World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966 American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969 American League Wild Card 2016, 2012, 1996
Friday, March 24, 2017
Columns: Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop '200 percent' ready for season after returning from WBC The Sun 3/24 Projecting the Orioles' Opening Day roster with one week left in spring training The Sun 3/24 Orioles' Tyler Wilson aiming to be at his best when it matters most The Sun 3/23 Puerto Rico captain demands apology from Adam Jones for WBC celebration comments The Sun 3/23 Schmuck: WBC brings out the personality and flair the majors so badly need The Sun 3/23 O's have questions before Spring Training ends MLB.com 3/23 Orioles lineup vs. Twins MASNsports.com 3/24 Trumbo on lack of spring attention: “I couldn’t care less” MASNsports.com 3/24 Schoop on returning to team, Flaherty on returning to lineup MASNsports.com 3/24 Spring training notes on Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini and Jesus Liranzo MASNsports.com 3/24 Yadier Molina demands apology for Adam Jones' comments about WBC party plans ESPN.com 3/23 Back From World Baseball Classic, Jonathan Schoop Is '200 Percent' Ready PressBoxOnline.com 3/24 Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen Shine In World Baseball Classic PressBoxOnline.com 3/23 Mike Bordick: 'It's All Going To Come Down To The Pitching' PressBoxOnline.com 3/23 Meet Cedric Mullins, The Orioles' Next Impact Leadoff Batter PressBoxOnline.com 3/23 Orioles Add Extra Giveaway For 2017 Tag Day Participants CBS Baltimore 3/23 Yadier Molina says Adam Jones “has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people” NBCsports.com 3/24 Yadier Molina would like an apology from Adam Jones on behalf of Puerto Rico CBSsports.com 3/23 Yadier Molina wants Adam Jones to apologize to the Puerto Rican people FOXsports.com 3/24 Spring Training Primer: Fifth-starter battle; Tavarez makes push; DL looming for some? BaltimoreBaseball.com 3/24 Spring Training Primer: Manny and Castillo return; Machado on Jones’ thievery; Sisco sticks around; Chris Lee struggles BaltimoreBaseball.com 3/23
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-second-baseman-jonathan-schoop- 200-percent-ready-for-season-after-returning-from-wbc-20170324-story.html Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop '200 percent' ready for season after returning from WBC
By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun March 24, 2017
Jonathan Schoop was in the Orioles clubhouse on Friday afternoon for the first time since returning from the World Baseball Classic and the team's starting second baseman said he’s “200 percent” ready for the upcoming season.
Schoop’s Kingdom of the Netherlands team advanced to the WBC semifinals, winning four of its six games before losing to Puerto Rico in the semifinals. Schoop started all seven games, and given the high intensity of every game, he said he’s returning ready for the season.
“I’m ready,” Schoop said. “I’m ready already. Those games are so important to me. If you go through the motions, you won’t win. You’ve got to go in there 100 percent and compete. That’s all that matters, like compete, just play hard and try to win. It’s all about winning. It’s like the season, [you’re trying to] win."
Schoop didn’t know how many spring games he will get into before the season starts – he wasn’t on Friday’s trip and there are six Grapefruit League games and an exhibition game at Triple-A Norfolk remaining – but said he’s ready to go when needed.
“I’m ready whatever Buck wants me to do,” Schoop said. “That’s why I’m here. I’m ready. It’s over, the WBC, and I’m here to focus here. If they need me tomorrow, if they want me to play tomorrow, I’m ready to play."
Schoop was 6-for-27 in the WBC, including a homer in a three-hit game against Japan. He played in just three Grapefruit League games before traveling across the world for first-round games in Seoul, South Korea. The Netherlands then played second-round games in Tokyo, Japan, before their final game at PETCO Park in San Diego in the semis.
Before leaving for the WBC, Schoop talked about how a good showing would hopefully bring more scouts to his native Curacao, a Dutch island territory in the Caribbean, where major league infielders Didi Gregorius, Andrelton Simmons and Jurickson Profar also hail from. Another major part of the Netherlands team, Xander Bogaerts, hails from nearby Aruba.
“We played really good defense,” Schoop said. “We win, we went to the semifinal. The world didn’t expect us to be there, I think. A lot of scouts like the way we play the game. They say, ‘you guys play good.’ Maybe that’s the way we get more scouts to go down there and watch some more players because we have more good young players down there, too.
“It was different because now we all are in the big leagues for almost three years already,” Schoop said. “We’re more mature. We know what we have to do to win, and so we did. We went to the semifinal and we had a good run. We enjoyed it, and learned a lot from it, too, and I think I’m better now, too.”
Schoop said he’s let teammate and good friend Manny Machado know that his team advanced further than Machado’s Dominican Republic team.
“I’m playing chess with him right now,” Schoop said. “I’m having fun with him. I wanted to play against him but they fell off a little bit, but Puerto Rico has a good team too. They beat them and they beat us too. But it was fun, fun to watch him on TV, watch Adam [Jones play for Team USA], too, make a great catch off Manny. It was fun to watch and fun to play in the WBC. I looked forward to it because that’s good, it’s competitive, it gets you motivated.”
Schoop said it’s too early for him to commit for the event again in 2021, but said he learned a lot about the depth of talent across the world. “Yeah, there is,” Schoop said. “Even [first-time qualifier] Israel, they beat us in the first game. They have good guys like Ty Kelly, Ike Davis, good guys on the team, and then we came back and beat them. There’s good baseball around the world and it’s getting better too, getting better every year.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-projecting-the-orioles-opening-day-roster- with-one-week-left-in-spring-training-20170323-story.html Projecting the Orioles' Opening Day roster with one week left in spring training
By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun March 24, 2017
By this time next week, the Orioles will be on a mad dash north to Baltimore (by way of Norfolk), and whichever questions they have about their roster construction will be essentially answered.
But until then, there’s still plenty to speculate about as far as which 25 players will get to trot onto the field for Opening Day on April 3. What happens to Trey Mancini? Is this the year they don’t keep their Rule 5 draft picks? Has Craig Gentry done enough to earn a roster spot?
These questions and more are answered below in this speculative attempt at the Orioles’ Opening Day roster.
Catchers (2): Welington Castillo, Caleb Joseph (Remaining in camp: Chance Sisco)
This position was going to be one of intrigue until Francisco Pena was designated for assignment before camp began. That, combined with what has been a strong all-around spring for catcher Caleb Joseph, means it’s as easy as they come for manager Buck Showalter at this position.
Had Joseph not looked like he’d left his 2016 struggles behind him, it might have created a tough situation for Showalter and executive vice president Dan Duquette.
Infielders (5): Chris Davis, Jonathan Schoop, Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty (Remaining in camp: Trey Mancini, Johnny Giavotella, Robert Andino, Paul Janish, Chris Johnson)
You’d think hitting .319 with seven extra-base hits in spring, all while adding a new position to his repertoire, would be enough to get Trey Mancini onto the club. And he probably will be up, perhaps sooner rather than later, but even with him pressing the issue this spring it’s hard to fit him into the Opening Day roster.
Now with that said, he is going to be a major asset in one particular sense this year — against the Boston Red Sox. With David Price, Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez and Drew Pomeranz all ticketed for Boston’s rotation at one point or another, Mancini’s right-handed bat will be required for those series. How they’ll get him on the roster for those series — especially the early one on April 11-12 — will be interesting to see, considering the position player portion of the roster isn’t flexible at all. But they’ll certainly try.
Either way, it’ll likely be another year before Mancini gets his orange carpet moment.
Outfielders (7): Adam Jones, Mark Trumbo, Hyun Soo Kim, Seth Smith, Joey Rickard, Craig Gentry, Aneury Tavarez (Anthony Santander – disabled list (shoulder/elbow); Remaining in camp: Pedro Alvarez, Chris Dickerson)
Here’s where there’s some fun. First, there’s the Craig Gentry renaissance, which will see him go from a late-spring signing to a member of the Opening Day roster as the lone nonroster invitee to make the club. He and Joey Rickard will likely patrol the corners against left-handed pitching, making Adam Jones happy in the process.
Aneury Tavarez stays essentially as roster manipulation to try to delay any decisions on the Rule 5 picks — the Orioles cannot really hamper their day-to-day desire to put their best team on the field and still carry him, at least to start the year. It will be the club’s greatest roster maneuvering triumph to keep either or both of these Rule 5 picks, with Anthony Santander starting the season on the disabled list, but this will be a good start.
Omitted here is Pedro Alvarez, the designated hitter-turned-outfielder who has barely had a week at his new position in camp as of now. Showalter has made it clear that Alvarez knows his situation, and knows that he might have to get some seasoning in the minors to do it.
As for Alvarez, here’s a weird thought: Why not let him play outfield every day at Double-A Bowie? He can still live in Baltimore, won’t be in as crowded of an outfield, and is more easily summoned when a need does arrive. With Mancini likely getting some right-field reps in Norfolk, it could make sense.
Starting pitchers (4): Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Wade Miley, Ubaldo Jimenez (Chris Tillman – disabled list; Remaining in camp: Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Chris Lee, Gabriel Ynoa, Jayson Aquino)
Showalter has threatened to break camp with three starters if one wasn’t ready, but that doesn’t look like it will be necessary. Still, the smart money is they only break with four starters, given they won’t need a fifth until April 15. That way, the Orioles can give whomever will start that day a turn through the rotation in Norfolk to stay on his routine and keep on schedule.
Who that fifth starter is remains to be seen — Chris Lee and Gabriel Ynoa have been getting opportunities to distinguish themselves, and Mike Wright remains a candidate who probably gets the edge by having done it before — but that’s one of the big storylines remaining before the team breaks camp.
