The maturity of Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday can reveal itself in many ways.

On Friday night, it happened behind a bar at PBR Baltimore during a Birdland Caravan stop. Holliday is old enough to drink alcohol – and certainly to pour, which he was busy doing.

The kid turned 21 in December. He won’t be relegated to sipping “Bird Bath” water, unless he chooses it, if another clinching celebration erupts in the clubhouse.

Holliday will report to spring training as the favorite to win the second base job, but it’s a competition. He probably can’t afford to have a terrible camp with the team well-stocked in infielders, even after designating Emmanuel Rivera for assignment.

It would get a little trickier if Jorge Mateo isn’t ready for Opening Day, but still manageable. And there’s always the waiver wire.

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired infielder Luis Vázquez from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations.

Vázquez, 25, was 1-for-12 with two runs scored, one RBI, and a hit-by-pitch in 11 games with the Cubs last season. He made his MLB debut on May 22 vs. Atlanta. Vázquez slashed .263/.347/.432 (62-for-236) with 16 doubles, eight home runs, 33 runs scored, 24 RBI, 25 walks, six hit-by-pitches, and one stolen base in 64 games with Triple-A Iowa in 2024. The infielder appeared in 51 games at shortstop, seven at third base, and six at second base in Triple-A. He was originally selected by Chicago-NL in the 14^th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Alberto Melendez Torres (PR) High School.

To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder Emmanuel Rivera was designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias joined a group of players and local media this morning in volunteering at the Warehouse Collaborative, a space for Baltimore-based nonprofit organizations to share resources. Moving from station to station, Elias boxed and bagged donated items and books, assisted in building skateboards, tore tags off Orioles hoodies and shirts to be distributed.

Employees divided everyone into four groups and turned it into a contest, with the winning team posting the fastest times. Elias and Adley Rutschman left the facility with bragging rights.

Elias is eyeing much bigger victories down the road, but this was a nice start on Day 2 of the Birdland Caravan.

A 13-minute interview session followed with Elias, who confirmed that he isn’t done conducting roster business - or at least attempting it.

Asked whether he’s still targeting pitching, Elias said, “I think we’re targeting improvements to the team.”

Today I write my last blog entry for MASNsports.com. Those words make me emotional and a bit sad.

But it’s been a heckuva run filled with memories of special people, players, media friends and O's staff along with too many nights at ballparks to count. But those places are home to me and the people I have worked with have been like family. 

I have worked full-time radio jobs in Frederick, Md., Richmond, Va., and at WBAL Radio in Baltimore earlier in my career, but nowhere did I work as long as this current job. As I noted recently, I was the first writer hired here back in the day and the first season I covered in this role was in 2008.

So it’s been a minute and I’ve seen a lot in this job – a lot of winning and losing.

Readers here know I am often optimistic about the Orioles. I am incredibly so with the current group. Fans and readers can vent about moves made or not made and debate how good this team is or is not.

And then there were two. Just two days left to share a few thoughts here on the Orioles as I wrap up my 17 years with MASNSports.com.

I continue to stay upbeat and am embracing whatever comes next.

But in whatever manner I follow and/or cover the 2025 Orioles there are a few things I’m looking forward to.

Can the team start fast?: They did last year, and the chance is there to do that again. The 2024 Orioles won their first two games, never spent one day at or under .500 and ended April in first place at 19-10. By the end of May they were 36-19. It all set the stage for a good season and another playoff run.

The O’s open the 2025 season with four at Toronto. And while the Blue Jays won just 74 games last year, they are certainly expected to be a club capable of a playoff run this year. Then the O’s next three opponents all finished at or above .500 last season. But then they play three more series out of four against under .500 clubs from last year.

When former Oriole star Adam Jones was officially hired by the club this week as special advisor to the general manager and a community ambassador, I felt the O’s made a great move.

Because of love and passion.

Jones has a deep love for this organization and a real passion about Orioles baseball. He’s always had it since they acquired him in a trade with the Mariners and that love and passion for the Orioles has never waned.

