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Friday, November 13, 2015

Columns:  Is South Korean Ah-seop Son a fit for the Orioles? The Sun 11/13  Orioles shut out of Silver Slugger awards The Sun 11/13  is a class act The Sun 11/13  Orioles' offseason planning coming into focus MLB.com 11/13  Showalter on Wieters, O'Day and more MASNsports.com 11/13  denied MASNsports.com 11/12  Duquette recaps GM meetings MASNsports.com 11/12  Can teams win without an ace ? (Plus a take on Wieters) MASNsports.com 11/13  Orioles find out today if Wieters accepts offer CSN Mid-Atlantic 11/13  's general managers getting younger and younger CSN Mid-Atlantic 11/13  Baseball hopes for clarification on sliding rules CSN Mid-Atlantic 11/13  Duquette on the way home from General meetings CSN Mid-Atlantic 11/13  Yankees planning to “make a serious ” at Wei-Yin Chen NBC Sports 11/12

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-is-korean-outfielder-ahseop-son-a-fit-for- the-orioles-20151112-story.html

Is South Korean outfielder Ah-seop Son a fit for the Orioles?

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Sun November 13, 2015

The Orioles were one of several teams that lost out on the negotiating rights to Byung-ho Park, but another player from South Korea who will be posted in the upcoming days might be a better fit.

Outfielder Ah-seop Son is expected to be posted by his Korean team, the Lotte Giants, on Monday, according to an industry source. As with Park, major league teams have five days to make a blind bid. Lotte then will decide whether to accept the highest bid, and the winning team has 30 days to negotiate a deal with Son.

The 27-year-old profiles as a corner outfielder who can bat leadoff and has a good on-base percentage, both areas of need for the Orioles this offseason. He has been compared to Japanese free-agent outfielder Nori Aoki, whom the Orioles have expressed interest inthisoffseason and last.

The big question regarding Son, just like other players coming from South Korea, is whether his success abroad translates to the major leagues.

This past season, Son .317/.406/.472, with 13 homers, 54 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Maybe more importantly, he doesn’t strike out often — which would be welcome in the Orioles’ feast- or-famine lineup — striking out in just 15.6 percent of his career plate appearances.

Son, a left-handed batter who has hit to all fields during his career in South Korea, is a perennial All-Star in the Korean Baseball Organization and led the league in hits in 2012 and 2013. His KBO numbers, which include a .323 average and .398 on-base percentage over nine years, compare to Aoki’s in his nine years in Japan's Nippon league. However, the level of play in Japan is regarded as significantly better than that in Korea.

So don’t be surprised if the Orioles place a bid on Son this week, as they did for Park. The won the bidding for Parkwith a $12.85 million blind bid. The 29-year-old Park is a power-hitting first baseman coming off back-to-back 50-homer seasons with the Nexen Heroes. But Son would seem to fit the Orioles better.

Orioles executive vice president has tapped international markets often, especially Asia. His signing of Taiwan-born left-hander Wei-Yin Chen, who signed with the Orioles after pitching in Japan, might have been his best signing with the club outside of ’s one- year deal in 2014. Chen gave the Orioles four solid seasons as a below-market-value player before becoming a free agent this offseason.

There also have been some failures, such as the Orioles’ last venture into South Korea. They signed right-hander Suk-min Yoon to a three-year, $5.75 million deal before the 2014 season, but Yoon never pitched a regular-season game for the Orioles, and the club absolved itself of Yoon’s contract this past spring by allowing him to return to Korea.

This offseason, there could be several South Korean players hoping to sign with major league clubs. The success of - Jung-ho Kang this season will open the door for other players from the country to play in the majors. Park and Son are just the beginning.

The Orioles could avoid having to pay a posting fee with three other South Korean players expected to test the big league waters.

Hyun-soo Kim, also a 27-year-old left-handed hitting outfielder, is now an international free agent after playing the past 10 years in the KBO, so major league teams are free to sign him without having to go through the posting process.

