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Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Columns:  How would the Orioles be faring in these playoffs? The Sun 11/1  Should Orioles make early play to re-sign outfielder Michael Bourn? The Sun 11/1  Camden Yards stadium complex gets electric vehicle charging stations The Sun 11/1  Orioles in AFL: Stewart, Marin working hard in desert MLB.com 11/1  Poised for the start of free agency MASNsports.com 11/2  In first year of new deal, Chris Davis dealt with big expectations MASNsports.com 11/2  Orioles Manager Buck Showalter: It's A 'Cruel Game' PressBoxOnline.com 11/1  Five Things To Know About Orioles Prospect PressBoxOnline.com 11/1  Adam Jones Hosts Tailgating Event For The City Of Baltimore CBS Baltimore 11/1  Tap-In Question: If you sign one to a multi-year deal, would it be Trumbo or Wieters? BaltimoreBaseball.com 11/2

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-offensive-downturn-in-postseason-may- not-have-been-kind-to-2016-orioles-20161101-story.html

How would the Orioles be faring in these playoffs?

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun November 1, 2016

Offense bottomed out in the playoffs this year, which might have been bad for a volatile Orioles club.

In a World Series chock-full of narratives — curses, droughts and a possible comeback from a 3- 1 series deficit — a refrain said often about the 2016 Orioles is being ascribed to the .

You’ll often hear as you watch the games that there’s too much swing-and-miss in the Cubs lineup, and that their all-or-nothing approach at the plate isn’t translating to October.

Given how offense is well down in the postseason, it’s worth looking into the idea that the Orioles — who were between the league champion Cubs and Indians in the MLB offensive standings — would have experienced a similar regression had they advanced this far.

Plenty of caveats are required to do something like this, namely the difference in competition that the Orioles would have faced compared to the Cubs and Indians and the game conditions. Either way, this will be a crude exercise. We’ll see what it yields.

In a piece on The Ringer about the -heavy, incredibly long playoff games, Ben Lindbergh had a couple nuggets that could help this purpose. Namely, the strikeout rate in the playoffs has jumped from 21.1 percent in the regular season to 24.8, with the wOBA (weighted on-base average) falling from .326 to .286.

There’s a useful chart here focused on time of game, but it indicates that both the jump in strikeout rate and the falling wOBA are both starker between the regular season and playoffs than years past.

On the strikeout front, the Orioles fanned 21.7 percent of the time this year, right near the league average. We’ll compare them to the Cubs and , the former because they’ve had the same charges leveled against them as the Orioles did and the Blue Jays because they faced the teams the Orioles would have. Toronto had a 21.9 percent strikeout rate, and the Cubs 21.1 during the season.

Toronto saw its playoff strikeout rate climb to 23.8 percent (79 in 332 plate appearances), while the Cubs, through Game 5, watched theirs jump to 25.3 percent. Even the Indians, who had a below-average strikeout rate of 20.2 in the regular season, have struck out 26.4 percent of the time in the playoffs.

The rest of the teams saw increases of varying levels — no team struck out less often in the postseason than the regular season, but if you give the Orioles the average spike, we’re talking a team that strikes out a quarter of the time. That’s right around what the two World Series teams are doing, but the Orioles volatility could make it harder to overcome.

Likewise, the Orioles’ team wOBA (which weights plate appearances by the actual value of each outcome to produce a comprehensive offensive value) was .326, right in line with the league average. So it’s fair to assume that spike in would correspond with a drop in productivity as illustrated by their wOBA, and the results would be shaky.

Consider this Cubs statistic, if you want to know what it looks like when a team almost exclusively swings for the fences in the playoffs. Including Tuesday’s monster day at the plate, the Cubs have scored five or more runs in nine of 16 games, and a combined six runs in the other seven games.

Could a similar boom-or-bust output from the Orioles have carried them this far through October and into November? And is it enough for the Cubs, a team now wearing the same criticism levied at the Orioles, to win a World Series?

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-is-michael-bourn-a-fit-for-next-year-s- orioles-20161101-story.html

Should Orioles make early play to re-sign outfielder Michael Bourn?

