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Monday, November 17, 2014

Columns:  Cal Ripken talks about J.J. Hardy and the Orioles' defense The Sun 11/17  Hunter values cultural exchange of Japan Series MLB.com 11/16  Os, Markakis continue to negotiate Britt’s Bird Watch 11/13  Orioles sign infielder Ozzie Martinez MASNsports.com 11/17  Nothing new with Markakis over the weekend MASNsports.com 11/17  Is a dominant bullpen back end essential or the new "flavor of the month"? MASNsports.com 11/17  Graham on Alvarez: "He could help in the big leagues next year" MASNsports.com 11/16  Decision pending on De Aza MASNsports.com 11/15  Mike Griffin on Mychal Givens and Parker Bridwell, plus final AFL stats MASNsports.com 11/15  Burnett off the board MASNsports.com 11/14  Daniel Clark: Recapping O's prospects' performances in MASNsports.com 11/14  Cruz's home runs stand out in power hungry market CSN Baltimore 11/17  Boras' neutral-site idea should go CSN Baltimore 11/16  Don't believe rumors: Big names didn't land with O's CSN Baltimore 11/15  Stanton's deal could have implications for Orioles CSN Baltimore 11/14  Orioles think 2015 will be breakout year for Gausman CSN Baltimore 11/14  REVISITING 2014 AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST PREDICTIONS: PITCHING, MANAGERS PressBoxOnline.com 11/17  TRADES, FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS LESS IMPORTANT TO ORIOLES THAN RECOVERIES, RETURNS? PressBoxOnline.com 11/17  IN ADDITION TO EXCITEMENT, ORIOLES' 2014 POSTSEASON RUN GENERATED ECONOMIC IMPACT PressBoxOnline.com 11/17  Baby Eagles Nest At Orioles Stadium CBS Baltimore 11/15  Bald eagle nest removed from Ed Smith Stadium lights ABC 7 MySuncoast 11/14  Eagle's nest removed from Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium wfla.com 11/14  : The Coin Toss on Alejandro De Aza Baltimorewire.com 11/17  Baltimore Orioles: Making the Case for Nick Markakis Baltimorewire.com 11/15  Baltimore Orioles: Speeding Up Games in MLB Baltimorewire.com 11/15  Baltimore Orioles: Different View of Dan Duquette in 2014 Baltimorewire.com 11/15  2015 Spring Training: A battle at first base for the Baltimore Orioles Birdswatcher.com 11/16

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-cal-ripken-talks-about-jj-hardy-and-the- orioles-defense-20141116-story.html Cal Ripken talks about shortstop J.J. Hardy and the Orioles' defense By Dan Connolly / The Baltimore Sun

November 17, 2014

When J.J. Hardy won his third consecutive American League Gold Glove Award earlier this month, he became only the second Orioles shortstop to win at least that many in a row.

Mark Belanger won eight Gold Gloves in his career with the Orioles, including six straight from 1973-1978. Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio won nine Gold Gloves in his career, but only two with the Orioles. And Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., won just two total.

So Hardy is second overall in Gold Gloves won by an Orioles shortstop despite playing here only four seasons. And the three straight give him an accomplishment that Ripken, considered the club’s greatest all-around shortstop, never reached. The Iron Man is more than OK with that. He has been a fan of Hardy for years.

“I can’t say enough good things about J.J.,” Ripken said recently. “His overall defense and his leadership -- and it doesn’t hurt that he can hit 30 homers, too.”

Ripken said he first noticed Hardy as a young player with the when Ripken was calling a Brewers- game for TBS.

“I remember watching J.J. and seeing how he played. And I’m thinking, ‘Man, this guy is always going to the right spot, he’s always doing that. He’s always thinking, always ahead,” Ripken said. “I remember going to [Brewers general manager] Doug Melvin and telling him, ‘You’ve got something special here.’ And he said. ‘Well, we’ve got another kid behind him that’s going to be special, too.’ And that was [Alcides] Escobar, now with Kansas City.”

Coincidentally, Hardy and Escobar were both dealt to the AL and have been battling for the Gold Glove, with Hardy winning each time since 2012.

The Brewers now have 24-year-old Jean Segura, who made the All-Star team in 2013, playing shortstop. They acquired Segura in a deal with the in 2012, when they dealt away Zack Greinke.

It’s all connected.

The Brewers traded Hardy to the in November 2009 for Carlos Gomez, partially so they could make room for Escobar. The Brewers then traded Escobar to the Royals in December 2010 as part of a package to acquire Greinke. Ten days earlier, the Twins had sent Hardy, who had dealt with injuries in 2010, to the Orioles along with infielder for Jim Hoey and Brett Jacobson, who are out of affiliated now. It arguably is one of the best 10 trades the Orioles have ever made.

“I thought it was so great that the Orioles got him, and he is back playing the way he was playing [in Milwaukee],” Ripken said. “J.J. is a main stabilizing force. He is a quiet leader, but he is a really good player. Really understands the game, really understands all the situations in the game. I think the Orioles’ success, in many ways, can be attributed to his stability in the middle.”

Hardy, 32, is locked up at least through 2017 after signing a three-year, $40 million extension in October that includes a team option for 2018. Now that free agency is upon us, it looks like a pretty shrewd move by executive vice president Dan Duquette to sign Hardy when he did.

Several clubs are looking for a shortstop -- including three teams with the deepest of pockets, the , and . Given the lack of shortstop options, steadiness of Hardy and money available, you have to think Hardy could have received a lot more on the open market.

But it just shows the Orioles’ commitment to rock-solid defense -- something that has helped the organization make the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. That, too, is something that excites Ripken.

“There has always been pride in the Orioles organization over the years in pitching and defense,” Ripken said. “The home runs and the RBIs and all those other kinds of stats get all the credit. But I think the Orioles always valued their pitching and defense.

"Because defense, in general, is pitching as the first line and the gloves behind you as the second. And it’s been great. Buck Showalter has emphasized that from the beginning as well.” http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/101597608/orioles-tommy-hunter-values-cultural- exchange-of-japan-series Hunter values cultural exchange of Japan Series By David Venn / MLB.com

November 16, 2014

TOKYO -- Events such as the Japan All-Star Series are touted as vehicles for globalizing the game of baseball, which at the professional level in the United States has been influenced for decades by stars from Latin America, and more recently, players from Asia.

As baseball has become more diverse at the Minor and Major League levels, players of different nationalities, languages and cultures have increasingly come together on team rosters. In the process, friendships have been formed and horizons broadened.

"We all have a common goal, and that's to win," said Orioles relief Tommy Hunter, who is on the team of Major League stars in Japan. "You can take anybody from any kind of culture, but put him on a baseball field, and if they have the same mentality as you, it doesn't matter what kind of language barrier you have. The mentality is there."

While in Tokyo, Hunter had dinner with former Minor League teammate and retired Japanese league pitcher Yukinaga Maeda. Hunter also describes former Rangers and Orioles teammate Pedro Strop, a native of the Dominican Republic, as "one of my best friends."

At their core, said Hunter, bonds are formed based on the shared experience of playing the game that they love.

"I think that the camaraderie, the closeness and the fraternity of baseball worldwide are renown," he said. "You bond really quickly with baseball players.

"You make relationships in every aspect of life. Baseball is just another one of them. You have respect for guys that play well and guys that play hard, that share the same joy and passion for baseball that you do. If you're a baller, you're a baller."

This trip has been an opportunity for the Major League players to immerse themselves in Japanese culture on and off the field. But the group also has a decided Latin American presence, with nine players born either in the Dominican, Venezuela or Cuba.

In addition to Strop, Hunter has bonded with many more of his Latin American teammates over the years and has received several invitations to visit their home countries. Although he has yet to take any of them up on it, Hunter does have such a trip on his radar.

"They want me to come so bad," he said. "Hopefully I get down there. They have experiences that they want to share: Their home, their culture and what they're about." http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com/ Os, Markakis continue to negotiate By Brittany Ghiroli / Britt’s Bird Watch

November 13, 2014 at 11:14 AM

BALTIMORE— It would be tough to imagine Nick Markakis not in an Orioles uniform next season. And after Thursday’s latest batch of rumors, it’s looking more and more like that’s a scenario the O’s won’t have to worry about. Markakis, a free agent for the first time in his career, has made it no secret he wants to remain in Baltimore and talks between his agent Jamie Murphy and the Orioles have picked back up according to multiple outlets. The Orioles immediately started negotiations with Markakis following their season, which ended in the American League Championship Series, and it appeared both sides were on the same page in working towards a new long-term deal. But the negotiations have taken longer than expected in working toward a four-year deal that would keep the veteran an Oriole through 2018.

On Thursday, CBSSports.com reported that the two sides rekindled on Wednesday and it looks like a deal could be reached fairly soon.

The 31-year-old Markakis is coming off a Gold Glove winning season and is a quiet leader in the Orioles clubhouse, taking over leadoff duties and priding himself on his durability in right field. Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette has said that re-signing Markakis wouldn’t automatically take the club out of the running on one of their other major free agents, , as Baltimore is preparing to increase its payroll from this past season. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/11/orioles-sign-infielder-ozzie-martinez.html Orioles sign infielder Ozzie Martinez By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

November 17, 2014 9:48 AM

Searching for middle infield depth, the Orioles have signed Ozzie Martinez to a minor league contract. A team official confirmed the transaction.

Martinez, 26, batted .288/.340/.350 with 11 doubles and two triples in 78 games with Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves' organization. He also played in 33 games at Double-A Chattanooga in the Dodgers' system.

Martinez, an 11th-round pick by the Marlins in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, has played shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield in the minors. He was included in the September 2011 trade to the White Sox for manager Ozzie Guillen.

Martinez appeared in 34 games with the Marlins in 2010 and 2011, going 17-for-66 (.258) with four doubles and a triple. He's a career .257/.317/.336 hitter in nine minor league seasons.

The Orioles want to upgrade the shortstop position at the Triple-A level. Martinez has appeared in 619 games at short, the most of any position.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/11/nothing-new-with-markakis-over-the- weekend.html Nothing new with Markakis over the weekend By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

November 17, 2014 6:39 AM

The weekend passed without the Orioles reaching agreement with right fielder Nick Markakis on a four-year contract.

