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Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Columns:  Orioles extend qualifying offer to Mark Trumbo, but not The Sun 11/7  Orioles closer Zach Britton not finalist for AL award; Showalter among final three for AL of the year The Sun 11/7  O's face tough choices in MLB.com 11/8  Showalter a finalist for AL MOY Award MLB.com 11/7  O's make QO to Trumbo, pass on Wieters MLB.com 11/7  Buck shocked Britton not a Cy Young finalist MLB.com 11/7  Gold Gloves, free agency and more MASNsports.com 11/8  Showalter reacts to Britton’s exclusion from Cy Young finalists MASNsports.com 11/7  Showalter finalist for BBWAA award, Britton excluded for Cy Young MASNsports.com 11/7  Wieters doesn’t receive qualifying offer MASNsports.com 11/7  Talking qualifying offers, free agents and awards snubs MASNsports.com 11/8  Surprising news: Zach Britton is not a finalist for MASNsports.com 11/7  Creating The Orioles' All-Presidents Team PressBoxOnline.com 11/8  Looks Ahead To Orioles' 2017 Starting Rotation PressBoxOnline.com 11/7  Buck Showalter American League Manager of the Year Finalist CBS Baltimore 11/8  Myriad O’s thoughts: Britton’s snub; Wieters and no qualifying offer; Showalter’s year BaltimoreBaseball.com 11/8  Britton, Buck and Boras on Britton being snubbed as AL Cy Young finalist BaltimoreBaseball.com 11/7  Matt Wieters doesn’t receive qualifying offer, but Mark Trumbo does BaltimoreBaseball.com 11/7

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-extended-qualifying-offer-to-mark- trumbo-but-not-matt-wieters-20161107-story.html

Orioles extend qualifying offer to Mark Trumbo, but not Matt Wieters

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun November 7, 2016

A year after Matt Wieters surprised the Orioles by delaying his free agency for a year and taking the rare step of accepting a qualifying offer to stay in Baltimore, the team declined to give him an opportunity to do so again.

The club did not extend a qualifying offer to Wieters, their four-time All-Star catcher and 2007 first-round pick, making him a free agent. The Orioles will not gain a draft pick as compensation should he leave for another team.

They did, however, assign a qualifying offer to right fielder/ Mark Trumbo, who led the majors with 47 home runs this season. If Trumbo accepts, he’ll be paid $17.2 million on a one-year contract in 2017. If he declines and opts to test free agency for the first time in his career, the Orioles will get a compensatory pick at the end of the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft.

The Orioles haven't announced either decision, but industry sources confirmed each one after Monday's 5 p.m. deadline.

The moves, which come five days after the end of the , begins an offseason where the Orioles’ major pieces of business come at the positions of the two players most affected by the qualifying offer system.

Unlike past offseasons, which have been defined by the team’s search for starting pitching, this year’s priorities will be defined by whether Trumbo and Wieters either return or need to be replaced.

Despite not giving Wieters a qualifying offer, the team can still re-sign him as a free agent. But the free-agent catching market is thin.

Instead of making a transition that would have give a larger role on backup after the 2015 season, the Orioles extended a qualifying offer to Wieters, who at that point was still slowly rebuilding his game and value after elbow reconstruction surgery in 2014.

Wieters and Joseph split time in 2015, but with the market not as high as some thought it should be for a catcher of his pedigree, Wieters decided to become one of three players to accept the qualifying offer for 2016 and remain with his respective club.

Despite a scare, Wieters’ elbow was never a problem in 2016. He played 124 games this year, though at the plate he was far from his best self. Wieters .243/.302/.409 with 17 home runs and 66 RBIs, and had several game-winning hits over the course of the season, but on the whole posted an OPS+ of 87, the lowest for any season in his career.

He joins a free-agent class of that became thinner when catcher Wilson Ramos tore his ACL down the stretch, and also includes Chris Ianetta and . The Orioles are left with Joseph, who endured a miserable 2016 season, plus Francisco Pena, Audry Perez, and top prospect as possible replacement options in their organization.

With Trumbo, the question now becomes whether to accept the qualifying offer for another year in a ballpark and clubhouse that he quickly grew comfortable in or test the free agent landscape for the first time at age 30. If he chooses the latter, he’ll be going to market on the heels of a career year that saw him make his second All-Star team while posting a career-high in home runs (47), RBIs (108), and OPS (.850).

His future positionally is probably at first base or as a designated hitter, as a full season in right field exposed some of his range limitations, but without Pedro Alvarez as the primary designated hitter this season the Orioles could stand to bring him back in a role that plays more to Trumbo’s strengths.

His decision may not be a difficult one. As one of the premier power bats in free agency, teams who can fit Trumbo onto their salary books and into their lineups may provide somewhere close to the $17.2 million figure on a multi-year contract. However, as a player who was traded three times in two years by the time he joined the Orioles, Trumbo placing a premium on putting himself in a place he’s happy and successful could swing the balance in their direction.

In either’s absence, the Orioles have a few regular spots in the lineup that could be used for the addition of a player with less swing-and-miss and more on-base capability than the players who are returning from one of the league’s most prolific but volatile offenses of 2016.

Trumbo has a week to inform the Orioles of his decision.

The New York Post first reported the Orioles' choices.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-closer-zach-britton-not-finalist-for- al-cy-young-award-showalter-among-final-three-for-al-ma-20161107-story.html

Orioles closer Zach Britton not finalist for AL Cy Young award; Showalter among final three for AL manager of the year

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun November 7, 2016

There wasn’t much more Orioles left-hander Zach Britton could do to make a case for this season’s American League Cy Young Award. He was just short of perfect, converting all 47 opportunities. But the game’s best closer in 2016 was not named Monday among the three finalists for award.

Britton had a momentous season – his 0.54 ERA was the best in major league history for a with at least 50 and he did not allow an earned over 43 straight appearances, also a major league record – but the announcement served as a confirmation of how difficult it is for a reliever to win the Cy Young Award.

Only nine relievers have ever won the Cy Young award, and there have been just two relief to win over the last three decades: Oakland’s won the AL award in 1992 and the Dodgers’ Eric Gagne won the NL award in 2003.

The three finalists for this year’s AL Cy Young are all starters: Cleveland right-hander Corey Kluber, Boston right-hander and Detroit right-hander .

Neither Britton nor Orioles were among the three finalists for this year’s American League MVP award, but the Orioles were not completely shut out.

Manager Buck Showalter was named a finalist for the AL Manager of the Year award along with the Indians' and the Rangers' Jeff Bannister, who won last year’s award.

Showalter is a three-time Manager of the Year award, most recently in 2014, when he guided the Orioles to an AL East title and reached the AL Championship Series. He also won in 1994 with the Yankees and 2004 with the Rangers.

Machado – who posted career highs in homers (37), RBIs (96), batting average (.294) and runs scored (105) – ranked seventh among AL position players in wins above replacement (WAR) with 6.7. The three finalists for AL MVP were also the top three position players in WAR: Angels (10.6), Red Sox outfielder (9.6) and Astros Jose Altuve (7.7).