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun November 1, 2016

Examining whether the Orioles should bring Michael Bourn back.

One of the Orioles’ immediate offseason priorities will be assessing whether they want – and have the ability – to retain any of their eight pending free agents.

After leading the majors in homers, Mark Trumbo will likely receive a $17.2 million qualifying offer. The club is still weighing whether to do the same with catcher , but at this point that seems unlikely.

The Orioles have exclusive negotiating right with their own free agents for the first five days following the end of the World Series.

Among the Orioles’ in-season additions, veteran outfielder Michael Bourn added the biggest spark in September after the team acquired him from the Arizona Diamondbacksfor minor league outfielder Jason Heinrich on Aug. 31.

In 24 games with the Orioles, Bourn hit .283/.358/.435 with two homers and eight RBIs while providing corner-outfield range and speed on the base paths that the Orioles lacked. He fit into the Orioles clubhouse seamlessly and after spending time in four organizations this past season, he felt reinvigorated by being thrown into a playoff race.

During the Orioles’ last regular-season series in New York, Bourn made his desire to return known.

“Of course,” Bourn said when asked about whether he wanted to return. “This team has a lot of veteran leadership. They’re trying to win right now. They’re in that mode of playing to win. I’m thankful that they would have interest in me. That’s always a plus. It’s fun to be in this type of atmosphere. … It would be something that, of course, I would consider.”

One of the Orioles’ top offseason priorities will be acquiring an additional left-handed hitter, preferably an outfielder and one who can help raise the team’s on-base capabilities. Given what he showed in his brief time in Baltimore, Bourn fits that mold.

Still, the Orioles should be careful of evaluating a player based on one month. The last time that happened was when the club acquired veteran outfielder Alejandro De Aza late in the 2014 season. De Aza flourished in his first month with club. Going into 2015, his final year before free agency, he was given the starting left field job the following season, but struggled mightily and was traded on June 3 that year.

De Aza’s numbers in September 2014 were similar to Bourn’s. He hit .293/.341/.537 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 20 games with the Orioles. But he quickly fell out of favor in 2015, after struggling in the leadoff spot. He hit just .214/.277/.359 in 30 games before he was traded to the .

It’s an interesting comparison, but the Orioles wouldn’t necessarily hand a starting spot to Bourn as they did to De Aza. However, they’d definitely see him as more than a fourth outfielder because he offers an element the team didn’t have for most of 2016.

Bourn, who will turn 34 on Dec. 27, isn’t going to duplicate the stolen base numbers of his youth – he led the National League in steals three straight years, from 2009-11. But if he returned to the Orioles, he’d immediately be the team’s top stolen base threat. While Bourn posted a .358 on- base percentage with the Orioles, his career mark is .329. But he did show the ability to work counts among a lineup of free swingers.

Defensively, Bourn owned a defensive wins above replacement (dWAR) of minus-0.2 in a small sample size. His dWAR for the season was 0.1 after posting a 0.3 mark with Arizona. But regardless, he was a major upgrade defensively in right field over Trumbo (minus-2.1 dWAR), and Bourn’s addition allowed Trumbo to move into the designated hitter spot more regularly over the season’s final month.

According to the Fielding Bible, Bourn owned an overall plus-5 plus/minus rating, which indicated how many plays a defender makes compared to the average fielder at his position, although he graded better in center field than either corner outfield spot.

The Orioles maintain exclusive rights to their free agents until the sixth day after the World Series, so if the club doesn’t retain Bourn, it will be interesting to see his market develop. Maybe Bourn’s market develops slowly, like last year when Steve Pearce went unsigned until late January, when he signed a one-year, $4.75 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles never made a play for Pearce in the offseason, but were fast to re-acquire him prior to the nonwaiver trade deadline because he provided an outfield bat and on-base skills the team needed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-charging-stations-stadiums-20161101-story.html

Camden Yards stadium complex gets electric vehicle charging stations

By Jeff Barker / The Baltimore Sun November 1, 2016

Plug and play ball. Camden Yards stadium area gets electric vehicle charging stations. Nine electric vehicle charging stations have been set up in the Camden Yards stadium complex, near Oriole Park and M&T Bank Stadium.

