The Orioles were linked to Michael King pretty much from the outset of free agency in their quest to land a starting pitcher, and nothing has changed in the many weeks that followed.

Framber Valdez also is in play and the Orioles already met with him at the general managers meetings. Ranger Suárez, too, seems to fall in their price range, given that they spent $155 million over five years for first baseman Pete Alonso.

It wouldn’t be completely accurate to say that money is no object, but it isn’t nearly as much of an obstruction anymore.

“We have resources to do other deals, as well, and we don't have particular constraints,” control owner David Rubenstein said again at the Alonso press conference. “We don't have any particular limit that we imposed on Mike (Elias). So as long as the baseball rules are what they are today, we can do what we want to do, and we're prepared to do what we need to do to get the team to be on a championship level. We're ready to go.

“If there are other great players we can get, we'll try to get 'em.”

The best part of Thanksgiving might be the leftovers. The holiday stretches for days and days.  

Mailbags also can be stretched and they won’t turn different colors if those days become weeks. They also don’t create dirty dishes and pans that need soaking.

Let's dig into these leftovers.  

What do you think of Zac Gallen for our rotation? We have a ton of  Scott Boras players, so Mike Elias seems to be comfortable working with him. Gallen cannot be the main addition, but if we can get another pitcher like Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez in addition to him, I am more than OK with that.
As long as you’re happy. But seriously, I would have shown a little more enthusiasm a few years ago, when his ERA was 2.54, or even 3.47 and 3.65 the next two years. It was 4.83 in 33 starts this year, and his 8.2 strikeouts per nine innings were the lowest of his career. But he would be a nice addition to the rotation. Maybe not the “main” guy, but on the other hand – and there’s usually two – would it be that bad if Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers and Zac Gallen comprised the top three? Come on, be honest with me.

Roch, have the Orioles explained in any detail what Mike Shildt's duties will be? His title gives me the impression that he's going to be in charge of player development in the minor leagues. Who was doing the work that he will now be doing? This feels like a big change to me.
Ha, you said “duties.” You also misspelled his name, as did the poster of the next question, but I made the necessary corrections in a rare bit of editing. S-H-I-L-D-T. The Orioles haven’t announced the hire, which leaves us to speculate and assume. Upper-level minor league coordinator of instruction means he’ll work with players at Triple-A and Double-A. I don’t think anyone else had the title. I checked the staff listing. We’ll find out more later, but he seems like a really smart hire given his past experience in player development and the rest of his resume, including successful manager. Anything he can do to better prepare prospects for the majors will be a big asset.

We’re a day away from Thanksgiving gluttony and I’ve got a mailbag that’s already stuffed.

You ask, I answer and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2009 original. That’s right, 2009. You can look it up if you navigate the internet better than me.

The only editing here is to remove the Jell-O salad that your crazy aunt insisted on bringing again.

Also, my mailbag carves the turkey at the head of the table and your mailbag sit at the kids' table.

Who is more likely to be traded, Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo? And no “hold the Mayo” jokes.
I’m better than that. Mountcastle is a trade candidate because of a projected salary around $8 million, past health issues, a decline in production, and a market that exists for him. Mayo would be a big prospect piece in a potential deal. Both are possibilities, but if I have to rank them I’d say Mountcastle is more likely to go as a pending free agent. The reason why Mayo enters the conversation is because the Orioles would have to dip into that prospect pool in order to trade for an ace. He used to be untouchable but that might not be the case anymore. I’m not saying that he’s being shopped, just that there might be more of a willingness to listen.

The Orioles’ pitching staff is incomplete, with additions sought for the rotation and bullpen. Mike Elias traded for an outfielder but might want another option in center. He also has indicated that he could target a big bat.

Nothing much is said about the infield besides the decision to tender Ryan Mountcastle a contract.

Ramón Urías was used in a utility role until the deadline trade to Houston, which designated him for assignment last week. The Orioles designated Luis Vázquez for assignment on Tuesday, but he stays in the organization after clearing waivers yesterday and accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk.

Vázquez will come to spring training after appearing in 32 games and going 8-for-50. He’s a plus defender at shortstop and maybe the best emergency reliever in history with four scoreless appearances with three hits allowed over 4 1/3 innings.

Got to be in the top 10 at least, right? Maybe he should close.

They didn't get me this time.

The Orioles announce a late trade or signing every offseason that catches me napping. Or sleeping, to be exact.

I still haven't gotten over the James McCann deal in December 2022. I woke up to multiple missed calls and texts.

Anyway, they tried to sneak Taylor Ward past me last night and it didn't work. I was awake - barely. And this was a real shocker because the Orioles dealt Grayson Rodriguez in a one-for-one. 

They couldn't wait any longer for Rodriguez to reach his vast potential. The injuries kept piling up, making him the right-handed version of DL Hall, chosen in the first round one year earlier. Rodriguez hasn't pitched since July 31, 2024. Lat/teres, elbow, triceps, shoulder. The hits just kept coming.

The Orioles must set their 40-man roster later today by protecting the Rule 5 eligible players they don’t want exposed in the draft.