It doesn't appear that the two sides have additional talks scheduled at the moment. Of course, that can change in a hurry, but it's pretty quiet.

Nothing was arranged heading into last week's general managers' meetings in Phoenix, but Markakis' agent, Jamie Murphy, and Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette spoke on Wednesday. The lines of communication can open up again without warning.

Meanwhile, FOXSports.com reported yesterday that the Blue Jays "had contact" with Murphy, but they aren't seriously pursuing Markakis at this time.

The challenge for Murphy is to make sure teams don't assume that Markakis is staying in Baltimore. It's hard to maintain a market if the industry figures there's no point in negotiating due to Markakis' well-publicized preference to remain with the Orioles.

Markakis, celebrating his 31st birthday today, won his second Gold Glove this year and center fielder won his fourth. They both expressed their gratitude to first base coach Wayne Kirby, who works with the .

"I'm very excited," Kirby said during a recent phone interview on "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" on MASN. "Watch those two guys go at it all year and listen and to perform at a high level every day and to do everything I ask them to do, I'm very proud of both of them."

It doesn't happen by accident.

"From Day One in spring training we get after it," Kirby said. "We're 55 minutes of straight defense when full squad is in. Day One we start running. There's no vacation. They're getting ready for the season, and I take pride in those guys being in the best shape ever because they have to be in shape. They do all the running.

"When we miss balls and we're not in the right position in the outfield, that's doubles, sometimes triples. It's a constant battle. Even new guys that come in. Working with Delmon Young, he's like, 'Man, I've never seen outfielders come in and start running right off the bat.' "We do three things. We throw, we catch ground balls and we run. Bottom line."

Kirby said the outfielders throw every day except Sunday.

"That's the only way they can keep their arm strength," he said. http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2014/11/is-a-dominant-bullpen-back-end-essential- or-the-new-flavor-of-the-month.html Is a dominant bullpen back end essential or the new "flavor of the month"? By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

November 17, 2014 8:34 AM

In sports, we see copycats all the time. A strategy that leads one team to a big season or championship is then copied by others in an attempt to repeat the success.

The are a team that others may look to copy in 2015. If a team can build a bullpen as good, they can shorten the game to six . The trick is adding three relievers as good as Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and Greg Holland to pitch innings seven through nine.

The Orioles have a good back end of the bullpen, too. But that includes current free agent . Back to Miller in a moment.

On MLB Network on Friday, the discussion turned to relievers and the big contracts that pitchers like David Robertson and Miller could get this winter.

New York Post baseball writer Joel Sherman, who is also an MLB Network analyst, is among those who feel closers are somewhat interchangeable and he feels it is mistake to spend big for one. The same thought applies, to a degree, to relievers as a group.

"It is the only position on the field you can find someone else to do it and win a championship on a consistent basis. By the way, just six teams have the same closer today they had at the beginning of the 2013 season," Sherman said.

"The burnout rate, because of the stress on the arm and brain for doing that kind of the air traffic controller job of the sport - either the plane lands successfully or it crashes - the burnout rate is so high, I would want to allocate the money somewhere else."

As for Miller, various free agent predictions see him getting a three- or four-year deal and I've seen predictions of the average annual value ranging from $7 to $10 million per season. Miller had the best year of his life in 2014 and now it seems everyone wants him. But Sherman made what could be a valid point on Friday.

"First of all, he doesn't have a long track record, right?" Sherman said. "He doesn't have enough of a track record there for me to say this isn't going to turn into B.J. Ryan (part) two. And I think Miller was dominant. He was the most important player in the Orioles beating the Tigers. Detroit tried to get him in July, but the Orioles did. I just want to use that money someplace else. I think he'll get the money, it just would not be on my team."

O's fans, after seeing Miller so dominant for their team, probably wonder why the O's would not go all out to get him back. But here are Miller's stats the last two years:

* 2013: 2.64 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 7.3 hits per nine innings, 5.0 walks per nine innings

* 2014: 2.02 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 4.8 hits per nine innings, 2.5 walks per nine innings

Miller's 1.37 WHIP in the 2013 season would have ranked behind these 2014 O's relievers: Darren O'Day (0.89), Zach Britton (0.90), Tommy Hunter (1.10), (1.17), Ryan Webb (1.26) and Brian Matusz (1.32).

In 2013, Miller was good, but walked too many. In 2014, he showed command and was dominant. The combination of his track record, the volatility of relievers and the big price for the lefty might give some teams pause here. It might.

But for now, with apparently so many teams interested, Miller is likely to get the big bucks. He sure did all he could this year and his is an overpowering pitch.

At the GM meetings, one agent referred to this strategy of building a dominant back end of the bullpen as the "flavor of the month."

Who wouldn't want Miller and who wouldn't want a back end of the bullpen as dominant as what the Royals had? But how hard is it to achieve that and at what price does it come?

Some team is going to order up the flavor that is Miller this winter. The price will be high and then they'll find out if they ordered the proper flavor for their 2015 bullpen.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/11/graham-on-alvarez-he-could-help-in-the- big-leagues-next-year.html Graham on Alvarez: "He could help in the big leagues next year" By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

November 16, 2014 6:15 AM

While I fully expect Nick Markakis to be playing right field for the Orioles on , I don't mind revisting the Dariel Alvarez question.

Again, no. He isn't going to break camp with the Orioles in 2015. He wouldn't be Markakis' replacement if negotiations fell apart.

Will Alvarez be in the majors at some point next season? I really like his chances.

So does Brian Graham, the Orioles' director of player development, and his opinion carries a lot more weight.

Alvarez, signed to an $800,000 contract in July 2013, hit a combined .306/.330/.472 with 37 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs and 87 RBIs in 135 games and 532 at-bats at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk.

"He could help in the big leagues next year," Graham said. "He's a talented guy. He obviously performed well at two different levels this year in his first full season. At some point next year he's going to be an option.

"You're looking at a guy who plays above-average defense, throws above average, runs average and can swing the bat with some pop. There are some things he needs to get better at: command of the strike zone, getting a good pitch to hit. He doesn't walk very much, but when he makes contact he gets on base and does a lot of positive things."

Alvarez, who turned 26 in November, is widely regarded as possessing the strongest arm in the organization, but it's his offensive development that excites the organization.

"He's got a great arm," Graham said, "but the ball also comes off his bat real well, which would come into play a lot more than his arm would, his ability to hit."

Adam Jones won his fourth Gold Glove in center field and is signed through 2018. Markakis won his second in right field and, barring the unexpected, is going to get a four-year deal to stay with the Orioles. Alvarez may need to shift over to left. "He can play center field and he's above-average on both corners," Graham said. "Dariel Alvarez fits in wherever we need him.

"You know what makes him special? What makes this kid special is he loves to play the game, he loves to practice, he loves to be at the ballpark. That's what makes him special. He's a guy who enjoys practicing and enjoys putting the uniform on and enjoys playing. He's always got a smile on his face and he plays with energy. He has unique qualities that not every single player has."

Henry Urrutia, the first Cuban player signed by the Orioles, picked up the English language much easier than anticipated. I could use him to proofread my blog entries. Alvarez is still struggling with it.

"His command of the English language is below average and behind Henry," Graham said, "but his ability to communicate on the baseball field and compete every day and do what he needs to do to be successful is above average." http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/11/decision-pending-on-de-aza.html Decision pending on De Aza By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

November 15, 2014 6:17 AM

With all the focus on re-signing free agents Nick Markakis, Nelson Cruz and Andrew Miller - listed in order of probability - it's easy to forget that the Orioles need to decide which arbitration- eligible players are tendered contracts for 2015.

Let's start with "the vast majority" and work our way up.

Actually, let's start with a reminder of the 11 players, including their salaries this season and MLBTradeRumors.com's projected salaries for 2015.

Alejandro De Aza: $4.25 million/$5.9 million

Matt Wieters: $7.7 million/$7.9 million

Steve Pearce: $700,000/$2.2 million

Bud Norris: $5.3 million/$8.7 million

Tommy Hunter: $3 million/$4.4 million

Chris Davis: $10.3 million/$11.8 million

Brian Matusz: $2.4 million/$2.7 million : $546,000/$5.4 million

Miguel Gonzalez: $529,000/$3.7 million

Ryan Flaherty: $513,000/$1 million

Zach Britton: $521,500/$3.2 million

I've heard that the Orioles will tender Davis a contract, and executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter referenced his return over the past few days. So much for that drama.

MLBTradeRumors.com included De Aza on its list of possible non-tenders due to a projected raise that would bring his salary near $6 million. Is that too much for a player who batted a combined .252/.314/.386 with 24 doubles, eight triples, eight home runs and 41 RBIs in 142 games?

Let's consider that De Aza batted .293/.341/.537 with five doubles, three triples, three home runs and 10 RBIs in only 20 games after the Orioles acquired him from the White Sox on Aug. 30 for two minor league pitchers. He also provided the defensive upgrade that initiated the trade talks.

More production from the left side of the plate and fewer fly balls turning into adventures.

De Aza didn't disappear in the playoffs, going 7-for-21 (.333) with three doubles, three RBIs, a walk and four runs scored.

The decision might be easier if the Orioles knew that David Lough could duplicate his second half, when he went 20-for-57 (.351) with three doubles, a triple and two home runs. Left-handed hitter, plus-defense and he made only $510,500 this year. He isn't arbitration-eligible until 2016.

Lough hit .197/.271/.308 in the first half, but he also had 117 at-bats. No telling how his second half would have evolved with more trips to the plate. Perhaps he was better off with a smaller sample size. We'll never know.

It's not my money, a point that continually needs to be stressed, but I'd keep both of them. De Aza can platoon in left field. Lough can back up at all three outfield spots and add a speed element off the bench, though he needs to work on his basestealing skills. He was 8-for-13 this year and is 14-for-21 in three major league seasons.

I'd make it a priority in spring training.

De Aza could use some work, too. He was 17-for-27 this season, including 2-for-5 with the Orioles, and is 79-for-115 in seven major league seasons. It's hard to project the outfield without knowing whether Markakis and Cruz are returning. Markakis seems like a sure bet. Cruz could make it back to Baltimore on a three-year deal if another team isn't willing to give him four.

Pearce gives Showalter a right-handed option at both corners as well as first base and designated hitter. His value can't be overstated.