The stations are available for fans on game days, and for tourists, employees of downtown businesses, or others.

The stations were created with a grant from the Energy Administration's Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Rebate Program.

"Expanding the State's EV charging system infrastructure benefits drivers and local businesses," said Mary Beth Tung, the Maryland Energy Administration director.

The Maryland Stadium Authority said it partnered with the Electric Vehicle Institute on the installations.

Eight of the charging stations are Level 2 and one is Level 3, which has more power and requires less charging time.

The Camden Yards area also is joining the new Baltimore Bike Share program in the spring. The city has partnered with Bewegen Technologies on the system, which allows riders to pay by the month or by the trip. http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/207758246/baltimore-orioles-arizona-fall-league- overview/

Orioles in AFL: Stewart, Marin working hard in desert

By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com November 1, 2016

The ' decision to challenge with a trip to last year's Arizona Fall League paid dividends for the young catcher in 2016, as he produced a .320 average in Double-A en route to a Triple-A promotion at age 21.

This year, the club is hoping the AFL will similarly serve as a springboard for the career of No. 12 prospect D.J. Stewart.

Stewart's first two months this season were much like his 2015 professional debut, when he hit .218 over 62 games in the New York-Penn League after the Orioles selected him in the first round with the No. 25 overall pick.

But the Florida State product began to find his stroke as the calendar flipped to June, and by the end of the month he was playing for Class A Advanced Frederick.

Stewart flourished in the Carolina League, hitting .279/.389/.448 with 16 extra-base hits including six home runs across 59 games. Altogether, he posted a .776 OPS with 10 home runs and 26 steals between the two levels.

Now playing for Peoria in the Fall League, the 22-year-old outfielder is looking to further his development after a successful first full season.

"Work on my swing," Stewart said when asked about his objectives this fall. "I'm kind of making an adjustment with my stance right now, so just fine-tuning that and coming out here and putting together good at-bats."

Whereas Stewart is getting his first taste of the Fall League this year, Marin is one of the three Orioles farmhands back for a second tour of Arizona after he hit .278 with Peoria in 2015.

Following two straight years at Class A Advanced Frederick, Marin advanced to Double-A Bowie this season and hit .232 with 11 steals in 119 games. Though his offensive production declined in the Eastern League, the 22-year-old -- who prides himself on being able to play anywhere on the field -- once again offered solid defense at shortstop.

Marin knows that his defensive versatility will be key in helping him progress through Baltimore's system -- but not if he doesn't make the necessary strides at the plate.

"I'm just really trying to focus on taking things one pitch at a time," the 2012 third-round Draft pick said. "Not thinking about the past or the future; just staying in the present, right now, and giving it all my effort every single pitch out here."

Though they're working on different things in the Fall League, both Marin and Stewart share the same goal of reaching the Major Leagues.

"I'm always trying to envision myself [playing in Baltimore], so I can be there one day. That's my dream, that's my goal, so I have to visualize myself there," said Marin.

"Camden Yards is an amazing ballpark," Stewart said. "Hopefully one day I can get there and contribute for the team."

Orioles hitters in the Fall League

Marin Stewart , C

Wynns, 25, enjoyed a career-best offensive campaign in 2016, hitting .287/.336/.416 with six home runs and 18 doubles in 80 games across the Class A, Double- and Triple-A levels. Defensively, the 2013 10th-rounder threw out 45.3 percent of (29 of 64) attempted basestealers, also a career-best mark.

Orioles pitchers in the Fall League

Parker Bridwell, RHP , RHP , LHP , RHP

A shift to the bullpen after returning from the disabled list in mid-July helped the 25-year-old Bridwell reach the Majors in the second half, when he allowed five earned runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings spanning two appearances. While the Orioles' No. 27 prospect has yet to take the mound in Arizona, he's expected to use the Fall League to make up for the time he lost during the regular season

Crichton, 24, proved to be a workhorse in his first Double-A campaign, logging a 3.73 ERA in 72 1/3 innings over 48 appearances including four starts. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has showed big-league-caliber stuff so far this fall, pairing a power sinker at 95-97 mph with a low-80s slider that he throws with good depth and tilt.

