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Friday, November 20, 2015

Columns:  Orioles must protect for today: Chris Lee, Andrew Triggs among possibilities The Sun 11/20  Manny Machado finishes fourth in AL MVP balloting, far ahead of Orioles MVP The Sun 11/19  No second-guessing here, just congratulations to Jake Arrieta for winning the Cy Young Award The Sun 11/19  Inbox: Besides rotation, what's on O's to-do list? MLB.com 11/19  More from Duquette, Machado's fourth-place finish and the 40-man roster MASNsports.com 11/20  Machado places fourth, Davis 14th in AL MVP balloting MASNsports.com 11/19  Some Chris Davis and 40-man roster talk MASNsports.com 11/20  Manny Machado finishes fourth in AL MVP voting CSN Mid-Atlantic 11/19  MLB schedules two additional games on opening Sunday CSN Mid-Atlantic 11/19  UPDATE: Braves interested in Darren O’Day and Matt Thornton NBCsports.com 11/19  Report: Dodgers pursuing Darren O’Day “big time” NBCsports.com 11/19  Orioles have talked to Pirates about Neil Walker NBCsports.com 11/19  Rumor Buy or Sell: Chris Davis a good fit for the Astros CBSsports.com 11/19  Peoria notes: O's Garcia wraps unlikely year MiLB.com 11/19

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-os-protect-for-rule-5-draft-today-lee-triggs- among-possibilities-machado-mvp-note-20151119-story.html

Orioles must protect for Rule 5 draft today: Chris Lee, Andrew Triggs among possibilities

By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun November 20, 2015

Tonight at 11:59 p.m. is the deadline for the Orioles to set their 40-man roster ahead of next month’s Rule 5 draft, and the club likely will protect a couple of additional minor leaguers since their roster is currently at 37.

In their continual goal to stockpile arms, it would be a surprise if the Orioles didn’t protect two they acquired last season: left-hander Chris Lee and right-hander Andrew Triggs.

Lee, 23, was obtained from the in May for two international bonus slots. A former fourth-round draft pick of the Astros, Lee was 3-6 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 starts at High-A Frederick and 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in seven starts with Double-A Bowie.

Triggs, 26, was purchased from the in April. The 6-foot-4 reliever was 0-2 with 17 saves and a 1.03 ERA in 43 games with Bowie.

If they are placed on the 40-man roster, other teams will not be able to claim them in the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 10.

To be eligible for that draft, a player must not be on a 40-man roster and has to have played four pro seasons (if 18 or younger on the June 5 before signing his first contract) or three seasons (if 19 or older on the June 5 before his first contract).

So, pitching prospects such as Hunter Harvey (three seasons since being drafted at 18) and Dylan Bundy (already on the 40-man) are not eligible to be drafted away in December. Left-hander ChrisJones was added to the 40-man earlier this month, ahead of the deadline.

Perhaps the most recognizable name in the Orioles organization that could be left off the 40-man tonight is right-hander Parker Bridwell, a 24-year-old right-hander who was 4-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 18 starts for Bowie in 2015. A former ninth-rounder out of a Texas high school in 2010, he has had an uneven minor leaguer career, but has long been considered a solid talent.

Former second-rounder Branden Kline, who underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in October, is not expected to be protected. The same goes for lefty reliever Ashur Tolliver, who pitched well for Bowie (1-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 39 games) and re-signed a minor league deal this offseason.

Infielder Adrian Marin, 21, has impressed scouts during his stint in the Arizona Fall League this year, but his lack of offense in the minors (.235 average in his past two seasons at High-A) probably will stop teams from taking a big league chance on him this year.

The Orioles have done a solid job managing their protections in past years, gambling correctly, for instance, that reliever Mychal Givens would not be drafted last offseason and that catcher would slip through in the 2013 draft.

If a player is selected in the Rule 5 draft, he must stay on the drafting team’s 25-man roster (or disabled list) all year or be offered back to the original team.

In other Orioles’ news, third baseman Manny Machado finished fourth in the American League MVP voting that was announced Thursday.

Machado’s name was on 27 of the 30 ballots submitted by The Writers' Association of America. He received 158 total points, trailing only Josh Donaldson (385 points), Mike Trout (304) and Lorenzo Cain (225).

Machado received four third-place votes, 11 for fourth, five for fifth, three for ninth and one each for sixth, seventh, eighth and 10th.

This marks the second time in the past three seasons that an Oriole has placed in the top four for AL MVP. First baseman Chris Davis came in third in 2013 after leading the league with 53 homers. Center fielder placed sixth in the 2012 balloting.