Relief pitchers (7): Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart, Logan Verrett, Vidal Nuno (Remaining in camp: Oliver Drake)
Here’s another relatively interesting spot. The first five — Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, and Donnie Hart — are written in stone at this point. And whomever gets chosen for the (likely) two long-relief spots shouldn’t get comfortable.
Logan Verrett and Vidal Nuno are the choices here for two reasons. Verrett is having a decent spring and isn’t someone the organization seems to view as a starter. Showalter has grown more flexible in recent days, but said early on he didn’t want to move his Norfolk starters into the major league bullpen when there were going to be other long-relief candidates. So that gives an advantage to someone like Verrett over Tyler Wilson, though Wilson wouldn’t be a surprise given his fabled trustworthiness. With Nuno, the desire to have a left-handed long reliever in a division with so many talented left-handed hitters is always a priority. Nuno can fill that.
Oliver Drake’s omission means that he’ll have to be exposed to waivers in order to be sent to the minors, but that’s a chance you take at the end of camp when teams' rosters are packed and they’re all trying to hoard assets; not after the season begins when more 40-man roster spots are available.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-spring-training-0324-20170323- story.html
Orioles' Tyler Wilson aiming to be at his best when it matters most
By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun March 23, 2017
At this time last year, Orioles right-hander Tyler Wilson was riding out a strong spring training that won him his first Opening Day roster spot. It was a success by any standard, and at the time, Wilson was confident he had done everything possible to prepare himself for the upcoming season.
But Wilson had never been through the grind of a major league schedule, and though he absorbed every aspect of training to remain strong throughout the season, he hit a wall right before the All-Star break.
"I don't want to do that again," Wilson said. "That feeling in July was definitely difficult. … And it was a great feeling for the first three months of the season. My skill work was great. I felt like this was growing, this was growth in my first extended experience [in the majors]. And then July hit and you just fall off the edge of the table."
Now, Wilson finds himself competing for a roster spot again, but this time around he's attempting to pace himself differently so he can endure the long haul. But as spring training winds down, it puts him in a difficult situation because he knows he's in a tight race for one of the pitching staff's final roster spots. Because he's preparing so that he's there is help the team down the stretch, his spring training numbers haven't matched the ones he put up last year.
With just over a week left in camp, Wilson is in the mix for the rotation void created by right- hander Chris Tillman opening the season on the disabled list. But the fact that he hasn't thrown more than three innings this late in spring might indicate otherwise, because he's not stretched out like the other rotation candidates.
Wilson has to remain confident that even if he doesn't make the Opening Day roster that his method will still be best for the long run. This offseason, instead of going into spring training full throttle, Wilson took an extra month off before throwing.
And because of that, he came into camp feeling further behind than past years.
"The last couple years in spring, I felt really strong and crisp in spring training, and had a feel for my off-speed pitches and spun the ball well and felt like I was kind of almost in midseason form. And that felt great obviously," Wilson said. "… I know I'm competing for spots and there's an advantage to that, but in my career and where we're at as an organization, I really feel like taking an extra month off and really mentally handling the idea of being a little bit farther behind than years past and just trusting that it was going to be better in the long run would be the best decision for me and the team.
"… It's been a challenge mentally to trust that, especially in those outings when I didn't feel good and I didn't spin the ball or didn't feel right. But I really hope that in the long haul it's worth it and allows me to be stronger in August and September. ... I guess the jury is still out on whether it's going to be the right decision or not. But I'm trusting that that was the right thing and I'm not going to second guess it now in the midst of it."
After his first four Grapefruit League outings, Wilson's ERA had ballooned to 8.38, including back-to-back outings in which he allowed four runs against the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays. But over his most recent two outings, Wilson seems to have found his footing, allowing just two hits over his past five innings. In Wednesday night's 7-4 win over the Rays, Wilson quickly retired all six batters he faced over two perfect innings. He earned wins in each of his past two games.
"Tyler's had two or three good outings in a row against some tougher competition," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He's a reliable guy. He's a guy who is easy to trust and you know what you're going to get, especially if you keep from using him too much. He's capable of doing some different roles that a good club needs to have done."
What role Wilson is most likely to fit remains unclear. Showalter insists he's a starter, and Wilson has been one of the five candidates to fill in for Tillman. Last season, Wilson made the club as a multiple-inning reliever until joining the rotation in late April. Wilson had quality starts in four of his first seven starts. But he posted a 5.65 ERA in five June starts and then had an ugly outing at the Seattle Mariners on July 2, allowing eight runs in three innings.
The Orioles demoted Wilson to Triple-A Norfolk, citing a need to give him some rest. He went nearly two weeks between starts and eventually was called up the Orioles three more times, but he pitched exclusively in relief in the majors. Five of his last eight outings with the Orioles were scoreless, but his ERA was still an unimpressive 5.54 during that stretch.
"There's so much to be learned in the big leagues and with the guys up here, I just wanted to implement so much of it into my skill work in between outings and I felt I was learning so much," Wilson said. "… It's a balance between the two, learning to trust mentally that I don't have to do it 100 times every day. I'm at a point where I know it's going to be there physically. I can trust that the routine will pay off."
Given Wilson's earlier spring struggles, beating out a group that includes Mike Wright, Chris Lee and Gabriel Ynoa for the open rotation spot will be difficult. The Orioles don't need a fifth starter until April 15, so each of them could conceivably open the season in the minors. Wilson's best chance of making the team to start the season might be as a long reliever, as he did last season.
For Wilson, it's not necessarily about being with the club at the beginning of the season but knowing he can help the team at the end of the season.
"Obviously I want to do everything I can to help the team win," Wilson said. "I want to be there when the war starts. That's the ultimate goal, to be there. But yeah, it kind of is a double-sided sword, trying to figure out what is right and there's real no answer to that. I really feel like not only for me but for the team, being strong in July, August and September is going to be really important. … It's just taking me a little longer to get to this point, and then I had to take some lumps to get to the point where I feel confident about that."
Showalter said Wilson remains a player who is going to "win the tiebreakers" when picking roster spots. Whether that ultimately earns him a spot on the Opening Day roster remains to be seen.
"You trust him. He's dependable," Showalter said. "… You walk into the clubhouse 15 minutes before the game and you say, so-and-so can't pitch and he'll say, 'Let me grab my glove. I'll be there in five minutes.' He doesn't look at any situation thrown at him as an excuse to fail. That's why he's been such a winning player and person for a long time. He's a guy who usually wins the tiebreakers."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-puerto-rico-captain-demands- apology-from-adam-jones-for-wbc-celebration-comments-20170323-story.html
Puerto Rico captain demands apology from Adam Jones for WBC celebration comments
By Jonas Shaffer / The Baltimore Sun March 23, 2017
Before Wednesday's World Baseball Classic championship game, the U.S. team apparently got wind of premature Puerto Rican postgame plans.
Adam Jones said he heard that the Puerto Ricans already had championship T-shirts made. There was also a parade back home planned, he noted.
"That didn't sit well with us," the Orioles center fielder said after the Americans' 8-0 win.
Now Puerto Rico captain Yadier Molina wants an apology. The St. Louis Cardinals catcher told ESPN during Thursday's parade in San Juan that Jones "is talking about things he doesn't know about."
"He really has to get informed because he shouldn't have said those comments, let alone in public and mocking the way [preparations] were made," Molina said.
Puerto Rican players said they were always planning to fly home from Los Angeles to celebrate their WBC success, regardless of Wednesday's result. Puerto Rico had become so enthralled by the team's run, it had begun to run out of hair dye, snatched up by fans eager to look like the platinum-blond-haired team.
"He has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people," Molina said to ESPN. "Obviously, you wanted to win; he didn't know what this means to [our] people.
He added: "That's why I'm sending a message to [Jones], saying, 'Look at this, right now, you're in spring training working out, and we're with our people, with our silver medals. You're in spring training and you're working. ... You have no idea how to celebrate your honors, you don't know what it means."
The Cardinals come to Baltimore for a three-game series June 16.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-schmuck-column-0323-20170322- story.html
Schmuck: WBC brings out the personality and flair the majors so badly need
By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun March 23, 2017
If the World Baseball Classic taught us anything about our "national pastime," it might be that some other countries have a lot more fun playing baseball than we do.
Maybe it comes from having your country’s name on your uniform -- especially for Latin players -- but when Nelson Cruz hit that huge home run to help the Dominican Republic score a heart- stopping comeback victory over the United States in the first round, his joy was unrestrained and nobody in a Team USA jersey complained after the game that he was violating some stodgy unwritten code of conduct.
Nobody said, "Hey Nelson, act like you've been there." No one begrudged him or the Dominican fans for the excessive celebration of their magic Miami moment. But for some reason, it took a year to let go of Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista's notorious bat flip in the 2015 playoffs.
Sure, there's a difference. Bautista's defiant reaction after his decisive home run in Game 5 of that American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers was an in-your-face, get-off-of- my-cloud eruption in a hotly contested and high-stakes game. Still, the backlash was way over the top.
Cruz's immediate reaction had nothing to do with who his team was playing. It was all about his own team and his country, and it was so spontaneous, so jubilant and so sincere that anyone watching could identify with it. Team USA didn't enjoy it very much, of course, but it was obvious during the tournament that even the American and Asian players were shedding their old-school inhibitions and joining in the fun.