Scott, the Orioles' No. 10 prospect, caught scouts' attention last fall by hitting 100 mph out of the bullpen for Peoria. He's bumping triple digits once again this year -- 101 mph, in fact -- and doing so as a starter. The 22-year-old southpaw got off to a strong start, allowing two earned runs across his first three starts for Peoria before struggling in his latest outing.

This season was Yacabonis' best at a full-season level as he set career highs in ERA (2.64), appearances (50), innings pitched (64 2/3) and strikeouts (67). The 24-year-old righty generated more ground balls with his mid-90s fastball as well as more whiffs with his curveball, and the combination helped him to hold hitters to a .216 average including a .211 clip over 34 Double-A appearances.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/11/poised-for-the-start-of-free-agency.html

Poised for the start of free agency

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 2, 2016

I’ve been rooting for a Game 7 all along. Nothing beats it in sports and it delays the start of free agency, which extends my downtime a little bit longer.

It’s always about me.

I’ve got five days before the free agent market is open for business once the World Series ends, and I’ll only leave Twitter at my own risk. Five days before beat writers are challenged to separate fact from fiction as rumors surface of the Orioles’ interest in ... insert any name.

Let me get a head start by saying that the Orioles will “listen on” any of their players. Doesn’t mean they’re shopping everyone on their roster. But they’ll always listen. It doesn’t cost anything to do it.

Any player who fits the profile of a leadoff hitter, preferably one who’s also capable of playing a good right field, is going to attract their interest, whether it’s via free agency or trade. They’d like to add another starting pitcher despite having six for five spots. Another bullpen arm is a yearly quest. And they’re going to need a catcher if they don’t re-sign Matt Wieters.

They’re expected to make a qualifying offer to outfielder Mark Trumbo and attempt to re-sign him, taking the draft pick if they fail. They let Nelson Cruz walk after he led the majors in home runs with 40 in 2014, unwilling to give him a fourth guaranteed year. Cruz has played in 152 and 155 games with the Mariners while totaling 87 home runs.

Trumbo is younger and most likely seeking a minimum of four years after leading the majors with 47 home runs. The last time I checked, he was an offseason priority for the Orioles. But how high are they willing to go to keep him?

Can they let another leader walk out the door?

They could use more than Cruz’s power. He’s posted on-base percentages of .369 and .360 with the Mariners, trouncing his career mark of .338. The Orioles had a .298 OBP in the second half and again will attempt to upgrade in that department.

Trumbo’s .316 OBP this season tied last year’s mark with the Mariners and narrowly missed tying his career-high of .317 set in 2012 with the Angels. But he hadn’t hit more than 34 home runs until this season, and his .533 slugging percentage easily topped his previous best of .491 in 2012.

Trumbo brings the one dimension that makes him a great fit in the middle of the order. And the Orioles would like him to get most of his at-bats as the designated hitter while they try to upgrade defensively in right field.

They like Trumbo better at first base, but they still don’t seem inclined to move Chris Davis to right field.

Here are the Orioles, in alphabetical order, who will become free agents. No need for them to file. It was a formality in the past and now it happens automatically:

Pedro Alvarez Michael Bourn Brian Duensing Steve Pearce Drew Stubbs Mark Trumbo Matt Wieters

Manager Buck Showalter wants Pearce to return, giving him a right-handed bat with some pop and a player capable of handling multiple positions in the outfield and infield. Keeping Pearce healthy has been the challenge, but Showalter respects his approach to the game. No one works harder, almost to a fault. He’s also one of the most popular players in the clubhouse, for what that’s worth.

Pearce is out to prove that he’s going to be ready for the start of the 2017 season after undergoing surgery on his flexor mass tendon.

