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Monday, October 26, 2015

Columns:  The is looming, and free agency is right behind it The Sun 10/26  Orioles might hire new assistant hitting The Sun 10/23  Christian Walker on his second-half improvement MASNsports.com 10/26  More on the coaching staff and MASNsports.com 10/25  This, that and the other MASNsports.com 10/24  Another look at and the possibility of a qualifying offer MASNsports.com 10/26  First offseason edition: "10 Questions for O's Fans" MASNsports.com 10/25  A look at the least-talked-about player among O's pending free agents MASNsports.com 10/24  Orioles need a better 2016 from Tillman to contend CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/26  Orioles had a better way to look for a CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/25  An Orioles fan guide to MLB's expansion era World Series CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/24  Would long-term deal with Britton be a good idea? CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/23  2015 Orioles Roster Review, Part Two: The Non-Valuable Orioles PressBoxOnline.com 10/25

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-the-world-series-is-looming-and-free- agency-is-right-behind-it-20151025-story.html

The World Series is looming, and free agency is right behind it

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun October 26, 2015

With the World Series starting Tuesday in Kansas City, the period for teams to speak exclusively with their own pending free agents is coming to a close.

Baseball’s free agency officially begins after the completion of the World Series — which will occur at some point between Saturday (end of Game 4) and Nov. 4 (end of Game 7). Teams then have five days after that to negotiate exclusively with their free agents before players are free to talk with any interested club.

According to several industry sources, the Orioles have had extension discussions with some of their six pending free agents since the season ended, but not with all of them.

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette wouldn’t go into specifics, saying only that, “Once the season is over has rules governing dialogue between players and clubs, and rules that also apply to outside comments about any of that.”

The Orioles’ pending free agents are slugger , lefty starter Wei-Yin Chen, right- handed reliever Darren O’Day, Matt Wieters, outfielder Gerardo Parra and infielder- outfielder Steve Pearce. All have said they would like to return, but it’s more likely the club re- signs one or two, if any.

At least one representative of the above six said his client remains interested in re-signing, but the opportunity to talk to other teams will soon be a factor.

“We’ve had ongoing discussions with Baltimore throughout the season and I plan on continuing to have ongoing discussions with Baltimore,” said Jeff Borris, who represents O’Day. “However, time is of the essence because free agency is right around the corner.”

Duquette said getting a deal done during the exclusive negotiating period is always ideal, but he won’t give up hope once that window has expired. More competition, though, means players’ price tags are likely to increase — potentially beyond what the Orioles are willing to pay. Duquette’s not making a prediction on who will re-sign or when.

“I wouldn’t handicap it. A lot of players will wait and hear what the interests of the other clubs are. We’ll see,” Duquette said. “It really depends on the player and what they want to accomplish. Generally, most players, once they’ve completed the season, wait to see what the market is and hear what other teams have to say. Generally, the market has to its course the way it does every year.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-could-hire-new-assistant-hitting- coach-20151023-story.html

Orioles might hire new assistant hitting coach

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun October 23, 2015

Although all seven members of Orioles manager ’s staff will be back for 2016, it looks like the club could hire another big league coach -- potentially one to help current hitting instructor Scott Coolbaugh.

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said Friday he has “made progress” on returning every coach, but added that, “we’re not quite done with the composition of the staff.”

One possibility, he said, is that the team could hire a new assistant hitting instructor to work with Coolbaugh, who enters his second year as the club’s hitting coach.

“That’s one of the areas that we are discussing,” Duquette said.

Einar Diaz, a former big league catcher, has been the club’s assistant hitting coach for the past three years while also handling a chunk of batting practice pitching duties. He is expected to return in 2016, but his title might change. If that happens, Diaz could be used in the bullpen more during games to help catch relievers now that the club did not renew the contract of batting practice /bullpen catcher Rudy Arias.

One of Diaz’s primary responsibilities has been throwing batting practice both pregame and in- game in the stadium’s indoor tunnel to help keep potential pinch hitters and designated hitters loose.

Duquette said he doesn’t have a timeline to officially complete the makeup of Showalter’s group or when an announcement is planned. There has been at least one change to the staff each offseason that Showalter has managed the Orioles, though in this instance the full group would return.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/christian-walker-on-his-second-half- improvement.html

Christian Walker on his second-half improvement

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com October 26, 2015

If the Orioles aren't willing to enter a bidding war for first baseman Chris Davis, they'll need to figure out whether his replacement is inside the organization, or if they need to come up with a cheaper alternative from another team or the free agent market.

Where does Christian Walker fit into this puzzle?

My guess is Walker begins the 2016 season at Triple-A Norfolk, but he's going to fight for a roster spot in . There's been lots of attention directed toward Double-A Bowie first baseman Trey Mancini, the Orioles' minor league Player of the Year, but Walker made his own impression.

Walker won the same award in 2014 and he finished strong in 2015, batting .257/.342/.515 with 12 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 54 games with Norfolk following the break.

