The Orioles continue to hold the most international signing bonus slot money in baseball before the reset later this summer. However, they are conceding that the top-tier talent no longer is on the board and funds are more likely to be redirected. This is just one of the points made today during a conference call with executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and new senior director of international scouting Koby Perez. Perez was hired yesterday after spending the past five years...

The hot stove as it relates to free agent outfielder Bryce Harper appears to be heating up again since the calendar turned to 2019. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that Nationals owner Ted Lerner met with agent Scott Boras "multiple times," and The Washington Post reported that one meeting right before Christmas lasted five hours. It was thought that the Dodgers had paved the way for Harper to play in Chavez Ravine with their clearing of payroll and players in their mega-deal with the Reds last...

Former Orioles baseball operations leader Andy MacPhail once stated that it's better to call up a prospect a month too late rather than a month too soon. The new management of the Orioles may look to adhere to that philosophy. And not just because they agree with MacPhail. Maybe because it makes good business sense. At a time when fans seem excited to see young players get more opportunities with the club, some young players may have to wait their turn. Like most good organizations, the...

A casual clubhouse conversation over the summer between a past and current Orioles catcher led to an offseason lunch, a lengthy workout and a relationship that could pay dividends on the field. Rick Dempsey, the former World Series Most Valuable Player and current MASN analyst who played in the majors for 24 seasons and owns two championship rings. Austin Wynns, a rookie at 27 trying to stick around as a backup with perhaps an opportunity to do more in the future. Too bad it wasn't caught on...

The restructuring of the Orioles' front office and scouting department has led today to one of the more important hires of the offseason. The club announced that Koby Perez, 40, has been named senior director, international scouting and will report directly to executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. Perez will oversee all aspects of the international scouting operations and management of the team's bonus pool. He spent the last five seasons in the Indians organization,...

The Orioles today announced that Koby Perez has been named the club's Senior Director, International Scouting. Perez will oversee all aspects of the Orioles' international scouting operations and management of the club's bonus pool. He will report to Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias. "In Koby Perez, we have found the right person to spearhead the Orioles' new international presence," said Elias. "His experience, connections, and reputation built across a...

The Nationals couldn't end the season on a run that netted a playoff spot, but right-hander Koda Glover was able to finish the season healthy for the first time in two campaigns. The 6-foot-5, 215-lb. right-hander hasn't been able to pitch more than 25 innings or appear in more than 24 games in his three seasons with the Nats. Glover, 25, returned to the lineup in August of last season, his first meaningful baseball since June 2017. It was an up-and-down return, but in the last month, he got...

It's a good question. What represents success for the 2019 Orioles? Is it a certain number of wins or something else? Can it even be quantified? Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias was asked that question at the Winter Meetings. "I want to improve the aggregate talent base of this organization, and that's going to come in the form of additions to the organization via the draft, international signings, perhaps some trades that might occur," Elias said. "But, just...

The season isn't starting today. The Orioles aren't in the Bronx and Manny Machado still isn't wearing pinstripes. The roster hasn't really started to take shape unless you count a couple of Rule 5 picks who will compete for shortstop and utility jobs and a left-handed hitting third baseman to compete against a right-handed hitting third baseman. Keep a brown paper bag handy to prevent hyperventilating. The clock hasn't become the enemy, with executive vice president and general manager...

As the calendar turns to 2019 today, this will be the year the Orioles embrace analytics. They had better, because that is the background of their new executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias. His first hire was Sig Mejdal, named the club's assistant general manager, analytics. New manager Brandon Hyde is very much on board with his front office. No longer should we see a player like Zach Britton traded to another team - in Britton's case the New York Yankees - and say this:...