Davis, who led the majors with 47 homers in 2015, also received votes this year, placing 14th with 32 total points. He received five votes for seventh place and two each for eighth, ninth and 10th. Former Oriole Nelson Cruz was sixth overall with 94 points, including the lone second-place vote that did not go to Donaldson or Trout.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-manny-machado-finishes-fourth-in- american-league-mvp-ballotting-far-ahead-of-os-mvp-chris-davis-20151119-story.html

Manny Machado finishes fourth in AL MVP balloting, far ahead of Orioles MVP Chris Davis

By Peter Shmuck / The Baltimore Sun November 19, 2015

Orioles third baseman Manny Machado finished a solid fourth in the balloting for American League MVP, which is only surprising when you consider that he finished second in the voting for Orioles MVP this year.

American League home king Chris Davis was named Orioles MVP in a vote of the local media, but he finished a distant 14th in the AL MVP vote by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). Of course, Toronto Blue Jays third baseman -- and Machado nemesis -- Josh Donaldson easily won the award and was followed in the voting by finalists Mike Trout and Lorenzo Cain.

Machado played in all 162 games and batted .286 with 102 runs, 35 homers and 86 RBIs. He also made the All-Star team and won his second Gold Glove at third base.

Davis led the majors with 47 home runs and also drove in 117 runs, but BBWAA voters apparently focused more than the Baltimore media on his major league-leading 208 . It marked only the fifth time a player has struck out more than 200 times in a season.

Nevertheless, Davis is expected to strike gold this winter in free agency. Machado will have to wait a while to maximize his earning potential, but is eligible for salary arbitration.

Donaldson, who batted .297, 41 homers, led the majors with 122 runs and the AL with 123 RBIs, received 23 first-place votes and Trout received the other seven. They combined for all but one of the second-place votes -- the outlier going to Nelson Cruz, who finished sixth overall. Machado received four third-place votes and 11 fourth-place votes.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck-blog/bal-no-secondguessing-here-just- congratulations-to-jake-arrieta-for-winning-the-cy-young-award-20151119-story.html

No second-guessing here, just congratulations to Jake Arrieta for winning the Cy Young Award

By Peter Shmuck / The Baltimore Sun November 19, 2015

Since nobody should be surprised that Jake Arrieta won the National League Cy Young Award, there's really no reason for Baltimore fans to recharge the debate about his failure to launch with the Orioles.

Let's just be happy for a nice young man who faced a mountain of frustration here and brought some of it on himself.

Arrieta arrived in the Orioles organization brimming with confidence that he had not yet earned, which rankled some teammates and put extra pressure on him to develop into an elite starting .

The talent was always there. Everybody could see that. But Arrieta had a large bone chip in his elbow and, clearly, needed time to fulfill the outsized expectations placed on him by himself and his team. He always had terrific stuff and yet he never managed an ERA under 4.66 in parts of four major league seasons in Baltimore.

Was that because the Orioles failed to figure out what made him tick?

Partly.

Was it because Arrieta was impeded by the large calcium mass in his elbow?

Partly.

Was it because Arrieta had some serious growing up to do from an emotional and self-analytical standpoint?

Certainly.

There's really no reason to second-guess anybody. Arrieta finally rediscovered himself in the organization and the season he had this year was truly amazing. He was 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA and 16-1 down the stretch with a no-hitter. Truly amazing.

The fact that he seemed to turn the page as soon as he was traded to Chicago allows for some wonderment about what held him back in Baltimore, but it's not productive. He was simply a late bloomer and he needed a change of scenery to fully flower.

He should bask in that all offseason and cash in on his second year of arbitration eligibility. He deserves whatever he gets.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/157700442/what-are-dan-duquette-orioles-priorities

Inbox: Besides rotation, what's on O's to-do list?

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com November 19, 2015

With the less than three weeks away, let's take a look at your most common and pressing Orioles questions.

If starting pitching is the top priority -- and assuming Dan Duquette addresses that -- what does the rest of the to-do list look like? -- Scott L., Falls Church, Va.

Duquette was pretty clear on a conference call earlier in the week about his priorities: pitching, the outfield and a continued interested in Chris Davis. And while the Orioles are already working to upgrade their rotation, there's no specific order for how Duquette's list will be fulfilled, particularly considering the team has just one outfielder slotted in: center fielder Adam Jones. The corner-outfield positions were a sore spot in 2015, as manager Buck Showalter rotated players, trying to get some production a year removed from losing Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis.

Davis remains a top priority, but it would be hard to envision his potential signing coming at the expense of adding a starter, particularly since the Orioles missed out on the postseason this year without a good rotation, but with Davis in the lineup. The key is the pitching and finding a way to add another dimension to the offense, which is why Duquette has stressed the importance of finding hitters with strong on-base capabilities.

I read that the Orioles have interest in trading for second baseman Neil Walker. What does that mean for Jonathan Schoop? -- Chris M., Columbia, Md.

The O's are set at second base with Schoop, but their interest in the Pirates' Walker (reported by MASNSports.com) poses an interesting question. From the Bucs' point of view, it makes sense: General manager Neal Huntington has said Pittsburgh will consider trading all its players with one year of control left, including Walker. On Wednesday, Huntington said Walker's availability isn't related to whether or not injured Bucs infielder Jung Ho Kang will be ready to start the year.