"His second half of the season, he almost carried the club offensively on a lot of nights," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "He had the type of second half he had almost all year last year. He made a lot of improvements at first base."

Walker, 24, said he made "some adjustments" that allowed him to increase his production after hitting five home runs and registering a .313 on-base percentage and .366 slugging percentage in the first half.

"A couple little mechanical things here and there," Walker said last month. "It was more of a comfort thing. I couldn't get comfortable at the plate the first half. Whether it was my approach or my fundamentals, for whatever reason it just wasn't there. It's part of the game.

"Looking back, it was probably good for me. It was learning curve. I learned a lot about myself. But, yeah, it was a great second half, and all things considered, it was a good year."

Walker was challenged to focus on his play at Norfolk and not what the Orioles might do with their expanded roster.

"I want to be here and stay here and play as much as possible," he said. "All I can really worry about is what I can take care of - and that's being the best player I can be, staying healthy and just all aspects of it."

Walker, who went 1-for-9 with three walks in seven games with the Orioles, understood that his defense was being scrutinized. He didn't make a favorable impression in the field last year.

"Defense is key, especially here and just in the big leagues," he said. "I didn't want that to be the reason why I wasn't in the big leagues. I wanted to turn that weakness into a strength and focus on it and I've definitely made some strides. I'm definitely getting better. I'm comfortable with where I'm at right now."

Walker credited Norfolk's coaching staff, including field coach Jose Hernandez, who often seems to get overlooked.

"That was a good staff we had. Real helpful guys," he said.

"Jose Hernandez did a lot for me defensively. I took a lot of ground balls, just a lot of conversation about footwork. You learn a lot from those guys, people who have been around the game for years and years and played in the big leagues. (Sean) Berry was there for 11 years, Jose for parts of 15. They've been through it. They know the game and understand it. It's good to be around those guys."

Meanwhile, I'm taking the Royals in six.

I'm going back to my zombie analogy. You just can't kill this team. It keeps coming back at you.

Also, the Mets' Daniel Murphy may six more home runs in the postseason and I'm still not buying that he's worth big money on the free agent market.

Managers warn against falling in love with spring training and September stats. The same is true in October.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/more-on-the-coaching-staff-and-trey- mancini.html

More on the coaching staff and Trey Mancini

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com October 25, 2015

While the Orioles have all seven coaches under contract for the 2016 season, they're still in the early stages of deciding on a new assistant hitting coach.

Names are being collected from inside and outside the organization, but the process is delayed while the Royals and Mets play in the World Series. Potential candidates may want to interview for jobs in other organizations.

The Rangers parted ways with hitting coach , and Orioles minor league hitting coordinator is expected to be interviewed. The Yankees fired Jeff Pentland and will search for their third hitting coach in three years.

Manto will get consideration from the Orioles, who interviewed him for the position of hitting coach on Nov. 24 before they hired Scott Coolbaugh on Dec. 19. Another in-house possibility is Terry Crowley, their former hitting coach who works as a special assistant and tutors many of the organization's young position prospects.

Crowley has been instrumental in the development of first baseman Trey Mancini, the organization's minor league Player of the Year. Crowley has worked with Mancini at Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie.

Triple-A Norfolk hitting coach Sean Berry is a candidate, but I get the sense that the Orioles would prefer to keep him in his current role. They don't want to disrupt a quality staff that includes pitching coach Mike Griffin and field coach Jose Hernandez.

You've heard manager Buck Showalter talk about the dangers of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

The same concerns may apply while considering Keith Bodie, who just completed his first season as Bowie's hitting coach, and Howie Clark, who just completed his first season as Single- A Delmarva's hitting coach.

Einar Diaz will continue to work with the Orioles hitters - he's created a nice bond with players like andJonathan Schoop - but the club doesn't want to spread him too thin while also having him throw batting practice and serve as a bullpen catcher. He'll be in a position to assist bullpen coach .

As I wrote yesterday, Coolbaugh will have input in the hiring of a new assistant, since they're going to be working together. The demands on a hitting coach aren't fully understood unless you're around him. There are 13 position players and various requests for early batting practice sessions or cage work, guys who want to take more swings after games, guys who need more attention than others.

An assistant can remove some of the burden, even if it's providing the soft tossing or overseeing the tee work in the cage.

* Crowley speaks of Mancini in glowing terms, calling him "about as blue chip as you get for as much as he's played."

Mancini, an eighth-round pick in 2013 out of Notre Dame, batted .314/.341/.527 with 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 52 games at Frederick and .359/.395/.586 with 29 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs in 84 games at Bowie.

"He's a tremendous fastball hitter," Crowley said during a recent interview. "This kid doesn't have to cheat and get it started to hit a fastball. He'll be standing at the plate and if you throw him 96 (mph), he'll turn it around, and if that same pitch is a curveball in the dirt, he won't move a muscle. That's the difference between him and some others."