So do you keep De Aza? http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2014/11/mike-griffin-on-mychal-givens-and- parker-bridwell-plus-final-afl-stats.html Mike Griffin on Mychal Givens and Parker Bridwell, plus final AFL stats By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

November 15, 2014 9:06 AM

Last year, eight players from the Orioles organization played for the Surprise Saguaros, who won the Arizona Fall League championship. Pitchers Eduardo Rodriguez, Tim Berry, Branden Kline and Jason Gurka, and position players Henry Urrutia, Dariel Alvarez, Jonathan Schoop and Michael Ohlman were on that team.

Today, Peoria plays Salt River for the AFL championship, but the season is over for the seven O's that played on the Glendale Desert Dogs, who finished 14-15-2.

Right-hander Zach Davies went 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in seven AFL starts. He was recently ranked the Orioles' No. 6 prospect by . I wrote here several days ago about his pitching in the AFL.

Davies, who gave up just one run over his last 21 innings in Arizona, posted the best ERA of any AFL pitcher with 20 innings or more.

Mike Griffin, the pitching coach the last six seasons for the Orioles' Triple-A Norfolk affiliate, was co-pitching coach for Glendale and I him asked about two other O's prospects that pitched in the AFL.

One is right-hander Mychal Givens, who pitched at Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie this season, going 1-2 with a 3.53 ERA.

Givens just completed his second season pitching after three years playing shortstop and he uses a unique low three-quarters arm slot that is almost sidearm and figures to be tough on right- handed batters. He can touch the mid 90s with his , which is unusual for a pitcher coming from that arm angle. He went 0-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 10 games in the AFL and gave up just one run over his last six innings.

"It's just about going out and letting him pitch. He's just finishing his second full year of pitching. He's facing stiffer competition out here," Griffin said recently.

"Not a whole lot of mechanical adjustments, just trying to get him to get that arm slot more consistent and he's making progress here. A more consistent slot has led to more consistent outings.

"Earlier, he was standing up in his delivery more than I thought he should have been. Right now, we're trying to get him to start with a little bit of a bend in his upper body at the waist, so that arm slot is right where it needs to be as soon as he goes toward the plate. It's just a very so slight (adjustment).

"We want him to get into an athletic position on the rubber. It is not as drastic as Darren O'Day. It allows him to get into the arm slot with better consistency."

Givens is working to improve his command and control. More consistent mechanics will likely be the key for that.

"It is for him right now," Griffin said. "He is still learning a lot about himself in making the transition to being a pitcher and he is still learning his delivery. He's got what we call a young arm. Each outing, he is really picking it up even more.

"He's also done some work on his slider to try and get better consistency with that and we've done some work on his . He's got a great arm."

Givens pitches with heavy sink and he could turn into a late- reliever that is a groundball machine. He recorded a nearly 3-to-1 ground-to-air out ratio after he moved to Double-A midsummer.

"It is a a lot about the sink and we've talked about that," Griffin said. "He is a grounball pitcher and has to live and die with the groundball. He has heavy, heavy sink to his fastball and sometimes you give up a chopper or infield hit. Some hits he has given up have been a chopper through the infield here."

Griffin also worked with 23-year-old right-hander Parker Bridwell with Glendale. Bridwell went 7-10 with a 4.45 ERA this season for Frederick.

In the AFL, he went 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA, but that includes one outing where he gave up six runs in just one-third of an inning. In the other seven games, he pitched to an ERA of 3.27, giving up just six hits over 11 innings. Bridwell had an ERA of 1.13 after his first four AFL outings.

Bridwell's velocity was sitting in the 92-93 range with Glendale. "It is just one bad outing that has skewed his numbers," Griffin said. "He has done one helluva job out here, as have all our guys. He made the All-Star team and was very deserving. He showed well in that game, he struck out the side.

"We are continuing to work with him on fastball command, getting better consistency. What has been impressive with him right now is when he misfires with the fastball, he is able to get back in synch with the next pitch.

"His walks are a little high, but he has made tremendous strides in his delivery. No drastic changes, just calm it down a little bit. He's done an excellent job."

Bridwell's changeup made big strides this year.

"It's been a swing-and-miss pitch out here and he gets a lot of on it," Griffin said. "It's got good deception. There have been some hitters out here waiting on it and they still can't hit it.

"We have been really honing on hard on his fastball command. We hope when he does leave here that he can repeat his delivery on a more consistent basis."

Lefty Ashur Tolliver, who went 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA in relief this season between Frederick and Bowie, also pitched in the AFL. But he missed over three weeks with a hamstring injury. In four games, over 3 1/3 innings, Tolliver gave up one run and three hits.

As for the three O's hitters in the AFL, Jason Esposito batted .253 with one homer and 12 RBIs in 23 games. He hit .348 against left-handers and .417 with runners in scoring position.

Garabez Rosa batted .308 with three homers, 11 RBIs and a .799 OPS in 21 games, playing mostly at third base and in left field. He hit .358 versus right-handed pitchers.

Catcher Michael Ohlman hit .244 with one homer, two RBIs and a .670 OPS in 12 games. http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2014/11/burnett-off-the-board.html Burnett off the board By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

November 14, 2014 4:13 PM

One day after shooting down the A.J. Burnett rumor, I can pass along that the right-hander has agreed to terms with the Pirates. The news has been confirmed by multiple media outlets.

Burnett's one-year deal with the Pirates is for $8.5 million, according to reports. He turned down a $12.75 million option with the Phillies in order to sign with a contender. We now live in a world where the Pirates are contenders again.

The Orioles didn't make Burnett an offer, according to team officials. The Monkton storyline never picked up steam. Sorry to disappoint.

Burnett turned down the Orioles last winter and proceeded to go 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA in 34 starts. He led the majors with 18 losses and 96 walks.

The Orioles never looked back.

Agent Darek Braunecker told FOXSports.com that he didn't negotiate with any other club, per Burnett's instructions. The right-hander only wanted to pitch for the Pirates.

Braunecker, by the way, also represents pitcher Steve Johnson. Keep that in mind if reports surface that the Orioles met with him next month at the .

The Orioles remain focused on their bullpen and negotiations with the agents for outfielders Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz.

FOXSports.com reported today that Cruz and his agent, Diego Bentz, have met with the Mariners. They shied away from him last winter due to the Biogenesis scandal, but they remain in the market for a right-handed bat with power.

The question is whether they're willing to offer four or five years. http://www.masnsports.com/orioles-buzz/2014/11/recapping-os-prospects-performances-in- arizona-fall-league.html Daniel Clark: Recapping O's prospects' performances in Arizona Fall League By Daniel Clark / MASNsports.com

November 14, 2014 12:25 PM

The summer of baseball has finished, and while most of the discussion has shifted to free agents, trades and roster moves, many of baseball's best young prospects have just completed play in the Arizona Fall League. Seven of those prospects - four pitchers and three position p layers - were wearing Orioles uniforms.

Those seven minor leaguers were playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs, who won 14 games, lost 15 and tied two, finishing in last place in the AFL West Division. Here's how each fared in the short season. Michael Ohlman: Coming off a solid season for Double-A Bowie, where he hit .236 in 113 games, the 23-year-old had a solid AFL campaign and continued to impress those within the organization. In 12 games, Ohlman hit .244 (10-for-41) with one and two RBIs, in support of his impressive work behind dish. He did, however, commit two errors to put a slight blemish on his record.

Jason Esposito: The 24-year-old started off the AFL season on fire, but cooled off considerably and his final numbers were solid. In 23 games, he hit .253 (23-for-91) with one home run and 12 RBIs. Defensively, there's still some work required as highlighted by the five errors he committed. Having been with the organization for three years now, 2015 is hoped to be a breakout year for the young third baseman.

Garabez Rosa: After eight seasons within the Orioles organization, Rosa is really starting to impress. During 2014 he hit .282 with 11 home runs and 69 RBIs with Bowie and he's now followed that up with an impressive AFL campaign. In 21 games, he hit .308 (24-for-78) with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Defensively, he made three errors in the outfield and that is an area where he needs to find some consistency.

Parker Bridwell: The young pitcher, who recently turned 23, has now been with the organization for five seasons, but his performances have lacked consistency - working to a career record of 22-36 record with a 4.99 ERA in 96 appearances (92 starts). His AFL experience highlighted this inconsistency, too - having fallen away considerably after a very promising start that saw him appear in the Fall Stars Game. In the end, Bridwell's numbers were poor, working to a 7.94 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in eight appearances (11 1/3 innings). He struck out nine hitters. There's no doubt Bridwell has some impressive stuff, he just needs to find some consistency.

Zach Davies: The 21-year-old Davies is moving through the organization with speed and after an impressive 2014 season with Bowie (10 wins, 3.35 ERA), he continued that great form into the AFL. In seven games (25 2/3 innings), Davies worked to a very impressive 1.75 ERA and 1.09 WHIP, while striking out 23 hitters. Having now had impressive seasons at Single-A in 2012, high Single-A in 2013 and 2014, Davies is likely to see some time at Triple-A with Norfolk in 2015. With time on his side, the future seems extremely bright for this prospect.

Mychal Givens: The story of 24-year-old Givens continues to fascinate many within the organization as the shortstop/second baseman-turned-pitcher continues to develop his skills on the mound. Having made the switch from position player to pitcher in 2013, Givens performed steadily in 2014 and had quite a solid AFL campaign. He pitched 11 2/3 innings in 10 games, working to a 3.09 ERA and 1.71 WHIP. Still developing his armory on the hill, he will certainly be one to watch in 2015.

Ashur Tolliver: Tolliver had an injury-plagued AFL campaign and only appeared in four games, during which, he pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. The 26-year-old has been in the Orioles organization since 2009 and, when healthy, his numbers have been impressive. He is likely to start at the Double-A level in 2015 and if he can remain injury-free, he may be set for a breakout season.

In addition to the regular season performances, Ohlman and Bridwell both represented the Western Division in the AFL Fall Stars Game. Ohlman went 1-for-2 with a single and Bridwell pitched one scoreless inning, striking out the side.

Of the seven, which Orioles prospect excites you the most ahead of the 2015 season? http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/cruzs-home-runs-stand-out-power-hungry-market Cruz's home runs stand out in power hungry market By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

November 17, 2014, 7:15 am

Nelson Cruz is obviously headed for a large contract, and here’s another reason why.

As Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports pointed out, Nelson Cruz has by far the most home runs of any free agent on the free agent market.

Of course, Cruz did play fewer games in the outfield (70) than he started at designated hitter (89), and he hit nearly as many home runs as an outfielder (19) as he did a DH (21).

Even counting the home runs he hit strictly as an outfielder, Cruz has more than any other free agent. Colby Rasmus (18), Torii Hunter (17), (16), Michael Morse (16), Nick Markakis and Josh Willingham (both 13).

Power has been on the decline in recent years. Cruz had the fewest home runs of any major league leader since 1982.

Cruz’s market still won’t be as robust as he hopes. Because manager Buck Showalter used him more frequently as a DH, especially down the stretch, Cruz wasn’t tired. Particularly after the acquisition of Alejandro De Aza, Cruz played less often in left field.

He had only two September starts in left field, none after Sept. 6 and had three starts in right field.

Morosi also reported over the weekend that Toronto had contact with Markakis, but no offer has been made. Markakis remains unsigned.

When free agency started two weeks ago, it seemed as if Markakis would sign ahead of Cruz. It could be the other way around now.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/boras-neutral-site-world-series-idea-should-go Boras' neutral-site World Series idea should go By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

November 16, 2014, 8:45 am

Scott Boras is full of ideas. Some of them are good, some not-so-good. In between negotiating huge contracts for free agents, the uberagent opines on the state of baseball.

He’s suggested adding a third team to the New York area—putting one in northern New Jersey, which is a nonstarter because the Mets and Yankees own the territory and won’t allow another team in.

Boras’ latest suggestion is an attempt to restore luster to the World Series. How about holding it at a neutral site?

It’s not a new idea. It’s just a bad one.

How would you like to explain to Orioles fans that after waiting more than three decades for another World Series that they need to shell out thousands of dollars, not just for expensive tickets, but for hotels and airfare to Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Phoenix or San Diego?

In domes or warm weather sites, there wouldn’t be a threat of bad weather. Next year’s World Series will bleed into November if it’s not a four-game sweep and if a cold weather team makes it, the weather could make the experience unpleasant.

Try telling the fans in Kansas City that their World Series experience would have been more fun somewhere else.

Can you imagine if the Joe Maddon-led actually made the World Series, and it was held in San Diego? No, Wrigley Field deserves to host a Series if the Cubs can ever get there.

Of course the Super Bowl has always been played at a neutral site, and in nearly 50 years, the true home team has never qualified.

But, there’s something a little artificial about the Super Bowl at a neutral site. In the Ravens Super Bowl in New Orleans, they had more fans that the San Francisco 49ers, but the atmosphere wasn’t as electric it would have been at M&T Bank Stadium.

There are a few other advantages. True baseball fans could plan a week’s vacation ahead of time, and if I knew where it was going to be, many more baseball writers would attend because airfare would be cheaper. You could play seven games in a row without a travel day as was done before the Dodgers and Giants moved to the West Coast. Buck Showalter suggested that it would be a truer test because you’d be managing a team under regular season circumstances.

In the World Series, you don’t see a fifth starter or in many cases a backup catcher. Catching someone seven high pressure games in a row would be hard.

Some of the fun of the postseason is seeing starter pitchers, Madison Bumgarner, come out of the bullpen. You may not see in a seven-day World Series.

And, there’d be no home field advantage, so I presume the All-Star Game result wouldn’t decide who bats last.

"If we continue to do this on a regional scale, we're going to lose something that baseball deserves, and what it deserves is world attention,” Boras said. "There is a sacrifice of two, three or four [home] games for a team, but the betterment it brings to baseball on the whole far exceeds the detriment."

Television ratings for the World Series are down, and even the recent seven-game series weren’t close to what they were in the past. But, how would ratings be any higher in Phoenix for a series between the Giants and Royals that was held in Miami?

The corporate crowd could eat it up, but why penalize long suffering fans of a team. World Series tickets are expensive enough without having to scramble at come up with high price airline tickets on a few days notice. Hotels would jack up prices, too.

Fans would go, but they wouldn’t be happy about it.

At least the NFL has moved the Super Bowl around more than it has in the past. For years, it was pretty much Miami, New Orleans and Pasadena in the rotation. They tried a cold weather Super Bowl in New Jersey, and that seemed to work out decently.

Mr. Boras, please stick to negotiating contracts for Zach Britton, Wei-Yin Chen, Chris Davis and Matt Wieters. Let the baseball fans of 30 franchises enjoy their World Series.

This is a truly awful idea.

NOTE: Tommy Hunter pitched a scoreless inning, allowing two hits in the MLB All-Stars 6-1 win over Samurai Japan. Hunter struck out two. It was the All-Stars’ first win after three losses. They were no-hit in the third game. The fifth and final game will be played on Tuesday in Tokyo.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/dont-believe-rumors-big-names-didnt-land-os Don't believe rumors: Big names didn't land with O's By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

November 15, 2014, 10:15 am

Two pitchers the Orioles are familiar with changed teams on Friday. Most fans were paying attention when A.J. Burnett, who the Orioles twice pursued, but didn’t a third time, signed a one- year, $8.75 million contract with the .

In 2014, Burnett delayed his decision on whether he would play for the Pirates again until January. By then, the Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies were interested.

He spurned the Orioles’ interest for this season--just as he had done in 2008 when he signed with the Yankees.

It was curious when a published report indicated the Orioles had made an offer to Burnett this week. Burnett led the majors in losses, earned runs allowed and walks.

The report was quickly shot down, and on Friday Burnett, who left $4 million on the table by not invoking his player option with Philadelphia, returned to the Pirates. He played there in 2012 and 2013.

Burnett, who lives in Monkton, Md., turns 38 in January, and hopefully will not be linked with the Orioles again.

So far this offseason we haven’t heard any “Gavin Floyd to the Orioles” rumors, but I’m sure we will. We do every year.

Another pitcher fans may be familiar with, Jeremy Hellickson was traded on Friday night by the . Hellickson was 9-4 against the Orioles with a 3.38 ERA in 19 games.

Hellickson is taking his talents to Arizona and the Rays, who are now apparently in full scale rebuild mode, get two minor leaguers in return.

Adam Jones, who had four home runs and a .364 average in 44 at-bats against Hellickson, may not be as happy.

The Rays still have , Alex Cobb, a rehabbing Matt Moore, and the promising in the rotation.

Tampa Bay still hasn’t hired a manager, the only team in the majors without one. Joe Maddon was back in the Bay area this week, and his replacement could be one of 10 interviewees. Manny Acta, Kevin Cash, Craig Counsell, Doug Glanville, Raul Ibanez, Barry Larkin, Dave Martinez, Charlie Montoyo, Don Wakamatsu and Ron Wotus are on the Rays’ list. Larkin is supposed to be interviewed on Saturday, the final initial interview.

Tampa Bay also continues discuss a new stadium. The Rays are trying to negotiate a deal with St. Petersburg that allows them to explore stadium sites in Tampa even though the current lease on palatial Tropicana Field runs through 2027.

Dan Duquette met with Andrew Miller’s agent during this week’s General Managers’ meetings. He would love to keep Miller, who reportedly has nearly two dozen teams interested.

It’s natural that Miller would have that much interest. He’s as close to a perfect free agent on the market. Not only was he terrific in his Orioles stint, but he’s not yet 30.

The left-hander was the sixth overall pick in the 2006 draft by Detroit, and after the Tigers, Marlins and Red Sox decided he couldn’t start, had three excellent years as a reliever in 2012, 2013 and this year, getting better each year.

Miller was even better against right-handers than left-handers this year (.145 vs. .163). He gave up fewer than five hits per nine innings in 2014 and struck out a whopping six times as many as he walked. In his time with the Orioles, his /walk ratio was an astounding 8.5:1. Even the great Mariano Rivera had only one season with a strikeout/walk ratio that high!

No wonder so many teams are interested in Miller as a closer or a setup man. There’s nothing negative about him, other than he’s never been a closer, and that’s probably due to circumstance.

The hard Orioles news of the week was confined to awards for Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter.

There have been reports the Orioles are interested in Cuban infielder Yoan Moncada and outfielder Yasmany Tomas, but both are probably out of the Orioles’ price range.

The three Cuban refugees they’ve signed in the past few years: outfielders Dariel Alvarez and Henry Urrutia and pitcher Lazaro Leyva were given bonuses that totaled about $2.3 million. Moncada and Tomas are likely to command much more.

Nick Markakis and the Orioles may be closer to reaching an agreement than they were, but there’s no definitive word. Nelson Cruz is seeking a four or five-year contract from other teams while the Orioles offered him three years.

Thursday is the deadline for the Orioles to add players from their system to the 40-man roster. Currently, the roster has 33 players. Pitchers Parker Bridwell and Mike Wright catcher Brian Ward could be added this week.

Chris Davis does not count against the 40-man roster. http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/stantons-deal-could-have-implications-orioles Stanton's deal could have implications for Orioles By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

November 14, 2014, 3:45 pm

The numbers seem incredible. For the past few days, the and their uberstar have reportedly been negotiating an astronomical deal.

Latest reports put the terms at 13 years and $325 million for Stanton, who’s just 25, but has already hit 154 home runs.

Orioles fans may not be terribly familiar with this wonderful talent. He’s played just three games against them, all in Baltimore in his 2010 rookie season. The Orioles will play the Marlins in Miami in May 2015.

Signing young stars to big contracts ahead of free agency has become more popular in recent years. Felix Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw, , Mike Trout, Troy Tulowitzki, Justin Verlander and Joey Votto, are some recent examples.

In some cases, such as Trout, who signed for six years and $144 million, teams are buying up years of arbitration, in his case three, and just three free agent years.

Atlanta did the same, at a lower cast with some of its young stars: Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, Andrelton Simmons and Julio Teheran. They took players developed from within and bought up arbitration years and a few years of free agency.

Trout could still be a free agent at 29 and command an even bigger deal, but Stanton’s proposed deal could have him with the Marlins until he’s 38.

There’s talk of a no-trade or an opt-out if it’s clear that Miami is no longer a contender.