Cross off another date on baseball’s fall and winter calendar. Up next is Friday night’s non-tender deadline.

The mailbag doesn’t need to be protected, though many outlets would love to claim it.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved early 2009 original. That's when it debuted, upon further review. A four-star review. 

Also, my mailbag will never be exposed and your mailbag is left outside in the rain and cold.

Trevor Rogers received some well-deserved recognition last night with the unveiling of the American League Cy Young ballots.

I didn’t think I’d be solely responsible for it.

Rogers tied the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen for ninth place, with both pitchers receiving a fifth-place vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

The Tigers’ Tarik Skubal is a back-to-back winner, followed by the Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet, the Astros’ Hunter Brown, the Yankees’ Max Fried and the Mariners’ Bryan Woo. Skubal received 26 first-place votes and Crochet the other four.

I put Skubal first, Crochet second, Brown third and Fried fourth, keeping me in line with the majority. The last spot came down to Rogers or Woo. I didn’t want to be viewed as a homer if I selected Rogers or a jerk if omitting him because I cover the team.

The first few weeks of the offseason also exist so various outlets can begin ranking free agents and trying to match them with prospective teams.

MLB.com published its top 30 this week, headed by outfielder Kyle Tucker, third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. The Orioles have three free agents – pitchers Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and catcher Gary Sánchez - and none made the rankings. Eflin was listed among the 11 honorable mentions, which also included Cedric Mullins and Ryan O’Hearn.

The Orioles are interested in obtaining at least one starting pitcher, which can be done via free agency or a trade, and multiple relievers. They can sift through some in-house options but have too many holes to fill to operate solely from within. They also will try to strengthen the lineup with a proven hitter, and the outfield seems like the only area with room.

The site lists the Orioles among “possible fits” for five of the 30 players: Starter Dylan Cease (10^th), closer Edwin Díaz (14^th), closer Robert Suarez (17^th), starter Jack Flaherty (22^nd) and starter Chris Bassitt (28^th). Diáz would have to opt out of the final two years of his contract. Suarez would have to decline his $8 million options for the next two seasons. Flaherty has a $20 million option in his contract, and he did nothing to impress the Orioles during his half-season in 2023.

Perhaps only three teams are allowed to be attached to each free agent. If the above names make sense for the Orioles, so do outfielder Cody Bellinger (No. 5), though a right-handed bat might fit better, starter/reliever Michael King (No. 8), left-handed starter Framber Valdez (No. 9), left-handed starter Ranger Suárez (No. 11), starter Zac Gallen (No. 18), starter Shane Bieber (No. 20), reliever Devin Williams (No. 21), reliever Ryan Heisley (No. 26) and starter Lucas Giolito (No. 29).

The Blue Jays finished in last place in 2024 and are headed to the World Series. They were the top seed in the American League, just like the Orioles in 2023.

The Orioles slipped to the top Wild Card the following year and all the way into the division basement this summer. They won 75 games, one more than Toronto in 2024.

Should parallels be paraded to fans praying for a prolific bounce back next season?

Payroll disparities can’t be ignored – the Blue Jays at almost $242 million on Opening Day and the Orioles at around $164 million.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed an extension in April for $500 million over 14 years and he was named Most Valuable Player in the Championship Series. George Springer signed a six-year, $150 million free-agent contract in January 2021 and his three-run homer in the seventh inning in Game 7 propelled the Blue Jays into the World Series.

Stephen King wrote a novel in 1979 entitled “The Dead Zone” that became a movie four years later and a television series in the early 2000s. No one had October in mind for baseball’s non-playoff teams, but it applied.

Just sub out Christopher Walken for Christian Walker.

But this is about the Orioles.

A manager wasn’t going to be hired this quickly, but I’ve counted one confirmed interview, Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas, whose brother Felipe Alou Jr. has worked in a variety of roles in the Orioles’ organization. Rojas managed the Mets for two seasons.

Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols reportedly has drawn interest from the Orioles, but that’s it. They like the idea of interviewing him.

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.  

As we’ve learned through years and years of testing and experimentation, you can’t have an offseason mailbag without an offseason. It’s literally in the name.

Let’s break out the first one here, the latest sequel to the beloved and often celebrated 2008 original.

As you’d expect, many of the questions pertained to the pending managerial and GM hirings and specifics about the roster. And as you’d expect, I can’t provide many definitive answers because it’s too early or the club hasn’t shared the necessary information.

It’s hard to see clearly in the dark.

What’s much more obvious is that my mailbag sacks quarterbacks and your mailbag wants its quarter back after tipping a waiter.

Some leftovers are more appetizing than others. For instance, the container of Chinese food that I ordered before flying to Chicago has no business being in my refrigerator. The plastic lid is corroding.

However, the mailbag questions that weren’t used earlier this week remain fresh – except for the one asking whether Hanser Alberto has a future in Baltimore. Don’t know how I missed that one. Must have gotten pushed to the back like my beef lo mein.

Here are some extras that didn’t make the first cut.