Well, not entirely. Second baseman Ian Kinsler dropped an old-school rant about playing the game the right way before Team USA trounced Puerto Rico, 8-0, in the final on Wednesday night, but more than 50,000 fans didn’t pack Dodger Stadium to watch the players on either team look like they weren’t having a good time.
“I hope kids watching the WBC can watch the way we play the game and appreciate the way we play the game as opposed to the way Puerto Rico plays or the Dominican plays,” Kinsler told the New York Times. “That’s not taking anything away from them. That just wasn’t the way we were raised. They were raised differently and to show emotion and passion when you play. We do show emotion; we do show passion. But we just do it in a different way.”
Kinsler and his teammates certainly seemed to be having a great time when Adam Jones, Christian Yelich and a dozen or so teammates were running laps with the American flag after winning Team USA’s first WBC title.
To be fair, every team and nationality has its own way of displaying its passion for baseball. But the WBC creates a unique opportunity for that passion to cross cultural boundaries because so many American players and coaches with ancestral connections to other countries are able to take part in the event on those teams.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter often talks about his experiences traveling to other baseball- playing nations in the Western Hemisphere and marveling at the level of energy and excitement on the field and in the stands. The WBC put that on display at each location across the globe and even the staunchest traditionalists had to see how well it played.
This much is certain. It’s going to take a long time to wipe the smile off of Jones’ face. He came up huge in the WBC – with his bat, with his glove and with his leadership – and it has been obvious that he enjoyed every minute of it.
That's great for him, and the WBC has been a terrific showcase for the Orioles stars who chose to take part in it. But there's a different takeaway here, partly because Team USA won the tournament for the first time and partly because of the times we live in.
Major League Baseball has been trying for years to attract more young fans and make the sport more appealing to a generation of budding African-American athletes who have increasingly gravitated toward basketball and football. The result has been a solid effort to increase baseball opportunities for urban kids and all sorts of rules changes intended to shorten games and make them more television-friendly.
MLB's RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) has done a great job of adding youth baseball infrastructure in urban areas around the country and needs to continue that effort. But the obsession with changing the way the major league game is played might be missing the point.
The celebratory atmosphere in the WBC games involving the Latin countries was infectious and added to the playoff-caliber drama even in the first round-robin pools.
MLB Network broadcasters Matt Vasgersian and John Smoltz pointed out during Tuesday night's game between the U.S. and Japan that the staid and disciplined Japanese team even tended to be more animated when pitted against a more demonstrative opponent. What nobody seemed to be talking about was how the games were too long, even though some lasted four hours.
It would be foolhardy to predict that this just-completed WBC will change the way baseball is played in the major leagues, but there is a new generation of major league stars who seem more open to wearing their emotions like commemorative sleeve patches when the competition gets hot and heavy. Even if some veterans like Kinsler are not.
Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper made headlines nearly a year ago when he called out the old school in an ESPN The Magazine article and said that baseball had become "tired." He defended histrionics like Bautista's bat flip and said it's time for MLB to celebrate the personalities and passions of the games' exciting stars instead of trying to repress them.
"It's a tired sport, because you can't express yourself," he said. "You can't do what people in other sports do. I'm not saying baseball is, you know, boring or anything like that, but it's the excitement of the young guys who are coming into the game now who have flair. If that's Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom or Manny Machado or Joc Pederson or Andrew McCutchen or Yasiel Puig — there's so many guys in the game now who are so much fun."
There were other young stars, including Machado, who agreed with Harper. So, maybe we're already on the cusp of a new era in which players will be able to put their passion for the game on full display without evoking the wrath of their elders.
If you watched the WBC, you already know what that might look like.
http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/220584546/orioles-have-questions-before-start-of-season/
O's have questions before Spring Training ends
By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com March 23, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. -- As the Orioles head into their final week of Spring Training, there are still some questions to be answered and roster decisions to be made. Here, in no particular order, are three of the biggest looming questions as the O's head into the homestretch before coming to Baltimore.
1. What will the Orioles do without Chris Tillman?
The O's had already known early in camp that Tillman wouldn't be the Opening Day starter. Then they conceded that he wouldn't be part of the starting rotation at all to start the season, which opens it up to a group that includes Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Chris Lee, Gabriel Ynoa and Jayson Aquino. There's also Vidal Nuno, who got a spot start Monday but didn't fare particularly well. Baltimore acquired him thinking he'd be used more as a reliever.
The good news is that five off-days in the first 3 1/2 weeks of the regular season means the O's need a fifth starter just twice -- April 15 and 22 -- in April. The bad news? While they're optimistic Tillman will return sometime in April, there's a lot of caution with his timetable as the right-hander starts another throwing program on Sunday.
I'd like to see the Orioles go out and get another starter, but I don't think it will happen. Instead, look for them to get creative with the off-days and the roster, and perhaps give a spot start to a couple of pitchers depending on matchups, performance, ballpark, etc. while they hope Tillman can avoid any more setbacks.
2. Who will get the final bullpen spots?
At first glance, you'd think this ties in somewhat with what the Orioles do to fill Tillman's rotation spot, but given that they have nine regular-season games before that, a lot of roster shuffling will already have taken place. Once again, the O's have prioritized "moveable parts" to ensure that they can easily make roster moves for pitching when needed.
Of the group mentioned above, Aquino and Nuno are considered more long-relief options, with Logan Verrett the other solid candidate remaining in camp. Baltimore optioned Richard Bleier and Zach Stewart earlier this week, giving that spot a little more roster clarity.
The Orioles could have a potential starting pitcher in the bullpen, but the preference would be for guys like Wilson and Wright to begin the season with Triple-A Norfolk and stay on a consistent schedule. The more options the O's have for April 15, the better.
3. Will there be a World Baseball Classic hangover?
It's a fair question, though Manny Machado told reporters upon his return he felt like he was ahead of the game going into April. Over the course of a 162-game regular season that the O's hope continues deep into fall, will the Classic guys be able to hold up?
The Orioles were an extremely well-represented team in this year's thrilling tournament and, much to manager Buck Showalter's chagrin, several played up until the end. This isn't a question that will be answered before they open the season, and it may not be answered in the first half at all. But guys are generally pretty beat up by the time they get to August, pitchers and position players alike. And beyond health, will it be tough for them to adjust again to less intense April stadiums and cool climates when they've been playing in high-stakes, do-or-die games the past few weeks?
Players who participated in the Classic include Machado, Nuno, Adam Jones, Mychal Givens, Jonathan Schoop and Welington Castillo. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/03/orioles-lineup-vs-twins-22.html
Orioles lineup vs. Twins
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com March 24, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - Rule 5 pick Aneury Tavárez is getting another start in center field tonight, as the Orioles travel to Fort Myers again to play the Twins.
Adam Jones could get back in the lineup for Saturday’s home game against the Twins unless manager Buck Showalter wants to rest his center fielder following Team USA’s championship run in the World Baseball Classic.
Ryan Flaherty is leading off and playing second base, his first game since March 13.
Pedro Álvarez gets another start in right field. Chance Sisco is the designated hitter and Caleb Joseph is behind the plate. Welington Castillo is catching Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy at the minor league complex.
For the Orioles Ryan Flaherty 2B Paul Janish SS Pedro Alvarez RF Trey Mancini 1B Hyun Soo Kim LF Chris Johnson 3B Chance Sisco DH Caleb Joseph C Aneury Tavarez CF Mike Wright RHP
MASNsports.com’s Steve Melewski celebrates his last night in Florida by covering the game.
http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2017/03/trumbo-on-lack-of-spring-attention-i- couldnt-care-less.html
Trumbo on lack of spring attention: “I couldn’t care less”
By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com March 24, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - Last year’s major league leader in home runs sits alone at his locker while another national reporter across the clubhouse locks up the saves leader in a prolonged conversation.
Mark Trumbo is relieved that he isn’t the subject of daily interview requests. He’s certainly accessible, but he isn’t the type of guy who craves the spotlight. You’re far less likely to get burned away from it.
Zach Britton isn’t trying to position himself beneath it, but there’s no escape. In what’s evolved into a media experiment of sorts, we’ve learned that there’s more interest in a closer’s historic season - and subsequent exclusion from the wild card game and fourth-place finish in American League Cy Young Award voting - than a slugger’s power display.
“I couldn’t care less,” said Trumbo, who hit a career-high 47 home runs last season before re- signing with the Orioles. “I think it’s great. There hasn’t really been a whole lot to talk about it. It’s kind of how you want it.
“Spring training is the time to kind of get things going. People are always at various stages and I think I’m probably at the point of my career where it’s more important to ... we’re not trying as hard to make a team. I think that’s probably pretty much figured out. But trying to be ready to go and kind of built to last, I think, for the whole season.”
The Orioles led the majors in home runs last season with 253 and their top six power producers return in Trumbo, Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop and Pedro Álvarez - the latter signed to a minor league deal. But again, it’s not a feature that seems to be worthy of intense media attention.
“If we’re talking about spring training, there’s not that many stories going on.” Trumbo said. “I think once the season starts and we kind of start dealing with what we do, I think those topics will come up more, but right now I think everyone’s aware of it. For us, it’s not that big a deal. We are a team built on power and I’m sure it will show up just like it did last year. It’s one of our strengths.”
Trumbo is 6-for-37 (.162) with no home runs after batting .290 with five homers and 17 RBIs last spring. He was robbed of a much-needed hit Thursday night on left fielder Corey Dickerson’s diving catch and also lined out to center field, a screamer aimed directly at Kevin Kiermaier. He came up again with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, and third baseman Riley Unroe played the short hop and threw him out.
“Trumbo had some really good at-bats, not much to show for it,” said manager Buck Showalter. “He squared up three balls. He hit a single to left too deep. I’d like to see him get that one up in the air.”
