The process of hiring Koby Perez as the Orioles' senior director of international scouting began immediately after the Winter Meetings and appeared to wrap up as the warehouse shut down for the holidays. Scout Calvin Maduro was given the news a few weeks ago, with the announcement coming on Wednesday. Perez, calling into the "Hot Stove Show" on 105.7 The Fan, said executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias contacted the Indians upon returning from Las Vegas seeking permission to...

It appears again that the Bryce Harper hot stove is connected to the Manny Machado hot stove. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the White Sox have made a formal offer to Machado. The former Orioles and Dodgers infielder is reportedly seeking a 10-year deal worth more than $300 million. Ironically, that is the same offer that the Nationals reportedly made to Harper and his agent when their negotiations began after the 2018 season. Sports-talk radio station 670 The Score in Chicago...

The hiring of Koby Perez as the Orioles' senior director of international scouting enabled executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias to reach further into his professional past, all the way to his Cardinals days in their scouting department. Elias also has brought in assistant Sig Mejdal, who worked with him in St. Louis and Houston, and minor league pitching coordinator Chris Holt, formerly the Astros' assistant pitching coordinator. If anyone needs additional information on...

The hiring this week of Koby Perez as the Orioles' senior director of international scouting is the latest step forward for the organization on the international front. For years, the club just didn't do nearly enough in this market, and it hurt the team in numerous ways. Baltimore lacked in producing international talent. Hopefully, those days are over, although certainly it will take years for general manager Mike Elias and Perez to produce significant results. But you have to start...

In his first interview with Orioles reporters, Koby Perez, the club's new senior director of international scouting, discussed building a staff and building relationships that will lead to the addition of key young amateur talent from around the world. Under the current system in place, all teams get a similar amount to spend via their bonus pool. So that can make it challenging for a team to set itself apart, as they can't outspend the competition in a significant way. For the signing period...

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,...