Do the Orioles expect Grayson Rodriguez to be ready for spring training?
Absolutely. He underwent a procedure on his right elbow to remove a bone spur on Aug. 11. That's plenty of recovery time. There's a reason why he did it last month. And it was a bone spur. We're not talking reconstructive surgery here. The question is whether he remains a starter and can he make it through an entire season healthy. He hasn't pitched in a major league game since July 31, 2024. Counting on him to work near or at the top of the rotation and getting nothing from him is one reason why the season went south.

Will Jackson Holliday get reps in center field next spring, Maybe Coby Mayo in right field some? It sure would help if we have as many extra-inning games next year as this one.
Plans for players in camp will reveal themselves later, but the Orioles seem committed to keeping Holliday and Mayo on the right side of the infield. They didn’t give Mayo reps in right field last spring and have settled on first base as his permanent home. He isn’t working out at third anymore. Holliday stands a better chance of becoming a plus defender at second if he isn’t experimenting with the outfield. Any changes with these players would be a surprise.

CHICAGO – The White Sox announced last night’s attendance at 11,020, but the entire upper deck was empty and the lower bowl had rows and rows of unoccupied seats. Tickets sold don’t equal bodies in the ballpark. The Windy City isn’t keen on supporting a team that …

You can fill in the rest.

The mailbag carried the necessary weight to avoid tipping over. Time to sort through it.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. You ask and I answer. The sarcasm comes at no extra charge.

Also, my mailbag lays down squeeze bunts and your mailbag gets chased out of bakeries for squeezing bundts.

Rather than subject my mailbag to another West Coast flight and jet lag, I decided to dump some of its contents back home and travel light.

Carry on.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original, which set box office records. It isn’t streaming anywhere, but I am … usually around 3 or 4 a.m.

If I did any editing, I’m keeping it to myself. No grand announcements about clarity, length, style or brevity. Sorry to cheat you out of that thrill.

Also, a reminder that my mailbag gets your mailbag in the camel clutch and won’t let go until it submits. Especially on hump day.

The Orioles complete their latest homestand this afternoon against the Mariners and fly to Houston for a three-game series, followed by two in Boston.

The roster will change again before they make it back home. Count on it.

My mailbag also changes with each massive dump. And this is probably a good place to stop, but let’s keep going.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original that currently airs on Netflix. Or is it Amazon Prime? Anyway, it’s out there, just like so many of you.

Questions aren’t edited for clarity, style, length, brevity or bravado. And I wouldn’t tell you anyway, because, again, who cares?

The trade deadline is 6 p.m. Thursday and I’m told that MASN is a seller only when it comes to me. Make them an offer.

A reporter-to-be-named later or cash considerations should get it done.

A straight-up for Chad Bradford is being discussed, according to an industry source with direct knowledge. He actually was at the ballpark over the weekend to sign autographs. At least, that's their story. I'm still suspicious. 

Players wonder how much the roster is going to change in the next few days. They try to block it out, but how is that possible? Relievers Bryan Baker and Gregory Soto already left and others are going to follow. They know it.

“Definitely a new experience for me, because the past two years, we’ve obviously won a lot more games,” said shortstop Gunnar Henderson. “Definitely a new experience. It’s a weird one, because obviously, don’t know who, when or if. It’s just kind of a crappy situation.

The All-Star break doesn’t provide much rest for those of us covering the draft, tracking Ryan O’Hearn and emptying a mailbag.

The last pick in the draft was announced Monday evening. Major League Baseball did something right, getting rid of Day 3. O’Hearn was the designated hitter for the American League, and as I told him would happen, I tuned out the second after he came out.

That’s the luxury of “covering” it from home. I was in Texas last year for five Orioles representatives, plus Gunnar Henderson in the Home Run Derby.

Baseball has the best All-Star Game of the major sports, but nothing compares to the Midsummer Classics of my youth, with future Hall of Famers all over the field wearing their teams’ uniforms. (Nice to see that second part come back last night.) And prior to interleague play, which removed the novelty of the American League facing the National League outside of the World Series.

Also, get off my lawn.

The mailbag is on a train to New York, demanding a seat on the Acela and refusing to ride the subway later to the Bronx. I’m with you, mailbag. I’d rather hop aboard a mange-diseased coyote.

I had some leftovers from the last mailbag dump, so let’s get to those questions first before the Orioles begin a three-game series against the first-place Yankees, who lost six in a row and didn’t score in three straight prior to defeating the Angels yesterday, 7-3.

These teams met at Camden Yards in late April and the Orioles won two of three games to leave their record at 12-18. Remember when that was reason to panic?

I kept saying, “It’s only April.” And I wasn’t wrong. But it only got worse.

Anyway, you asked, I answered, and you finally got confirmation that I didn’t skip you. The only editing happened when I called it a “mailbug.”

The Orioles are back on the road and my mailbag is adamant about missing the Tampa portion of it. No Trop, no trip.

Let’s do some dumping and count how many questions are related to the trade deadline and whether the Orioles will buy or sell. That’s a popular one these days.

The answer isn’t as clear anymore.

You ask, I answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. I was gonna edit for clarity, length and style, but decided against it. I edited that idea. Sorry to disappoint again. And that's what I said.

Also, you should know that my mailbag receives the most All-Star votes and your mailbag is confused by the ballot.