Britton's stock for the Cy Young award picked up steam in the second half as he didn’t allow an from May 5 to Aug. 22. Britton – who won the AL Reliever of the Year award last month allowed an earned run in just four of his 69 appearances and yielded just one earned run over his last 58 appearances, pitching to a 0.16 ERA and holding opponents to a .160 average over that stretch.

All awards are selected by a vote of eligible members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. The manager of the year award will be announced on Nov. 15, and the Cy Young awards will be unveiled the following day, followed by the MVP awards on Nov. 17.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/208191316/orioles-offseason-hinges-on-key-free-agents/

O's face tough choices in Hot Stove

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com November 8, 2016

BALTIMORE -- This offseason will be an interesting one for the Orioles, an expensive 2016 team that will have some big decisions to make regarding the team's future.

On Monday, Baltimore made a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer to Mark Trumbo, who hit an MLB-best 47 homers in 2016, which means Baltimore will receive a compensation Draft pick if Trumbo signs with another club. The O's didn't extend a qualifying offer to longtime catcher Matt Wieters.

Wieters accepted the qualifying offer last winter, which marked the second-highest annual salary in O's history. Baltimore could still re-sign him, as the free-agent class of catchers is thin, but the O's have some pricey arbitration-eligibles like , Zach Britton and Manny Machado each projected to make north of $10 million.

Before free agency really gets going, let's take a quick look at where the O's are:

Free agents: OF Trumbo, C Wieters, DH Pedro Alvarez, INF/OF , OF Michael Bourn, RHP , OF Nolan Reimold, OF Drew Stubbs, LHP Brian Duensing.

Arbitration-eligibles: RHP Tillman, INF Ryan Flaherty, CL Britton, RHP Vance Worley, RHP , 3B Machado, 2B Jonathan Schoop, LHP T.J. McFarland, RHP , C Caleb Joseph.

Biggest potential free-agent loss: Losing Wieters would definitely change the complexion of the Orioles, though Trumbo's bat would probably be a bigger loss. There's really no replacing that kind of power, as Trumbo singlehandedly won numerous games for Baltimore in 2016.

Potential free-agent targets: , again? While the name may be a sore subject for O's fans, Fowler would certainly be a boost for an Orioles team that needs outfield help. There's no expectation the Orioles will be big spenders to add to their rotation, but they could make some improvements in outfield defense and on-base percentage going into next spring. Fowler, who was on the verge of a deal with Baltimore this spring, is an intriguing name and would be a good fit.

Wild-card scenario: The Orioles opt to trade closer Britton or move him into a struggling rotation, which would put them in the market for a closer. Another interesting move, if they keep Britton in the , would be to explore a trade of Brach, who is coming off a career season in relief and could net them solid prospects or help plug a hole elsewhere. Either of those moves would be a surprise right now, however. http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/208332628/buck-showalter-up-for-manager-of-the-year/

Showalter a finalist for AL MOY Award Three-time winner looks to beat out Rangers' Banister, Indians' Francona

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com November 7, 2016

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who led Baltimore to its third postseason trip in five years, was recognized for his efforts on Monday night.

Showalter was named one of three finalists for the Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2016 American League Manager of the Year Award, revealed on MLB Network. He joins the Rangers' and Cleveland's Terry Francona as finalists for the award, which will be announced Nov. 15 on MLB Network (6 p.m. ET air time).

Showalter is the only member of the O's among the finalists for the BBWAA awards, as closer Zach Britton, who won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award, was left out of the top three in Cy Young Award voting.

The AL Cy Young Award finalists are Corey Kluber (Indians), Rick Porcello (Red Sox) and Justin Verlander (Tigers).

Showalter led the Orioles to an 89-73 record and a share of the AL Wild Card in 2016. The Orioles lost to Blue Jays, 5-2, in 11 innings in that game in .

A three-time AL Manager of the Year winner, Showalter last won the award in 2014 with the Orioles. He's appeared on Manager of the Year ballots in nine of his 18 seasons as a Major League manager.

Showalter owns a 1,429-1,315 career managerial record across stints with the Yankees, D-backs, Rangers and Orioles.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/208275070/orioles-offer-mark-trumbo-not-matt-wieters/

O's make QO to Trumbo, pass on Wieters $17.2M offer tied to Draft pick if slugger signs elsewhere

By Joe Trezza / MLB.com November 7, 2016

The Orioles made different decisions regarding their top two outgoing free agents.

Baltimore extended a qualifying offer to slugger Mark Trumbo on Monday, while declining to extend one to longtime catcher Matt Wieters.

Teams had until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to extend the one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer to free agents. Players have until next Monday to accept or decline the offer.

Trumbo, 30, will be a free agent for the first time, coming off his best Major League season. An All-Star for the second time, Trumbo led the Majors with 47 home runs while driving in 108 runs and hitting .256/.316/.533. Trumbo set career highs in every major offensive category and is expected to seek a multiyear contract on the heels of that success.

As a result of extending a qualifying offer, Baltimore will receive a compensation Draft pick if Trumbo signs with another club.

Baltimore won't receive a pick if Wieters does, though, after deciding not to offer him a qualifying offer for the second straight year. Wieters, who turns 31 in May, accepted Baltimore's one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer last season after missing the first part of the year while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Wieters is considered the top catcher on the free-agent market, especially with longtime Nationals backstop Wilson Ramos out until next summer after undergoing knee surgery.

Wieters hit .243/.302/.409 with 17 home runs and 17 doubles in 124 games in 2016. The four- time All-Star and two-time winner is a career .256/.318/.421 hitter with 117 homers in eight seasons, all with the Orioles.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/208349938/zach-britton-not-a-cy-young-award-finalist/

Buck shocked Britton not a Cy Young finalist

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com November 7, 2016

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Orioles manager Buck Showalter expressed disbelief when he found out closer Zach Britton was not among the three finalists for the American League Cy Young Award, which were announced Monday night on MLB Network.

Britton, who won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award, went 47-for-47 in save opportunities with a 0.54 ERA over 67 innings in 69 appearances. He was also an All-Star selection in a dominant 2016 season, becoming just the third pitcher to post an ERA below 1.00 in a season with at least 40 saves.

"First of all, he should be in the top three in the [AL] MVP voting," Showalter said. "I would make the case he's more valuable to his team than anybody in baseball. Where would we be without Britton?"

"Whether I was a finalist or not, it wasn't going to change the way I feel about the season I had," Britton said. "I accomplished a lot of goals I set for myself on a personal level. I figured I wasn't the safe choice and it was going to be an uphill battle. Obviously, I hope a reliever in the future has a better season than I had and gets recognized for it."

The AL Cy Young Award finalists are starters Corey Kluber (Indians), Rick Porcello (Red Sox) and Justin Verlander (Tigers). The last reliever to win a Cy Young Award was the Dodgers' Eric Gagne in 2003. The last to win an AL Cy Young Award was Dennis Eckersley in 1992. No reliever has been a finalist since the BBWAA switched from a three-man to a five-man ballot for the award in 2010.

"Those are three very good pitchers, all richly deserved," Showalter said. "They work every five days. Zach works five days [in a week] sometimes. This wasn't a great year -- this was a historical year. He may have had the best year statistically of any pitcher.