So we know Walker is out there, if the offer's right. But the Orioles would be an odd fit since they have -- and like -- Schoop at second base. Perhaps Baltimore could use Walker as a first baseman/designated hitter, and he would provide insurance in the event that the O's don't re-sign Davis.

With Dylan Bundy being shut down early from the Arizona Fall League, what are your expectations of him helping the team in 2016? -- Dan R., Washington, D.C.

Bundy will get every opportunity to be part of the Orioles' 25-man roster next spring. I've written this several times, but here it is again: If the right-hander doesn't make the Major League team, he'll risk being lost on waivers since he's out of options.

How is Bundy already out of Minor League options? Because he was added to the 40-man roster upon signing as part of his contract, a move that handcuffs the Orioles. The best-case scenario is that Bundy arrives a full-go in Spring Training and makes the team as a piece. The O's hope shutting him down in the AFL (forearm muscle strain) will allow him enough time to rest and recover.

What are your thoughts on Jake Arrieta winning the National League Cy Young Award? -- Kara M., Baltimore

I don't get a vote, but I was happy to hear the news. Arrieta was always friendly and approachable, and there's not much more you can ask for as a beat reporter. His success has been hard earned and, as tough as it is for O's fans to swallow, probably wasn't going to happen in Baltimore. Some guys need a fresh slate, and Arrieta got that. I think if some of the Orioles' younger pitchers -- and the rotation as a whole -- had performed better last season, Arrieta's success would be less of a thorn.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/11/more-from-duquette-machados-fourth- place-finish-and-the-40-man-roster.html

More from Duquette, Machado's fourth-place finish and the 40-man roster

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 20, 2015

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette didn't reveal much yesterday on "The Mid- Atlantic Sports Report" on MASN beyond confirming that the club remains interested in re- signing Chris Davis, Darren O'Day and Steve Pearce, three names that were floated during his interview.

Is Duquette more or less confident now that he can retain Davis?

"I don't know if I can handicap these things," he said. "Chris has had some good years in Baltimore and we like having him here. We're trying. Who knows once the market starts working where things are going to go, but I really enjoy watching Chris, I know our fans enjoy watching him and hopefully we'll be able to watch him a few more years in Baltimore."

The Dodgers reportedly are making an aggressive push for O'Day, the top reliever on the market who's seeking a four-year deal in the $28-$36 million range.

"From what I've been reading and hearing, there's a lot of interest in Darren from other clubs and we'll have to see how that plays out," Duquette said. "He's had some good years with the Orioles. We've been talking to him. I know he likes it here."

Pearce could land a two-year deal despite appearing in only 92 games and having his slash line go from .293/.373/.556 in 2014 to .218/.289/.422 this summer.

"Steve's got the good power and we like him on our team, obviously," Duquette said. "Our fans like him. They did a bobblehead, right? A Steve Pearce bobblehead the last day of the season. I thought it looked more like Paul Janish.

"Pearce has had one outstanding year and that was 2014, and the other years he's done his work, but he hasn't had the kind of year he had in 2014, and I know he was disappointed in the year he had in '15. But we like Steve and he's another guy we've talked to about the possibility of coming back."

Duquette repeated that he's searching for pitchers and outfielders. The need for catching depth ended with Matt Wieters accepting the $15.8 million qualifying offer.

Chris Tillman and Miguel Gonzalez need bounce-back seasons and Duquette is counting on it. Tillman's ERA jumped from 3.34 in 2014 to 4.99 in 2015, his WHIP from 1.230 to 1.387. His dropped from 207 1/3 to 173. Gonzalez's ERA jumped from 3.23 to 4.91, his WHIP from 1.296 to 1.396. His innings dropped from 159 to 144 2/3.

"Miguel had an injury there that bothered him and Chris Tillman had some aches and pains that he won't admit to or use as an excuse, but I think that bothered him a little bit," Duquette said. "They didn't have the kind of years that we were hoping they'd have. Maybe with some time off they'll be able to come back and have the kind of years that they've established for themselves in the big leagues. But beyond that, we know we also have to add to our pitching staff.

"The good thing is we've always had a pretty solid bullpen here and I think we'll be able to have a good bullpen again next year."

Duquette was asked whether he's looking for a younger outfielder with upside that the team can control or a short-term solution who fills a hole.

"We'd like to get more everyday players in left and right," Duquette replied. "We've got a couple guys coming up from the minors who we might be able to give a shot to, (Dariel) Alvarez. We got (Gerardo) Parra to fill in. But we're still looking around.

"The good news about the outfield is there's pretty good depth around the outfield in baseball that's available. I'm pretty sure we're going to be able to get a couple."