Crowley compared Mancini to slugger Dave Kingman after spending time with the young first baseman at Frederick in 2014. The pronounced uppercut that could launch into the stands or create majestic pop-ups. It wasn't a swing that would speed Mancini through the system.

They were reunited in Frederick earlier this year, with Mancini unable to find a spot on Bowie's crowded roster. He was tearing up the , and it was only a matter of time before the Orioles moved him up a level.

Mancini hadn't forgotten the advice he received from Crowley.

"I said, 'Trey, your swing is really coming around,' " Crowley recalled. "He was there another week, went to Double-A and really took off.

"This is a good-looking hitter and I don't say that very often. I've learned to take a wait-and-see attitude because hitting is so tough."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/this-that-and-the-other-101.html

This, that and the other

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com October 24, 2015

While the Nationals continue their search for a new manager, I'll point out that Cal Ripken Jr. still hasn't been contacted about interviewing for the job and he isn't sitting by the phone waiting for a call.

The Nats seem to bring in a new candidate every day, but I've heard that Ripken doesn't expect to join them. If his name is linked to the team, it's nothing more than speculation by fans and media, or maybe just wishful thinking.

Nothing against a good rumor, but facts do tend to get in the way.

If Ripken could create his own position in an organization, I sense that his first choice would be team president. He'd have a hand in personnel moves, but also tend to the business side, which would be playing to one of his strengths. He wouldn't be bogged down by daily calls to and from rival executives, which is why you'd place a general manager below him.

Ripken also is intrigued by the idea of managing. It's just not going to happen in Washington unless there's a sudden change that no one is anticipating.

Despite the occasional suggestions and pleas from fans, Ripken isn't interested in a coaching position. I've written it many times. And he's not going to manage in the minors and work his way up the ladder. Other former players are being hired without previous experience, Scott Servais being the latest example in Seattle.

* Angels assistant general manager Matt Klentak reportedly is a finalist for the GM job in Philadelphia under new team president Andy MacPhail. It would be natural pairing, since they worked together in the Orioles front office.

MacPhail hired Klentak as director of baseball operations in 2008. Klentak took the Angels job three years later.

Klentak was one of those behind-the-scenes guys with the Orioles, valued for his background in analytics. He would blend nicely in the wave of young Ivy League executives who are dotting the baseball landscape.

* will wait until Monday before reporting to the Peoria Javelinas in the .

Bundy continues to throw in Sarasota without experiencing any discomfort in his right shoulder.

The AFL season ends on Nov. 19, providing Bundy with ample opportunities to face live hitters in game conditions.

* Jason Garcia has thrown four scoreless innings in two starts in the Arizona Fall League. He's walked two and struck out eight.

Garcia's fastball was topping out at 97 mph in the first inning yesterday, according to ESPN.com's Keith Law. Law also tweeted that Garcia exhibited a "plus slider."

The Orioles still envision Garcia as a multi-inning reliever despite his starter status with Peoria.

* Rather than hire a replacement for Rudy Arias, formerly a bullpen catcher and batting practice pitcher, the Orioles apparently will adjust Einar Diaz's in-game role with the club.

A team official told me earlier this week that the Orioles would "kind of" bring in a replacement for Arias, whose contract wasn't renewed. That was code for Diaz being an in-house solution and moving to the bullpen.

An official added yesterday that the Orioles could hire another assistant for hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh, as The Baltimore Sun reported.

I'm told that Coolbaugh should have significant input in the decision. The new hire could come from within or outside the organization.

My guess is outside.

Diaz currently is a seventh coach. As I've written, everyone on the staff is returning in 2016.

* Part of the Orioles' offseason business centers on crafting their minor league rosters and choosing which players receive invitations to spring training. Former Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar was being discussed late in the season.

Almanzar batted .225/.270/.301 with 26 doubles, four home runs and 50 RBIs in 138 games with Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles re-signed him to a minor league deal in November 2014.

"They were really impressed with Almanzar this year, the way he went about his business, improvements that he made," said manager Buck Showalter.

Shameless plug alert: I'm on "Wall to Wall Baseball" today from noon-2 p.m. on MASN.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/another-look-at-matt-wieters-and-the- possibility-of-a-qualifying-offer.html

Another look at Matt Wieters and the possibility of a qualifying offer

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com October 26, 2015

While it seems a pretty safe bet that Chris Davis is going to cash in big with some team this winter and that Wei-Yin Chen may be in line for a three- or four-year deal (and maybe one longer than that), catcher Matt Wieters' future is harder to predict.

It starts with the Orioles and their decision whether or not to make him the qualifying offer. If they make the offer, Wieters could sign it and he would then earn $15.8 million to play the 2016 season as an Oriole. If he declines the qualifying offer, Wieters would hit the open market through free agency. If he signs with another team, the Orioles would get a compensation draft pick after the first round next June.

After the 2014 season, the Orioles made Nelson Cruz a qualifying offer, he turned it down and signed with Seattle, and they got what turned out to be the 36th overall pick in the draft last June. With that pick, the O's selected high school , who has quickly become one of their top prospects.