"I'm shocked [Britton wasn't a finalist]. I thought they were kidding when they told me this afternoon. It was a head scratcher. I knew when I watched it from the dugout -- I was like, 'Wow, this is special.' He had maybe the best year a reliever has ever had in the history of the game."

Showalter added: "I would like to have a conversation with the people who didn't put him on their [ballot]. Nobody dominated like he dominated, in his role."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/11/gold-gloves-free-agency-and-more.html

Gold Gloves, free agency and more

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 8, 2016

The Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners will be announced tonight on ESPN. The Orioles have two American League finalists, with Manny Machado at third base and at first.

Machado is competing against the Rangers’ Adrian Beltre and the Mariners’ Kyle Seager. Davis is competing against the Royals’ and the Rangers’ .

I’m not expecting the Orioles to bring home a winner this year. Machado won it in 2013 and 2015, and he also won a Platinum Glove in 2013. Davis was a finalist in 2013.

Beltre won the award in 2011 and 2012 and Seager won it in 2014. Hosmer has won the award the last three seasons.

Here’s another look at the AL finalists:

Catcher: Carlos Perez (Angels), James McCann (Tigers), Salvador Perez (Royals) First base: Chris Davis (Orioles), Eric Hosmer (Royals), Mitch Moreland (Rangers) Second base: Robinson Cano (Mariners), (Tigers), (Red Sox) Third base: Manny Machado (Orioles), Adrian Beltre (Rangers), Kyle Seager (Mariners) : Andrelton Simmons (Angels), Jose Iglesias (Tigers), Francisco Lindor (Indians) Left field: (Yankees), (Royals), Colby Rasmus (Astros) Center field: Jackie Bradley Jr. (Red Sox), Kevin Pillar (Blue Jays), Kevin Kiermaier (Rays) Right field: Mookie Betts (Red Sox), (White Sox), (Astros) Pitcher: R.A. Dickey (Blue Jays), Justin Verlander (Tigers), Keuchel (Astros)

Today also marks the beginning of the free agency free-for-all, with teams allowed to negotiate with any player. Exclusive negotiating rights have ended.

MLB.com ranked the top 25 free agents based on WAR projections. Teams will take other factors into consideration, of course, but here’s the list.

Steve Pearce is the highest-ranked Orioles free agent at No. 16, with the following explanation: 2017 WAR projection: 1.2

Pearce has experience at all four corner spots, plus second base, but his most attractive attribute is his ability to crush left-handed pitching. While those numbers have fluctuated from year to year, Pearce owns an .852 career OPS against southpaws and has topped the 1.000 mark in two of the past three seasons.

Mark Trumbo is No. 18, with the following explanation: 2017 WAR projection: 1.1

This is one ranking likely to stir up some debate. Trumbo slammed an MLB-high 47 homers in his first season with Baltimore, yet poor defense in right field - when he wasn’t at DH - held him to a modest 1.6 WAR. There’s still a lot to like about Trumbo for teams in need of power, but keeping him at DH or first base is likely the most prudent course of action.

Trumbo finished one spot ahead of Matt Wieters: 2017 WAR projection: 1.1

The switch-hitter accepted Baltimore’s qualifying offer last offseason but then put together a fairly disappointing 2016. Wieters’ wRC+ of 88 ranked 14th out of 16 catchers with at least 400 plate appearances.

Former Orioles Justin Turner is ranked first on the list. He’s come a long way. MLBTradeRumors.com ranked its top 50 free agents and placed Trumbo eighth, Wieters 16th and Pearce 42nd. The site predicted that Trumbo will re-sign with the Orioles for $60 million over four years, Wieters will sign with the Braves for $39 million over three years and Pearce will sign with the Yankees for $10 million over two years.

Outfielder Michael Saunders, at No. 20, is projected to sign a three-year deal with the Orioles worth $33 million. Not if the Orioles are resistant to multi-year deals beyond their attempts to re- sign Trumbo.

Not everyone in the organization is convinced that Trumbo absolutely will turn down the $17.2 million qualifying offer, though it seems like the right time for him to cash in big after leading the majors with 47 home runs.

Meanwhile, I heard again that the Orioles are interested in catcher Jason Castro, 29, who’s 20th on the MLB.com list. He was an All-Star in 2013, but hasn’t come close to duplicating his .276/.350/.485 slash line or his 35 doubles and 18 home runs. His WAR has dropped from 4.5 to 1.8 to 1.3 to 0.9.

Castro threw out 24 percent of runners trying to steal, compared to 36 percent in 2015, but he receives high marks for his ability to frame pitches, an area where Wieters is criticized.

It’s a thin free agent market. Maybe Castro prices himself out of Baltimore with another team offering too many years. The Rockies did it with Nick Hundley following the 2014 season. Otherwise, the left-handed hitting Castro could work into a platoon of sorts with Caleb Joseph while the Orioles wait for top catching prospect Chance Sisco to crash the party.

Other one-year possibilities in free agency include Hundley and Chris Iannetta. Ryan Hanigan is available, but he averages more mound visits than anyone in history - I’m just assuming here - and isn’t exactly a favorite of the Orioles. He kills the pace of games with his deliberate approach.

Pigtown native and former Oriole is a free agent, but that ship has sailed. It left the dock before his controversial tweets, which led to a suspension by the Mariners, and it’s not circling back.

The general managers meetings are underway in Scottsdale, Ariz. The most commonly uttered phrase is, “OK, we’ll talk about this again at the .”

The GM meetings are like a good leadoff hitter. They’re a table-setter. Executive vice president isn’t expected to strike any deals, but he hopes to lay the groundwork for future agreements at the Winter Meetings or shortly beyond.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/11/showalter-reacts-to-brittons-exclusion- from-cy-young-finalists.html

Showalter reacts to Britton’s exclusion from Cy Young finalists

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 7, 2016

The exclusion of Orioles left-hander Zach Britton from the Cy Young Award finalists in the American League struck a nerve with manager Buck Showalter, who didn’t care about his own honor nearly as much as the one that eluded his closer.

Showalter, the Indians’ Terry Francona and the Rangers’ Jeff Banister are finalists for Manager of the Year. Showalter’s night wasn’t made.

“It’s shocking,” Showalter said after Britton was omitted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in favor of three starters - the Indians’ Corey Kluber, the Red Sox’s Rick Porcello and the Tigers’ Justin Verlander.

“That’s a real poor reflection on the people who are evaluating him. God bless the three guys in front of him. They were doing it every fifth day and he’s doing it every day. I’m not so sure any of those guys could do what Zach does.

“This guy had maybe the best year in the history of relief pitching. He should have finished in the top three in MVP, OK? He should. There’s nobody in baseball who’s more valuable to their team than Zach Britton is to the Orioles.”

Britton’s historic season included going 47-for-47 in save chances and posting a 0.54 ERA in 67 innings.

“Where do you think we are without Zach Britton?” said Showalter, who attracted heavy criticism for not using his closer in a wild card game that the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays in 11 innings.