Bourn could be re-signed and given consideration as the leadoff hitter. He also could be viewed more as a fourth outfielder, unless Joey Rickard earns that title.

The outfield remains a puzzle beyond center fielder Adam Jones. Hyun Soo Kim will play left field again, but could earn more starts against left-handed pitching after going 0-for-17 with four walks this year. Otherwise, the Orioles will need a right-handed hitter to platoon, which could be Rickard’s role. Trumbo’s free-agent status leaves an opening in right field.

There’s a chance that the Orioles will attempt to re-sign Alvarez to another one-year deal, but most likely if it’s late, he’s still on the market and they’re in need of a left-handed bat for the designated hitter spot. It’s pointless to talk about Alvarez backing up at third base and first base when he barely got on the field this year.

Alvarez made 12 appearances at third base, including six starts, and none at first.

Stubbs went 3-for-22 with 11 strikeouts after coming to the Orioles, and they won’t need him if Rickard breaks camp with the team. Rickard can back up Jones in center field and he hits from the right side. Bourn’s return also would diminish the need for Stubbs.

Reimold has supporters high up the organizational ladder, but he struggled at the plate in the second half, going 11-for-79 (.139) with a double, two home runs and 22 strikeouts. I doubt that he expects to return, but never count him out.

Duensing brings appeal as an extra left-hander in the bullpen, especially with T.J. McFarland a non-tender candidate, and he was scored upon in only one of his seven September appearances after coming off the disabled list. He allowed two runs and four hits, walked one and struck out seven over 6 2/3 innings.

Duensing faced one batter in the wild card game and struck out leading off the bottom of the 11th inning. Ubaldo Jimenez replaced Duensing and, well, you know the rest. Hunter wants to return. He never wanted to leave before the Orioles traded him to the Cubs for outfielder Junior Lake.

Hunter may seem redundant with the bullpen already including Darren O’Day, Brad Brach and , but it’s not inconceivable that the Orioles bring him back on a one- year deal. They trusted him more than some other pitchers who were used this summer and may still feel the same way after sorting through their options.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/11/in-the-first-year-of-new-contract-chris- davis-dealt-with-big-expectations.html

In first year of new deal, Chris Davis dealt with big expectations

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com November 2, 2016

It is hard to call a season where a player hit 38 homers disappointing, but 2016 probably was exactly that for Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. Even in a year when only seven American League players homered more.

Expectations have been very high for Davis since he hit 53 homers, drove in 138 runs, had an OPS of 1.004 and finished third for the MVP in 2013.

Those expectations probably soared even higher when he signed a seven-year deal worth $161 million in January. It is easily the richest contract in Orioles history, and when a player is making that much, big numbers are obviously expected.

With that whopper of a contract comes pressure from fans to produce. And when Davis struggled last year, he felt the brunt of some fan criticism. But during an interview late in the season, he said the pressure and the criticism that comes with the contract is very fair.

“Absolutely. I think that the pressure I put on myself is really the reason that I’m where I’m at,” Davis said. “I’ve always been very critical of myself and always expected a lot of myself. That comes with the territory when you sign a contract of that size. That’s part of it.

“For me, that is why I’ve taken the mindset (of) what can I do to help us win? I know I will be here the next few years, and my goal is to go out and do everything I can to put a winning product on the field.”

Davis’ stats the last two years:

2015: .262 average, .361 OBP, .562 slugging, .923 OPS, 47 HRs, 117 RBIs, 100 runs, 208 strikeouts.

2016: .221 average, .332 OBP, .459 slugging, .792 OPS, 38 HRs, 84 RBIs, 99 runs, 219 strikeouts.

In the first year of his new contract, Davis hit nine fewer homers, drove in 33 fewer runs, saw his slugging drop 103 points and his OPS drop 131 points.

Since 2012, Davis leads the majors with 197 homers and ranks fifth with 496 RBIs. In that time, he has hit .249/.340/.518 with an OPS of .858, averaging 39.4 homers and 99.2 RBIs per year. So his 2016 season fell short of his five-year average stats since 2012.