* Manny Machado finished fourth in voting for Most Valuable Player in the American League, 10 spots ahead of Davis. I always felt good about choosing Machado for Most Valuable Oriole and last night's results provided further confirmation.

No knock on Davis, of course, but Machado should have won MVO. (I also think Davis should have finished higher than 14th last night.)

I'm reminded again of how Machado showed up on the last day of the minicamp in January and insisted that both knees were good, that he would be full-go in spring training and would play on .

He may have left out the part about playing in all 162 games. I'd have to go back and check my notes.

It was a big deal when Machado simulated running out a double and when he began moving side to side on ground balls at third base. Now the media will need to fixate on someone else next year.

* The Orioles must set their 40-man roster tonight and protect players eligible for the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 10 in Nashville.

The roster currently holds 37 players and the Orioles figure to leave at least one spot open in order to make a selection next month. You know it's coming. It's just a question of whether they take a pitcher or position player.

Minor leaguers are eligible for selection if they were signed at age 19 or older and have been in the organization for four years, or were signed at 18 or younger and have been in the organization for five years.

My colleague, Steve Melewski, provided the list of players who are eligible to be taken in the draft:

Nick Additon, LHP Rochendrick Alexander, OF Michael Almanzar, 3B Derrick Bleeker, RHP Parker Bridwell, RHP Cesar Cabral, LHP Anthony Caronia, SS Glynn Davis, OF Alexander De La Cruz, C Fernando Escarra, RHP Gene Escat, RHP David Frietas, C Santiago Garrido, RHP Luis Gonzalez, LHP Miguel Gonzalez, RHP Ivan Hernandez, RHP Francisco Jimenez, RHP Corban Joseph, 2B Branden Kline, RHP Adam Kolarek, LHP Oswill Lartiguez, OF Quincy Latimore, OF Lu Franc-cito LeFranc, RHP Ronarsy Ledesma, INF Chris Lee, LHP Ozzie Martinez, SS Cesar Medina, RHP Yermin Mercedes, C Alirio Negrette, LHP Chris Obrien, C Bennett Parry, LHP Audry Perez, C Elias Pinales, LHP David Richardson, RHP Daniel Rodriguez, LHP Ramon Rodriguez, RHP Richard Rodriguez, RHP Garabez Rosa, SS William Russell, C Aderlin Santa, 3B Wynston Sawyer, C Janser Severino, RHP Matt Taylor, LHP Ashur Tolliver, LHP Dennis Torres, RHP Andrew Triggs, RHP Austin Urban, RHP Sebastian Vader, RHP Brady Wager, RHP Michael Zouzalik, RHP

Bridwell (No. 20), Kline (22) and Bleeker (27) are ranked in MLB.com's organizational Top 30, but they're expected to remain unprotected. Kline underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow last month.

Lee, 23, appears to be the most likely player protected after registering a 3.07 ERA in 14 starts at Single-A Frederick and a 3.08 ERA in seven starts at Double-A Bowie. He allowed only one in a combined 114 1/3 innings. The reports on him are extremely favorable and manager Buck Showalter has praised him this year.

Triggs, 26, is another candidate after registering a 1.03 ERA and 0.869 WHIP in 61 innings over 43 relief appearances with Bowie. He was 17-for-17 in opportunities, walked 11 and struck out 70. Another guy who caught Showalter's eye this summer when the manager made a stop at Prince George's Stadium.

I passed along the following assessment from a scout last month who watched Triggs at Bowie and said his club should be interested:

"He has a funky, deceptive crossfire delivery with command of a sinker/slider combination," the scout said. "Similar in style to Darren O'Day. All he does is locate and get the job done. A late mature."

The Orioles valued Martinez's defense at Bowie, just as they did Paul Janish's glove work at Triple-A Norfolk, but he isn't expected to crack the 40-man.

Perhaps a team that scouted Rosa will give him a shot in a utility role. He plays every position.

And before you ask, not that Miguel Gonzalez. This is Miguel E. Gonzalez, a right-hander signed in September 2014 by Fred Ferreira and Calvin Maduro. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/11/machado-places-fourth-and-davis-14th-in- al-mvp-balloting.html

Machado places fourth, Davis 14th in AL MVP balloting

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 19, 2015

Though the Orioles were shut out this year in the Baseball Writers' Association of America awards, third baseman Manny Machado and first baseman Chris Davis gained a measure of notice.

Machado placed fourth tonight for Most Valuable Player in the American League, while Davis finished 14th. Machado received four third-place votes, 11 fourth, five fifth, one sixth, one seventh, one eighth, three ninth and one 10th for 158 total points. Davis received five seventh- place votes, two eighth, two ninth and two 10th for 32 points.

You can see the full results of the balloting here.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson finished first, as expected, followed by Angels center fielder Mike Trout and Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain. Donaldson received 23 first place votes and Trout received seven.

Rounding out the top 10 were Machado, Dallas Keuchel, former Oriole Nelson Cruz, Adrian Beltre, Jose Bautista, David Price and Jose Altuve.

Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira each garnered one 10th place vote.

The third-place votes for Machado came from Evan Drellich and Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle, Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports and Pedro Moura of the Orange County Register. Three writers didn't include Machado on their ballots, where 10 players are chosen: Chris Assenheimer of the The Chronicle Telegram (Cleveland chapter), George King III of the New York Post and Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.

Davis placed third in 2013 after leading the majors in home runs and RBIs, and Machado finished ninth.

Cal Ripken Jr. is the last Oriole to be named AL MVP back in 1991.

Machado, the only player in the majors to appear in every game this season, batted .286/.359/.502 with 30 doubles, 35 home runs, 86 RBIs and 102 runs scored.

Machado notched the seventh 20/20 season (home runs and stolen bases) in club history and the second 30/20 season, joining current team executive Brady Anderson.

A free agent after 4 1/2 seasons with the Orioles, Davis batted .262/.361/.562 this year with 31 doubles, 47 home runs, 117 RBIs, 84 walks and 208 strikeouts in 160 games. His 117 RBIs ranked third in the majors and his .562 slugging percentage ranked seventh.

Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper was the seventh NL player to win MVP unanimously. Former Orioles pitcher Jake Arrieta finished sixth a day after taking home the NL Cy Young Award.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/11/some-chris-davis-and-some-40-man-roster- talk.html

Some Chris Davis and 40-man roster talk

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com November 20, 2015

Are the Orioles facing a possible either/or scenario with first baseman Chris Davis? Are they looking at a situation where they can either sign him or not sign him and add two or more players with that money?

Recently, we looked at an early projection for an Orioles 2015 payroll. With the club looking for starting pitching and outfield help, not to mention possibly re-signing Davis and maybe more of their own free agents, it seems it will be hard to do all that and still keep the payroll in the range it has been in the last few years.

So does that bring them to a tough decision on Davis? They could offer him a long-term deal at an average annual value of say $22 to $25 million per season. Or maybe they spread that amount over two or three players. Would that be the better play here?

There is risk in signing any player long-term: an injury or a player's performance declining during the life of the contract. So does that mean there would be less risk in spreading those dollars to two or three players? Would the club get more help with multiple players rather than a huge investment in just one?

Meanwhile, later today the Orioles must set their 40-man roster in advance of the Dec. 10 Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings. Players added to the 40-man today cannot be taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft. It was around this time last season when the Orioles added four pitchers from their farm system to the 40-man: Oliver Drake, Mike Wright, and Eddie Gamboa. They did not add Mychal Givens. He could have been taken by any team in last year's Rule 5 draft, but was not selected.

Today, the most likely O's minor leaguer to get added looks like left-handed pitcher Chris Lee. The Orioles acquired him May 18 in a trade with Houston, the club that drafted him in the fourth round in 2011. Lee throws a that showed velocity gains this year and touches the mid 90s.

Lee, who turned 23 in August, went 3-6 with a 3.07 ERA in 14 starts with Single-A Frederick after the trade and went 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in seven starts for Double-A Bowie. He should start next season in the Bowie rotation with a chance to move up to Triple-A.

Among some others the organization could take a hard look at adding to the 40-man are left- handed pitcher Ashur Tolliver and right-handers Parker Bridwell and Andrew Triggs.

Tolliver, who will be 28 by opening day, went 1-2 with an ERA of 2.91 out of the Bowie bullpen. In 58 2/3 innings, he walked 29 and fanned 61.

Bridwell went 4-5 with a 3.99 ERA in 18 starts at Bowie this year. The 24-year-old Bridwell saw his 2015 season ended a month early due to elbow tendinitis. He had a platelet-rich plasma injection, resumed throwing, felt good and is expected to be fine for spring training.

Triggs, who pitches from a low-three quarters arm slot and can touch the low 90s, went 0-2 with an ERA of 1.03 and 17 saves in 17 chances for Bowie. In 61 innings, he walked 11 and fanned 70. The 26-year-old was drafted in Round 19 by Kansas City in 2012 out of USC. Triggs was a Double-A Texas League All-Star in 2014 when he led the league with 19 saves.

With Darren O'Day potentially leaving the Orioles, I think Triggs' chances to get added to the 40-man have increased. We know how Buck Showalter likes relievers that throw from unique arm slots.

I will predict that Lee is most likely to get added today followed by Triggs, Bridwell and Tolliver. There are certainly others the club could be looking at. This is just my best guess at four candidates. It it worth noting that several key minor league players don't yet have enough service time and cannot be taken in the Rule 5 - a list that would include players like Trey Mancini, Chance Sisco and Jomar Reyes. So they do not yet need to be added to the 40-man.