When Trumbo says it’s “business as usual” this spring, he’s talking more about preparation.
“Kind of ramping up here,” he said. “We’ll probably mix in maybe a few more games as we get going here closer to the season opening up.
“You do get a feeling that things are getting toward that point. It’s not anyone’s first, well maybe a few guys, but most guys that have done this, you kind of know when it’s time to really kind of ramp it up. I think that we’re getting close, but it doesn’t do any good to put some kind of extra pressure on yourself because it is. The season’s going to come when it comes. We’ll be ready to go.”
That means everyone, with the team finally intact following the World Baseball Classic. Jones is the last to make it back after starring for Team USA.
Not a typical spring when the starting center fielder, third baseman, second baseman and catcher are marked absent. Reliever Mychal Givens also was gone.
“I think that it seems a little bit off and that’s not a putdown on anybody in here, obviously,” Trumbo said. “It’s just the core group of guys. The last part of spring training especially is when everybody starts to find their continuity. With what’s going on, it’s just part of the deal.
“We’ll be fine. It is a little bit different than years that the WBC isn’t going on.”
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/03/schoop-on-returning-to-team-flaherty-on- returning-to-lineup.html
Schoop on returning to team, Flaherty on returning to lineup
By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com March 24, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - With the end of the World Baseball Classic, the Orioles now have the whole band back together at their spring training camp. Outfielder Adam Jones was at Ed Smith Stadium earlier today, second baseman Jonathan Schoop met with reporters in the clubhouse this afternoon and pitcher Mychal Givens is at minor league camp this afternoon at Twin Lakes Park.
Third baseman Manny Machado is expected to play tomorrow night at 6:05 p.m. in Sarasota when the Orioles host the Twins. We await further word from manager Buck Showalter as to when the other returning players will get back into games.
Schoop had played in three Orioles’ spring training games - none since Feb. 27 - when he left the club to fly to join the Team Netherlands in Korea for the WBC’s opening round. His team advanced to the semifinals and was eliminated in 11 innings Monday night by Puerto Rico.
In the WBC, Schoop played in eight games, batting .222/.300/.333 and going 6-for-27 with a homer and four RBIs. Playing in those high-intensity, high-level games has him set to go, he said, for the 2017 season.
“I’m ready. I’m ready already,” Schoop said. “Those games are so important to me. If you go through the motions, you won’t win. You’ve got to go in there 100 percent and compete. That’s all that matters, like compete, just play hard and try to win. It’s all about winning. It’s like the season - win
“I‘m ready, whatever Buck wants me to do. That’s why I’m here. I’m ready. It’s over, and I’m here to focus. If they need me tomorrow, if they want me to play tomorrow, I’m ready to play.
“It was really good. The flight was long. When we get there, all together ... it was a good experience. I learned a lot. We went to the semifinal and we had a good run. We enjoyed it, and I think I’m better now, too.”
A reporter asked Schoop if he had some bragging rights now over his close friend Machado with his team advancing further in the WBC.
“I’m playing chess with him right now,” Schoop said. “I’m having fun with him. I wanted to play against him, but they fell off a little bit, but Puerto Rico has a good team, too. They beat them and they beat us, too. But it was fun, fun to watch him on TV, watch Adam, too, make a great catch off Manny. It was fun to watch and fun to play in the WBC.”
While away from the team, Schoop followed what was happening back in Florida.
“I kept up with what they’re doing because this is my team,” he said. “I play here, the team is here. Me and Manny and Jones, we were talking a little bit and (want) to come back ready. Come back ready to go. I’m ready.”
Schoop said he doesn’t know how much he will play in exhibition games leading up to the opener.
“No, no, I haven’t (discussed that with Buck). It’s one more week to go?” Schoop said. “And if I was in spring training, I’m supposed to be ready now, too. I think I’m 200 percent (ready) to go.”
Schoop has played in the WBC twice. Will there be a third time?
“I don’t know,” he said. “How many years from now? I don’t know. I’ve got to see where I’m at. I’ve got to focus over the next four years and see where I’m at. Then I’ll decide.”
Meanwhile, utility man Ryan Flaherty gets back in the Orioles lineup tonight at Fort Myers. He is batting first and playing at second base. Flaherty has been dealing with a sore shoulder, got a cortisone injection and tonight plays for the first time since March 13.
Flaherty said he is fine to return to the lineup.
“Good. Yeah, it feels 100 percent, so excited to play again,” he said. “I’m full (go). Whenever he (Showalter) wants to use me. But I feel percent 100 percent. It was good to get a couple of days off.”
Flaherty has hit just .120 (3-for-25) in 10 games, with a double, an RBI, four walks and three strikeouts. Does he have some catching up to do in terms of trying to squeeze in some at-bats between now the opener?
“I don’t know how that works or how he views it,” Flaherty said. “When they tell me to play, I’ll play. If they tell me to get extra at-bats, get extra at-bats. Whatever they say to do.”
http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2017/03/spring-training-notes-on-cedric-mullins- trey-mancini-and-jesus-liranzo.html
Spring training notes on Cedric Mullins, Trey Mancini and Jesus Liranzo
By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com March 24, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. - It happened on a back field at the Ed Smith Stadium complex and in a B game with the Orioles playing the Pirates. A young man from minor league camp standing just 5-foot-8 got into the box. He got a pitch to drive and didn’t miss it.
He crushed a homer off the batter’s eye in center field to tie the game. Seconds later, 22-year-old outfielder Cedric Mullins, who last season played at Single-A Delmarva - three levels below the majors - was getting congrats from a few Orioles stars in the dugout.
“It was pretty interesting,” Mullins said this week about that at-bat last Friday. “The guys were pretty excited. I’m running up and high-fiving guys like Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo in the dugout. These guys are 6-foot-5-plus, and in my eyes these guys are mountains. The looks they gave me were like, ‘Wow.’ I am kind of used to getting that look when I show a little power out there.”
Mullins did show some power last year. But that is not the key element of his game. A smaller in stature switch-hitter that Orioles manager Buck Showalter has compared to one-time O’s leadoff batter Don Buford, his game is more about speed from the first spot in the batting order and trying to make things happen.
A 13th-round pick out of Campbell University in 2015, Mullins filled up the stat sheet for Delmarva last summer. He hit .273/.321/.464 with 37 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, 79 runs, 55 RBIs and 30 steals.
It is clear that he has caught the eye of Showalter, who has brought him over multiple times from minor league camp. He tripled against Boston in Ft. Myers on Monday when he put a charge into another pitch.
“It’s exciting,” Mullins said. “Anytime you get called over, you just never know what situation you might get put into. So you just try to make the most of it, which I have been trying to do so far. It is very exciting anytime you get an opportunity to impress the skipper.”
* As the Orioles look for ways to expand Trey Mancini’s defensive resume, that gives him a better shot to make their opening day roster. They finally gave him the chance to play outfield this spring. He played his first game in right field on March 13, another one there the next day and got his third start in right on March 19.
The early returns seem fairly positive. Showalter called his arm “playable out there,” which is probably more positive than it sounds and means he might be closing in on making enough progress where the Orioles would not be reluctant to play him in the outfield in a major league game.
“Transferring the ball is a lot different out there, that is one thing I’ve noticed,” Mancini said of playing outfield defense. “In the infield, I’ll catch the ball, have a short arm slot and get rid of it quick. In the outfield, you kind of need to take your time, wind your arm up and get a lot more on the throw. So that is a big difference, the throwing motion. But I haven’t had any arm soreness or anything, so that is really good. It is different out there, but I really like it.”
Mancini, in preparation for the possibility he might be asked to play out there, did some reps in the outfield over the winter during workouts at Vanderbilt University. This move is providing him a real challenge, one that he fully embraces.
“Love it. It’s different,” he said. “I have played only first base my entire pro career and this is really neat. Getting a different perspective is interesting. Everybody looks so small out there. Pedro (Álvarez) and I were talking about that the other day. The more I play out there, the more confident I will become.”
Mancini seems to have plenty of confidence at bat. He is hitting .319/.373/.553 with five doubles, two homers and eight RBIs to go with an OPS of .926 over 47 at-bats.
* Another player that is now in minor league camp after a strong showing in big league camp is 22-year-old right-handed reliever Jesus Liranzo. Added to the Orioles’ 40-man roster in November, Liranzo really burst onto the scene last year pitching for both Single-A Delmarva and Double-A Bowie. The Orioles needed to find out just what they had with this young man with him being Rule 5 eligible. So he skipped Single-A Frederick and the club got a look at him facing better Double-A competition with the Baysox.
He went a combined 1-1 with an ERA of 1.87 for both clubs. In 53 innings, he allowed just 20 hits with 27 walks, 66 strikeouts and a .116 average against. With Bowie, Liranzo had an ERA of 3.38 in 11 games. Over 18 2/3 innings, he gave up eight hits with 12 walks and 20 strikeouts.
Here is an eye-catching stat: With the Baysox, lefty batters hit just .034 (1-for-29 with 11 strikeouts) against Liranzo, while right-handed batters hit .206.
He flashed his mid-to-upper-90s fastball in several Orioles spring training games. Over eight innings, he gave up three hits and three runs with seven walks and nine strikeouts.
He is still looking to harness his control and command, but Liranzo has a live arm, and we should get to see him show it off at some point this summer in Baltimore.
“I appreciate the opportunity in major league camp and it was a great experience for me. I learned from the veteran guys,” Liranzo said this week at Twin Lakes Park.