After the final game of the 2015 season, Wieters talked about the emotions of the day and knowing that he might have played his last game with the team.

"It was emotional before the game, and then the game came, and I could focus on the task at hand," Wieters said. "Now I have no idea what to expect. I'm going to embrace it and go from there.

"Every offseason, if you are not a free agent, you think you'll be back. But this is the first offseason where it could be anywhere. I loved every second I spent here and I love everyone in this clubhouse and I've loved the fans. If it ends today, it's been a great time."

Some believe there is no way that Weiters - a Scott Boras client - would accept a qualifying offer. No player has yet accepted one. But Wieters could be a unique case. If he took the offer, he could then use the 2016 season to re-establish himself as a top catcher and, if he can do that, he would hit the market after next year with potentially much more bargaining power than he has right now.

Wieters played just 75 games this past season after his Tommy John surgery from 2014. Wieters is no longer a slam dunk to get a sizable multi-year contract. He could re-enter the market after next year at 30 and get his big payday then - just one year later than originally planned.

Also, if the Orioles do make the qualifying offer, that will further hurt Wieters' chance to get a big contract. A team signing him would then also have to part with a draft pick. The qualifying offers have clearly proven to put a drag on salaries.

All of this could make Wieters more likely to be the first to accept a qualifying offer than some think. After all, he loves being an Oriole and playing for Buck Showalter. He would also get a huge raise from his salary of $8.3 million for the 2015 season. If he takes the qualifying offer,he will have played for a total of $31.8 million from 2014-16.

Turning down a qualifying offer can backfire on a player and Wieters can look to a former teammate to understand this. After the 2013 season, Cruz turned down a qualifying offer of $14.1 million from Texas. He hoped to get a deal possibly as big as $75 million. But after he never got the offer he hoped for, Cruz was left with few suitors in the end and signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Orioles in February 2014. A year later - after his 40-homer season with Baltimore - he got his big deal. He signed with Seattle for four years and $57 million.

So there are some decisions coming soon here. First by the Orioles, who must decide within five days of the end of the World Series whether or not to extend that qualifying offer. If they do, Wieters and Boras make the next move - to take it or not. As Cruz's situation after 2013 proved, turning down the offer does not always lead to an immediate bigger payday.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/first-offseason-edition-10-questions-for-os- fans-1.html

First offseason edition: "10 Questions for O's Fans"

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com October 25, 2015

If you were a reader here last winter, you probably are familiar with what this is all about.

In this edition of "10 Questions for O's Fans," I ask and seek your answers. Provide a short or long answer. Answer just one or two question or all 10. Please number your answers as that makes it a little easier to follow along.

Now our first offseason edition of "10 Questions":

1) Dylan Bundy is out of minor league options starting next season. How many innings will he pitch for the 2016 Orioles?

2) The O's attendance the last three years has been - 2.3 million in 2013, 2.4 million in 2014 and 2.3 million last season. What will it be next season?

3) Four Orioles have hit for the cycle. They are , Cal Ripken Jr., Aubrey Huff and Felix Pie. Who will be the next to do it?

4) How many homers will Jonathan Schoop hit next year?

5) Who will lead the O's in home runs next season?

6) On a scale of one to 10, rank whether the Orioles will re-signChris Davis. On this scale, one is "No chance" and 10 is, "Yes, they definitely re-sign him."

7) Should the Orioles consider moving Zach Britton to the rotation?

8) Who are the Orioles' top minor league pitching and hitting prospects?

9) Who is the most disliked Oriole ever?

10) Who do you have in the World Series, the Mets or Royals?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/10/a-look-at-the-least-talked-about-player- among-the-os-pending-free-agents.html

A look at the least-talked-about player among O's pending free agents

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com October 24, 2015

If you want to criticize Steve Pearce for his 2015 season, you will have to get in line behind at least one person - and that is Pearce himself.

Pearce is a player quick to point the finger at himself if he doesn't do well. When Pearce got off to a slow start last season, at one point he called himself "a one-man rally killer."

A player who hit at times in the middle of the Orioles order in 2014, Pearce's offense fell off big in the 2015 season:

Pearce in 2014: .293 average, 21 homers, 49 RBIs, .373 OBP, .930 OPS, 157 OPS+ Pearce in 2015: .218 average, 15 homers, 40 RBIs, .289 OBP, .711 OPS, 91 OPS+

Pearce began last season hitting homers in each of the season's first two games. But soon after, he began to struggle. He hit just .196 in April and .183 in May. Even those that expected some regression after his big 2014 season could not have expected him to hit under .200 that deep into the season.

One area where the falloff was very pronounced was in his hitting against left-handed .

In 2014, Pearce hit .327 with an OPS of 1.109 against southpaws. Last season, those numbers were .196 and .623.