Going into today, the Orioles have 37 players on their 40-man roster.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/manny-machado-finishes-fourth-al-mvp-voting

Manny Machado finishes fourth in AL MVP voting

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic November 19, 2015

Toronto’s Josh Donaldson won the American League Most Valuable Player Award. Donaldson had 23 first place votes while Los Angeles’ Mike Trout, who won the MVP last year, earned six first place votes.

Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain finished third.

Manny Machado finished fourth and Chris Davis 14th.

Donaldson, who was eighth in the 2014 MVP voting, was traded last November to the Blue Jays from Oakland. He batted .297 with 41 home runs and a league-leading 123 RBIs. Donaldson also led the American League with 122 runs.

Trout has finished second three times in the last four years.

Donaldson was named on all 30 ballots and received seven second place votes. Trout received 22 second place votes and one third place vote. Cain was the only other player who was named on all 30 ballots.

Houston’s Dallas Keuchel, who won the AL Cy Young award on Wednesday, finished fifth.

Seattle’s Nelson Cruz received the one second place vote that didn’t go to Donaldson or Trout. Cruz finished sixth.

Thirty-three players received at least one vote. The Royals’ Kendrys Morales received one vote-- for fourth.

Alex Rodriguez received one 10th place vote.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/mlb-schedules-two-additional-games-opening- sunday

MLB schedules two additional games on opening Sunday

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic November 19, 2015

For the first time, there will be three games on the Sunday preceding the traditional Monday opener.

For years, ESPN has been televising a Sunday night game to open the season. This year, two games have been added on Sunday Apr. 3.

The Sunday night opener is a rematch of the World Series as the Kansas City Royals host the New York Mets.

On Sunday at 1:05 p.m., the St. Louis Cardinals visit the , and at 4:05 p.m., it’s the Toronto Blue Jays at the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Orioles’ opener remains on Monday Apr. 4 at 3:05 p.m. against the .

The Nationals will open in Atlanta on Apr. 4 against the Braves. It will be the last Opening Day at Turner Field.

Ironically, the Nationals appearance on a Sunday night opener came on March 30, 2008 when Atlanta helped open Nationals Park. Ryan Zimmerman won that one with a game-ending home run.

The Orioles played the on Sunday night Apr. 4. Sidney Ponson defeated Pedro Martinez.

Major League Baseball also announced that the Pirates will play the Miami Marlins in San Juan, Puerto Rico on May 30-31. May 31 is Roberto Clemente Day in baseball. These are the first scheduled games in Puerto Rico since 2010.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/11/19/report-braves-interested-in-darren-oday-and-matt-thornton/

UPDATE: Braves interested in Darren O’Day and Matt Thornton

By D.J. Short / NBCsports.com November 19, 2015

UPDATE: Well, that didn’t take long. Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes that while the Braves might have had initial interest in O’Day, it has “evaporated” as his asking price has risen.

11:04 p.m. ET: The Braves are in rebuild mode and don’t exactly fit the profile of a team who appears likely to invest in their bullpen this offseason, but FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthalis hearing otherwise.

“The Braves, according to major-league sources, are pursuing at least two free-agent relievers – right-hander Darren O’Day and lefty Matt Thornton.

“In fact, rival teams involved in the bidding for O’Day believe that the Braves might wind up making him the highest offer.”

That’s a pretty significant statement, as O’Day is said to be asking for a four-year deal in the range of $28-36 million. Braves general manager John Coppolella was adamant that the team isn’t “tanking” in an interview with Bob Nightengale of USA Today earlier this week, so perhaps this pursuit is a response to the recent criticism. It might also change the conversation a little bit from a spending perspective, which can only help with the MLBPA. O’Day could be an option at closer for the Braves, though Arodys Vizcaino was pretty good in the role down the stretch this season.

Thornton won’t be nearly as a pricey. The 39-year-old southpaw posted a 2.09 ERA and 23/11 K/BB ratio over 41 1/3 innings with the Nationals this season. He’s more of a specialist at this point in his career.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/11/19/report-dodgers-pursuing-darren-oday-big-time/

Report: Dodgers pursuing Darren O’Day “big time”

By D.J. Short / NBCsports.com November 19, 2015

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Wednesday that Darren O'Day asking for a four-year deal in the range of $28-36 million. At the top of a weak free agent class for relievers, it’s increasingly likely that he’ll get it.

According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the Dodgers are pursuing O’Day “big time.” With their resources, they have the ability outbid anyone for a player they really want. And there’s an obvious need for the Dodgers in front of stud closer Kenley Jansen. The bridge to the ninth is pretty shaky right now.

Such a contract for a reliever seems crazy on the surface, but it’s hard to say that O’Day doesn’t deserve it. Aside from an injury-plagued season in 2011, the 33-year-old sidearmer has been one of the game’s best relievers dating back to 2009. He owns a 1.92 ERA with 9.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 over the past four seasons while making at least 68 appearances in all of them. Competition for his services should be fierce.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/11/19/orioles-have-talked-to-pirates-about-neil-walker/

Orioles have talked to Pirates about Neil Walker

By Aaron Gleeman / NBCsports.com November 19, 2015

Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker will be a free agent next offseason, making him a potential trade candidate, and Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles have talked to the Pirates about acquiring the 30-year-old switch-hitter.