“It was an experience where you can learn every day up there. Hitters have more experience than those I faced in the minors. Hopefully this helps so in the future if I get a chance, I’ll be ready.”
Liranzo said two veteran Orioles pitchers took him under their wing over at Ed Smith Stadium.
“I really, really appreciate the help I got from Ubaldo Jiménez and Zach Britton.” Liranzo said. “They helped me to learn about things inside and outside of the field. Ubaldo was like a father figure to me and he was awesome. I stayed close to him every day.”
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18987068/yadier-molina-demands-apology-adam-jones- comments-wbc-party-plans
Yadier Molina demands apology for Adam Jones' comments about WBC party plans
By Doug Padilla / ESPN.com March 23, 2017
Team captain Yadier Molina wants United States outfielder Adam Jones to apologize to Puerto Rico's players for saying they were planning a postgame party in San Juan before the World Baseball Classic championship game was even played.
Molina made his comments to ESPN's Marly Rivera during Thursday's parade in San Juan, less than a day after Jones told MLB Network that Puerto Rico's postgame plans sounded a little premature and inspired the United States' dominating 8-0 victory.
"Adam Jones ... is talking about things he doesn't know about," Molina told ESPN. "He really has to get informed because he shouldn't have said those comments, let alone in public and mocking the way [preparations] were made."
Jones noted that the Puerto Rico team had champion T-shirts already made up as well and that "didn't sit well with us, so we did what we had to do." A flight to Puerto Rico and a "caravan" and celebration already had been planned before the title game was played.
"He has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people," Molina said. "Obviously, you wanted to win; he didn't know what this means to [our] people."
Other United States teammates echoed Jones' sentiment after Wednesday's WBC victory. However, the Puerto Rican team planned to fly home and celebrate its WBC performance, win or lose.
"That's why I'm sending a message to [Jones], saying, 'Look at this, right now you're in spring training working out, and we're with our people, with our silver medals,'" Molina continued. "You're in spring training and you're working ... you have no idea how to celebrate your honors, you don't know what it means."
Baseball fans in Puerto Rico had been head-over-heels excited about their team's deep run in the WBC. Puerto Rico was a perfect 7-0 before running into a determined USA team, led by starting pitcher Marcus Stroman.
Puerto Rico third baseman Carlos Correa said civic pride, born out of the tournament, has been unifying for all of the people in Puerto Rico.
"There were no crimes, there were no assassinations back home while we were playing in this classic," Correa said. "Everybody was dyeing their hair blond, so we had our whole nation behind us that is going through tough times right now."
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/24/back-from-world-baseball-classic-orioles-jonathan- schoop-is-200-percent-ready
Back From World Baseball Classic, Jonathan Schoop Is '200 Percent' Ready
By Rich Dubroff / PressBoxOnline.com March 24, 2017
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Of the six Orioles who played in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, second baseman Jonathan Schoop was gone the longest.
Schoop, who left to play for Team Netherlands Feb. 27, was back in the Orioles' clubhouse March 24 after his team's run to the semifinals in the WBC.
To join his team, Schoop flew to Seoul, South Korea, and after success in the first round there and the second round in Tokyo, Japan, the Netherlands lost to Team Puerto Rico in the semifinal March 20.
"It was really good. The flight was long," Schoop said. "It was a good experience. I learned a lot. It was fun."
Schoop played intense games, and he said they helped prepare him for the regular season.
"I'm ready. I'm ready already," Schoop said. "Those games are so important to me. If you go through the motions, you won't win. You've got to go in there 100 percent and compete. That's all that matters, like, compete, just play hard and try to win. It's all about winning. It's like the season -- win."
It was his second time playing in the WBC, but in 2013, Schoop had no major league experience; now, he and his four fellow major league Curacaoans on Team Netherlands feel they've grown.
"It was different, because now we all are in the big leagues for almost three years already," Schoop said. "We're more mature. We know what we have to do to win, and so we did. We went to the semifinal, and we had a good run. We enjoyed it and learned a lot from it, too, and I think I'm better now, too."
The success of the Netherlands in the WBC will surely help grow baseball there.
"I think we did it. We played really good defense. We win, we went to the semifinal. The world didn't expect us to be there, I think," Schoop said. "A lot of scouts like the way we play the game. They say, 'You guys play good.' Maybe that's the way we get more scouts to go down there and watch some more players, because we have more good young players down there, too."
While Schoop was in the Orioles' clubhouse March 24, Team USA members Adam Jones and Mychal Givens weren't. Jones had checked in earlier in the day, and Givens, who needs the work, pitched in a minor league game at Twin Lake Parks. He isn't in the lineup for the game against the Twins, but he could play March 25.
"I'm ready; whatever [manager Buck Showalter] wants me to do," Schoop said. "That's why I'm here. I'm ready. It's over, the WBC, and I'm here to focus. … If they need me tomorrow -- if they want me to play tomorrow -- I'm ready to play."
The Netherlands' run, which took it a round farther than third baseman Manny Machado's Team Dominican Republic, makes for great fodder for the longtime friends.
"I'm playing chess with [Machado] right now. I'm having fun with him," Schoop said. "I wanted to play against him, but they fell off a little bit -- but Puerto Rico has a good team, too. They beat them, and they beat us, too. But it was fun, fun to watch him on TV, watch Adam, too, make a great catch off Manny. It was fun to watch and fun to play in the WBC. I looked forward to it because that's good, it's competitive, it gets you motivated."
Unlike Machado, Schoop didn't quickly commit to a 2021 WBC, which would be his third.
"I don't know. How many years from now? I don't know," Schoop said. "I've got to see where I'm at. I've got to focus over the next four years and see where I'm at. Then I'll decide."
He did track Orioles news closely and missed his friends.
"I kept up with what they're doing, because this is my team, I play here," Schoop said. "The WBC is for your country, but it's for like three weeks, but the team is here. I've got to focus here, too, see what they're doing and kind of keep updated. Me and Manny and Jones, we were talking a little bit and [want] to come back ready -- come back ready to go. I'm ready."
Schoop said he's not sure in how many of the remaining games he'll play, but he's happy with his condition.
"It's competitive over there. If you're not ready, you get ready [quickly]. You have to," he said. "It's one more week to go? And if I was in spring training, I'm supposed to be ready now, too. I think I'm 200 percent [ready] to go."
FLAHERTY BACK: Utility man Ryan Flaherty is back in the lineup after being out for 10 days with a sore right shoulder. Flaherty will lead off and play second base against Minnesota March 24.
"It feels 100 percent, so [I'm] excited to play again," Flaherty said. He's not sure how much he'll play the rest of the spring schedule.
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/23/adam-jones-andrew-mccutchen-shine-in-world- baseball-classic
Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen Shine In World Baseball Classic
By Jim Henneman / PressBoxOnline.com March 23, 2017
Have you heard the one about the (almost) 10-year veteran who became an overnight sensation?
Or the one about the former MVP (four times in the top five) and five-time All-Star who slumped one year and was written off faster than a charitable tax deduction?
Say hello to outfielders Adam Jones and Andrew McCutchen.
There were a lot of stars who came out to play in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, some who had more substantial numbers, but make no mistake about this, Jones and McCutchen -- "Adam and Cutch," if you will -- were the nitty-gritty poster boys for Team USA, the team nobody thought could win but did.
It's even fitting neither got a sniff of a mention for the All-Classic team, which was dominated by five players from Team Puerto Rico, which lost to the USA, 8-0, in the final March 22. Without "Adam and Cutch," USA not only doesn't win, it doesn't make the final four -- and very possibly doesn't even get out of the first round.
Every game Team USA played seemed like an elimination game; the last three were just that, the final two coming against previously undefeated teams.
The first two rounds of play in the WBC were like a coming-out party for Jones. When he wasn't hitting the ball over the fence with his bat, he was preventing the same with his glove.
Meanwhile, McCutchen's first contributions came with his glove, cutting off potential runs with plays in the gap. And then he punctuated his defensive play by driving balls through the gaps, producing crucial runs, and the USA made an unlikely run to its first WBC crown in the 11-year history of the event.
There were more spectacular players in the event, which finally showed signs of catching on with hard-to-impress U.S. baseball fans; but there weren't many more important plays than those turned in by "Adam and Cutch" during those pulsating, early-round games.
Much has been made and said, and rightly so, about the number of rejections Team USA got before putting together its final squad. For every player like catcher Buster Posey, who accepted an invitation, it seemed two or three said no, including the one almost universally acclaimed as the best player on the planet, Angels outfielder Mike Trout.
In all honestly, the outfielders on the USA team -- Jones, McCutchen, Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton -- might have been the perfect blend for this team; but if it was a hockey All- Star game, it would probably be called a third line. Not that this wasn't a capable team -- any team that can bat Stanton eighth or ninth can't be too shabby -- let's just say it wasn't the best that could've been assembled. As it turned out, maybe that was a good thing, because the players who were there obviously grasped the importance of the USA, on the fourth try, finally winning the WBC.
USA manager Jim Leyland never called anybody out, but he did get tired of hearing and talking about it. "We had some who politely declined," was the closest he came before declaring the only players he was concerned about were the ones wearing the uniform.
And nobody represented that group better than Jones and McCutchen, both on the field and with their wholehearted endorsement of the World Baseball Classic. For Jones, buried in the early years of his career with a bad team and grossly underrated throughout his nine years with the Orioles, it was like some of those driven by analytics finally realized there is something to be said for the "eye test." If he's not the most anonymous five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner … well, let's just say he's close.