Davis played solid defense and is a Gold Glove finalist at first base, along with Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer and Mitch Moreland of Texas. Davis has never won a Gold Glove and the winners will be announced Nov. 8. Davis is athletic and has good speed for his size with a good arm. His defense helped somewhat offset a subpar year on offense.

One factor that may have hurt Davis’ run production this year was a left hand injury. He is not sure exactly how and when it happened, but in a September interview, he said it bothered him for most of this season. But he played through it.

“I mean, it’s been an issue all year,” Davis said. “So it’s not going to get any better until I have time to rest and obviously I am not going to rest right now with what’s at hand. Swinging a bat is painful.

“I couldn’t tell you if it was one specific event (that caused the discomfort),” he said. “It’s something I’ve been dealing with all season. Obviously, I haven’t been myself all season, but that’s part of it. Unfortunately, we have bodies that aren’t invincible. When you play a physical game every day for months at a time, you are going to get nicks and bruises. You move on and keep going.”

Now Davis will keep going into the 2017 season, the second year of his seven-year deal. Last year, the fans seemed to feel Davis hit too few homers, had too few big hits and too many strikeouts. The pressure to live up to the contract won’t ease up on the first sacker until the fans feel he produces big numbers to live up the big dollars.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/11/01/orioles-manager-buck-showalter-its-a-cruel-game

Orioles Manager Buck Showalter: It's A 'Cruel Game'

By PressBox Staff / PressBoxOnline.com November 1, 2016

Orioles manager Buck Showalter is often regarded as one of 's best strategists. He's frequently praised for the way in which he manages a bullpen and how he's able to put his team in a position to win close ballgames.

But that praise took a backseat to heaping mounts of criticism on a local and national level when Showalter elected not to use All-Star closer Zach Britton during the Orioles' American League Wild Card loss to the Toronto Blue Jays Oct. 4.

Showalter spoke about dealing with the criticism he faced following the game when he joined Stan "The Fan" Charles and Craig Heist during the Oct. 29 edition of " The Bat Around."

"There's certain things you're going to wear; it's part of the job description," Showalter said. "It hurts … because you do care, and the players care. … It's a cold game, a cruel game sometimes, because there's only one happy team at the end of this thing.

" … Really and truly, you keep in mind that that's all fleeting in the whole scheme of life. But you know, for those three hours, for those six months, it's just tough -- you grind like heck from February to October, and all of a sudden, it's over."

Britton was the only perfect closer in 2016, converting all 47 of his save opportunities and has even garnered some attention as a potential Cy Young candidate. But as the Orioles fell to Toronto 5-2 in 11 innings, the Orioles' best reliever sat in the bullpen and was never given a shot.

"I don't have that ego [where I think I know everything]," Showalter said. "This game will humble you to your knees, and I tell the players, 'If you think you've got it figured out … ' But if you stay true to it, it will let you up off the deck. You know, just keep grinding -- it's like the expression, 'I know God wouldn't give me too much for me to handle, but I wish he wouldn't have so much faith in me.'"

While some may still be focused on the end result of the Orioles' season, Showalter is already looking ahead to 2017.

One of the Birds' most pressing needs is finding a true leadoff hitter. Center fielder Adam Jones, who took over the leadoff spot May 27, led off 108 games for Baltimore while batting 282/.320/.471 line with 26 walks. While Jones certainly did a serviceable job, the O's would be better suited to find a true leadoff hitter this offseason.

"As far Adam goes, hey, Adam might lead off if we don't have anybody else, but we just haven't had [a true leadoff hitter]," Showalter said. "I'd really like to get Adam down in a different role, and I think he actually did us a heck of a favor, because he did a really good job there for a while there. ... I think that we're taking the team's sake, as much as anything; hopefully we can find somebody else to do that."

While Showalter continues to focus on how he can make the Orioles better next season, he hasn't spent too much time watching the World Series.

"I've got to tell you, it's painful for me to watch the playoffs," Showalter said. "You know, players at this level, they're not watchers, they're participators. And that goes for coaches and managers. You see something and go, 'I want to do that,' instead of watching it, and it's painful."