Encina says it’s unclear how far along talks got, but if nothing else it suggests the Pirates are willing to move Walker for the right price. He’s expected to make around $10 million in 2016 via arbitration after hitting .269 with 16 homers and a .756 OPS in 151 games this year.

Walker has spent his entire professional career in the Pirates organization. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft out of high school, cracked Baseball America’s annual top-100 prospects list four times, and has been the team’s starting second baseman since 2010.

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/25380999/rumor-buy-or-sell-chris-davis-a-good- fit-for-the-astros

Rumor Buy or Sell: Chris Davis a good fit for the Astros

By Matt Snyder / CBSsports.com November 19, 2015

The rumor: Here's a fun little nugget on the Astros and free agent Chris Davis.

OK, now let's take note of Olney's wording here. He notes that the Astros are looking at first basemen this offseason. That's reasonable. He also notes that some see Davis as a natural fit for the Astros, given how much they love power and don't worry about high- players. This is true.

What Olney didn't say was that the Astros were looking specifically at Davis. So we shouldn't go overboard and make that assumption. It's connecting some dots, which isn't bad. It's just not "hey, the Astros are trying to sign Davis!" because that might not be true.

Got it? Good!

Other reports: Earlier this month, Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle said the following:

Astros owner Jim Crane has vowed to open the purse strings a bit more this winter, but it remains to be seen if the Astros will shop in the premium market, the middle market of the bargain basement.

He then mentions Davis as one of five targets *if* the Astros decide to go big.

The Orioles have been mentioned multiple times in Davis reports, as they'd love to bring him back and believe they have the money to do so. Otherwise most of what we've seen revovling around Davis is speculative.

There has been no specific report that the Astros will pursue Chris Davis, but it's a tight-lipped front office. Why would they want everyone to know who they like?

The fit: Chris Davis has led the majors in home runs in two of the last three seasons. He hit 33 in 515 at-bats in 2012 and even had 26 in his relatively terrible 2014 campaign. The biggest downside to Davis is that he'll strike out a lot. He led the majors with 208 Ks last season and even struck out 199 times when he finished third in AL MVP voting in 2013.

The Astros were second in the majors in home runs in 2015 and have shown they aren't worried about strikeouts, as only the Cubs struck out in a higher percentage of plate appearances last season. So they'll take the Ks with the bombs.

First base is a position where the Astros could stand to upgrade as well as the place Davis is probably best-suited to play moving forward. Chris Carter in 129 games last season hit .199/.307/.427 with 24 home runs. He had 37 homers in 2014, but overall he really appears to be a poor-man's Chris Davis. Davis is only one year older and has a much better career ledger to date.

Buy or sell: This is a real tough call because we haven't seen this front office heading into an offseason looking to spend big money and we can't be positive they will this time around.

We can try to guess. And my guess is they would if they thought the player was the right fit.

Look, Astros fans are finally excited about baseball again. That team was six outs from the ALCS. It's a young and very exciting team. The 2015 season can be viewed as only the beginning. This means increased revenues moving forward.

Meanwhile, the Astros' salary commitments moving forward are very low. Baseball- reference.com estimates that only $51.5 million is set for the 2017 roster with less than $20M in salary and estimations on pre-arb and arbitration salaries. The 2018 books show only $3 million in guaranteed salary right now with estimations on pre-arb and arbitration salaries pushing it to $51 million.

It's more complicated with figuring in possible extensions to young stars, but the basic bottom line here is the Astros can easily afford to throw $20 million-plus per season at one player and probably still have room to add more, especially if they go low this season and backload the deal a bit.

Again, we don't yet know how this new-school front office will operate under the conditions of winning, but I'm going to buy them eventually making a push for Davis.

http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20151119&content_id=157643746&fext=.jsp&vke y=news_milb&sid=milb

Peoria notes: O's Garcia wraps unlikely year Baltimore righty reflects on Rule 5 trade, Majors and goals in Arizona

By Danny Wild / MiLB.com November 19, 2015

Jason Garcia was just hoping to reach Advanced a year ago when his phone rang. It was Dan Duquette, general manager of the .

"It's crazy how it happened, how it all went down," said Garcia. "Completely crazy. I would have never thought it would have come about like this."

At the time, Garcia was a Red Sox prospect who'd spent most of his career at Class A. The 2010 17th-round pick was optimistic Boston would bump him up to the this spring.

"I was a little upset with how I finished [2014]," Garcia said. "I was going to just go to instructs and show them my stuff was good enough for a higher level and put myself in position for High- A or Double-A. But [Salem pitching coach] Paul Abbott talked to me a lot, he told me, 'You never know, you never know who's watching, even when there's no one around.'"

