The international signing period starts today, one of the most significant dates on baseball’s offseason calendar.

It didn't used to be that way for the Orioles.

Baseball America reports that the Orioles have agreements with shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, who’s projected to receive approximately $2.3 million, outfielders Ariel Roque ($1.8 million) and Pedro Gomez ($1.2 million), and catcher/outfielder Gabriel Rosario ($1 million).

Acevedo, who turned 17 in November, could match or surpass the franchise record signing bonus of $2.3 million for shortstop Luis Almeyda in 2023.

Baseball America ranked Acevedo 11th on its bonus board and MLB Pipeline ranked him 14^th on its top 50 prospects list.

Left-hander Andri Hidalgo, 16, has been connected to the Orioles, and MLB Pipeline regards him as the top international pitching prospect in the class.

The Orioles signed 22 players on the first day of last year’s signing period.

Prior to 2021, the Orioles had never given a seven-figure signing bonus to an international player. They have a bonus pool of $8,034,900 this year.

Signing players to a bonus of $10,000 or less does not count against the pool.

* “Big Christmas” is staying in the Orioles’ organization.

Outfielder Jhonkensy Noel cleared outright waivers yesterday and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The Orioles designated Noel for assignment on Jan. 7 after claiming him on waivers from the Guardians two days earlier. They needed space for outfielder Marco Luciano on the 40-man roster.

Noel had seven doubles, a triple, 13 home runs and 28 RBIs in 67 games as a rookie in 2024, but he slashed .162/.183/.297 with two doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs last season in 69 games. He’s struck out 115 times in 351 plate appearances.

Noel is part of a nice outfield depth package for the Orioles.

* Free-agent left-hander Ranger Suárez came off the board yesterday, agreeing to a five-year, $130 million contract with the Red Sox.

The Orioles were serious pursuers of Suárez and they’ve engaged in talks with Framber Valdez, who remains a possibility for the top of their rotation. Zac Gallen also is unsigned.

The Red Sox haven’t been as busy as the Orioles and they lost third baseman Alex Bregman to the Cubs, but they added Suárez, Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo and Willson Contreras. The Blue Jays added Dylan Cease, Kazuma Okamoto, Tyler Rogers and Cody Ponce. The Yankees traded for Ryan Weathers. The Rays brought in Steven Matz and former Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins.

The Orioles aren't done, but their offseason has delivered Pete Alonso, Taylor Ward, Ryan Helsley, Shane Baz, Andrew Kittredge, Leody Taveras and Zach Eflin. They also re-signed Albert Suárez to a minor league deal.

* In case you missed it yesterday, the Nationals announced that they will begin producing and broadcasting games directly through Major League Baseball this season, which concludes a 21-year relationship with MASN.

The Nats join the Padres, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rockies, Twins and Guardians as teams that have left their regional sports networks and partnered directly with MLB.

You can read Mark Zuckerman’s story here. 

* Former Orioles minor leaguer Errol Robinson has a new gig. Georgetown hired him as its hitting and infield coach.

Robinson appeared in 46 games with Norfolk in 2024. He spent last summer with Hagerstown in the independent Atlantic League.

Robinson attended a game at Camden Yards last summer and stopped by the front of the press box to say hello. The beat crew always will think of him as "Everyday Errol" for his regular usage in exhibition games. 

* I need a journalism lecture from Pat McAfee about as much as he needs my opinions on punting and tank tops.

* Former Orioles catcher Chance Sisco is returning to the Chicago Dogs of the independent American Association, according to the league’s social media account.

Sisco batted .301/.404/.573 with 38 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 61 RBIs last year in 95 games and was a postseason All-Star. He hit .197/.317/.337 in 196 games with the Orioles spread over five seasons, and he hasn’t played in the majors since appearing in five games with the Mets in 2021.

The Cardinals released him in March 2025.

* I’ve already said that I don’t have any interest in fake Hall of Fame ballots, and to be honest, I really don’t care that much about legitimate ones, either. But this is the time of year when voters post stories about their selections and what they were thinking and why they were thinking it.

Do fans really hang on our every word? Are we really that important to them?

A friend and colleague recently stretched the idea into a three-parter. I know dairy farmers who do less milking.

But seriously …

This might be the weakest group of candidates that I can remember. Voters are limited to 10 selections and I rarely reach that total, since it isn’t the Hall of Very Good. I prefer to go smaller (shut up), and I stopped this time after only three, including closer Francisco Rodríguez and infielder Carlos Beltrán, whom I bypassed in previous years.

No, they didn’t suddenly get better. It’s acceptable to rethink your past choices. And not just the people you’ve dated.

Center fielder Andruw Jones stayed on my ballot in his ninth year of eligibility and it’s ridiculous that he hasn’t been inducted. A 10-time Gold Glove winner, 434 home runs, 62.7 bWAR. He received 66.2 percent of the votes last year, falling short of the prerequisite 75, but there’s more room for movement on this ballot.

Beltrán gets penalized for his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017. He lost his job as Mets manager before his first game. But he received 70.3 percent of the votes last year and should make it on his fourth try.

He’s a former Rookie of the Year who played 20 seasons and finished with 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, an .837 OPS, three Gold Gloves, a couple of Silver Sluggers and a 70 bWAR. He eclipsed 100 RBIs in eight seasons.

I’ve decided to start beating that drum.

Yes, I know.

I scoffed at Rodríguez’s candidacy, but his 437 saves are sixth all-time. The top three are in – Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman and Lee Smith – and so is Billy Wagner (422), who ranks eighth. I voted for all of them.

Rodríguez is in his fourth year of eligibility and received only 10.2 percent of the votes last year. It’s probably not going to happen.

I considered Chase Utley again and am starting to lean a tiny bit more toward Andy Pettitte, who admitted to using human growth hormone to recover from an elbow injury. But so far, still no.

Manny Ramírez was suspended not once, but twice for failed drug tests, and a New York Times report also indicated that he tested positive for performance-enhancing substances during Major League Baseball’s anonymous survey in 2003. I’ve got my limits here.

I wasn’t tempted by any of the dozen newcomers: Ryan Braun, Shin Soo-Choo, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez, Alex Gordon, Cole Hamels, Matt Kemp, Howie Kendrick, Nick Markakis, Daniel Murphy, Hunter Pence and Rick Porcello. Players drop off the ballot if they don’t receive at least five percent of the vote. Markakis probably is one-and-done like Adam Jones, but they both had outstanding careers. 

Who would you … never mind.