Few would work harder for the Orioles to be winners, and few would take more pride in any successes they have.

Adam really, really loves the Orioles.

The Orioles broke out another option year to bend from their file-and-go stance in arbitration.

Jorge Mateo has agreed to a contract for the 2025 season to avoid a hearing. He’s set to earn $3.55 million, according to an industry source.

The deal also includes a $5.5 million option for 2026 with escalators that could increase the value to $6 million based on plate appearances this season, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

The club added an extra year to previous agreements with John Means and Trey Mancini past the deadline to exchange figures. Otherwise, negotiations are closed. ]

Mateo filed for $4 million and the Orioles countered at $3.1 million. MLBTradeRumors.com projected a raise to $3.2.

The front office vision shared by the newcomers who marched into Camden Yards beginning in the winter of 2018 required them to gaze into the past. To look back while also trying to push a flailing franchise forward.

Adam Jones is serving as an ideal example of this mindset, with the Orioles hiring the five-time All-Star and one of the most popular players in franchise history as special advisor to the general manager and community ambassador.

He’s an Oriole again.

It’s almost like he never left. Or it never left him.

Jones and executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias spent about 32 minutes this morning on a video call with reporters and random media. The moving trucks departed Baltimore earlier today for Sarasota, carrying 320 uniforms, 300 hats, 200 helmets, 10 pitching machines, 800 dozen baseballs and 300 bats, with an arrival scheduled for later this week. Jones will get there from his Barcelona home, working as a guest instructor and getting acclimated to his new job and set of responsibilities.

Prospects ranking season is winding down but, in a ranking released yesterday via The Athletic’s Keith Law, O’s catching prosect Samuel Basallo got his highest-ranking yet and an evaluation that was quite favorable on his defense.

I have written here numerous times that the Orioles have been consistently saying that Basallo can stay as a catcher. They see that big arm and flexible body with agility for someone his size and see a solid defensive catcher.

Basallo was ranked No. 3 in the top 100 by Law, behind only Boston’s Roman Anthony and Sebastian Walcott of the Texas Rangers. In his top 100, Coby Mayo was ranked No. 18 and Enrique Bradfield Jr. was No. 82, giving the O's three top 100 prospects.

Law believes Basallo has shown the tools and athleticism to project as an “above-average defender.” His top 100 is here (subscription may be required).

He goes on to write that: “He’s got at least a 70 arm and is athletic enough to become a 55 receiver and blocker, although right now he’s succeeding more on his pure physical ability and needs more polish on the finer points of catching.”

The love for Orioles minor league catcher Samuel Basallo keeps growing, with The Athletic’s Keith Law ranking him third yesterday on the site’s top 100 prospects list.

Red Sox minor league outfielder Roman Anthony is first and Rangers infielder Sebastian Walcott is second.

Baseball Prospectus ranks Basallo at No. 11, three spots ahead of Coby Mayo and 35 ahead of Enrique Bradfield Jr. Baseball America ranks Basallo 14^th, which is 15 spots ahead of Mayo and 67 ahead of Heston Kjerstad, who still qualifies at this outlet. Basallo is the highest rated catcher.

The Athletic has Mayo 18^th and Bradfield 82^nd.

The obsessing and hype surrounding past decorated Orioles prospects Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holliday is shifting to Basallo, who celebrated his 20^th birthday in August.

The Orioles weren’t finished with the position player side of their roster.

The club announced today that it signed outfielder Dylan Carlson to a one-year contract. It’s worth $975,000 with a $25,000 bonus if he reaches 200 plate appearances, according to an industry source.

Infielder Jacob Amaya was designated for assignment to create room for Carlson on a full 40-man roster.

Carlson, 26, is a switch-hitter and the 33^rd overall pick of the Cardinals in the 2016 draft. He split last season between St. Louis and Tampa Bay and batted .209/.287/.277 in 96 games.

This was a big drop from the 2021 season when Carlson finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He hit .266/.343/.437 with 31 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 65 RBIs in 149 games.