“Do you know how many times we walked into the clubhouse this year we had that feeling of having lost a game in the ninth ? Not once. The morale on the team, he was so responsible for so many feelings we had on a club that won almost 90 games. I don’t get that people can’t recognize that.

“Home or away, one run, rain, heat, day game, night game, this guy was a rock. It was every day. I sat there in the dugout and watched what was going on.”

Britton took the news in stride, though he obviously had hoped to be considered for an award that’s gone to nine relievers. He must settle for receiving the Mariano Rivera Award as the top reliever in the American League.

“Whether I was a finalist or not, it wasn’t going to change the way I feel about the season I had,” Britton wrote in a text message. “I accomplished a lot of goals I set for myself on a personal level. I figured I wasn’t the safe choice and it was going to be an uphill battle. Obviously, I hope a reliever in the future has a better season than I had and gets recognized for it.”

The BBWAA will reveal its Cy Young winner on Nov. 16 on MLB Network. It’s safe to assume that Showalter won’t be watching.

“What do you think our record is without Zach Britton,” Showalter asked. “You could make a case for him being the Most Valuable Player in the American League this year. He had an historic ERA and he’s not in the top three. Are you (kidding) me? He does it every night. He’s like an everyday player. That’s even more reason. You cannot win without people like him.”

Britton could not convince enough voters that relievers, including ninth-inning specialists, deserve the recognition. There are too many who resist it.

“Whoever is trying to make that point loses a lot of credibility with people who compete on the field every night,” Showalter said.

Showalter has a chance to win his fourth Manager of the Year Award, also taking the honor in 1994 with the Yankees, 2004 with the Rangers and 2014 with the Orioles.

“Usually, it’s which team is perceived as overachieving the most,” Showalter said. “That’s the way those things go. That’s why you don’t see anyone repeat. It’s who surprised the most.”

Note: The Orioles re-signed pitcher Richard Rodriguez, 26, to a minor league deal and assigned him to -A Norfolk.

Rodriguez went 6-2 with a 2.53 ERA this year in 48 games (two starts) with the Tides. He held opponents to a .216 average.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/11/showalter-finalist-for-bbwaa-award-britton- excluded-for-cy-young.html

Showalter finalist for BBWAA award, Britton excluded for Cy Young

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 7, 2016

The Cy Young Award in the American League won’t go to a reliever this year. It won’t reach closer Zach Britton’s hands.

Britton didn’t receive enough support from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, which favored the Indians’ Corey Kluber, the Red Sox’s Rick Porcello and the Tigers’ Justin Verlander. The announcement came tonight on MLB Network.

The Orioles’ Buck Showalter is a finalist for Manager of the Year and will attempt to win it for the fourth time in his career. He’s the only member of the organization to make the final three, with third baseman Manny Machado excluded from consideration for Most Valuable Player.

Britton is thrust into the middle of a heated debate over relievers being candidates for the award. Not everyone agrees that they belong in the discussion. The dissenters had the loudest voices. on MLB Network said, “This may be the worst omission I’ve seen ever.”

There’s no disputing that Britton went 47-for-47 in save opportunities, posted a 0.54 ERA and 0.836 WHIP and ranked first among relievers in groundball/fly ball ratio (9.77) and in groundball percentage (79.4).

Britton’s 0.54 ERA, achieved when he allowed four earned runs in 67 innings, led major league relievers and was the lowest in history among pitchers with at least 50 innings.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other pitchers have registered an ERA below 1.00 in a season with at least 40 saves - Dennis Eckersley in 1990 (0.61, 48 saves) and Fernando Rodney in 2012 (0.60, 48 saves).

No reliever has won the award since the Dodgers’ Eric Gagne in 2003.

Showalter has been named Manager of the Year in 1994 with the Yankees, 2004 with the Rangers and 2014 with the Orioles. He placed second to the Athletics’ in 2012.

Showalter and are the only managers to win the award with three different teams. Showalter is competing this year against the Rangers’ Jeff Banister and the Indians’ Terry Francona.

Francona is viewed as the favorite, but let’s not overlook how the Orioles were picked to finish in last place by anyone with a pulse and qualified for the second wild card.

Machado will receive MVP votes. Just not enough to become a finalist.

Machado made his third All-Star team this year and batted .294/.343/.533 with 40 doubles, 37 home runs, 96 RBIs and a 6.7 WAR over 157 games. He’s a finalist for the Gold Glove Award at third base.

Machado placed ninth in MVP voting in 2013 and fourth last year.

The BBWAA will reveal the Rookies of the Year on Nov. 14, Managers of the Year on Nov. 15, Cy Young winners on Nov. 16 and Most Valuable Players on Nov. 17. Votes were collected before the playoffs.

Here are the finalists:

Rookie of the Year AL: Tyler Naquin (Indians), Gary Sanchez (Yankees), (Tigers) NL: Kenta Maeda (Dodgers), Trea Turner (Nationals), (Dodgers)

Manager of the Year AL: Buck Showalter (Orioles), Jeff Banister (Rangers), Terry Francona (Indians) NL: (Nationals), (Cubs), Dave Roberts (Dodgers)

Cy Young Award AL: Corey Kluber (Indians), Rick Porcell (Red Sox), Justin Verlander (Tigers) NL: Kyle Hendricks (Cubs), Jon Lester (Cubs), (Nationals)

Most Valuable Player AL: Jose Altuve (Astros), Mookie Betts (Red Sox), Mike Trout (Angels) NL: (Cubs), Daniel Murphy (Nationals), Corey Seager (Dodgers)

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/11/wieters-doesnt-receive-qualifying- offer.html

Wieters doesn’t receive qualifying offer

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 7, 2016

The Orioles moved closer to parting ways with longtime catcher Matt Wieters, declining today to extend a qualifying offer.

Mark Trumbo received the qualifying offer, as expected, and he’s almost certain to refuse it and test free agency.

The deadline for players to make a decision is Nov. 14 at 5 p.m.

The qualifying offer increased this year from $15.8 million to $17.2 million. Wieters accepted it last year, proved that he made a full recovery from ligament-reconstructive surgery on his right elbow and now is ready to test the market.

The Orioles will receive a draft pick if Trumbo signs elsewhere due to the qualifying offer, but there will be no compensation if Wieters hooks on with another team.

Wieters is the top catcher in free agency with the Nationals’ Wilson Ramos recovering from knee surgery. His .243/.302/.409 slash line doesn’t impress, but he also hit 17 home runs and threw out 35 percent of runners attempting to steal. The Braves already have emerged as a favorite to sign him - Wieters attending and has a home in the Atlanta area - but the Nationals and Astros also figure to join the list of suitors.

Chris Davis is the only Orioles player slated to make more than $17.2 million next year. He’s on the books for $23 million.

The Orioles’ refusal to extend the offer to Wieters signals their concern over potentially committing $17.2 million to one player while already making a significant financial investment in Davis and preparing raises for arbitration-eligible players such as Manny Machado, Chris Tillman, Zach Britton, Kevin Gausman, Jonathan Schoop and Brad Brach.

They also would like to re-sign Trumbo, who could be fielding four-year offers after leading the majors with 47 home runs following a December trade that sent backup catcher Steve Clevenger to the Mariners.