So did Pearce just play way over his head in 2014 and was this falloff predictable? Did the league's pitchers adjust to him and figure out how to get him out? Maybe it was a combination of both, but now the Orioles have to figure if Pearce fits in moving forward, and in what role.

He is one of the Orioles' six pending free agents, is probably the one least talked about and the one that fans most figure is going to return. He won't cost a lot, relatively speaking, and he could possibly be signed to a one-year deal.

Pearce is a favorite of manager Buck Showalter, who prefers to call him "Stevie." Showalker likes his massive want-to and team-first attitude. Showalter even used Pearce some at second base early last year. Pearce would pitch or catch if they asked him to. He is popular with his teammates, who can appreciate both how how long it took him to establish himself at the major league level and how hard he worked to get there.

On an Orioles team that could lose first baseman Chris Davis and is not exactly overflowing with corner outfield talent, Pearce is a player that can help at those positions. If Pearce can find a solid middle ground between his last two seasons, he could be a key member of the 2016 Orioles.

Pearce, who turns 33 next April 13, earned $3.7 million last year. It would appear that he is a player the Orioles can use moving forward. He will likely come at a cost much less than most free agents. He likes it here and it seems among the O's manager and clubhouse, the feeling is very mutual.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-need-better-2016-tillman-contend

Orioles need a better 2016 from Tillman to contend

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic October 26, 2015

If the Orioles are going to return to contention in 2016, Chris Tillman must have a better year.

After three seasons of excellence, 2015 was an erratic one for Tillman.

There were some good starts, particularly in July when he pitched as well as he ever had. In his final three starts that month, Tillman allowed just one run on seven hits in 23 2/3 innings.

In that last start against Atlanta, Tillman nearly had a complete game, and turned his ankle in the ninth inning.

He won just once in the next eight starts and finished with an 11-11 record and an ERA just a tick under five runs per game.

Tillman looked as if he had reached stardom as he began 2015. The Orioles were talking with him about a possible extension, and in his previous 2 ½ seasons, Tillman went 38-16 and received a late All-Star bid in 2013.

He pitched over 200 innings in both 2013 and 2014, but fell back to 173 this year.

Tillman had five starts that were three innings or fewer—three against Toronto and two against Seattle. Particularly alarming were his numbers when facing the Blue Jays. Tillman was 0-4 with an 11.72 ERA in six starts.

Manager Buck Showalter would have liked to have him avoid Toronto, but he was busy protecting Wei-Yin Chen against them. Chen started just four teams against Toronto in four years.

Tillman had worked with Matt Wieters for years, and Wieters was able to steady Tillman in the early innings of games, and coax better performances.

In 2014 with Wieters hurt, Nick Hundley caught Tillman to a 2.78 ERA while his ERA with Caleb Joseph was 5.29 in seven starts.

Fortunately, he had better success with Joseph in 2015 with a 3.51 ERA.

That’s good because with Wieters likely gone in 2016, Tillman will have to pitch more often to Joseph, Steve Clevenger and perhaps a veteran catcher to be named later.

While the Orioles will certainly need another starter or perhaps two, a return to his 2012-14 form could help get them back into the postseason conversation.

And, maybe there would be some more conversations about that extension.

NOTES: Over the weekend, the named Matt Klentak as their general manager. Klentak worked under Andy MacPhail with the Orioles for four years before heading to the Angels in 2011. He’ll again be working for MacPhail. … Travis Snider, who had a nightmarish four months with the Orioles before re-signing with Pittsburgh, has filed for free agency after being outrighted by the Pirates.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-had-better-way-look-manager

Orioles had a better way to look for a manager

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic October 25, 2015

The Seattle Mariners named Scott Servais as their new manager on Friday. There are four other teams, the Nationals, Dodgers, Padres and Marlins without a manager.

Those teams are using the traditional, relatively secretive way of choosing a manager, conducting interviews and not commenting on them.

Twelve years ago this month, the Orioles interviewed for a manager in a most transparent and innovative way. It was so different and seemed way ahead of its time.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t caught on.

It was October 2003, and the Orioles had co-general managers, Jim Beattie and . They decided to move on from after four years, and it was time for a new approach.

Beattie and Flanagan decided on a unique way of interviewing managerial candidates. They would announce who the candidates were, and after the formal interview, the prospective Orioles managers would be ushered into a conference room where the media would interview them.

The two co-GMs would look at the tape and see how each candidate did. It was a way of controlling the message for the Orioles. Unfortunately, they couldn’t predict how a manager would interact in a clubhouse or run a game.

Eight candidates were interviewed. Four had an Orioles background and were well known by Flanagan: , , and .

Four had no Orioles connection: Tom Foley, Terry Francona, Grady Little and .

Little wasn’t on the Orioles’ original list, but was a late addition after he was fired by the in the wake of losing the ALCS to the New York Yankees.

Foley’s was the most surprising name on the list. He had just finished his second season as a major league coach with Tampa Bay, and seemed stunned to even be considered.