Stanton was upset two years ago when the Marlins traded Mark Buehrle, Josh Johnson and Jose Reyes to Toronto. Only Reyes remains with the Blue Jays, but Stanton thought Miami was giving up.

It turned out to be a good trade for the Marlins. Shortstop Adeiny Hechevarria and pitcher Henderson Alvarez have done well.

Now, the Marlins who won World Series titles in 1997 and 2003 only to quickly disassemble their teams, look as if they have another group of promising, if currently anonymous young players. With a still new stadium and a skeptical fan base, Miami wants to show its partisans they’re serious this time.

The Stanton deal could have implications for the Orioles. During the 2013 season, there was some loose chatter that the Orioles and Manny Machado could discuss a long-term arrangement. After two knee surgeries in as many years, that’s not going to happen.

Machado, who’s just 22 isn’t eligible for free agency for four more years. The Orioles could wait two more seasons to make sure he has no further knee trouble before contemplating that big deal.

There is some precedence.

In the case of Nick Markakis, they bought up three years of arbitration and three years of free agency in the deal that just expired.

Dan Duquette doesn’t shy away from large deals. He signed Adam Jones to a six-year contract in his free agency year, and when he was with Boston, negotiated one of the more successful big contracts, eight years, $160 million for Manny Ramirez.

Big deals always seem absurd at the time. Take Robinson Cano’s. Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik wanted to make a statement, and signed Cano for 10 years at $240 million. Cano will be nearly 41 when the contract expired.

It’s likely the Mariners will have a different GM then, and that contract will be someone else’s worry.

If Stanton signs this deal with the Marlins, fans in Miami may finally get excited about the team, and they may actually be a contender for some years. If not, Stanton will be looking for a new home.

NOTE: A.J. Burnett, who opted out of a $12.75 million option with Philadelphia, signed a one- year contract for $8.75 million with Pittsburgh. Earlier in the week, there were erroneous reports the Orioles offered Burnett a contract. A team source quickly shot them down.

http://www.csnbaltimore.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-think-2015-will-be-breakout-year- gausman Orioles think 2015 will be breakout year for Gausman By Rich Dubroff / CSN Baltimore

November 14, 2014, 11:45 am

It just seems that Kevin Gausman has been around the Orioles for longer than two years. Gausman was the Orioles’ first round draft pick, the fourth overall in 2012, and less than a year later was in the majors.

Only five players from the top 45 in that draft have made it to the majors. Three of them are pitchers: St. Louis’ Michael Wacha, Toronto’s and Miami’s Andrew Heaney. Seattle catcher Mike Zunino is the other.

The Orioles tried Gausman as a starter in May 2013, and after five starts without a win, sent him to Norfolk. Gausman resurfaced as a reliever, and the bullpen helped him adjust to the major leagues.

Gausman was 3-2 with a 3.52 ERA in 15 games as a reliever. In those five starts, Gausman was 0-3 with a 7.22 ERA.

In 2014, Gausman started the season at Norfolk, was called up for a start against Detroit in mid- May and then returned. To regulate his innings, the Orioles moved him between Baltimore and the minors semi-regularly even though his first three starts in June were excellent.

Gausman allowed two runs in 14 innings, picking up three wins. Though he ended his season without a win in his last seven starts, the Orioles are expecting big things from him in 2015.

"Kevin Gausman, on the other hand, could be one of the top pitchers in the league. He's got great stuff, he's got terrific control. They don't hit his changeup. He's got a real powerful fastball and the sky's the limit for him, and I think this could be a real breakout season for Kevin,” Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette said this week on MLB Network.

Gausman finished 2014 with a 7-7 record and a 3.57 ERA. In the postseason, he pitched effectively out of the bullpen allowing just one run on four hits in eight innings.

http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/11/17/revisiting-2014-american-league-east-predictions- pitching-managers REVISITING 2014 AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST PREDICTIONS: PITCHING, MANAGERS By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com

November 17, 2014

Welcome back. Let's continue to parse Orioles Report's 2014 American League East position-by- position comparisons, checking which preseason predictions turned out correctly and which were painfully wrong. I've already covered the offenses (including the infielders in Part One and the outfielders, designated hitters and benches in Part Two), so next up is the starting rotations, bullpens and managers.

STARTING ROTATION

Preseason rankings

1. Rays

2. Red Sox

3. Yankees

4. Orioles

5. Blue Jays

A lot of things went wrong for the Rays during the 2014 season, but their starting pitching wasn't to blame. As usual, Tampa Bay's rotation was the class of the division, weathering the loss of lefty Matt Moore to Tommy John surgery after two starts and the July 31 trade of ace David Price. The Rays acquired Oriole-killer Drew Smyly in the Price trade and he combined with rookie Jake Odorizzi and mainstays Alex Cobb and Chris Archer to give the Rays a formidable young group.

Believe it or not, the Yankees' rotation was pretty strong despite nearly every one of their starting pitchers getting injured at some point. Only one of their starters (Hiroki Kuroda) made more than 20 starts, but Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda were brilliant when they were healthy enough to pitch, and veteran Brandon McCarthy was a savvy midseason pickup. The Blue Jays' rotation, meanwhile, stayed healthy and pitched well, led by veterans R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle. The Orioles' rotation was the most durable in the AL East, as they used a division-low seven different starting pitchers (and it would be six if not for T.J. McFarland's single spot start). They weren't dominant, as the Birds' rotation had the fewest strikeouts in the division, but they had four double-digit winners, each of whom had an ERA of 3.65 or lower. Meanwhile, the free- falling Red Sox traded away their top three starters -- Jon Lester, and Jake Peavy -- after their season went into the tank, relying on a motley crew of no-names for the final two months.

End-of-season rankings

1. Rays

2. Yankees

3. Blue Jays

4. Orioles

5. Red Sox

BULLPEN

Preseason rankings

1. Red Sox

2. Blue Jays

3. Rays

4. Orioles

5. Yankees

Lesson of the day: don't ever try to predict bullpens. It simply can't be done. Relief pitchers are so volatile and inconsistent from year to year that a good bullpen can become a bad one at the drop of a hat, and vice versa. Case in point: the two AL East bullpens I predicted to be the worst -- the Orioles and Yankees -- were actually the two best of 2014.

My go-to data for evaluating bullpens are FanGraphs' Shutdowns and Meltdowns statistics. Shutdowns measure appearances where a pitcher improved his team's chances of winning by 6 percent or more. Meltdowns are just the opposite -- appearances where a pitcher increased his team's chances of losing by 6 percent or more. The Orioles' bullpen led the division in shutdowns with 162, indicating that they had many clutch, game-saving relief appearances. And with back- end relievers like Zach Britton, Darren O'Day and July acquisition Andrew Miller having great seasons, it's easy to see why. O's relievers had a 3.10 ERA, best in the division. The Yankees, meanwhile, boasted the most dominant reliever in the AL: rookie righty Dellin Betances, who had 135 strikeouts in 90 innings and posted a 1.40 ERA. The combination of Betances and effective first-year closer David Robertson -- along with the Yankees' 571 to 442 strikeout lead over the Orioles' bullpen -- helped them edge the Birds as the division's best relief crew.

Boston's bullpen was solid, with closer Koji Uehara having another excellent season before tiring in September, while Junichi Tazawa and pre-trade Miller provided quality setup work. The Rays' free-agent closer, Grant Balfour, self-destructed, but Brad Boxberger and Jake McGee provided a strong eighth and ninth inning duo by the end of the year. And revisiting the theme of the inconsistency of bullpens, the Blue Jays -- who had a great bullpen in 2013 -- had the division's worst in 2014. Setup man Steve Delabar, coming off an All-Star season, posted a 4.91 ERA and was sent to the minors, while closer Casey Janssen battled injuries and inconsistency.

End-of-season rankings

1. Yankees

2. Orioles

3. Red Sox

4. Rays

5. Blue Jays

MANAGER

Preseason rankings

1. Joe Maddon, Rays

2. Buck Showalter, Orioles

3. , Yankees

4. John Farrell, Red Sox

5. John Gibbons, Blue Jays

Showalter won the AL Manager of the Year award Nov. 11, and deservedly so -- his brilliant work with the Orioles, both on the field and in the clubhouse, helped guide the club to 96 wins and its first AL East crown since 1997.

New York's Girardi often gets mocked for his slavish devotion to managing by the book, but he did a solid job of keeping the Yankees afloat in 2014 despite their multitude of injuries. Maddon couldn't work his usual magic with the disappointing Rays, then unexpectedly bolted the team after the season to manage the Chicago Cubs. Boston's Farrell went from a World Series championship in his first year to a last-place finish in his second, while Gibbons continued to be a nonentity for the poorly disciplined Blue Jays.

End-of-season rankings

1. Showalter, Orioles

2. Girardi, Yankees

3. Maddon, Rays

4. Farrell, Red Sox

5. Gibbons, Blue Jays

Coming up in the grand finale of the series, I'll look back at my predicted 2014 standings for the AL East as well as the other five divisions. Warning: it's not pretty. http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/11/13/trades-free-agent-signings-less-important-to-orioles- than-recoveries-returns TRADES, FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS LESS IMPORTANT TO ORIOLES THAN RECOVERIES, RETURNS? By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com

November 17, 2014

As the MLB hot stove begins to warm, Baltimore Orioles fans will undoubtedly speculate about which free agents or potential trade acquisitions might find their way to the Birds this offseason.

But the Orioles' three biggest additions to the 2015 team might be players who are already on their roster.

Third baseman Manny Machado, catcher Matt Wieters and first baseman Chris Davis hope to return to regular duty with the Birds after a series of unfortunate events cost them much of the 2014 season. Machado and Wieters combined for 108 games during injury-plagued seasons, while Davis was limited to 127 mostly lousy ones. The three never appeared in the starting lineup together.

It can be argued the Orioles didn't feel their absences all that much. Even with the limited participation of Wieters, Machado and Davis, the Orioles cruised to 96 regular-season wins, an American League East division crown and a three-game sweep of the in the American League Division Series.

It wasn't until the tightly contested American League Championship Series that the O's might have missed their three key players. In getting swept by the Kansas City Royals, the Birds combined to lose the four games by a total of six runs, including back-to-back 2-1 defeats in Kansas City. The Orioles' replacement third baseman, first baseman and catcher each committed defensive miscues during the series.