Wieters has been in the organization since the Orioles made him the fifth-overall pick in the 2007 draft. He broke into the majors two years later, won two Gold Glove Awards and made four All-Star teams. He’s also been one of the clubhouse leaders, though not as vocal as .

Only Jones has more tenure than Wieters, joining the Orioles in 2008. Teammates were thrilled that Wieters returned this season. His likely departure, while anticipated, will come as a disappointment.

There are people in the organization who are comfortable with Caleb Joseph being the starter next season, citing his plus-defense and the expectation that he’ll put up better offensive numbers. Others think Chance Sisco, the top catching prospect, will be ready to handle at least part of the load.

The Orioles have 10 free agents, including Pedro Alvarez, Michael Bourn, Brian Duensing, Tommy Hunter, Logan Ondrusek, Steve Pearce, Nolan Reimold and Drew Stubbs.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/11/talking-qualifying-offers-free-agents-and- awards-snubs.html

Talking qualifying offers, free agents and awards snubs

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com November 8, 2016

So Mark Trumbo got a qualifying offer and Matt Wieters did not. Buck Showater was an award finalist but Zach Britton was not. A rather newsworthy day involving the Orioles.

I thought the Orioles should have extended Wieters the qualifying offer, maybe moreso this year than last. After a season where he proved that his right elbow is sound, throwing out 35 percent of attempted base stealers, Wieters should get a decent multi-year offer in a down year for free agent catchers. That would have led me to roll the dice, make the offer for Wieters and happily take a draft pick if he leaves, as expected.

The Orioles’ move to not make the qualifying offer seems to say they don’t value Wieters for $17.2 million for next season and were not prepared to take the chance to have him eat up that much salary for next year.

Meanwhile, at least according to one prediction, Trumbo has not played his last game for the Orioles. This free agent ranking from MLBTradeRumors.com lists Trumbo as the No. 8 free agent and predicts he signs a four-year, $60 million deal to remain with the Orioles. It would surprise me to see the club make that investment in Trumbo. But he certainly hit plenty of huge homers in 2016, was a leader and great fit in the clubhouse. He said repeatedly that this was the most fun he ever had in baseball, so an offer like that just might get his signature on a contract.

By making the qualifying offer to Trumbo, the Orioles could have hurt his chance at getting a big-dollar contract. Now a team that signs him has to give up a draft pick. Plus, they will be adding a player that is 31 in January and played a shaky right field. Trumbo never hit more than 34 homers before last season. But he also could help a team looking for a , which could help his cause in negotiations, and he certainly could make a solid DH for any American League club.

The MLBTradeRumors.com projection ranks Yoenis Cespedes as the No. 1 free agent, followed by Edwin Encarnacion, , Justin Turner and . That is two closers in the top five. The projection was for Chapman returning to the Yankees for five years and $90 million and Jansen going to the Cubs for five years and $85 million. That would be quite a move for New York in getting four players for Chapman last July, then getting him back now without having to surrender a draft pick because they traded him last year.

If those closers do get those dollars, that will make the projected $11.4 million for Britton seem a bargain for the 2017 season.

The ranking lists Wieters as the No. 16 free agent, going to Atlanta for three years and $39 million. It has outfielder Michael Saunders as the No. 20 free agent, going to the Orioles for three years and $33 million. If it happens that way, that could leave a corner outfield spot for Saunders with Trumbo getting more DH at-bats. Steve Pearce is their No. 42 free agent, going to the Yankees two years and $10 million.

ESPN’s released his top 50 free agent rankings yesterday with Cespedes No. 1 followed by Dexter Fowler, Turner, Rich Hill and Encarnacion. He ranks Wieters No. 17, Trumbo No. 18 and Pearce No. 26. He has Saunders No. 31.

By the way, if Wieters does leave the Orioles, which direction should they go with the catcher’s spot? Does Caleb Joseph get most of the starts? Does Chance Sisco get a shot? Do they add someone from outside the organization?

Finally, I posted some thoughts on Britton not making the final three for the Cy Young Award here last night. Many of you expressed an opinion that Britton didn’t enough innings to get consideration over the other finalists. It seems to me that Britton was then penalized for his role and it makes you wonder if a closer will ever win this award again.

Rather than hold a lack of innings against Britton, how about some reward for the spectacular job he did with those innings?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/11/surprising-news-zach-britton-is-not-a- finalist-for-cy-young-award.html

Surprising news: Zach Britton is not a finalist for Cy Young Award

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com November 7, 2016

So much for Zach Britton becoming the fifth Orioles pitcher to win the American League Cy Young Award. He would have joined , , and . But the finalists for the award were announced tonight and Britton did not even make the final three.

First, let’s look at his resume.

Britton recorded 47 consecutive saves this season, going 47-for-47. According to STATS, LLC, Britton has the longest save streak in as many chances to start a season by a left-handed pitcher in major league history and ranks third all-time. Britton led the AL and tied for second in the majors in saves. His 0.54 ERA (just four earned runs allowed over 67 innings) led major league relievers and was the lowest in big league history among pitchers with at least 50 .

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, only two other pitchers in major league history have had an ERA below 1.00 in a season with at least 40 saves: Dennis Eckersley in 1990 (0.61, 48 saves) and Fernando Rodney in 2012 (0.60, 48 saves).

I guess we can assume that some of the voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America don’t believe a reliever should be able to win this award or believe a reliever should not finish that high up in the voting.

Some insist that a starter that pitches 200 or more innings has more value than a reliever throwing 70 innings. While there are merits to that, what about a starter’s innings when he is on the mound leading by four or five runs, or those innings against poor-hitting teams or lesser opponents? Britton faced bad teams, too, but his innings often came in high-leverage situations.

The finalists are Corey Kluber of Cleveland, Rick Porcello of Boston and Justin Verlander of Detroit. None had an ERA under 3.00. The last time the AL Cy Young winner had an ERA of 3.00 or higher was in 2007 when Cleveland’s CC Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA.

Britton gave up one earned run in his last 58 games. He had an ERA of 0.26 in home games. His groundball rate was 80 percent. Lefty batters hit .185 against him and right-handed batters hit .155. He yielded an average of just .085 when pitching with runners in scoring position and opposing batters were 0-for-6 against him when he pitched with the bases loaded.

But this year, that resume was not even good enough for a top three finish in the voting.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/11/08/creating-the-orioles-all-presidents-team

Creating The Orioles' All-Presidents Team

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com November 8, 2016

As Americans cast their votes for the nation's 45th president on Election Day Nov. 8, there's only one thing for a baseball writer to do: form an all-time Orioles roster made solely of players who have the same last names as U.S. presidents, naturally.

Starting at the top, the country's first president, George Washington, has one namesake in O's franchise history: outfielder , who appeared in 26 games for the 1987 Orioles and later managed the . And if you're thinking, "Hmm, that's not a very memorable Oriole," well … get used to it. That's going to be a recurring theme for this list. Case in point -- President John Adams yields infielder Bobby Adams, a one-year Oriole from 1956. If you have any memories of him, you are truly an Orioles super-fan.

