The Orioles organization is “on the move.” That was the conclusion of MLBPipeline.com when the outlet recently published an article about the state of the O’s farm system. Jonathan Mayo wrote that article and joined me recently for a Zoom interview to talk about the Orioles minor leagues. The O’s are now No. 8, up from No. 13, in the latest MLBPipeline.com organizational rankings. That ... read more
It was a year when National Football League teams in Indianapolis and Dallas opened new stadiums. The movie “Fever Pitch” debuted at the box office. The Chicago White Sox won their first World Series since 1917. The Tampa Bay baseball team was still named the Devil Rays. The year was 2005, and that was the last time the Orioles did not make a pick in ... read more
The Orioles made a nice statement Friday about their improving farm system. A farm system that has risen to No. 8 in the game in the MLBPipeline.com organizational rankings. They protected six players from that farm from being taken in next month’s Rule 5 draft. They added all six last night to their 40-man roster. They added pitchers Michael Baumann, Alexander Wells, Zac Lowther and ... read more
As he left his job running the Chicago Cubs baseball operations this week, Theo Epstein addressed what he sees as issues in baseball. Issues that he believes he helped create and now wonders if the game will fix them. The issues involve a lack of action in the sport. There are too many strikeouts, too much swing and miss. Strikeouts are fun if you’re the ... read more
He’s not a scout, a pitching coach or someone that works in a baseball front office. But he’s got an interesting perspective and I’ve known that since the first time I interviewed left-hander Brian Gonzalez, which was probably not long after the Orioles drafted him in 2014. After seven seasons in Birdland, Gonzalez left the flock recently to sign a minor league contract with the ... read more
So a decision day is coming for the Orioles on Friday, unless they make some announcements before that. They have to decide which players to add to their 40-man roster to protect them from the December Rule 5 draft. They have five openings on their 40-man roster. That certainly does not guarantee they protect five players. They can protect as few as they want or ... read more
After a season of uncertainty - no one knew in July if the year would be played to the finish - baseball now faces more uncertainty. This one involves not games, but salaries and free agency. Will it be a chilly winter - and we are not talking about air temperatures? It could wind up downright frosty and we’re not talking about precipitation. There is ... read more
When the music stops at the beginning of or during the 2021 season, will DJ Stewart have a chair? After his own crazy season inside baseball’s own crazy 2020 season, will Stewart’s brief but remarkable offensive display last summer carry him back to the roster next season? In an outfield that includes Anthony Santander, Austin Hays, Ryan Mountcastle, Cedric Mullins, a returning Trey Mancini (who ... read more