Come 2015, Machado, Wieters and Davis should be back in action for the Birds. But after an injury- and sometimes controversy-marred 2014 seasons, each one of the trio comes with his own set of question marks.

Much of the Orioles' attention will fall on Machado, the Birds' superstar in the making. At 22 years old, Machado is already one of the most talented third basemen in the majors, a 2013 All- Star and Gold Glove winner who has rekindled memories of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson with his eye-popping defensive wizardry.

But Machado is coming off his second season-ending knee surgery in as many years. After returning from reconstructive surgery on his left knee, which he underwent Oct. 14, 2013, Machado again had his season cut short, this time by the right knee. He had surgery Aug. 27 to repair a partial tear of his right knee ligament.

Machado's recovery from his first injury took about six and a half months; if his rehabilitation from his second surgery takes roughly the same span, he'd be in line to return to the Orioles in time for spring training in March 2015. But it's no sure bet, according to physical therapist Russell Manalastas, clinic director at Lattimore Physical Therapy, who has extensive experience working with patients with similar injuries.

"In terms of recovery, he should follow the same timetable," Manalastas said. "The problem is if he suffers any sort of setbacks, anything like that. With medial patellofemoral surgeries on the ligaments, especially reconstruction, the things you have to worry about [are], is he going to have any issues sprinting? Is he going to have any issues with cutting, twisting, turning? As a third baseman and especially as a hitter, that's all baseball is revolved around. Twisting and turning is something huge for a baseball player, and if he's got knee issues, especially on the inside part of the knee, that could put some strain on the areas that he had reconstructive surgery on."

Even if Machado is full-go for the start of the 2015 season, questions about his long-term health will remain. His surgically repaired knees could hold up for the rest of his career, but there's also the possibility he could continue to have lingering problems.

"Whether or not he's going to have any kind of chronic issues, hopefully the surgery corrected that," Manalastas said. "But there's a lot more variables that you have to kind of consider. … Is it genetics? Is it a biomechanical influence that's causing the strain on his knees? Or is it something else?

"About 77 percent of people who suffered those types of reconstructions return to either pre- injury form or better. Now, there are no data points that show people who've had two reconstructive surgeries on both knees. ... So 77 percent is pretty high. It's a pretty good success rate. But at the same time, for someone who's had it on both legs, it's going to be tough to say whether or not he's going to be able to get back to the form that you want him to get back to."

Machado isn't the only Oriole whose health will be carefully monitored during spring training. Wieters, who will be roughly eight months removed from his June 17 Tommy John surgery when pitchers and report to spring training, might need to be brought along slowly during his recovery.

While Tommy John has become a commonplace procedure for pitchers, it's a rarity for position players, especially catchers. Wieters was only the ninth major league catcher to undergo Tommy John surgery. If he follows the same progression as a pitcher, though, it could take up to a full year after his surgery date to regain full strength in his throwing arm.

"He'll be about 10 months removed from surgery when Opening Day comes around," Manalastas said. "So a lot of his availability will depend on how he feels physically when it comes to throwing. He might not have the amount of zip that he used to have prior to his surgery, but that should continue to get better as he gets further away from the surgery date.

"Usually the full recovery for the league is still around 12 months. It can be a little bit earlier, especially because he's not a pitcher, but usually around 12 months is when you start to kind of see that elbow strength and that arm strength start to kind of return to form."

Although Wieters might not be able to catch on a full-time basis until his arm strength returns, he could still serve as a designated hitter in the meantime. The elbow surgery likely won't affect his ability to swing a bat.

"No question," Manalastas said. "Actually, because he's a switch hitter, I think it'll allow the ligament to heal a little bit more. Because if he was just one-sided, sometimes that repetitive strain from that one side might just strain the ligament a little bit more. But because he's switch- hitting, it'll allow a little bit of a lighter load on the ligament itself to kind of allow for better progression long term. So he should be able to hit. Most times, [for] hitters or players who have Tommy John surgery, hitting is the first thing they can kind of get back to without too much of an issue."

Much will hinge on Wieters' 2015 season, not just for the Orioles but for Wieters' contract prospects. He is eligible for free agency at the end of 2015, so if he is able to return to full health, re-establish himself as an elite defender and pick up where he left off offensively in 2014 -- batting .308/.339/.500/.839 with five home runs during 26 games -- he could be in line for a big payday.

Meanwhile, another impending 2015 free agent, Davis, will be looking to get his career back on track.

After a 2013 season that saw him reach the highest of highs -- a majors-leading and Orioles record 53 home runs -- Davis sank to the lowest of lows in 2014. He batted .196 with a .704 OPS, and his slugging percentage dropped more than 200 points. Making matters worse, Davis' season came to an embarrassing end when he received a 25-game amphetamine suspension in September, missing the final 17 regular-season games and all seven postseason games.

Davis' stock dropped so sharply, so quickly, that it's possible the Orioles might not even keep him around for 2015. Davis is in his final year of arbitration and figures to get a raise from his $10.35 million salary in 2014, raising speculation that the Birds could choose to non-tender or trade him this winter.

Ultimately, the O's will likely give Davis the benefit of the doubt and tender him a 2015 contract in hopes that he can recapture his 2013 form. But even if Davis remains an Oriole, the O's can't be sure what to expect from him next season -- largely because there's no clear explanation of why his 2014 season went so wrong.

One possibility is that Davis' oblique injury, which landed him on the disabled list at the end of April, was slow in healing. Considering Davis' quicker-than-expected return from the DL after two weeks, he might have tried to play through a lingering injury that hindered his power.

"A lot of times oblique injuries, when it comes to length of time [of recovery] for positional players, it's usually around three weeks," Manalastas said. "So the fact that Chris Davis came back in two weeks is relatively fast."

If the oblique injury was the cause of Davis' struggles, the good news is that a winter away from the field should erase any lasting effects of the injury.

"I think an offseason of rest, and the fact that he didn't play in the playoffs, too ... I think that gave him some time to kind of recover a little bit," Manalastas said.

A return to full health doesn't necessarily mean Davis will reclaim his vintage 2013 form. He'll need to prove he can regain his stroke and learn to counteract teams' exaggerated defensive shifts against him. Machado and Wieters, too, have something to prove in 2015. They'll need to show they can operate at full capacity with no ill effects after working their way back from injury.

But if each of the three is healthy and ready to contribute when Opening Day rolls around, the Orioles' already formidable lineup will add three former All-Stars. And the Birds would have to feel good about their chances of a repeat AL East title in 2015. http://www.pressboxonline.com/2014/11/13/in-addition-to-excitement-orioles-2014-postseason- run-generated-economic-impact IN ADDITION TO EXCITEMENT, ORIOLES' 2014 POSTSEASON RUN GENERATED ECONOMIC IMPACT By Ed Waldman / PressBoxOnline.com

November 17, 2014

First things first.

Let's all agree, the Orioles' deep run into the MLB playoffs had a tremendous economic impact on Pickles Pub, as well as anyone who sold bottles of water, hot dogs, soft pretzels or Orioles merchandise -- authorized or pirated -- inside or outside of Camden Yards.

And the Orioles' deep run had a tremendous economic impact on the Orioles. More than 47,000 fans crammed into the ballpark for four extra nights for the 2014 season. And they paid anywhere from $43 to four figures (on the secondary market) for tickets, at least $25 for parking, and bought $12 beers and $10 sandwiches at Boog's.

You don't have to have run a regional economic group to know that.

But just in case you need an expert:

"There is an increase in economic activity around the ballpark," said Daraius Irani, chief economist of Towson University's Regional Economic Studies Institute, a regional economic group.

But what's good for Pickles' bottom line isn't necessarily good for businesses in, say, Lutherville, Ellicott City, Westminster, Hanover or even Roland Park.

"So some local companies did see a tremendous spike in business … but that's tempered quite a bit by businesses that lost out on normal customer activity when fans chose to visit Camden Yards or buy an AL East Champions shirt instead of something else," Patrick Dougherty, chief market analyst at the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, said in an analysis prepared for PressBox.

Expert economists, especially those not from the areas they're opining about, typically argue money spent by fans on the team is just money that would have been spent at the movies or at restaurants.

It's the same whether they're talking about if it's worth it for a city or state to build a new stadium for a team, or if public money should be spent on hosting a Grand Prix auto racing event, or if the Orioles making it to the American League Championship Series has a net good -- or bad -- economic effect.

"They try to pooh-pooh the impact of professional sports," said John Maroon, founder of Columbia-based Maroon PR and public relations director of the Orioles from 1995-99 -- five seasons that included two trips to the ALCS. "But if you talk to people who own businesses in Baltimore City, and businesses tied to the sports industry, when the Orioles and Ravens are playing well, they're making more money.

"It's a very simple equation."

It's also simple for the Orioles. They have already started to feel the economic impact of their success by requiring fans to place non-refundable deposits on season tickets for next year in order to secure 2014 playoff seats.

The Orioles vice president for communications and marketing, Greg Bader, wouldn't say how many deposits the team got for 2015, but he called it a "significant" number.

He also said the number "far exceeds what we saw in 2012 when we last made the postseason."

But they're going to have to leverage that success beyond fannies in the Camden Yards' seating bowl.

They are going to try to sell more of their 64 club level suites to firms for the entire 81-game home season, instead of selling them in five- or 10-game packages.

Bader also declined to say how many of the suites were not sold on a season-long basis last season.

Everyone agrees this is an important time for the team.

"It's going to be crucial to take advantage of the momentum that they established during the season into the offseason," said T.J. Brightman, vice president of corporate sales and sponsorships for the O's from 2003-05 and a consultant to the team since 2012.

Brightman is vice president of client relations for Bel Air-based A Bright Idea, an advertising agency he runs with his wife, Anita.

"I'm talking about in their marketing efforts," he said. "They have to continue to push the excitement with new fans, who are sort of on the cusp of believing again.

"This is a really important time. The fact that the Orioles were four games away from the World Series, they're still a topic of conversation. Between now and February when pitchers and catchers report, this is the time that the sales department will be out, talking to existing clients about renewals in addition to having the ability to sit down with new sponsors that they haven't been able to get to participate in the last several years.