Francona had managed the Philadelphia Phillies from 1997-2000, and hadn’t had a winning season while Mazzilli was Joe Torre’s first base coach with the Yankees.

Mazzilli wowed the Orioles, gave an upbeat interview to the media, and in early November, was hired as the team’s manager.

It was the Orioles’ last offseason managerial search.

Mazzilli managed until Aug. 2005 when he was replaced by Perlozzo, who despite being upset he was passed over for the job, stayed on as a coach. He was given the title of interim manager at first, then promoted a few weeks later

Perlozzo was replaced in June 2007 by Dave Trembley, who was also named as interim manager. Andy MacPhail, who was now running the team, tried to hire , but was rebuffed. Girardi succeeded Torre a few months later.

Trembley was named the fulltime manager on Aug. 22, 2007, and promptly watched his team lose 30-3 to the in the first game of a doubleheader.

When Trembley was fired in June 2010, MacPhail appointed as the interim manager before settling on Buck Showalter eight weeks later.

There were no media interviews during any of those searches.

Foley is still with the Rays, and he’s coached for 14 seasons under four managers. He was not one of the 10 candidates interviewed by Tampa Bay when Joe Maddon left a year ago.

Little went to manage the Dodgers for two seasons before Torre succeeded him.

A few weeks after the interviews, Boston hired Francona to succeed Little, and he won two World Series there.

Before Little’s interview, which was the final one, Orioles public relations director Bill Stetka entered the room, and asked reporters not to quiz Little about his decision to keep Pedro Martinez in Game 7 of the ALCS. That was the move that led to his dismissal.

During the group interview, Little was bewildered that the incident didn’t come up, having been used to rough questioning by Red Sox writers.

It’s surprising that this kind of innovative approach toward interviewing hasn’t been widely copied. Handling the media is a bigger part of a manager’s job than ever, and instead of information dribbling out, this way would be easier.

It turned out that Mazzilli wasn’t terribly comfortable with dealing with the media, and after his dismissal never managed again. He’s currently an assistant to New York GM .

Dempsey is a popular broadcaster and owns a restaurant that bears his name. Murray is out of baseball. Perlozzo is a minor league instructor for Minnesota and Dauer, who was a Milwaukee coach at the time of the interview, is now Houston’s first base coach.

Flanagan took his own life in Aug. 2011, and Beattie scouts for the .

Showalter is under contract for three more seasons. The hope is that the next Orioles managerial search is a long way off, but when that time comes, the open approach adopted by Beattie and Flanagan was a wise one to copy.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-fan-guide-mlbs-expansion-era-world- series

An Orioles fan guide to MLB's expansion era World Series

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic October 24, 2015

Welcome to the first Expansion Era World Series. Even though the New York Mets and have now made nine combined appearances in the World Series, and every team but the Nationals and Seattle Mariners has played in one, this matchup is different.

It’s the first time two teams that didn’t exist prior to the 1960’s will play each other.

When the League Championship Series began, I predicted here that the and Toronto Blue Jays would emerge, in close series going the distance.

Well, you’re going to have to wait a few days for my guaranteed to be wrong Series prediction, but I think it will be a most entertaining Series.

Even though the Mets swept the Cubs, the Series had drama. Daniel Murphy’s continued hot streak, Jeurys Familia being called on in the eighth inning of Game 1, and Jake Arrieta’s run of good fortune coming to an end.

The Cubs scored just eight runs in four games, and sometimes seemed just happy to be there.

Even though the Mets-Cubs series seemed more compelling at the start, Blue Jays-Royals was much more dramatic.

We saw something different. Never before had a position player pitched in a postseason game. Trailing by 10 runs entering the ninth in Game 4, Toronto manager John Gibbons put infielder Cliff Pennington in the game to save his bullpen.

It’s a move more appropriate for June when you’re playing 20 consecutive games, and while it added some levity, it shouldn’t happen in a postseason game—especially when teams never play on more than three consecutive days.

In his major league managerial career, Buck Showalter has never used a position player to pitch in a lost cause. He feels it makes a mockery of the game. When he used Chris Davis in Fenway Park in 2012, it was because he felt Davis’ pitching background gave him the best chance to win the game, which it did.

Friday’s ninth inning was terrific. Throw in a relatively brief rain delay, and there was the added drama of Wade Davis trying to find his sea legs, and with the help of home plate umpire Jeff Nelson, he did.

In order to get to those dramatics, viewers had to sit through Pete Rose, bow ties and all. Rose, after making a crack about Twitter, was put in his place by Alex Rodriguez.

“Trust me, it’s never good to be trending on Twitter,” A-Rod said with a smile.

The go-ahead run was scored by Lorenzo Cain, who scored from first base on Eric Hosmer’s single with none out in the eighth, a fun play to watch.

It will be the first World Series for the oldest manager in the majors, the Mets’ 66-year-old Terry Collins, who is without a contract for next year. Ned Yost gets to manage in his second straight, and the Royals will attempt to avoid the Texas Rangers’ fate of losing consecutive World Series in 2010 and 2011.