Jones hit only .200 in the World Baseball Classic, but it was the hardest .200 ever, and his glove saved the day in the defining win against the Dominican Republic, when his spectacular catch robbed Orioles teammate Manny Machado of a home run March 18. A career .277 hitter better known (criticized) for his .318 OBP, Jones is only months away from becoming a 10-and-five man (10 years in the big leagues, five with the same team), but his two-week stint with Team USA just might prove to be the breakout stretch of his career.
He might not have made the All-Classic team, but he provided more than a few classic moments. His bat was quiet, too, but he'll get some style points from some for drawing his first two walks of the tournament during the championship game.
McCutchen has more glittering stats than Jones but probably came into the WBC under a darker cloud. Despite career numbers of .292/.381/.487, at the age of 30 (one year younger than Jones), he was seemingly judged solely on the basis of the worst year of his nine-year career, when he hit only .256/.336/.430 in 2016.
This time last year, the Pirates were in the process of moving McCutchen from the third spot in the batting order to No. 2. The reasoning was very simple. During the offseason, the Pirates had done exhaustive research and discovered that, in 2015, McCutchen had come to bat with two outs and the bases empty more than any other player in baseball.
Armed with those statistics, the Pirates felt the club had to do something to take advantage of the abilities of the team's best player. The reasoning behind the move made sense and aligned with some conventional thinking -- the No. 2 spot is ideal for a team's best hitter.
The logic behind the move made sense. … That's what logic is supposed to do. But while numbers don't lie, they evidently don't always tell the whole story. The Pirates and McCutchen both suffered through a difficult season, and despite a still-team-friendly contract with two years left, McCutchen reportedly ended up on the trading block this offseason.
Instead of being dealt, he joined Jones for a coming-out party. It proved to be a rewarding alternative.
With six shutout innings, right-hander Marcus Stroman was a deserving MVP of the WBC final round, but right-hander Tanner Roark gets all kinds of props for the job he did during the 2-1 win against Japan March 21.
Roark had less than two innings of game action before facing the undefeated Japanese team.
He ended up with the assignment because Stroman and right-hander Chris Archer, who had rejoined his Tampa Bay team to stay on his work program, were on a schedule that had them both unavailable for the semifinals. Stroman got the nod for the last game maybe as much because he stayed with Team USA to get his work in, perhaps a nod to the team's "all-in" attitude.
Quick thought: Injuries are always a concern with the WBC, and there were a few this year, about as many in proportion as the 30 major league teams had during individual training camps. But the biggest concern now for the players as they head back to camp with their respective teams will be guarding against a letdown.
The Orioles have a lot to worry about in this regard, because Jones, Machado, catcher Welington Castillo and second baseman Jonathan Schoop were heavily involved until the final days. They will need some down time while the rest of their teammates are gearing up for Opening Day April 3.
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/23/mike-bordick-for-orioles-its-all-going-to-come- down-to-the-pitching
Mike Bordick: 'It's All Going To Come Down To The Pitching'
By Kyle Ottenheimer / PressBoxOnline.com March 23, 2017
The Baltimore Orioles begin the 2017 season at home against the Toronto Blue Jays April 3, but several questions still remain.
PressBox talked to Mid-Atlantic Sports Network color analyst and former Orioles shortstop Mike Bordick about competition for the fifth starter spot, the Orioles' Rule 5 situation, his opinion of the World Baseball Classic and more.
PressBox: If right-hander Chris Tillman isn't ready by the time the team needs a fifth starter, who do you think should get the nod?
Mike Bordick: Well, there's been some real good competition -- [left-hander] Chris Lee, obviously [right-hander] Mike Wright, [right-hander Gabriel] Ynoa, who they got from the Mets, and [left-hander Jayson] Aquino -- those guys are really the frontrunners right now. [Right- hander] Tyler Wilson, of course, is in that mix, as well. But, I think it's really coming down to whether Lee has enough and Mike Wright, if his composure's there, I think it's those two guys as the frontrunners, to be honest with you. If you look back on his spring, it seems like Mike Wright is really having a solid spring; I know those other guys are, too, but with Mike, I think it's more of a -- just a maturity approach. Is he more composed on the mound? I think that's a better way to put it. And this spring, he has been. He isn't getting frustrated; he's sticking to his game plan, and I think that's what the Orioles have been really waiting to see, and it's nice that he's showing that kind of consistency right now.
PB: How do you expect the Orioles to handle the leadoff role this season?
MB: [ Laughs] It's going to be interesting, once again. There's [outfielder] Michael Bourn just kind of waiting in the wings with the broken finger -- that's going to be kind of interesting to see what happens when he's healthy. It may possibly, unfortunately, be by committee again; I know [outfielder] Hyun Soo Kim has a high on-base percentage and doesn't mind taking pitches, uses the whole field, whether or not he's going to play against lefties is yet to be seen, but he potentially could be the leadoff guy. The Orioles aren't going to steal bases unless a player like [outfielders Joey] Rickard or [Craig] Gentry makes the team, and if those guys get their starts, they'll be the leadoff hitter for sure.
PB: Do you think the Orioles are going to keep one of Rule 5 outfielders Aneury Taverez or Anthony Santander?
MB: It's going to be tough, it really is. There's been a healthy competition in the outfield this spring. I know that the Orioles would love to keep both of them, because they're great talents -- young talents, at that. Santander, it's a tough call because he hasn't even played, so I think they're probably going to try to have him on the DL to see if he can get a little more playing time before they make that decision. But it's going to be tough this year for the Orioles to keep a Rule 5 pick, I know that.
PB: What is your opinion of the World Baseball Classic, and do you think catcher Welington Castillo made the right decision by leaving his first Orioles camp early to play for Team Dominican Republic?
MB: I really think the World Baseball Classic is incredible. I love the emotion; I think it's getting better and better. I think they're starting to find better ways to handle the players through the spring training and the flexible rosters and things. So, I just think it makes it more player- friendly, and therefore, more friendly to the organizations, because the biggest fear is obviously injury. It seems like this spring has been awesome. It's been great to see the level of play from everyone; everyone's bringing it. All the countries involved, I think, have participated really well, [had] great followings. It's nice to see the USA in the finals, and you know, I think every Orioles player has done an exceptional job. [Third baseman] Manny [Machado], Welington, [center fielder] Adam Jones, [second baseman Jonathan] Schoop -- everybody involved -- [right- hander] Mychal Givens. So it's been a lot of fun to watch in that regard. [As for Castillo's decision], that's so tough. You get an opportunity to play for your country, that type of experience doesn't happen very often. I know a lot of players want to enjoy that, experience that in the game. So I'm not going to pass any type of judgment on Welington for wanting to play in the World Baseball Classic, and he did a great job. The problem is, does he have enough under his belt? He came to camp early, got to know the pitchers as much as he could. Is that going to hurt him? That's yet to be seen, but I know it'd be nice to get as many innings under his belt as possible. But, listen, he seems like he's got a good head on his shoulders, he was really attentive the time he was here and played very well, and he had himself a great World Baseball Classic, so it's going to be exciting. I know the team's excited to get these guys back and get the full team going. Hopefully, everything falls into place for them.
PB: As we approach Opening Day, how do you see the American League East playing out?
MB: Basically, just like any other year; it's a crapshoot. What team's going to stay healthy is very important in the American League East. I know the Yankees and the Red Sox kind of re-armed themselves, with the Red Sox getting all the big lefties. But, you know, the Orioles were so bad against left-handed pitching last year that I think that's got to turn around. And I think that's going to be something that's going to help [laughs] prove all the prognosticators wrong again. Everybody's got the Orioles finishing last; every year they've done that, and every year they have a winning team. So I don't know how you can look past the O's; they've got most of their players back, and they all have more experience under their belt. Manny gets better every year, Adam Jones has just been coming into spring training as team captain and is playing in better shape than he's ever been -- kind of showing in the World Baseball Classic, the way he's moving around. So I think there's a lot of quiet excitement, once again, in Oriole camp. They come out as the underdog and play a good brand of baseball. … [Manager] Buck Showalter has really led these guys the right way, paying attention to the detail of the game. Listen, they don't steal bases, they don't have the highest on-base percentage; they've got a bunch of sluggers that, if a couple of the numbers increase -- for instance, just against left-handed pitching -- you're going to see a more potent offense. And if you see a couple of guys, like Gentry or Rickard, who can get on base a couple of times, the more offensive numbers will increase. So, it's a great defensive team, a powerhouse offensive team -- I don't think they're going to have a problem putting runs on the board -- it's all going to come down to the pitching. Still have one of the best back ends in baseball, in the Orioles' bullpen. So the weight is going to be on the Orioles' rotation, once again. Are [right-handers Dylan] Bundy and [Kevin] Gausman going to step up? And [left-hander Wade] Miley, as well -- he's got to have a solid, bounce-back year. And that's really the question: How's the rotation going to be? And they're having a good spring, so I feel good about that.
https://www.pressboxonline.com/2017/03/23/meet-cedric-mullins-the-orioles-next-impact- leadoff-batter
Meet Cedric Mullins, The Orioles' Next Impact Leadoff Batter
By Stan Charles / PressBoxOnline.com March 23, 2017
SARASOTA Fla. -- One of the best parts about spring training is being introduced to the fresh faces who will impact the Orioles.
When I left for Sarasota, I didn't know much about minor league outfielder Cedric Mullins, and now, a week later, I've gotten a glimpse of his game and heard manager Buck Showalter speak of him glowingly.
I spoke with Mullins, the Orioles' 13th-round draft pick in 2015, about hitting leadoff, his biggest influences and more.
PressBox: How did you learn to switch hit?
