masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgI can’t recall the last Orioles offseason that didn’t include the expectation that they’d sign a starting pitcher in free agency. Maybe two.
Competition is a good thing, as we’ve been reminded. Can’t have enough pitching. You need at least 10 starters just to find five.
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is searching for more of them.
He’s content with John Means and Alex Cobb in the top tier, the latter a trade candidate over the summer if a partner can be found. Keegan…

I can’t recall the last Orioles offseason that didn’t include the expectation that they’d sign a starting pitcher in free agency. Maybe two.

Competition is a good thing, as we’ve been reminded. Can’t have enough pitching. You need at least 10 starters just to find five.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias is searching for more of them.

He’s content with John Means and Alex Cobb in the top tier, the latter a trade candidate over the summer if a partner can be found. Keegan Akin and Dean Kremer are favorites to join them, but won’t be handed jobs. And Bruce Zimmermann is going to find stiff competition from outsiders.

Could be similar to the minor league deals handed to Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone. Could be similar to Kohl Stewart’s arrival on the 40-man roster.

“I definitely think we’ll be signing some starting pitchers,” Elias said during Monday’s Zoom conference call. “You can never have enough.”

There it is.

“Whether it’s a major or minor league deal will be a case-by-case and TBD.”

TBD should fit right in given how often the Orioles list him in their game notes.

I’ll share my shocked face if Akin and Kremer are in the bullpen or Triple-A. I don’t think they have anything else to prove, which isn’t to suggest that they’re finished products. It’s just their time to be starters on a major league staff.

Akin-Delivers-Gray-Fenway-Park-Sidebar.jpg“I think that Dean and Keegan’s debuts went about as well as they should’ve gone and we really liked what we saw from them – just not results and stuff, but their professional demeanors, the way they carried themselves,” Elias said.

“Knowing that, there will be some additional competition next year in camp. Players have rough sophomore years sometimes, so to speak. That’s all to be expected, so I don’t think we’re going to lock anything in stone, and we want to have that competition, but they’ve certainly more than put themselves on the map, not just for the 2021 rotation, but we’re hoping for the next five years and beyond that these are guys that are part of a playoff group here.”

Does that mean Elias expects the Orioles to make the playoffs in 2021?

Don’t read too much into it. Just having a little fun here.

But maybe …

Money is always a major consideration with the Orioles. Don’t check the list of free agent starters and think big.

MLBTradeRumors.com rates Trevor Bauer as the No. 1 free agent on the market and predicts that he signs with the Dodgers for four years and $128 million.

Not only is that neighborhood much too pricey for the Orioles, they aren’t allowed to drive through it.

Kevin Gausman is expected to accept the $18.9 million qualifying offer from the Giants.

In a related story, Gausman is going to make $18.9 million over a full season.

Mind blown.

Masahiro Tanaka and Jake Odorizzi are projected to receive three-year contracts worth $39 million from the Yankees and Blue Jays, respectively.

You can see where I’m going with this.

The Orioles aren’t giving José Quintana $18 million over two years. They aren’t giving Corey Kluber $12 million and James Paxson $10 million over one.

Two years and $16 million for Taijuan Walker and Garrett Richards? Move along. Nothing to see here.

The Orioles aren’t projected to sign anyone in the top 50, which ends with Chris Archer receiving $4 million next season from the Cubs.

Stewart received a split contract that paid $800,000 if he made the major league club. He’s a candidate to re-sign with the Orioles. Both sides appear open to it. And that’s the type of deal that’s most appealing and realistic.

* Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander didn’t win a Gold Glove last night, with the honor going to the Rangers’ Joey Gallo.

Gallo was the favorite with his 12 defensive runs saved (DRS) per FanGraphs.com, compared to eight for Santander. Gallo also registered a 6.1 ultimate zone rating (UZR) and 16.9 UZR/150 this season, compared to 1.1 and 4.3 for Santander.

Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are the last Orioles outfielders to win a Gold Glove, which they did in 2014. Manny Machado is the last Orioles recipient, in 2015.

Considering that no one predicted Gold Glove consideration for Santander after the Orioles selected him in the Rule 5 draft, being a finalist counted as a victory. He’s made tremendous strides in the outfield.

If the 2021 season started today, Santander would be playing right field as the only sure bet in the outfield. We can only assume that Ryan Mountcastle is in left, with the possibility that he transitions back to first base depending on Trey Mancini’s availability. And Chris Davis is expected to remain on the roster.

Austin Hays could start in center field unless it’s Cedric Mullins. Hays could shift to left.

Among the spring training storylines, this one rates as the most interesting for me. Because of the uncertainty and number of combinations, and how it ties to Mancini as he tries to return from colon cancer surgery and chemotherapy.

* Eight finalists were revealed this week for the 2021 Ford C. Frick Award, presented annually for excellence in baseball broadcasting by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

The finalists are Buddy Blattner, Joe Buck, Dave Campbell, Dizzy Dean, Don Drysdale, Ernesto Jerez, Al Michaels and Dan Shulman. The winner will be announced on Dec. 9.

I never had the honor of listening to most of the nominees.

My all-time favorite is Chuck Thompson and that’s never going to change. Feel free to give me yours.