A year ago, Orioles fans were sick of what they thought were the Royals preening. This year, Kansas City seemed a lot more subdued when compared with Toronto.

A notable exception was Yordano Ventura, who plunked Davis and Manny Machado in the same game last month. Ventura glared at Troy Tulowitzki as he struck him out to end the fourth. Nelson warned Ventura and ordered him to move on to his dugout.

Orioles connections in the Series are few. Jeremy Guthrie, who annoyed the Orioles with a tasteless T-Shirt in the ALCS, hasn’t been active this postseason and isn’t likely to be for the World Series.

New York has Kelly Johnson, who at 33, is playing in his fourth postseason for as many teams. Johnson joined the Orioles late last season and got two postseason at-bats.

Some Orioles fans will root for the Royals because they’re the American League team, they beat the despised Blue Jays, and they’re playing the Mets who beat the Orioles in the 1969 World Series.

Some will root for the Mets because the Royals swept the Orioles a year ago.

Most won’t care.

The Orioles lost four of seven games to the Royals this season, and three of four to the Mets.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/zach-britton-matt-wieters-manny-machado- buck-showalter-scott-boras-chris-davis-darren-oday-yankees

Would long-term deal with Britton be a good idea?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic October 23, 2015

Lately I’ve been busy spending other people’s money. With six key free agents and others looming in the coming years, it’s easy to do that.

I’ve suggested the Orioles preemptively extend Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop. Doing that would be a great sign for the restive fan base.

Machado is entering his first year of arbitration, and Schoop is still a year away from that.

Then, there’s Zach Britton.

Britton earned nearly $3.2 million in 2015, and will make more, much more in 2016, his first season of arbitration eligibility.

Since becoming the Orioles closer in May 2014, Britton has converted 63 of 70 save opportunities. Since his move to the bullpen at the start of 2014, Britton has ERAs of 1.65 and 1.92 and allowed just seven home runs in 142 innings.

This season, Britton struck out nearly six times as many batters as he walked and was rewarded with an All-Star Game selection.

It’s almost hard to remember how Britton struggled with being a starter. In 2011, he won five of his first six starts before winning just one of his next 12.

Britton was demoted to Bowie in July after a brutal outing in Boston where he gave up eight runs in 2/3rds of an inning.

And when he came back up three weeks later, things got worse. Britton recorded just one out at Yankee Stadium as New York scored nine runs off him in a 12-run first.

While he ended 2011 with five wins in his last seven decisions and a team-high 11 wins, that was his high point as a starter.

Britton struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in 2012 and 2013, manager Buck Showalter insisted at the end of 2013 that the left-hander was poised for big things.

He had no options remaining, and if the Orioles didn’t want him, another team would.

Britton began the year in the bullpen and after Tommy Hunter didn’t adapt to the closer’s role, the job was handed to Britton, and he performed brilliantly.

It will be interesting to see what the Orioles do this winter with Britton, who like Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Davis and Matt Wieters is represented by Scott Boras.

It’s probably unlikely that they’ll seek to lock him up for the long term even though he seems to be happy in Baltimore and has thrived under pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti, both of whom will return next season.

The Orioles have another key reliever, Darren O’Day, who is a free agent, and they’d like to try and keep him.

Britton will command a formidable number in arbitration. MLBTraderumors.com has projected Britton earning $6.9 million, which as it stands now, would be the fourth highest on the club, behind only Adam Jones, Ubaldo Jimenez and J.J. Hardy.

That’s likely to be topped if the Orioles re-sign Chen, Davis, Wieters or Gerardo Parra or add a few players from outside the organization.

However, nearly $7 million is an enormous number for a reliever, and it’s hard to see the Orioles spending that much and more in a long-term deal—even for a closer as successful as Britton.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2015/10/22/2015-orioles-roster-review-part-two-the-non- valuable-orioles

2015 Orioles Roster Review, Part Two: The Non-Valuable Orioles

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com October 25, 2015

Welcome back to the 2015 Orioles roster review. In part one, I discussed 12 Orioles who didn't see much playing time this season. Now, let's look at a group of players who had more significant roles with the club but squandered them. The poor seasons of these 11 Orioles were a major reason why the Birds finished well out of the postseason race.

THE DISAPPOINTING VETERANS

RHP CHRIS TILLMAN: Tillman entered 2015 as the Orioles' ace, having amassed a cumulative 38-16 record and a 3.42 ERA during 82 starts from 2012-14, including back-to-back seasons of more than 200 innings pitched. But he was out of sorts from the get-go in 2015. He gave up seven runs apiece during two of his first four starts, with 13 quality starts during 31 outings all told. He finished with a 4.99 ERA and his worst WHIP (1.387), hits per nine innings (9.2) and walks per nine (3.3) since 2011, as well as his lowest strikeouts per nine (6.2) since 2010.