Cedric Mullins: I started switch-hitting when I was about 12 years old. We worked on it because I am ambidextrous. I throw left-handed, but I do everything else with my right hand. I write right-handed, I eat right-handed; even simple stuff, like brushing my teeth, I do right-handed. So we started working on that at an early age, and it's been developing since, year after year.
PB: What do you view as your strong points as a player?
CM: I would definitely have to say my speed is a definite strong point. It plays well at higher levels. It's definitely a part of my game that helps me advance as a player. That's probably my strongest point.
PB: What is your weakest point? What do you need to work on?
CM: The little things. ... Like I have to make sure I hit my cut-off man, have to make sure I charge balls properly -- mostly on defense. Offensively, have to be smarter at the plate; these guys are really good pitchers. They are in the big leagues for a reason. Just developing an approach at-bat after at-bat is something you develop with more experience.
PB: Aside from speed, do you consider yourself a good baserunner?
CM: I would say I am a pretty good baserunner. When we take BP, we are always working on our reads. When it comes to game time, I still get proper reads off the bat. You know, everyone makes mistakes. But, it's learning from them that makes you continue to grow and become better on the bases.
PB: How about the other aspect of small ball; can you bunt, and can you bunt from both sides of the plate?
CM: I can definitely bunt. During spring training, you are trying to get a feel for your swing, where you are standing. During individual work, I still continue to work on my bunting from both sides. When the season comes near, it's definitely going to appear more in my game.
PB: What position do you prefer playing in the outfield?
CM: I definitely will play any [outfield] position. I grew up playing all three. There was a timeframe when I played nothing but center field, but I'll play anywhere the coach will tell me to. … That is basically how I've played my whole life.
PB: How about the leadoff position? Does that have your name written all over it?
CM: That does have me written all over it. I am not the biggest guy; I have the speed to my advantage. I feel like I am a catalyst. I go out there and take a few pitches; I do have a decent two-strike approach. So, I am not afraid to hit with two strikes, and that is a very important aspect of hitting in the leadoff spot. So, I definitely feel the leadoff spot is where I usually sit.
PB: At Class-A Aberdeen in 2015, you had 33 strikeouts and 22 walks. Then, the next year at Single-A Delmarva, you recorded 101 strikeouts and 37 walks. During your second season at Delmarva, you had a lot more doubles, still a lot of triples and 14 home runs. Were the strikeouts a result of you consciously trying to be more of a run producer than a slap hitter?
CM: I wouldn't necessarily say that. I realize the strikeout-to-walk ratio is high. That's not my style of play.
PB: It looked out of character.
CM: It was. Later on in the season, I came into tune with my game style, and the strikeouts definitely cut back. It was earlier in the season; I think it took me a little longer to get into a groove, being it was my first full season. So, [I was] definitely learning how to make the adjustments.
PB: Which level do you think you should play this season?
CM: It's not up to me to decide. It's definitely up to the guys upstairs. Regardless of where I end up playing and where I end up finishing, I have to go out there and still play hard, still have to hustle, play the game right -- clean -- in order to continue to progress.
PB: Who has been your biggest influence as a baseball player?
CM: I'd say my parents, both of them. My mom was a basketball fan at the time. I started playing baseball when I was like 3, and my dad loved it. He grew up playing baseball; I think he stopped around high school. But, he always tells me, "Hey, your abilities can take you far, just keep on the grindstone." It was a funny story, when I was 3 years old, my aunt had bought me a golf-club set because of Tiger Woods being very popular at the time. And I am tossing the balls in the air and hitting them. … My dad goes to Walmart and buys a little Velcro golf set. He said, and I can't remember this, he was throwing them to me, and I was actually catching them. There aren't many 3-year-olds who could track a baseball, and I was catching them. He said he was in love with the game; I fell in love with it. And so I'd say both of my parents are my biggest influences.
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2017/03/23/orioles-add-extra-giveaway-for-2017-tag-day- participants/
Orioles Add Extra Giveaway For 2017 Tag Day Participants
CBS Baltimore March 23, 2017
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Fans who attend the Orioles Tag Day event on Saturday, March 25, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Oriole Park at Camden Yards will receive a “Smile, You’re in Birdland” t-shirt, while supplies last, as well as have a chance to win Orioles autographed memorabilia throughout the day.
Tag Day allows fans who are interested in purchasing either a full or partial Season Plan for the 2017 season an opportunity to “try out” seats before they make a purchase.
Orioles Season Plans are available in 81-game, 29-game, and 13-game packages. Purchasing a Season Plan is the only way for fans to guarantee access to Orioles Opening Day on Monday, April 3, against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The first 250 new buyers who purchase two or more seats in a new season ticket plan will receive an exclusive Orioles cooler bag. Additionally, fans who purchase a new season plan during the event will be invited to take an on-field photo with the Oriole Bird.
http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2017/03/24/yadier-molina-says-adam-jones-has-to-apologize-to-the- puerto-rican-people/
Yadier Molina says Adam Jones “has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people”
By Craig Calcaterra / NBC Sports March 24, 2017
After the U.S. won the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night, Adam Jones told a reporter that he and his teammates were motivated in part by the fact that Puerto Rico already had championship t-shirts printed up and plans for a parade/celebration in Puerto Rico in place beforehand.
Which, OK, whatever you need to motivate you, Adam, but all of that seems complicated by the fact that (a) ALL teams playing for a championship have pre-printed gear, thus enabling them to be put on moments after the final out; and (b) Puerto Rico’s celebration plans were not contingent on winning or losing. In fact, they went ahead and had a parade/celebration even though they lost. The WBC was a big deal to them in ways it simply wasn’t to the U.S., so it makes sense.
Yadier Molina of Team Puerto Rico did not take kindly to Jones’ comments. He tells ESPN Deportes this:
“Adam Jones … is talking about things he doesn’t know about,” Molina told ESPN. “He really has to get informed because he shouldn’t have said those comments, let alone in public and mocking the way [preparations] were made . . . He has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people,” Molina said. “Obviously, you wanted to win; he didn’t know what this means to [our] people.”
Kind of a messy little controversy, eh?
My feeling about it is that Jones probably didn’t know the whole story about Puerto Rico’s plans and misinterpreted celebration for arrogance. I also suspect that most players motivate themselves in all manner of irrational ways like this, but we just don’t hear about it all that much. Jones can do whatever he wants to psych himself up, but it changes the equation a bit when you talk about it to the press. Perceived slights that an athlete uses internally can seem petty once exposed to the light of day.
Either way: Jones does not have a reputation for being insulting or disrespectful, so I seriously doubt that was his intent here. I also think that, while Molina has a right to be miffed, the “he must apologize to the Puerto Rican people” thing is laying it on a bit thick. Maybe Jones can just text Molina and some P.R. players and say he was sorry, followed by a “we’re all good, man” and this can end? That makes the most sense.
If not, well, the Orioles do play the Cardinals in an interleague series this summer, so maybe we’ll see some fireworks.
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/yadier-molina-would-like-an-apology-from-adam-jones-on- behalf-of-puerto-rico/
Yadier Molina would like an apology from Adam Jones on behalf of Puerto Rico
By Matt Snyder / CBS Sports March 24, 2017
After Team USA took the World Baseball Classic championship over Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, USA center fielder Adam Jones made some comments that Puerto Rico catcher Yadier Molina didn’t appreciate.
Jones said that he and his teammates caught wind of Puerto Rico having a parade scheduled for Thursday and having T-shirts made to commemorate the championship.
The problem was that both sides already had T-shirts made and Puerto Rico’s parade was scheduled to be held whether or not they won.
Case in point: the parade went on as scheduled on Thursday.
Molina, to ESPN Deportes’ Marly Rivera, had the following to say:
“Adam Jones ... is talking about things he doesn’t know about,” Molina told ESPN. “He really has to get informed because he shouldn’t have said those comments, let alone in public and mocking the way [preparations] were made.”
“He has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people,” Molina said. “Obviously, you wanted to win; he didn’t know what this means to [our] people.”
“That’s why I’m sending a message to [Jones], saying ‘Look at this, right now you’re in spring training working out, and we’re with our people, with our silver medals,’” Molina continued. “You’re in spring training and you’re working ... you have no idea how to celebrate your honors, you don’t know what it means.”
First off, Jones was obviously off-base going public with the comments. I don’t think it’s any secret that professional (and collegiate, and high school) athletes and coaches alike use false- motivation rallying cries all the time. Remember back when almost everyone in the country was picking Alabama to beat Washington and ‘Bama was still using fake “national media” quotes?
It happens, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. Use whatever you want, within reason, to get up for the big game.
It only seems dumb when we find out about it.
Secondly, Jones has long been one of the most open and honest players in baseball. So when you get one combined with two, people find out how laughable it sounds that USA was using “T- shirts!” as a rallying cry. Again, I have no issue with it from their perspective, it’s just that many people outside that room will think it sounds dumb.
Jones probably didn’t know, however, there would be a parade if Puerto Rico lost.
Generally speaking, there aren’t parades in America for second place. Hell, there isn’t a parade scheduled for winning the WBC. That’s not a slight by any means against Puerto Rico, but a simple fact. It lines right up with what Molina said when he stated that Jones “didn’t know what this means” to the people of Puerto Rico.
On that front, my hunch is Jones will simply apologize and everyone will move on.