Kim, who played mostly left field and occasionally first base, hit .326, with 28 homers, 121 RBIs, 11 steals and 101 walks with the Doosan Bears in 2015.

In addition to being one of the top run producers in the KBO, Kim also has shown exemplary plate discipline, finishing among the top five in walks five times.

Two other players who previously played in Japan, closer Seung-hwan Oh and first baseman Dae-ho Lee, are also free agents.

The 33-year-old Oh was one of the top relievers in the Japanese Central League, posting 2.25 ERA and averaging 40 saves over the past two seasons. He has a 1.81 ERA and has averaged 10.7 per nine innings over his 11-year career in Korea and Japan.

Lee, also 33, spent four years in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific league before declining his 2016 option with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Lee hit .282/.368/.524, with 31 homers and 98 homers this past season, and has a .303/.387/.514 hitting line in his 15-year career in Korea and Japan.

Since joining the Orioles, Duquette often has said that cultivating the international market, along with drafting well, having solid player development and making savvy trades, will be key to sustaining success. Given Duquette’s previous attempts in Asia, expect the Orioles to make a play for some of these South Korean players.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-shut-out-of-silver-slugger-awards- 20151112-story.html

Orioles shut out of Silver Slugger awards

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun November 12, 2015

It looks like leading the majors in home runs these days doesn’t guarantee a Silver Slugger anymore.

Despite leading the majors with 47 homers this season, Orioles free-agent first baseman Chris Davis did not win the American League Silver Slugger at first base.

Instead, the Silver Slugger – which is awarded to the top offensive player at each position in each league – went to Tigers first baseman on Thursday night during an MLB Networkannouncement show.

The Silver Sluggers, which have been awarded since 1980, are decided by a vote of major league managers and coaches.

This marked the second straight season that the majors’ leader did not win a Silver Slugger.

Last year, Nelson Cruz hit a major league-leading 40 homers for the Orioles, but did not win the award. Cruz, however, did win the Silver Slugger this year after hitting a career-high 44 homers in his first season with the .

The last major league home run king to win the Silver Slugger was Davis in 2013 following his 53-homer campaign for the Orioles.

Cabrera was limited to 119 games because of injury, but still won his fourth AL batting title with a .338 average. He also led the AL in on-base percentage (.440) while finishing with 18 homers and 76 RBIs.

Silver Slugger ballots are filled out in September, so Davis’ fantastic finish to the season – he hit .318/.463/.748 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in September and October – likely didn’t have as much of an impact with voters.

Orioles third baseman was also a Silver Slugger finalist, but AL MVPfavorite won the AL award at third base. The 23-year-old Machado set career highs in batting average (.286), runs scored (102), home runs (35), RBIs (86) and stolen bases (20) this past season.

Davis, whose 159 homers since the beginning of the 2012 season are the most in the majors over that span, has until Friday at 5 p.m. to accept the Orioles’ one-year, $15.8 million qualifying offer. That’s a formality. Davis is expected to get a lucrative long-term deal on the free-agent market, so he will decline the qualifying offer by the deadline. But the Orioles are still attempting to re-sign Davis.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-jones-letter-20151110- story.html

Adam Jones is a class act

By Ralph E. Moore Jr / The Baltimore Sun November 13, 2015

We can personally attest to how well deserving Adam Jones is to be named Man of the Year as detailed in The Baltimore Sun ("Latest award for Adam Jones," Nov. 10). This past July, Mr. Jones was invited to Restoration Gardens, an apartment building and resource center for formerly homeless youth in southern Park Heights, to speak to the residents. He turned us down because he was busy with the season. But he immediately invited us down to Oriole Park at Camden Yards where he spoke to the group of 20-plus and then let us watch the game against the Minnesota Twins for free.

During his time with us, he answered all questions. After giving the group a talk, he signed many autographs and posed for group and individual pictures. He showed great kindness to our residents, most of whom had never been to a game at the stadium before.