RHP MIGUEL GONZALEZ: Tillman and Gonzalez were two reliable starting pitchers for the 2012 and 2014 Orioles playoff teams, but both fell apart in 2015, leading to the Birds' rotation collapse. In Gonzalez's case, the struggles might have been injury related. He was having his usual solid season until June 11, when he went on the disabled list with a right groin strain. After his return, Gonzalez was torched for a 6.53 ERA during 14 outings, just two of which were quality starts. Either he wasn't fully recovered from his groin injury, or the league caught up to him in a hurry.

SS J.J. HARDY: Hardy, like Gonzalez, might point to injuries as the reason for his forgettable 2015. Hardy spent April on the shelf after suffering a shoulder strain during spring training, and even after he returned, Hardy continued to play through what he later revealed was a torn labrum. The injury sapped him of his power -- his eight home runs were his fewest since 2010 -- and he batted .219/.253/.311/.564 during 114 games, making him one of the least productive regulars in the majors. On the plus side, his defense remained stellar, somewhat offsetting his struggles at the plate.

C MATT WIETERS: Wieters, too, had his season shortened by injury. He missed all of April and May recovering from 2014 Tommy John surgery. Once he returned, Wieters didn't look like the same player who had been a steady presence at catcher since 2009. His offense was league average, but he struggled on defense, looking slow behind the plate and doing a poor job of framing and blocking pitches. An impending free agent, Wieters could bounce back in 2016, but it will likely be with a different team.

THE STRUGGLING ROLE PLAYERS

IF RYAN FLAHERTY: During his four years in the majors, Flaherty has never been a very good hitter, and 2015 was perhaps his worst yet. He batted a career-low .202 with a .637 on-base plus slugging percentage. What's kept him in the majors has been his ability to play multiple infield positions well, but that wasn't the case in 2015. According to FanGraphs, Flaherty was below average defensively at three of the four infield positions, with the exception of third base. Without a solid glove, Flaherty holds little value to the Orioles.

LHP T.J. MCFARLAND: Like Flaherty, his fellow former Rule 5 draftee, McFarland struggled for the Birds in 2015. He posted a 4.91 ERA during 30 appearances and was crushed by right- handed hitters, who batted .375/.461/.557/1.018 against him. With those splits, McFarland could soon be reduced to a lefty specialist role rather than a multi-inning mop-up man.

THE RAW ROOKIES

RHP JASON GARCIA: Speaking of Rule 5 picks, the Orioles' latest draftee -- Garcia -- managed to stay on the Birds' roster all season, thanks largely to a disabled list stint that lasted nearly three months. During the stretches when Garcia was on the active roster, the O's mainly kept him hidden, using him primarily in blowouts. Garcia walked 17 batters in 29.2 innings, finishing with a 4.25 ERA during 21 games. But the O's now own his rights and can send him to the minors in 2016.

RHP MIKE WRIGHT: If only Wright's entire season had been more like his first two major league starts, during which he pitched seven or more shutout innings in each, things might have been different. But during his other six starts, he pitched to a 9.88 ERA (30 earned runs in 27.1 innings) while bouncing between the rotation, bullpen and Triple-A Norfolk. Wright's future in the big leagues could be as a reliever.

THE THREE LEAST VALUABLE ORIOLES

I've covered several of the Orioles' most disappointing players in 2015, but who were the worst of the worst? Let's count down the bottom three.

NO. 3: IF EVERTH CABRERA: It may seem hard to believe that a player who spent 29 games with the Orioles could be the third worst of the year, but Cabrera struggled in all facets. In 105 plate appearances, he had 20 hits -- two for extra bases -- giving him a .479 OPS. The former stolen base leader had two steals for the Birds. And he was a poor fielder at shortstop while filling in for Hardy, compiling minus-four defensive runs saved during 27 games. The O's released Cabrera in June, but he did a lot of damage during a short span.

NO. 2: OF GERARDO PARRA: Parra was supposed to be the solution to the Orioles' season- long outfield troubles. When the O's acquired him July 31, Parra was batting .328/.369/.517/.886 for the . But Parra imploded after joining the Birds, hitting .237/.268/.357/.625 during 55 games. He also struggled in right field, rating as the Orioles' worst fielder with minus-seven defensive runs saved. Needless to say, the O's are likely regretting trading pitching prospect Zach Davies for him.

NO. 1: RHP BUD NORRIS: Most of the Orioles' successful 2014 starting pitchers regressed in 2015, but nobody had a more precipitous decline than Norris. Norris followed up the best year of his career with the worst before the O's released him Aug. 1. Norris went 2-9 with a 7.06 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 14 home runs allowed in 66.1 innings, and the Orioles went 4-14 during games in which he pitched. He latched on with the later in the season and was ineffective with them, too, posting a 5.40 ERA while pitching in relief. Norris was a key part of the Birds' 2014 postseason run, but now his career could be in jeopardy.

In part three of the series, I'll look at a few other Orioles who provided little to no value in 2015, including their revolving door of corner outfielders and designated hitters.