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with outfielder DYLAN CARLSON on a one-year major league contract for the 2025 season.

Carlson, 26, slashed .209/.287/.277 (49-for-235) with seven doubles, three home runs, 19 runs scored, 25 RBI, 22 walks, five hit-by-pitches, and two stolen bases in 96 games between the St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays in 2024. He opened the year on 10-day Injured List recovering from a left acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain before being reinstated by St. Louis on May 5. Carlson was acquired by the Rays in exchange for right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong on July 30, 2024. In 39 day games last season, he slashed .263/.327/.305 (25-for-95) compared to a .171/.261/.257 (24-for-140) slash line in 57 night games.

In five big league seasons between the two clubs, Carlson has batted .237/.317/.376 (365-for-1538) with 83 doubles, 10 triples, 37 home runs, 192 runs scored, 175 RBI, 158 walks (3 IBB), 30 hit-by-pitches, and 13 stolen bases in 484 games. Carlson, a switch-hitter, is a lifetime .285/.361/.431 (123-for-432) hitter versus left-handed pitchers compared to a .219/.300/.355 (242-for-1106) hitter against righties. He has appeared in the Postseason three times with St. Louis (2020-22) and his six Wild Card Series games trail only Yadier Molina (7) for the most among Cardinals players. In 2021, he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting and set the Cardinals single-season records for rookie switch-hitters with 53 extra-base hits, 237 total bases, 31 doubles, 65 RBI, and 57 walks. Carlson was originally selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round (No. 33 overall) of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Elk Grove (CA) High School.

To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder JACOB AMAYA has been designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

One of the most popular players in Orioles history is returning to the organization.

Long-time outfielder Adam Jones, revered in Baltimore for his production at the plate, defense, leadership and charitable work over 11 seasons, has been hired as special advisor to the general manager and community ambassador.

The club made the announcement this morning in a release, explaining that Jones will “advise executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias on various matters and serve as a resource for the rest of the baseball operations department and Orioles major and minor league players.”

Jones will serve as a guest instructor in spring training, marking the beginning of his new role. He has visited the Ed Smith Stadium complex in the past, in part due to his work for the players association, and signed autographs for fans.

The job will have Jones participating in a multitude of club-sponsored community service projects, such as the adopt-a-school partnership with Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) and the Challenger League. He’s also going to interact with Birdland Members, corporate partners, fans and members of the front office as an Orioles representative.

The club today announced that long-time Orioles outfielder ADAM JONES officially returns to the organization as a Special Advisor to the General Manager and Community Ambassador.

In this role, Jones will advise Executive Vice President & General Manager MIKE ELIAS on various matters and serve as a resource for the rest of the Baseball Operations department and Orioles major and minor league players.

Jones will continue to have an impact on the Baltimore community, participating in several club-sponsored community service projects including with the club’s adopt-a-school partnership with Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), and the Challenger League. Through a myriad of events and opportunities, he will interact with Birdland Members, Corporate Partners, fans, and members of the front office as a representative of the club. Jones will mark the beginning of this role when he joins the Orioles in Sarasota to serve as a guest coach this Spring Training.

“I am grateful for the Orioles relationships I have formed since my retirement, which have led us to this exciting partnership. Having the opportunity to be around the game that I love, while also learning the operations side of baseball from one of the best General Managers is truly an honor. I am happy to be a resource for the Orioles organization and will offer everything I’ve learned from past experience to help the team succeed,” shared Jones. “Baltimore has always meant so much to me, and this unique role will allow me to continue giving back to the community I love. This is a special opportunity and I’m eager to embrace it fully.”

“Adam was a tremendous representative of the Orioles on and off the field while he was a player,” said Elias. “We are excited to formally welcome him back to our team, and we look forward to utilizing his experience, expertise, and perspective to help the franchise achieve sustained excellence.”

Let’s take a look today at the longball. Hitting homers was something the 2024 Orioles did quite well, about as well as any team in the majors last year and they were among the best power-hitting teams in 71 years of Orioles baseball.