For those interested in possible regular-season drama, first of all, there will likely be none at all. If you disagree, though, the AL East and NL Central do indeed play each other this season. The Orioles host the Cardinals June 16-18.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/yadier-molina-adam-jones-puerto-rico-team-usa-apology- parade-wbc-championship-st-louis-cardinals-baltimore-orioles-032417
Yadier Molina wants Adam Jones to apologize to the Puerto Rican people
By Chris Bahr / Fox Sports March 24, 2017
Yadier Molina would like an apology, and the ball is in Adam Jones’ court (err … glove).
After Team USA’s 8-0 win over Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic championship game on Wednesday, Adam Jones admitted that the Americans had a little extra motivation after they heard the opposing players were planning a parade and celebration for the following day in Puerto Rico.
“Should I tell the truth? Well, before the game, we got a note that there were some championship shirts made, and we didn’t make them,” Jones said during the postgame ceremony, via MLB.com. “And a flight. That didn’t sit well with us. And a parade. That didn’t sit well with us. So we did what we had to do.”
Molina, the catcher for Puerto Rico (and the St. Louis Cardinals), took exception to Jones’ comments. He spoke to an ESPN reporter from the parade on Thursday:
“Adam Jones … is talking about things he doesn’t know about,” Molina told ESPN. “He really has to get informed because he shouldn’t have said those comments, let alone in public and mocking the way [preparations] were made.”
Jones noted that the Puerto Rico team had champion T-shirts already made up as well and that “didn’t sit well with us, so we did what we had to do.” A flight to Puerto Rico and a “caravan” and celebration already had been planned before the title game was played.
“He has to apologize to the Puerto Rican people,” Molina said. “Obviously, you wanted to win; he didn’t know what this means to [our] people.”
“That’s why I’m sending a message to [Jones], saying, ‘Look at this, right now you’re in spring training working out, and we’re with our people, with our silver medals,'” Molina continued.
“You’re in spring training and you’re working … you have no idea how to celebrate your honors, you don’t know what it means.”
Most likely, this is nothing more than a big understanding. But it’s up to Jones to squash it.
http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/03/24/spring-training-primer-fifth-starter-battle-tavarez- makes-push-dl-looming/
Spring Training Primer: Fifth-starter battle; Tavarez makes push; DL looming for some?
By Rich Dubroff / BaltimoreBaseball.com March 24, 2017
What’s happening: Center fielder Adam Jones and reliever Mychal Givens are due back in Orioles’ camp, perhaps today. Both played for Team USA, which won the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop, who played for the Netherlands, which lost to Puerto Rico in the semifinals, is also expected back.
Manny Machado and Welington Castillo, who played for the Dominican Republic, returned Wednesday. They’re not expected to play until Saturday night.
With a week left in camp, there are still some important questions to be answered. The big one: Who will be the fifth starter?
With Chris Tillman ruled out for the season’s first month, Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson and Jayson Aquino seem to be the leading candidates.
Lefty Chris Lee, who struggled through two innings Wednesday night, seems to need more time in the high minors, and Gabriel Ynoa, who is set to start Saturday night, hasn’t been able to complete three innings.
While Showalter has named Lee and Ynoa as candidates to take Tillman’s place, they haven’t shown enough consistency.
It’s also possible for Wilson or Wright to open the season in the Orioles’ bullpen. Originally, Showalter wanted the five candidates for Tillman’s spot to comprise Norfolk’s rotation, but Logan Verrett, a favorite for the long relief role, has been inconsistent, though he did throw two spotless innings Tuesday.
With Richard Bleier sent to the minors, Vidal Nuno is the only viable candidate if Showalter elects to use a third left-hander in the bullpen. Aquino is also left-handed, and Showalter is intrigued by him, but he’d prefer Aquino to start.
If the Orioles want to send right-hander Oliver Drake, who has been erratic this spring, to the minors, he’ll have to pass through waivers because he’s out of options.
What’s happened: Besides Tillman, there are now two others who could start the season on the disabled list.
Anthony Santander, who was a Rule 5 selection from the Cleveland Indians, has been idle with a right elbow injury and has yet to play the outfield.
Santander hasn’t played since March 14, and Showalter wants to see him in the outfield before making a final decision on his roster spot. In 14 games as a DH, Santander has hit .250 (7-for-28) with two long home runs.
Outfielder Seth Smith hasn’t played since March 8 due to a strained right hamstring. Smith is expected to be the starting right fielder, especially against right-handers. But if he doesn’t resume playing soon with what’s been described as a minor injury, he could begin the season on the DL.
When Smith comes back, perhaps there’ll be some clarity on the leadoff spot. In recent days, Joey Rickard has been getting more time at the top of the order.
Last year’s training camp sensation has been excellent this time around, too. Rickard is batting .385 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs. He’s also walked 12 times, has a .538 on-base percentage and has stolen four bases.
What’s up with: Aneury Tavarez. If Smith begins the season on the disabled list, it’s possible the Orioles begin 2017 with Tavarez, a Rule 5 pick from the Boston Red Sox, on the active roster.
Tavarez has stolen seven bases and been thrown out once. He’s entertaining to watch, but his outfield defense isn’t major league quality. In 23 games, Tavarez is hitting .279.
What they’re saying: “We just need to get Mychal Givens back in the fold now. … He hasn’t pitched in a while. I thought we were going to get him back early.” — Showalter on trying to get Givens on a regular routine upon his return from the WBC.
What’s the number? 6 — That’s how many hits Pedro Alvarez, who didn’t sign his minor league contract until March 13, has this spring. Alvarez is 6-for-16 (.375).
Meanwhile, Chris Davis (6-for-29) and Mark Trumbo (6-for-37) have the same number of hits in many more at-bats. Jones, who played in only six games before leaving for the WBC on March 6, also has six hits (6-for-17).
What’s the record? 13-11-2 — The Orioles will take on the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. tonight at 7:05 p.m. Wright faces Ervin Santana.
http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2017/03/23/spring-training-primer-manny-castillo-return- machado-jones-thievery-sisco-sticks-around-chris-lee-struggles/
Spring Training Primer: Manny and Castillo return; Machado on Jones’ thievery; Sisco sticks around; Chris Lee struggles
By Rich Dubroff / BaltimoreBaseball.com March 23, 2017
What’s happening: Manny Machado and Welington Castillo returned to the Orioles’ clubhouse Wednesday after playing in the World Baseball Classic. The two had a wonderful time competing for the Dominican Republic.
Manager Buck Showalter wants to make sure the pair — especially Castillo, who isn’t used to catching so many intense innings this early in the spring — doesn’t get burned out. Showalter isn’t planning on playing them until Saturday night.
For Orioles fans, and baseball fans, the moment of the tourney came on March 18 when Adam Jones stole a home run from Machado, leaping high above the center field fence to make a spectacular catch.
“He’s a great player. He’s representing his country, trying to do everything, laying it out on the field every day like he does when he’s here,” Machado said of Jones. “He made a hell of a catch. I mean, it was unbelievable. It was one of the best catches I’ve ever seen him make or ever seen being made.”
Before Wednesday’s contest against Tampa Bay, Showalter said he toyed with the idea of inserting Castillo into the game to catch Brad Brach and Zach Britton, who pitched the fourth and sixth innings, respectively. But he nixed that idea.
“I think I have a really good idea on everybody here. Even if I hadn’t caught them a lot. It’s not going to take a long time to figure it out,” Castillo said. “I feel like I’m in good shape with the pitching staff, but every day you learn something new from them.”
What’s happened: Left-hander Chris Lee basically removed himself from the fifth starter competition by posting a rough two innings Wednesday night.
Lee, whom Showalter says is competing against Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Gabriel Ynoa and Jayson Aquino for the slot that the Orioles hope is temporarily vacant because of Chris Tillman’s sore shoulder, threw 55 pitches and allowed two runs on five hits.
“Overall, I feel like I didn’t finish enough. It’s something you can’t dwell on,” Lee said. “Be more efficient next time.”
Left-handed pitcher Richard Bleier was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and right-hander Zach Stewart was reassigned to minor league camp Wednesday. The moves leave the Orioles with 42 players in major league camp.
Ryan Flaherty, who hasn’t played since March 13 with a sore right shoulder, is set to return Friday. Seth Smith, who last played on March 8, remains out with a strained right hamstring.
What’s up with: Chance Sisco. The organization’s top prospect was kept in Orioles’ camp while two veteran catchers with major league experience, Francisco Pena and Audry Perez, were reassigned to minor league camp.
With only Castillo and Caleb Joseph remaining, Sisco will get plenty of action behind the plate.
“We’re not going to keep him here unless we can catch him,” Showalter said. “And that’s what we can do now.”
Sisco, who has only played four games at Triple-A, is expected to begin the season in Norfolk. But, for now, he’s still with the Orioles.
“He’s going to come in and catch three or four innings almost every day,” Showalter said. “The experience he’s getting here is immeasurable. We’re not going to keep him here unless this is the best thing for his development. Everybody’s in agreement the more time he can spend in this environment, the better off it will be for him down the road.”
Sisco hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning of Wednesday night’s 7-4 win over the Rays. The left-handed hitter’s homer smacked the left field foul pole.
“That was legit. I think that ball would have hit our foul pole in Baltimore,” Showalter said.
What they’re saying: “One hundred percent. Sign me up already. Right now. It was just unbelievable, the whole experience.” — Machado on whether he would play in the WBC again.
What’s the number? 61 — It has nothing to do with Roger Maris. It’s the team-leading number of at-bats Chris Johnson has, which are 14 more than Hyun Soo Kim’s and Trey Mancini’s 47. Johnson hit his second home run of the spring Wednesday night.
What’s the record? 13-11-2 — After today’s off day, the Orioles will take on the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers, Fla. on Friday night.