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/11/01/five-things-to-know-about-orioles-prospect-cody- sedlock

Five Things To Know About Orioles Prospect Cody Sedlock

By Lamar Johnson / PressBoxOnline.com November 1, 2016

Checking in at No. 2 on Baseball America's annual list of Top 10 Orioles Prospects is pitcher Cody Sedlock. Here are five things to know about the 21-year-old right-hander.

1. 2016 First-Round Pick

Dan Duquette and Co. took the 6-foot-4 righty with the 27th pick in the 2016 Rule 4 amateur draft and wasted no time putting pen to paper. They inked Sedlock to a $2 million contract just eight days after drafting him, the first of the Orioles' 41 2016 draft picks to sign with the team. The team had all the information they needed to be confident, both in his selection and signability. Sedlock played under Orioles associate scout Harvey Shapiro in the Cape Cod League between his sophomore and junior season in 2015. He had also been scouted by up to eight team scouts and officials, according to scouting director Gary Rajsich in a Baltimore Sun article.

2. Went To Illinois …

Sedlock, an Illinois native, finished high school ranked 13th overall in the state and fifth among pitchers. During his first two years at the University of Illinois, Sedlock pitched in a reliever's role, posting a 3.41 ERA through 31.2 innings pitched in 2014 and a 4.02 ERA through 31.1 innings pitched in 2015. After his summer in Cape Cod, he was firmly on every major league team's map. Sedlock came back to Illinois for his junior season and tore up the Big Ten. He was promoted from reliever to ace starter and ended the season 5-3 with a 2.49 ERA throughout a Big Ten-leading 101.1 innings. Sedlock also led the Big Ten with 116 strikeouts, a school record, while only walking 31 batters.

3. … And He Raked In Awards

Sedlock became the second University of Illinois player in two years to get drafted in the first round, following the 2015 No. 6 overall pick by the Minnesota Twins, pitcher . Sedlock is the school's third first-round pick, and his junior season deserves a good amount of credit. Sedlock was named an All-American, first-team by Baseball America and second-team by D1Baseball.com. He also took home Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors in addition to being a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten team.

4. Held Solid In Single-A

The Orioles assigned Sedlock to the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Orioles' Single-A short season affiliate, July 8. He played alongside fellow 2016 pick and the No. 6 prospect onBaseball America's list, lefty pitcher . Sedlock started nine games for the IronBirds on a strict three-inning cap. He gave up nine earned runs throughout 27 innings while striking out 25 batters and holding opponents to a .158 batting average. However, these numbers can't simply be extrapolated across a full season, as again, he never threw more than three innings in any outing in Aberdeen. Instead, this was a chance for Sedlock to get adjusted to new competition, and he should continue to move through the ranks in 2017.

5. Master Of Two Pitches, Working With Two More

Sedlock's most polished and dangerous pitch is his two-seam fastball, according to scouts. He consistently runs that pitch into the mid-90s, siting around 93-95 mph and peaking at 97, according to Baseball Prospectus. The other pitch in his pocket is a slider that settles around 82-85 mph. He also has a curveball and changeup, but they are still works in progress.

Talk Around Town:

Baseball Prospectus evaluator Adam McInturff

McInturff, after seeing Sedlock play Aug. 10, projected his best-case role as a mid-rotation starter and his realistic role as a middle reliever, with a major league ETA of 2019. "Strong- bodied frame; looks like a big-league workhorse with a solid fastball-slider mix. Developing the changeup and ironing out delivery will dictate starting or relief role. His power sinker could be a real weapon, and even if he's a two-pitch reliever, the plus stuff gives him a high likelihood to fill a big-league role in some capacity."

Sedlock, to the Sun, about playing for Aberdeen

"It's just all about getting your work in in between starts and going out there and using my three innings and pitching to the best of my ability," Sedlock said.