"It's a real opportunity for them, certainly with sponsorships, but also with fans in general. You know there's that lost generation that we keep talking about, kids in their mid-20s and younger who finally know what it's like to have a championship [baseball] team in the city. I've seen it with my own kids. I have a 19-year-old daughter who doesn't have any memory of the Orioles in the playoffs."

And that could be the real, long-term economic impact of the improved Orioles. If the team can make real baseball fans out of that "lost generation," then they have a chance to get attendance back up to the levels seen in their first nine years at Camden Yards, when they averaged more than 40,000 fans a game.

(The team record of 3.71 million fans, an average of 45,816 per game, was set in 1997. Attendance declined nearly every year after that until 2011, when the O's drew 1.76 million, an average of 21,672. This year, 2.46 million fans paid their way into Camden Yards, an average of 30,805.)

"All the generations are mixing," said Tom Sadowski, president and chief executive of the Economic Alliance. "You have the young people that are excited to go with their parents, the millenials, who can't get enough of it -- and are going to Pickles."

A new generation of "real" baseball fans will also help MASN, the regional sports network that is majority owned by the Orioles. And since MASN also televises the games of the also ascending , that's more good economic news.

"Now they have people who actually want to advertise on MASN," Maroon said. "When it first started [in 2005], nobody wanted to be on there."

And Brightman said he thinks if the Orioles are able to recapture their Orioles Magic, both on and off the field, they can get Camden Yards rocking with an average of 40,000 fans a night -- just like it was when it opened and the team finished closer to the top of the division than the bottom every year.

"I'd say the trajectory for the club is looking pretty good right now," he said.

"We could be on the verge of seeing the renewal of a dynasty. It's an exciting time. What's really exciting is that you've got younger fans who weren't around when this team was the most successful franchise in all of sports, not just baseball."

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2014/11/15/baby-eagles-nest-in-at-orioles-spring-training-stadium/ Baby Eagles Nest At Orioles Spring Training Stadium CBS Baltimore

November 15, 2014 8:00 PM

SARASOTA, Fla. (WJZ ) — The Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida is home to the Baltimore Orioles during spring training.

But a new batch of birds recently moved in — bald eagles.

The problem is this space can be dangerous for the baby birds.

“Where they typically nest in a tree, it’s called branching, they’ll jump from branch to branch,” a Sarasota County wild life official told CNN. “Now if they’re doing that up there with all that netting and material and all that, there’s a very strong risk of entanglement and that could be fatal for young eagles.”

The county took down the nest, humanely, while the eagles watched from a distance. Wildlife officials hope the eagles will stay in the area and nest in a celltower. http://www.mysuncoast.com/news/local/bald-eagle-nest-removed-from-ed-smith-stadium- lights/article_9a05cf92-6c1a-11e4-ab75-f704daa96a12.html Bald eagle nest removed from Ed Smith Stadium lights ABC 7 MySuncoast

November 14, 2014 11:23 am

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Baltimore Orioles are used to welcoming visitors to Ed Smith Stadium, the ball park serving as the team's annual spring training home. The Orioles aren't due back in town until February, but in their absence a different group of birds had moved in -- a pair of bald eagles, which built a nest in one of the left field lighting rigs.

Last year, a deterrent system was put on the lights to try and keep the eagles from making nests, but the clever birds obviously found a way around Ed Smith's crafty defense.

Sarasota County spokesperson Jason Bartolone says the county was made aware of a bald eagle nest a few days ago, and contacted both federal and state wildlife officials to get guidance on how to remove the nest.

The proper permits for the removal were soon secured, and this morning crews used a crane to remove the nest from the light fixture. "The good news is we went up there and there were no eggs in the nest, so the eagle has not laid eggs yet," Bartolone says. "For the safety of the bird and any potential eggs that would be hatched, we were able to take down the nest today," Bartolone says.

Bartolone says the lack of eggs means there's no need to relocate the nest. The eagles will just have to build a new one somewhere else.

The county also plans to add netting to the lights in another attempt to make sure the Orioles remain the only birds calling Ed Smith home. http://www.wfla.com/story/27387072/eagles-nest-removed-from-sarasotas-ed-smith-stadium Eagle's nest removed from Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium By John Rogers / wlfa.com

Nov 14, 2014 12:25 PM EST

Ed Smith stadium in Sarasota may be home to the Baltimore Orioles, but it's recently been the home for some bald eagles.

And that's actually a big problem, so Sarasota County officials needed to get them down.

Last week, stadium officials noticed two American bald eagles nesting high above the Orioles spring training facility.

The view can be majestic, but it could be dangerous for baby birds.

Michelle van Deventer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, "Where they typically nest in a tree, it's called branching. The babies will jump from branch to branch. Now if they're doing that up there with all that netting and material and all that, there's a very strong chance of entanglement and that could be fatal for young eagles."

For the past few years, the eagles had been nesting high atop a nearby cell phone tower.

But in September, it was discovered the nest was mysteriously destroyed. Whoever did this could face federal fines.

"I'm not certain what the circumstances are, I only know that it's under investigation by FWC law enforcement,” said van Deventer.

So the eagles unfortunately moved to the stadium. The county used a drone to make sure no eggs had been laid yet.

County spokesman Jason Bartolone said, “For the safety of the bird, it was determined that it was best to remove the nest." Friday morning, the county obtained all the necessary federal and state permits.

They then used a towering crane to take down the nest.

"The sooner you can intervene the more likely a positive outcome,” said van Deventer.

Our camera spotted the eagles peering at the destruction from a distance.

Wildlife officials say the birds will be fine, and they'll probably make a new nest at the cell phone tower.

"My expectation is since they've been successful for so many years they'll go back to that tower to nest,” said van Deventer.

The county work crews added nets to the stadium lights to make sure the eagles do not return.

This is not the first time this has happened.

Back in 2010, county work crews had to remove an eagle nest while renovations were being made to Ed Smith Stadium.

Ultimately, officials emphasize this recent removal was done humanely and for the safety of these eagles. http://thebaltimorewire.com/2014/11/17/baltimore-orioles-coin-toss-alejandro-de-aza/ Baltimore Orioles: The Coin Toss on Alejandro De Aza By Randy Buchman / Baltimorewire.com

November 17, 2014

The extent of the success of the 2014 Baltimore Orioles and the quality of the roster at the end of the season is evident when one considers the probable combined salaries of that roster for 2015. Though most Orioles fans would wish for the O’s to be able to bring the whole unit back – Nick Markakis, Nelson Cruz, Andrew Miller, etc. – it simply is not possible.

As we step through this article today, I’ll break it down a bit further, but just think with me for a moment about what such a scenario would add up to in total dollars (millions) …

Guaranteed Salaries to date: 40.05

Pre-arbitration Salaries (est.): 15.00

Arbitration Eligible Players (est.): 56.90

Markakis, Cruz, Miller (est.): 38.00 Nick Hundley, Delmon Young (est.): 7.00

Rough Total: $157 Million

Clearly, that sort of total is not going to happen. Taking out the final two names, and just signing Markakis without Cruz or Miller, would already put the total number at about the highest imaginable amount, if not beyond.

So where can any other money be freed to make free agent signings possible? It would seem to have to come from the arbitration eligible category.

Using MLBTR estimates, here are the four highest of the 11 players in this category: Chris Davis (11.8), (8.7), Matt Wieters (7.9) and Alejandro De Aza (5.9). Davis and Wieters are simply not going to be traded or non-tendered. The O’s love Bud Norris, and for good reason, but with six starters the argument could be made that he could free up some dollars in a trade.

But finally we are left with the name most thrown out as a non-tender candidate, and that is De Aza. The former White Sox player is a mixed bag of considerations and is a sort of toss up as to whether to keep or not.

HEADS – De Aza presents some values that the Orioles don’t have enough of, particularly speed at the top of the order. He played extremely well in his 20 games with the O’s, batting .293 and continuing his excellent play into the postseason. He is a versatile, plus defender with some pop in his bat.

TAILS – De Aza’s numbers with the Orioles were a good bit better than his career averages, which would put his batting average in the .260s. And for all his speed, he is not actually a high- percentage base stealer. But the biggest negative is his salary for a player that might not actually be better than David Lough – who could be retained for about 10% of the total.

It would seem logical that the decision is ultimately tied inextricably to the Markakis situation. If the Orioles are, as expected, able to work out an extension there, De Aza is more expendable. But until that happens, the O’s would certainly be planning on holding open their options with De Aza.

The 11 arbitration eligible players and expected salaries are the largest total in all of baseball at an estimated $56.9 million. The only team even close to that number is the Washington Nationals at 52.6, followed by the Reds at 45.5 and the Tigers at 41.1.

Though the Baltimore Orioles are often seen as a team in the bottom portion of the league in salary expenditures, they were actually #15 in 2014 at 107.47. Along with that, their guaranteed and arbitration eligible numbers put them in 12th place in looking toward 2015. A deal with Markakis would immediately move the O’s to #10 on that list.

http://thebaltimorewire.com/2014/11/15/making-case-markakis/ Baltimore Orioles: Making the Case for Nick Markakis By Nate Wardle / Baltimorewire.com

November 15, 2014

I spent my last two posts discussing why I think the Orioles’ main position of concern is left field, as I expect Nick Markakis to be back in black in right field next year. But should he be?

Markakis picked up his second Gold Glove in four years this year, last winning in 2014. However, he has never rated well as a defender by modern sabermetrics. A lot of Orioles’ fans disagree with that, knowing there is very little that Markakis doesn’t get to in right field. Markakis also has an underrated arm, which helps cut down on the number of aggressive base running moves by opponents.

I figured, looking at the statistics, that Markakis would show to be better statistically than most would expect.

But that isn’t the case. Kind of. A look at some of the moern standard statistics; batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, home runs, WAR, Markakis isn’t exactly a standout player.

The last five years provide a good look at what type of player Nick is. However, that comes with an asterisk, because in 2012 he missed significant time thanks to C.C. Sabathia‘s running fastball. This wasn’t the first time that Sabathia had some location troubles with Nick …

It wasn’t until 2014 that Markakis was completely recovered from that. HIs offseason routine in 2012-2013 was thrown off by the broken bone recovery, and it led to a down year in 2013. But let’s look at 2010, 2011 and 2014, his three healthy years.

