One aspect of the Orioles' rebuild that could and should excite fans is seeing young prospects come up from the minor leagues. One of the O's best is expected to make his debut next season. That is 22-year-old Ryan Mountcastle. His defensive position may not be set yet, but his bat looks ready. Mountcastle was an easy 40-man roster addition last month after a season when he was named both International League Most Valuable Player and the O's Brooks Robinson Minor League Player of the...

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias did a lot of talking at the recent Winter Meetings in San Diego. And not just to agents and other front office execs. He did a lot of talking to the media during the four days there. Here are a few of his quotes we read here at MASNSports.com and my take on them. Elias on the rebuilding and the trades of Dylan Bundy and Jonathan Villar: "There's going to be a couple years where we take steps back to take steps forward, where we say...

The Winter Meetings have come and gone. The Orioles added pitcher Marcos Diplán on waivers from Detroit. They added pitchers Brandon Bailey and Michael Rucker in the Rule 5 draft. More additions are coming certainly. So it's time for a post Winter Meetings edition of 10 questions. Answer one question or all 10. Provide short answers or long. Your call. Respond to other readers. Here's are today's questions: 1) Which Rule 5 pitcher - Bailey or Rucker - has a better chance to make the team...

A few days ago in this space we got a scout's take on several young players in the Orioles organization. Today we get the perspective of this scout from outside the organization on a few more O's prospects. And we start with his comparison of two young and talented pitchers in lefty DL Hall and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Hall was the Orioles' No. 1 pick, taken No. 21 overall, out of a Georgia high school in 2017. While his overall stats were not as strong in 2018, he pitched all last...

Baseball's offseason, believe it or not, is already halfway complete. The regular season ended 2 1/2 months ago. Pitchers and catchers report in two months. For the Nationals, of course, this offseason has been much shorter to date. One of the downsides of going to the World Series is the delayed start to the winter, leaving much to be done in a compressed window. The Nats have already done a lot to prepare for 2020. They re-signed Stephen Strasburg, Howie Kendrick, Yan Gomes and Javy Guerra....

The Orioles are moving into the weekend with the same catching arrangement and the desire to find a veteran on a minor league deal. Unclear is whether the new player would be given a legitimate chance to win a job or be ticketed for Triple-A as a depth piece. The sales pitch figures to include an opportunity to break camp with the team. But what happens after the ink dries on the contract? Chance Sisco currently holds the advantage of being the only left-handed hitter among a trio that includes...

SAN DIEGO - The Orioles' ties to the Astros and Cubs organizations came into play again this morning in the Rule 5 draft. The second-overall pick was used on right-hander Brandon Bailey from Houston's Double-A affiliate in Corpus Christi. The Orioles also were active in the next round by selecting right-hander Michael Rucker, who made 34 of his 36 appearances this summer with Chicago's Double-A affiliate in Tennessee. The Orioles didn't lose any players on the major league phase, but the...

Whiting, Ind. - The National Mascot Hall of Fame (MHOF) is excited to announce the four professional mascots being inducted into the Hall in June of 2020; Youppi! (Montreal Canadiens, NHL), Boomer (Indiana Pacers, NBA), The Oriole Bird (Baltimore Orioles, MLB), and Blue (Indianapolis Colts, NFL). The official announcement was made publicly at the MHOF's 2nd Annual Fur Tie Fundraiser held at the museum located in Whiting, Indiana on Wednesday, December 11th. 'THE VOTE' was conducted this...

SAN DIEGO - The Nationals lost right-hander Sterling Sharp to the Marlins in this morning's Rule 5 draft, ending a wildly eventful Winter Meetings with the departure of a promising-but-raw pitching prospect. Sharp was the third player selected overall in the Rule 5 draft, which gives clubs the opportunity to acquire prospects from other organizations who were left off their 40-man rosters this winter. The caveat: Any drafted players must remain on their new club's major league roster for the...

Today, the Orioles made the following roster moves: Selected RHP Brandon Bailey from the Houston Astros organization with the second pick in the Rule 5 Draft. Selected RHP Michael Rucker from the Chicago Cubs organization in the second round of the Rule 5 Draft. Selected OF Cristopher Céspedes from the Cleveland Indians organization with the second pick in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Selected INF Wilbis Santiago from the Cleveland Indians organization in the second round of the...