The Birds hit 235 home runs to rank second-best in the American League and in the majors to the Yankees, who hit 237.

In the 2023 season there were a whopping 13 teams that hit 200 or more home runs, led by Atlanta that led MLB that season hitting 307. That Braves team with 307 tied the 2019 Minnesota Twins for most homers in a single-season in MLB history. The only other club ever to hit 300 or more was the 2019 Yankees with 306.

In 2024, there were six MLB teams hitting 200 or more:

237 – Yankees
235 – Orioles
233 – Dodgers
213 – Braves
211 – Diamondbacks
207 – Mets

When the playoffs started, I predicted an Eagles-Bills Super Bowl in a beat writer text thread. No one else had Philadelphia, but I cited its defense, offensive line and weapons in the backfield and at receiver and tight end.

I got it half right. Josh Allen just came along at the wrong time, in the midst of the Chiefs dynasty.

I also knew that I’d have leftovers from my last mailbag. A precedent is set.

Here are some extras.

Outfield versatility is a great thing, usually for substitutions or resting the starters. But Brandon Hyde used to switch Austin Hays and Anthony Santander to the opposite corners occasionally when they were both almost everyday starters. It might have depended on the road park and its dimensions. Happened maybe even at Fenway Park. Think we'll see Tyler O'Neill and Colton Cowser at both corners even as everyday starters in the same lineup?
I don’t think Cowser is locked into left field and O’Neill into right, but those will be their primary positions. They could switch on occasion. Moving Santander to the other corner made sense in some ballparks if there was more ground to cover in right. Hays had better range, of course. O’Neill has won two Gold Gloves. Hyde could be less inclined to make that switch.

As we are now just a few weeks away from the start of spring training and the new season, today let’s take a look at the O’s roster in terms of four components.

They are the offense and defense and the pitching – starting pitching and the bullpen.

We don’t know the Opening Day roster yet, obviously, or the final roster that will start camp, but at this point it’s pretty set. Yes, we could get a change or a few of them, but today we're going with what they have right now to assess how it all looks.

If you break those four down, I see all four as solid units for the team heading into the season. I will rank them as they look today, from strongest to weakest:

Offense

Major League Baseball’s best shortstop, right now, is the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson. So says MLB Network during its Top Ten Right Now series that has been airing in recent days.

Well not everyone at the network feels that way but the “shredder” does which is MLB Network’s model that I presume takes all the stats and data and provides a formula for ranking the players.

It’s quite an honor when you consider who Henderson is up against.

Here is their official top 10:

1) Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles.

Orioles control owner David Rubenstein spoke to Yahoo Finance this week at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He mentioned twice how the Orioles are in “pretty good shape," endorsed a salary cap and went over some of the ballpark renovations.

The club’s payroll has risen to 15^th in the majors at $156 million, per Roster Resource, and we’re waiting for the outcome of Jorge Mateo’s salary figure exchange. He’s seeking $4 million and the Orioles countered at $3.1 million.

Rubenstein described the payroll as “consistent with our needs,” and added, “I don’t think anybody is not playing with the Orioles because of money reasons."

“Spending the most money doesn’t always guarantee you a World Series championship," he added, "and in fact many times people with smaller payrolls have won the World Series. I’m reasonably optimistic we’re gonna do well this year.”

Rubenstein explained how the luxury tax works, with a penalty incurred for teams going over it.

I was the first writer hired to work at MASNsports.com. It was, I think, late in 2007 or maybe early in 2008. It all runs together now. But there I was writing articles called blogs about the Orioles at a place that most people didn’t know even existed back then.

But I put in the time and effort then and now, too, and here I am about 17 years later still writing for MASN.

Well, at least for a few more days.

Over the years, I have gained experience and knowledge on how to write game stories and also how to re-write game stories in the last of the ninth. To write about the minors and the majors. To write about the draft, trades, waiver claims, injuries and anything and everything about the Orioles.

Even about those we lost along the way like Brooks Robinson and Mike Flanagan.