2010 – Played the 4th most games in baseball (160), 6th most plate appearances (709), 5th most hits (187), 9th most singles (127), 5th most times on base (262), 2nd most put outs in RF (332), 4th most assists in RF (7). 2nd best fielding percentage as a RF (.991)

2011 – 3rd most games in baseball (160). 5th most plate appearances (716), 10th most hits (182), 5th most singles (135), 9th most times on base (251), 2nd most put outs in RF (311), 3rd most assists in RF (14), 1st fielding percentage as a RF (1.000)

2014 – Not ranked in games (155), 2nd most plate appearances (710), 10th most hits (177), 4th most singles (135), 8th most times on base (243), 1st most put outs in RF (295), 2nd most assists in RF (11), 1st fielding percentage as a RF (1.000) This reiterates who Nick Markakis is. He is a durable player who can be penciled in the line up every day, he is going to hit a lot of singles and get on base, and you won’t find someone better in right field.

When you look at active right fielders, Markakis and Ichiro are the top two at every position defensively as far as numbers throughout Markakis’ career. [recent-category]

No, the offensive numbers are not flashy. But for a team with many other power hitters, Markakis brings a great approach to the team. As a lead off hitter and as one of the best defenders in the game at his position, Nick Markakis should be an Oriole.

Is he worth $15 million, what he made last year? Not at all. But no one is going to pay Markakis that. The talk is for 4 years, 10-12 million a year and Markakis is worth that.

Pay the man. http://thebaltimorewire.com/2014/11/14/baltimore-orioles-speeding-games-mlb/ Baltimore Orioles: Speeding Up Games in MLB By Randy Buchman / Baltimorewire.com

November 15, 2014

A number of Baltimore Orioles players are far from the only ones who have nervous habits that, when combined pitch after pitch, contribute to the problem throughout of the slow pace of games.

Think about some of our favorite boys on the O’s, and picture them at the plate or on the mound. Like many in MLB, they have to first unloosen, and then tighten each batting glove.

Nick Markakis will then slap the barrel of the bat, stretch out both arms, touch the far corner of the plate, adjust his helmet, and finally get back in the box.

Chris Davis will stick the barrel of the bat under his armpit and pull it through as if he is wiping off some poop dropped by a low-flying seagull from the inner harbor.

J.J. Hardy will stick one foot out of the box and adjust his helmet two or three times, just to make sure it is still there.

Adam Jones will step out of the box and tap the toes of his shoes on both feet to knock the mud out of his cleats, even on dry days in the heat of the summer when there is no mud west of the Chesapeake Bay.

Bud Norris will take a lap around the mound every time he gets a new baseball, putting his glove under his arm while he “rubs up” the ball and stares into center field. Brian Matusz will adjust the bill of this cap an average of seven times between each pitch.

It all adds up. And baseball games are longer than ever.

Now that I am becoming a legitimately old man, it is interesting to have long-term memories as to how things used to be, versus how they are today. I can remember a time where football games felt interminably long relative to watching baseball. Now, as I watch Ravens games, I cannot believe how quickly they feel like they zip past.

Everything about modern life is faster – cars, meals, commercials, and communications of all sorts – except baseball. It is trending against the flow of culture, and this is not likely a good thing for the well-being of the sport.

And so, in the Arizona Fall League this year, MLB experimented with a pitch clock and varied rules in an effort to speed up the games. This all occurred in one venue over 16 games at the home of the Salt River Rafters. The Orioles players on the Glendale Desert Dogs played there in the final of these games.

The main component used toward quickening games was a 20-second pitch clock. All totaled, the pitch-clock games were about 10 minutes faster than the historic games’ lengths in the Arizona Fall League.

I will say that I think 10 minutes faster per game is a worthy outcome. One might have expected more, but still, it is an improvement.

There were five clocks that tracked the time between pitches. An automatic ball was called if the pitcher held the baseball too long.

Likewise, batters were disallowed stepping both feet out of the box, expect for situations like foul balls, passed balls, wild pitches, drag bunts, etc.

Intentional walks were to be automatically given without the throwing of the pitches. And each team was allowed only three “time out” conferences per game – including meetings between pitches/catchers, coaches/pitchers, infielders/pitchers, etc. This did not include pitching changes or coming out to see about injuries.

The time between innings was strictly held to 2:05.

I will say I applaud these changes and hope to see them enacted. And I am surprised that I have come to this position. Something I have always enjoyed about baseball was that it did not have a clock governing it like other sports. But honestly, these changes are still well short of that similarity.

All of this requires teams and players to have systems and ways of communicating what they are doing. It requires more organization, preparation and planning. And honestly, given Buck Showalter’s attention to details, these changes would give the Orioles more advantages over most other teams.

The time has come for the time to become monitored in games. If nothing else, it will help guys like me not have to stay up as late every night in baseball season filing an article for the next morning! http://thebaltimorewire.com/2014/11/15/baltimore-orioles-different-view-dan-duquette-2014/ Baltimore Orioles: Different View of Dan Duquette in 2014 By Randy Buchman / Baltimorewire.com

November 15, 2014

Baltimore Orioles Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette certainly has a different reputation with the fanbase entering the 2014 offseason than he had a year ago. Over most of the winter last year, he was so unpopular that he couldn’t have won an election for garbage man at Oriole Park.

Although the poster boy for the change would be the 40-home run steal at $8 million named Nelson Cruz, there were more than a few lesser moves that contributed a great deal in getting the Orioles to a 96-win season. This would include longer-term guys like Steve Pearce and Miguel Gonzalez, short-term acquisitions like Alejandro De Aza, Andrew Miller, Nick Hundley and Delmon Young, along with rising players such as Jonathan Schoop and Caleb Joseph.

Remaining detractors might still point to Ubaldo Jimenez as a terribly bad deal, and one-quarter of the way into it, it does appear so. But overall, Duquette has indeed earned the change of attitude through cumulative successes that have brought to him the Executive of the Year Award.

The humorous element in all of this is to see Baltimore fans in comment boards speak now of Duquette with similar reverential terms as with Ozzie Newsome. We don’t quite yet have a Wizard of Oz moniker for DD, but the old “Dumpster Dan” aspersion has been melted away by the success of the team.

MASN columnist Roch Kubatko had a great article yesterday that looked back to the offseason a year ago and reflected on the names of players rumored to be, or who were indeed, sought by the Orioles. The purpose of the article was not to say anything about Duquette, but going through some of these names of deals NOT consummated had me at the end seeing it as a vindication of DD.

I will mention some of these here and add a few others as well, beginning with the Jim Johnson deal. The outrage and angst this produced was amazing – trading away a reliever who had 101 saves in two years with no idea as to who could fill the role!! Crazy! Or was it? Not at all. Johnson totally blew up in Oakland, beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. Bullet dodged.

Next came the search for an experienced closer from outside the organization. And the Grant Balfour circus began. You know the story. After being signed for two years at $15 million pending a physical, which he flunked for some reason, Duquette and the Orioles’ organization were excoriated by writers and pundits around the baseball world. Balfour’s numbers for 2014: 2-6 with a 4.91 ERA and WHIP of 1.444. Bullet dodged.

A lot of talk then centered about John Axford. Why, I don’t know; his numbers were simply not great at all, other than a fine 2011 season with the Brewers. Between the Indians and Pirates he was 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA and WHIP of 1.445. Bullet dodged.

In the search for starting pitching, the name of A.J. Burnett came to the forefront. The news of yesterday is that he is returning to Pittsburg, and why not? The 2014 season in Philadelphia was a very rough experience, though he did give them 34 starts. However, he was 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA and WHIP of 1.409 – fueled by a MLB leading number of 96 walks. Bullet dodged.

Another promoted by many was Bronson Arroyo, and though the Orioles made an offer, he took a deal from Arizona for two years at $23.5 million – ostensibly to avoid the AL East. Only making 14 starts, he had to undergo elbow reconstruction surgery. At that point he was 7-4 with a 4.08 ERA and WHIP of 1.219. After a string of nine years averaging well over 200 innings per season, he pitched 86 in 2014. Bullet dodged.

As the Orioles were indeed pursuing a free agent bat, many wanted Duquette to skip Cruz the druggie, and go with Kendrys Morales instead. Morales would not get a deal until June with the Twins, and he was traded back to the Mariners at the end of July. Combined he hit .218. Bullet dodged.

That’s a lot of bullets, and we could name more. A general manager can’t win them all, as sometimes a player comes in and just stinks up the place for no discernable reason – like Derrick Lee in 2011. But Duquette is building a pretty substantial winning percentage in his choices and moves. FanFest might be a more comfortable place for him this year. http://birdswatcher.com/2014/11/16/2015-spring-training-battle-first-base-baltimore-orioles/ 2015 Spring Training: A battle at first base for the Baltimore Orioles By Mike Franz / Birdswatcher.com

November 16, 2014 The Baltimore Orioles’ farm system is starting, once again, to produce some big Major League talent. Along with pitchers like Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, batters like Christian Walker are on the cusp of breaking into the Majors.

Last season, Walker made his Major League debut on September 17th, 2014. Once the Orioles clinched the AL East Division, Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter made the decision to bring up Walker and give him a sort of a “tryout” at first base with the ball club.

In his first game, Walker ripped a double into left field against the Blue Jays. Two nights later, Walker had his first multi-hit game in the Majors, which included his first Major league home run. While Walker played in six games at first base, many wondered if he and Chris Davis would compete in 2015 for the first baseman job.

Davis ended his 2014 season batting .196/.300/.404 with 26 home runs and 72 RBI. Surely, Davis had an off year after his unbelievable 2013 season that included league-leading 53 home runs and 108 RBI. Many believe he will bounce back in 2015, but others think it is time to bring in a fresh new bat. That new bat could come from Walker.

It is a stretch to think Walker will take over as first baseman for Baltimore at the beginning of the 2015 season, but it is something to ponder. Both have home run power and can hit the ball all over the ballpark. However, where Davis beats Walker is his defense. In each of the past two seasons, Davis has ended up with a .996 fielding percentage at first base.

Davis has great ability to dig throws from his fellow infielders out of the dirt and fully extends for every ball. Walker has some trouble with this.

Nevertheless, when Spring Training begins in a few months, these are two players to keep your eye out for.