on his feet. First choice is also landing behind a manager’s desk.

Will the Baltimore Orioles ever return to the World Series in my lifetime? I have more years behind me than I do ahead of me.
Same here. That’s hard for me to answer without knowing your age. In your 60s or 70s? You have a shot. Was Calvin Coolidge president when you were born? I’d worry.

Will the desire to be right on Mike Elias’ top drafted prospects be a hindrance in making the necessary moves to become a World Series contender? Or just stand pat with current prospects hoping they all magically bud into superstars with minimal effort?
I think you’re misinterpreting Elias’ motivation for holding onto some young players, if I’m understanding your question. He’s traded away Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby and some shortstop prospects. If he’s keeping players who rank highly on prospect lists, it’s because he thinks they’re pieces for the Orioles or he hasn’t found the right deal. He wasn’t gonna part with Jackson Holliday, Samuel Basallo, Colton Cowser or Coby Mayo, to name four. Ego isn’t in the equation.

Do you see a fit for Jorge Polanco or Eugenio Suarez on our team?
I mean, you can always create room but who are you removing to make this dream come true?

Do you have a group of beat writer friends whom you mingle with around the major league circuit?
I have friends who cover other teams. We see each other at Camden Yards and on the road, which includes the Winter Meetings. And there’s obviously the group that covers the Orioles. I’m around these people more than family. There aren’t many jobs like it, where you spend so much time together – spring training, home games, road games. So many different personalities and in different stages of our lives. (And with some terrible takes on music.) Ages ranging from 20s and 30s to 60s and 70s. It’s amazing that we haven’t killed each other, but another season is right around the corner.

Would the Orioles consider hiring ChatGPT as the manager for next year?
Well, if MLB is willing to use robots as plate umpires, I suppose your idea isn’t that far-fetched. But Mike Elias indicated that experience could matter in his search, so you may be disappointed.

Are the Orioles planning anything special to celebrate Jim Palmer’s 80th birthday on Oct.15?
The season is over, so I don’t know what can be done beyond wishing him Happy Birthday on social media and maybe sending a card. I haven’t heard about any plans. But speaking of Palmer, and this is more than you bargained for, he was the subject of a question this week at Trivia Night at Daniels Restaurant in Elkridge. True or false: Palmer hit his first home run on July 20, 1969, an hour after astronauts landed on the moon and six years after a comment was made that there would be a man on the moon before he ever hit a home run. False. It was Gaylord Perry. I texted Palmer about it later and he recounted his first homer off Jim Bouton in 1965 at Memorial Stadium. Bunt situation with Davey Johnson on first base, Palmer cleared the fence in right-center field. Joe Garagiola was handling play-by-play duties on radio. 

Do the Orioles get to borrow Ohtani from the Dodgers in exchange for letting the Rams practice at Camden Yards?
Seems only fair. Who negotiated that deal? And is anyone taking Nicole Sherry's blood pressure?

Who's winning the World Series?
Is Tanner Scott still closing for the Dodgers? Not unless they reach the World Series. He just came off the Division Series roster due to injury, which makes him ineligible for the next round. This could help L.A., based on what we saw at Camden Yards. I'll say the Dodgers, but the Blue Jays would be my other choice. It’s like the NFL for me. I don’t see a dominant team. Club appears dead, club comes back to life. Club can’t be trusted.

Can Matthew Stafford be our closer next season?
As long as he’s in the neighborhood, I'd give him a tryout.

Have any redevelopment plans been released for the areas surrounding OPACY?
Not yet. The Orioles and the Maryland state government hadn’t started negotiations as of a few months ago, but the ballpark’s upgrades are underway.

Will the Orioles wait until after the World Series is over to begin interviewing managers? And do you think Harold Reynolds would be a good choice, even though he has no experience. He's very knowledgeable, has played the game and probably would be a great clubhouse guy. And he played for the O's!
The Orioles aren't going to wait. They want it done ASAP, as Mike Elias put it. The only reason to delay an interview until after the World Series is if they're interested in one of the coaches. I think Harold Reynolds would have made a terrific manager, but his post-playing career went in another direction and I doubt that it's going to suddenly shift. I feel the same about Bill Ripken. Buck Showalter wanted Ripken on his coaching staff but Cal's brother had a nice TV gig.

Is cream of crab a chowder or a bisque?
Well, it’s usually called “cream of crab soup,” but if these are my choices, I’m going with bisque. And this seems like a good place to stop.