President No. 3, Thomas Jefferson, brings two possible Orioles: right-hander Jesse Jefferson (1973-75) and outfielder Stan Jefferson (1989-1990). Under my completely arbitrary rules, we can only choose one player per president. Jesse had one of the best major league debuts in Orioles history -- a 10-inning victory at June 23, 1973 -- but was otherwise unremarkable. Stan was similarly undistinguished as an Oriole, but he later joined the New York Police Department. Because we need a pitcher, let's choose Jesse for this roster.

There have never been any Orioles named Madison or Monroe, so we'll turn to president No. 6. It's another Adams -- John's son, John Quincy -- which allows us to put a second Adams on the team. By default, it's second baseman Ryan Adams, an O's second-round pick who spent only one year in the majors (2011) and then fell on troubled times, serving two suspensions for amphetamine use and getting arrested in 2015 in connection with a heroin distribution ring.

This collection of no-names could use an A-list superstar, and fortunately, we can add one in Hall of Fame outfielder , courtesy of President Andrew Jackson. Admittedly, Reggie's Orioles career was brief and controversial -- in 1976, his only year with the club, he held out until May because of a contract dispute and was disliked in the locker room. But this roster could really use his bat, and besides, who cares about clubhouse chemistry on a purely hypothetical team that will never actually meet?

Skipping ahead to president No. 9, William Henry Harrison, we'll take righty reliever Roric Harrison. Although Roric spent only one year with the Orioles, he still had a longer tenure than William Henry, who died of pneumonia 32 days into his presidency. Speaking of short-term presidents, Zachary Taylor -- who spent 16 months in office before his death -- has two nondescript Orioles namesakes to choose from: outfielder Joe Taylor (1958-1959) and righty reliever Dorn Taylor (1990). This roster is low on pitchers, so let's pick Dorn.

Now I'm going to fudge the rules a bit and put Steve Pearce on the club. His name isn't spelled the same as President Franklin Pierce, but it's close enough. Pearce adds some versatility and power to the team, as well as the only player so far who's currently active in the majors.

President No. 17, Andrew Johnson, had one of the more unfortunate administrations -- getting impeached in 1868 -- but his common last name is really helpful for this Orioles all-presidents team. I'm sure that'd be a huge consolation for him. The O's have employed 16 players named Johnson through the years, making it the most frequent surname in franchise history. The best one was , who not only was a three-time All-Star and Gold Glover during his eight years as the Orioles' second baseman, but also managed the club to back-to-back playoff appearances during his two years as skipper. Those occurrences happened 30 years apart, but Johnson will serve as a player-manager for this team, since we're bending the rules of time.

Next up is our second Harrison, President Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry. We'll add another Harrison to the roster, which is righty Bob Harrison. He appeared in one game in 1955, one more in 1956 and then never pitched in the majors again. Another big-name addition!

Now we will move on to the 20th-century presidents. No. 28, Woodrow Wilson, has two namesakes. The first is righty Jim Wilson, who was an All-Star for the Orioles in 1955 but also led the AL with 18 losses. The other is current Orioles righty Tyler Wilson. The latter gets the nod, because both his first and last names are those of presidents, and that has to count for something.

Beginning with President John F. Kennedy (No. 35), five consecutive presidents share names with at least one Oriole. Kennedy allows us to fill the catcher void on the roster with Terry Kennedy, the Birds' 1987-88 backstop.

Next is President Lyndon B. Johnson, so we can put a second Johnson on the team out of the 15 remaining candidates. The longest tenured of the group is former closer Jim Johnson, who spent parts of eight years with the Birds through 2013. After that, we'll add outfielder Donell Nixon, whose brief eight-game tenure with the O's in 1990 ended much more calmly than the presidency of his namesake, Richard Nixon.

You know what's missing on this team? Someone with a memorable nickname. So, come on down, "Disco" Dan Ford! The four-year O's outfielder beats out righty and outfielder Lew Ford for a spot, and it's only appropriate that "Disco Dan" shares a last name with President Gerald Ford, whose presidency occurred at the height of disco's popularity in the 1970s.

For President Jimmy Carter, the team adds a designated hitter in , a big RBI guy throughout his career who was on his last legs by the time he joined the Orioles in 1998. That's the final addition to the team, as none of the five presidents since Carter have shared a name with any Orioles.

All in all, the final roster for the Orioles all-presidents team looks like this:

Starting lineup: 3B Bobby Adams RF Dan Ford 2B Davey Johnson CF Reggie Jackson 1B Steve Pearce DH Joe Carter C Terry Kennedy SS Ron Washington LF Donell Nixon

Bench: 2B Ryan Adams

Starting Pitchers: RHP Jesse Jefferson RHP Tyler Wilson

Bullpen: RHP Bob Harrison RHP Roric Harrison RHP Jim Johnson RHP Dorn Taylor

That's … not a very good team, to be honest. The fact that it has only 16 players (including six pitchers) means the club would only hold up for two or three games at most, and that batting order and pitching staff aren't going to scare anyone. Still, the fact that we were able to cobble together a full lineup based only on the names of U.S. presidents is an achievement in itself. And who knows? Maybe this team would hold its own against the all-presidents teams of other MLB franchises.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/11/07/buck-showalter-looks-ahead-to-orioles-2017- starting-rotation

Buck Showalter Looks Ahead To Orioles' 2017 Starting Rotation

PressBoxOnline.com November 7, 2016

Entering the 2016 regular season, the ' starting rotation was predicted to be the team's weakest link. With a 5.15 ERA through the first half of the season, the Birds' starters had the third-highest mark in baseball, lower than only the (5.26) and (5.29). Throughout the first half of the season, no starting rotation in baseball pitched fewer combined innings than the Orioles.

However, in the second half, things began to turn around. The rotation's 4.24 ERA ranked 13th in the majors, and their 416 innings pitched were tied with the for eighth- most.

Entering 2017, the Orioles return starters Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, , Ubaldo Jimenez, Yovani Gallardo and Wade Miley under contract. Yet the staff will follow different orders, as pitching announced his retirement during the offseason and bullpen coach Dom Chiti returned to the to be their senior director of pitching.

Showalter spoke about the outlook for the Orioles' 2017 rotation when he joined Stan "The Fan" Charles and Craig Heist during the Oct. 30 edition of"The Bat Around."

On the rotation as a whole

"I've got to tell you, I like where we are pitching next year. We may have to -- we've really got six. We've got three guys pitching [from] last year that are [under] contract, we know what that means usually, and a couple of young guys pitching that have really stepped forward. ... Pitching in the American League East is one of the hardest things to do in sports, and to be consistent and to do it at a level that people can count on, it’s a separator. ... When you cut your teeth in American League pitching -- you know, the old thing is never take a starter at the trade deadline over to the American League, especially the American League East. That's why Wade Miley kind of got it going because, I think, one of the reasons he had already pitched in the American League East. That's one of the reasons he was somewhat attractive to us. So I kind of like where we are pitching wise ..."