The Orioles reportedly saw glimpses of Garcia last year and concocted an unusual plan: They asked the Houston Astros to select Garcia in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft and then paid $25,000 in a trade for the right-hander later that day. The Red Sox lost a prospect, the Astros got their money, the Orioles got their man, and on Dec. 11, Garcia got that phone call from Duquette.

"I didn't even find out until I got traded to the Orioles and I got a call from Duquette," Garcia said, "I was kind of lost."

But nearly 12 months later, Garcia is still wearing an Orioles uniform. He survived an unusual year, splitting his time between Baltimore and Double-A Bowie, and is now with Peoria in the Arizona Fall League for some extra work. After spending three seasons as a reliever, he's started all six of his outings this fall with the Javelinas.

"It was definitely an eye-opening experience," he said. "It's a completely different game being up there from where I played. Just the atmosphere alone, but it was overall a great experience. I learned a lot. I'm excited to see what I do with it all next year."

Being a Rule 5 pick, Baltimore had to keep Garcia on its Major League roster for at least 90 days in 2015 or be forced to offer him back to Houston. Before 2015, Garcia had never even pitched above Class A.

"My agent told me last year that I would probably go to High-A, and I was pumped for it," he said.

Instead, it was the Majors. Garcia said he wasn't expecting it, but he felt he was prepared to face Major League hitters. He appeared in eight games through May, owning a 5.93 ERA and eight strikeouts in 13 2/3 innings. Baltimore placed him on the disabled list on May 11 with right shoulder tendinitis. He was transferred to the 60-day DL in June and spent the maximum number of days rehabbing in the Minors with Bowie, where he was 1-2 with a 4.20 ERA in nine games. He struck out 14 in 15 innings in the Eastern League before coming back up to finish the year at Camden Yards.

"Being on the DL, I kind of knew already what kind of mind-set I needed, coming off of Tommy John surgery," he said. "I thought of it as a way to better myself. Going to Bowie and working with Millsy (pitching coach Alan Mills), I was excited. My experience there -- I had a great time with those guys. They had a lot of good players and I learned more than I expected to learn."

Garcia was with Bowie from July 6-Aug. 6, and he said it helped him get a better feel for the game.

"Just dealing with the disabled list, going up and down, the mental side of the game, trying to see who'd been optioned and how to take things, the approach of the game," he said. "The disadvantage of what I did was I didn't experience the different levels and the different talent. That was one thing they helped me with, how to pick up small things."

Garcia returned to Baltimore reborn. He went 1-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16 frames in August and September. His walks were down and he didn't allow any home runs. Now in Arizona, his teammates are approaching him for the advice.

"A lot of guys are trying to pick my brain about how it was up there," he said. "Some things I dealt with at that level. They say the biggest jump is from High-A to Double-A, and a lot of guys asked me how I dealt with my jump, what I'd learned, what I saw, certain experiences, the highs and lows. It's pretty cool -- last year I was one of those guys asking everyone who had time up there."

And Garcia is still just 22. He's already made some memories, from a showdown with Jose Bautista in Toronto to his first Major League plate appearance, which came against a position player.

"It was a four-pitch walk," he said of facing Ike Davis. "I went up there, I wasn't going to swing, but it was still intimidating. It was fun, it was extremely hard not to swing. I made Buck [Showalter] a little nervous, putting on pine tar and putting on the batting gloves. I got to run the bases too."

The Orioles, having managed to keep him on their roster all year, now want to see if Garcia projects as a starter. He's 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA this fall in six starts, with 19 strikeouts and 15 walks in 15 1/3 innings. None of his outings have been for more than three frames, although he did begin his career in the rotation in 2010.

"We kind of wanted to continue off how I ended the year out of the bullpen," he said. "Come here and see if I can start again, get back into it. It was a little challenging, going from the bullpen to starting again and having to realize I'm going to go for only a couple innings. Getting comfortable back in the windup too."

Garcia said he won't worry about his role after the AFL.

"I haven't really put too much thought into it, whatever way I can help the team, whether it's as a starter or back in the bullpen -- the one thing I learned this year is I'm not worrying about things out of my control. I'll train hard this offseason and prepare for Spring Training and be ready to compete."

In brief

Peterson's producing: Seattle third baseman D.J. Peterson leads Peoria with three homers and 12 RBIs through 19 games, which is a nice jump for the 23-year-old who finished the regular Minor League season with just seven home runs and 44 RBIs in 97 games, mostly at Double-A.

Lien looks for strong finish: Atlanta outfield prospect Connor Lien has had a rough fall in Peoria after an All-Star season in the Carolina League this past summer. In 19 games, the 21-year-old is hitting .171 with a team-high 30 strikeouts. He'll look to get back on track in the circuit's final days after finishing the regular season at .285 with nine homers, 47 RBIs and 34 steals for Carolina.