Illinois pitching coach Drew Dickinson, to the Sun, about Sedlock

"When you make a first-round draft pick, you want a horse," Dickinson said. "You want a guy who can pitch in your rotation going 220 innings a year for you, being a guy who's a staple. That's him. That's Cody Sedlock." http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/11/01/orioles-center-fielder-adam-jones-on-his-upcoming- tailgating-event-for-the-city-of-baltimore/

Adam Jones Hosts Tailgating Event For The City Of Baltimore

CBS Baltimore November 1, 2016

Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles joined Rob and Ken to talk about his upcoming event at Lot O downtown this weekend.

Jones started by talking about his tailgate event coming up this weekend before the Ravens game, “if you ain’t coming to this tailgate you’re missing out on everything…you’re missing out on food first off, secondly you’re missing out on food, and the third thing you’ll miss out on is the food, everybody makes the same drinks but this food you don’t want to miss.”

But back to the baseball world for the star outfielder, we asked him if he’s watching the World Series and Adam said, “I’ve paid attention to what’s going on, haven’t been pitch-by-pitch but I’ve paid attention to it.” When Adam was asked if he cares who wins he kept it simple saying, “it ain’t me, whoever wins it deserves it.”

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/11/02/tap-question-can-sign-just-one-multi-year-deal- trumbo-wieters/

Tap-In Question: If you sign one to a multi-year deal, would it be Trumbo or Wieters?

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com November 2, 2016

Once the last pitch is thrown and the World Series is over, something besides an on-field celebration occurs.

And I’m not talking about free beers at Connolly’s Tap Room, either.

Once the October Classic officially ends, the floodgates open for baseball’s free agency, and the hundred-some eligible players come off their team’s rosters immediately. There’s a five-day exclusivity period following the World Series in which players can negotiate only with their most recent team. And then it truly becomes a free-for-all. (Though it’s anything but free.)

Unlike last year, when Chris Davis, Darren O’Day, Matt Wieters and Wei-Yin Chen immediately became free agents seeking multi-year deals, this year’s Orioles’ crop won’t be as coveted.

There are nine pending Orioles’ free agents this offseason; Paul Janish would have been the 10th, but he was taken off the 40-man roster and elected free agency already this offseason.

Of the nine, only two are guaranteed multi-year deals: Mark Trumbo, the majors’ home-run leader in 2016; and Matt Wieters, arguably the best catcher on the open market.

Designated hitter Pedro Alvarez may get a multi-year deal, and so could outfielder Michael Bourn, but the others – Steve Pearce, Tommy Hunter, Nolan Reimold, Brian Duensing and Drew Stubbs — are probably looking at one-year contracts.

Trumbo and Wieters are the most interesting cases this offseason for the Orioles. The team surely will make a qualifying offer – it’s $17.2 million this year – to Trumbo and, when he rejects it, will get a compensation draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

Wieters accepted the Orioles’ qualifying offer of $15.8 million last year, but that’s because he was coming off a season in which he needed to prove he could play every day. He did that in 2016, though it wasn’t his best campaign. Still, with Washington’s Wilson Ramos undergoing knee surgery in October, Wieters will be the No. 1 catching target for most teams that need backstop help.

The Orioles basically will have a $150 million payroll in 2017 if all they do is pay their arbitration-eligible players and those with existing contracts. So, they aren’t going to be opening the checkbook nearly as wide as they did last year.

Really, it’s a bit of a longshot that they retain Wieters or Trumbo – especially if they use any available budgetary resources on rotation or leadoff help.

Here’s my question, as we are about to kickoff free agency: If you could retain just one of Wieters or Trumbo, which would it be?

Both are great clubhouse guys. Wieters is established in Baltimore, but Trumbo quickly became a fan favorite. Trumbo had the much better offensive year and has the power component every team seeks. Wieters plays the premium position and has always come through with the big hits when needed. Trumbo likely will cost more, but that’s not a guarantee. An All-Star catcher in a weak market doesn’t come cheaply.

You can make a case for either. Hey, I’ll let you make a case for neither, if you like. But the question is a simple one. If you have to choose between a long-term deal with Wieters or Trumbo, which would you choose?

Tap-In Question: If you have to sign just one to a multi-year deal, would it be Trumbo or Wieters?