On Kevin Gausman

"What I really started to see from he and Dylan that got my attention was after they'd give up a hit, or give up a , or a , the next pitch would be a quality strike. That's when you know guys kind of get it a little bit. They don't sit around -- how many times ... do you see guys walk a guy on four pitches after giving up a home run? These guys got right back in the strikezone and said, 'OK, you got me there.' And the command of their fastballs is what separated everything, and you know, like I've said many times, Dylan, through his Tommy John surgery in the off time, developed a plus-plus , which has been a real pitch for him."

On Ubaldo Jimenez

"Every pitcher, even Cy Young winners, have periods they go through, and all you do is you try to stretch out the good run and you try to shorten the bad run. And the Cy Young winners have a very short bad run and a very long good run. But, you know, pitching is so much about timing and it's about, you know, Ubaldo has such an unorthodox delivery, and so does Chris Tillman, and when their timing is such where their arm doesn't get to the right point as their foot strikes the ground and their plant foot, it's not -- you know, I can make it sound real complicated like I'm real smart, but it's about timing. All of a sudden, you get into a rhythm as a golfer, or a basketball player with a jump shot, and you just feel it, you know that your timing, your rhythm is there. Well, how do we stay on time there? Well, if we straighten him out and make him real methodical and this picture perfect -- but it's also part of what makes him successful when he's going good is, [with] unorthodox [pitchers], they don't see the ball well off of him because of his delivery.

"So he's going to go through periods where he gets out of whack with his timing and his rhythm, and it's frustrating, and he knows it. But that's about as good a long stretch as he's had with us. He's capable of it, and believe me, we look at film, 'OK, what do you do when your strike point is the same as your release point,' I mean there's a lot of things that go in it. Now, all of a sudden there's a involved, and then there's a changeup involved and a split. I mean, this isn't easy; guys, pitching in the major leagues, it's not like you just go, 'Hey, this guy's good, he's going to roll out there every time.' The graveyard of bad contracts over the years have been long- term for pitchers, starting pitchers, and that is why; nobody knows how that's going to happen."

On Dave Wallace

"First of all, when [Dave] came back, we knew it was going to be a one-year thing, and family commitments, you know, family commitments, he has a daughter, an adopted daughter, that just needs him to be around more. And we're trying to get him, hoping that he will stay involved in the organization, almost like a rover, because Dave is a great source. Even a little more active role [than Terry Crowley had with hitters], as much as he's willing to be active. You know, Terry stays with the local clubs here, but he's a big contributor too. Terry's going to continue in that role and we're hoping that [Wallace] continues in a similar one, because he can …"

On Donnie Hart

"Donnie Hart was a guy that you really don't get unless you really know the intangibles -- I call it the 'it' factor, and he's got it -- and some guys have it, some guys don't. You see it up here, you've got to hand him the ball and you talk to him, there's a certain look and a certain respect for it, but not intimidated by it. And, 'Hey, I'm getting an opportunity and I'm not going to cower from the competition, I'm going to let it rip,' type of thing. Just the comfort that they're going to be as good as they're capable of being, and Donnie's got that, and he'll have his moments next year."

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/11/08/buck-showalter-american-league-manager-of-the-year- finalist/

Buck Showalter American League Manager of the Year Finalist

CBS Baltimore November 8, 2016

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore Orioles’ Buck Showalter has been named a finalist for American League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Terry Francona is among the finalists in the American League while Joe Maddon is a finalist for the National League award. In addition to Francona, Jeff Banister of the Rangers and Buck Showalter of the Orioles are finalists in the American League.

Buck won American League Manager of the Year in 2014.

Despite the announcement of the award, Showalter was not pleased to learn that his top reliever this season, Zach Britton, was not a finalist for the American League Cy Young Award.

The winners of the Manager of the Year awards will be announced on Nov. 15.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/11/08/myriad-os-thoughts-britton-snub-wietersand-no- qualifying-offer-showalters-year/

Myriad O’s thoughts: Britton’s snub; Wieters and no qualifying offer; Showalter’s year

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com November 8, 2016

Let’s start by saying I do not have an American League Cy Young vote this year. I have an AL MVP vote, and I’m sure some people aren’t going to be happy with how I filled out that ballot.

And that’s OK. That’s the fun of baseball awards – they spur debate like no other sports’ awards.

Well, Monday night, one sure got spurred.

Orioles closer Zach Britton, who turned in arguably the greatest season ever by a reliever, did not make the Top 3 for Cy Young this year. He was beaten out by starters: Cleveland’s Corey Kluber, Boston’s Rick Porcello and Detroit’s Justin Verlander.

And now here’s my take:

Britton should have been in the Top 3. No question in my mind.

Frankly, I probably would have voted him first. Yes, there is a bit of a homer aspect to this. I saw him pitch all season. I saw just how dominant he was. How he gave up just one homer, how he came into 43 games at one point without giving up an earned run.

I can say, and the statistics back me up, if he had just a good year – blowing say three or four saves – the Orioles wouldn’t have made the playoffs (and the votes had to be in before the postseason began).

I get the argument that the top starters, like the ones that were finalists, pitched at least 215 innings whereas Britton threw just 67.

And if one of those candidates had an ERA in the mid-2s, I might change my mind. But all three had ERAs above 3.00 – still exceptionally impressive, but not dominant. They’re deserving of accolades, but none had a season that blew us away.

Britton did. Four earned runs in 67 appearances. No blown saves in 47 tries. One home run. Normally, I’d go with the starter if it’s close. For a closer to win – it hasn’t happened in the AL since 1992 – it has to be a particularly special year. I’d say the lowest ERA for anyone in the history of the game with at least 50 innings pitched in the season qualifies as particularly special.

And, again, I’m not even arguing that Britton should win the award. But I can’t see how he’s not a finalist. The players seem to agree. He’s Top 3 for AL Outstanding Pitcher in the Players’ Choice Awards, with the winner named Wednesday.

So, yeah, this is one of those instances that I think the writers – my brethren – got it wrong.

Qualifying offer thoughts

I’m not surprised that the Orioles made a $17.2 million qualifying offer to Mark Trumbo and not one to Matt Wieters. There’s no way that Trumbo, coming off his best season, would take it. And, since Wieters accepted it last year, I guess there was concern he might take it again this offseason.

My response to that?

Who cares? So, the worst thing that happens is you get Wieters for another season while most of your key players are in their primes. Yes, it’s an overpay, but it’s also insurance while top prospect Chance Sisco matures and backup Caleb Joseph is given a mulligan from 2016 without any added pressure to be the man in 2017.

The most likely scenario is that Wieters would have rejected the offer and then the Orioles would have received a 2017 supplemental draft pick if he signed elsewhere. Plus, by saddling Wieters with the offer, it hurts his market value, which means, theoretically, the Orioles would be competing with fewer suitors if they want to re-sign him. That’s what gets me about this decision.

It raises the red flag that the Orioles don’t want to re-sign Wieters, despite the leadership, familiarity and competence he brings.

Not making the qualifying offer had to be almost purely a financial decision, considering how weak the current catching market is. In all other ways, it makes sense.

I’m sure some believe that by not paying Wieters, the Orioles are planning to use that money on other holes. But that’s not how I read the tea leaves here.

Based on this move, I’m of the belief that this signals the Orioles don’t envision that kind of money – for anyone – available in the 2017 budget. We’ll see, I suppose.

Showalter as a Manager of the Year finalist

Showalter has a chance to win his fourth “Manager of the Year” award, now that he has been announced as a finalist, along with Cleveland’s Terry Francona and Texas’ Jeff Banister.

I don’t think he’ll get it; my money is on Francona, even though the votes have to be in before the postseason starts.

For many, Showalter’s season this year is tainted by his decision not to pitch Britton in the Wild Card loss in Toronto. But, for the most part, it was another good managing effort by Showalter this season.

You can definitely pick nits with some of the things he did – maybe more than in any other of his campaigns here. But, once again, he convinced a flawed team to believe in itself and win enough games to make the playoffs. That ability shouldn’t be taken for granted.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/11/07/britton-buck-boras-britton-snubbed-al-cy-young- finalist/

Britton, Buck and Boras on Britton being snubbed as AL Cy Young finalist

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com November 7, 2016

In what registered as a relative stunner in the baseball world, the three finalists for each of the four prominent Major League awards were announced Monday night and only one Oriole made the cut: Buck Showalter, one of three candidates for American League Manager of the Year.

That means closer Zach Britton, whose 0.54 ERA was the lowest in the history of baseball among anyone that threw at least 50 innings, was not named in the Top 3 by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

“It stuns me that they missed it by that much. Really, it takes away a lot of the credibility,” Showalter said. “Wow. That’s a head-shaker and a head-scratcher. It’s almost depressing they would miss that much.”

The three finalists for the AL Cy Young Award were all starters: Cleveland’s Corey Kluber (18- 9, 3.14 ERA), Boston’s Rick Porcello (22-4, 3.15) and Detroit’s Justin Verlander (16-9, 3.04 ERA).

All three threw 215 or more innings in 32 or more starts while Britton pitched 67 innings in 69 games, while converting all 47 of his save opportunities. That workload, in comparison to the starters, is obviously what voters were considering when not choosing Britton as a finalist.

“There is nobody more valuable to their club than Zach was to us this year,” Showalter said. “He did it every day. These other guys did it every fifth day. And anybody that tries to make that argument (about innings versus appearances) doesn’t know the importance of those guys and what Zach does. Think about this: Not once this year did our team walk into the locker room after a game and have that challenge of losing the game in the ninth inning.”

In a text, Britton said he figured he was a longshot to win the award, but said he was still proud of his 2016 performance, which helped the Orioles reach the postseason for the third time in five seasons.

“Whether I was a finalist or not, it wasn’t going to change the way I feel about the season I had. I accomplished a lot of the goals I set for myself on a personal level,” texted Britton, who won the AL’s 2016 Mariano Rivera Award, presented by MLB to the league’s best reliever. “I figured I wasn’t the safe (Cy Young) choice and it was going to be an uphill battle. Obviously, I hope a reliever in the future has a better season than I had and gets recognized for it.”

Britton’s agent, Scott Boras, believes the writers sent a message loud and clear about relievers and Cy Young voting. And Boras said it was the absolute wrong one.

“Baseball writers have now excluded closers from winning the Cy Young. Ridiculous,” Boras texted. “Dominance is what the Cy Young is about. … (The selected) starters were very good, but by comparison to Cy Young starter winners of the past eight years, (they were) not dominant. Britton was dominant … and historic in his performance. (These voters did not) follow the performance evaluation patterns of past Cy voters.”

There have been nine relievers that have won the award since it was first established in 1956. The last closer was the ’ Eric Gagne in 2003. The last to win in the AL was Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in 1992.

Eckersley (1.91 ERA in 80 innings) and Gagne (1.20 ERA in 82 1/3 innings) pitched more than Britton did in 2016, and accumulated more saves (Eckersley was 51 of 54 and Gagne was perfect in 55 chances). Britton, however, allowed just one homer all season and his walks and hits per innings pitched ratio of 0.836 was better than Eckersley’s 0.913 and worse than Gagne’s 0.692. Britton also set a major-league record with 43 consecutive appearances without allowing an earned run.

“This guy has maybe had the greatest year in history of relief pitching. He did it at home, he did it away. It was with a one-run lead, a three-run lead, when we got into a city at 4 o’clock the previous morning,” Showalter said. “I kept saying he’s got a mulligan in there somewhere, and it was, ‘Damn, he did it again.’”

Britton’s last six weeks have been particularly eventful. He and his family moved from California to Texas in October. His wife is about to give birth to the couple’s second child. He had to go to Chicago during the World Series to pick up the Rivera Award.

And then there was the way his season ended: In the bullpen as the Orioles lost to Toronto in 11 innings in the AL Wild Card game.

Showalter, who is vying with Cleveland’s Terry Francona and Texas’ Jeff Banister for 2016 AL Manager of the Year, was saving Britton for when his club got the lead in the Wild Card game. But that never happened, and the Orioles lost without Britton pitching.

It’s a much-criticized decision that will forever link Showalter and Britton, but it had no bearing on the AL Cy Young Voting. Two BBWAA voters from each of the 15 AL cities have to cast their Top 5 before the postseason begins. So, nothing that happens in the playoffs has a bearing on the vote.

Both AL and NL Cy Young Awards will be announced Wednesday, November 16. The ballots are made public after the announcement.

http://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2016/11/07/matt-wieters-doesnt-receive-qualifying-offer- mark-trumbo/

Matt Wieters doesn’t receive qualifying offer, but Mark Trumbo does

By Dan Connolly / BaltimoreBaseball.com November 7, 2016

The Orioles took divergent — but unsurprising — paths in dealing with their two most coveted free agents Monday, making a $17.2 million qualifying offer to right fielder Mark Trumbo but not to long-time catcher Matt Wieters, according to sources.

Trumbo will now have until Nov. 14 to decide whether to accept the one-year offer or test free agency. Since the 30-year-old has never been a free agent before and is coming off his best season, one in which he led the majors in homers, it would be a major surprise if he didn’t reject the offer. That would then allow the Orioles to receive a supplemental 2017 draft pick if Trumbo signs elsewhere this offseason.

This is the second consecutive year in which the club had to make the qualifying-offer decision with Wieters, one of the most-respected and longest-tenured Orioles. Last year, they made the offer and Wieters, who was still rebounding from elbow surgery, decided to take it.

This year, he’s a free agent again. And because he was healthy most of the season, he’s in a better spot to test free agency, meaning the 30-year-old was less likely to accept the qualifying offer this year. However, the Orioles decided not to take the chance – and won’t dedicate another $17 million to a payroll that already has significant commitments set for 2017.

Wieters, who is widely considered the top free-agent catcher available, will be able to sign with another team without that club losing a pick. The flip side is that the Orioles will receive no compensation if Wieters signs elsewhere.

The qualifying-offer decisions do not prohibit the Orioles from re-signing Wieters and/or Trumbo. Both have said they would like to return to Baltimore, but both are set to receive multi- year deals – and the Orioles may not decide to expend further resources on the duo knowing that team payroll is expected to be around $150 million in 2017 due to several expensive arbitration awards.

Designated hitter Pedro Alvarez, 29, and Nolan Reimold, 33, also did not receive qualifying offers.