Congratulations, Mr. Jones. You are a true hero on and off the field.

Ralph E. Moore Jr., Baltimore

The writer is program manager for Restoration Gardens.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/157174830/orioles-leave-gm-meetings-with-clear-focus

Orioles' offseason planning coming into focus Deadline to accept qualifying offers is Friday at 5 p.m. ET

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com November 13, 2015

BALTIMORE -- Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette left the General Managers Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., on Thursday morning perhaps having laid the groundwork for future offseason moves. The organization should have a clearer picture of its to- do list in the next 24 hours as Matt Wieters decides whether to accept the Orioles' qualifying offer.

Wieters' agent , who also represents Chris Davis and Wei-Yin Chen, said Wednesday night that Wieters had not decided what to do ahead of Friday's 5 p.m. ET deadline. Davis and Chen are both expected to decline the qualifying offer and test the free-agent market, though Duquette has said before that Baltimore will make an effort to re-sign Davis.

"I think Chris' performance level there has certainly raised an interest level with the ownership, yeah," Boras said, when asked if Davis was interested in returning to Baltimore.

"The thing that makes CD so interesting is that he can play multiple positions. He can play left, he can play right, he can play first base. You usually don't find sluggers that are so versatile and so athletic. So he really, in my mind, is the top outfield candidate on the free-agent market, as well as the top infield candidate in this market for versatility and what a manager wants to do with his club. If you have a prospect coming at first base, you can use him now and then flip him to the outfield. If you have a prospect coming in the outfield, you can use him in the outfield now and put him back at first base. He really provides a lot of flexibility and rare power."

Asked whether he was still upset that Chen was sent to the Minor Leagues earlier this season, Boras said: "It's not really whether I'm upset. I'm voicing the opinion of a veteran pitcher and many other , where you have the ability to manipulate the rosters for a 10-day period at the expense of disruption for your No. 1 starter's approach and performance. I would obviously take the side that you don't do that and that the benefit is absolutely outweighed by the detriment, and that's still how Wei-Yin feels, yes."

Of the three free agents represented by Boras, Chen appears to be the least likely to stay an Oriole. In addition to being unhappy about the demotion, the lefty should head the second tier of available free-agent arms and will likely price himself out of Baltimore.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/11/showalter-on-wieters-oday-and-more.html

Showalter on Wieters, O'Day and more

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 13, 2015

The Orioles will find out later today whether catcher Matt Wieters has accepted or declined the $15.8 million qualifying offer. It's the only drama attached to the 5 p.m. deadline.

First baseman Chris Davis and left-hander Wei-Yin Chen will turn it down. They're going to cash in big this winter and the Orioles are going to receive a compensatory draft pick if the duo signs with other clubs.

Davis is more likely to re-sign than Chen despite the monstrous contract that will be attached to him. I've rated Chen as the least likely of the six free agents to return, though ownership wants to bring him back.

Chen can't be forced to accept their offer unless I missed that provision in the last collective bargaining agreement.

Executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that they still don't know if Wieters has made a decision. Showalter expressed hope during an interview on "The Mid-Atlantic Sports Report" on MASN that Wieters will accept the offer.

"We hope he does. That's why we made it," Showalter said. "The biggest problem we would have, the worst-case scenario, is he leaves, we don't get a draft pick and we don't even try, which we were not going to let happen from a long time ago. There was agreement on that.

"We like Matt. We hope he takes it and comes back for a year or gives us an opportunity to work out a multi-year contract, which I'm sure Dan's working on. But if it doesn't happen, we're prepared for that, too, so we feel like we're in a great spot with it right now. We're waiting for tomorrow late afternoon to find out what direction we go now.

"I'm sure Caleb Joseph's watching it, too, and Steve Clevenger is watching it."

The Orioles still can sign Wieters if he declines the qualifying offer. If he accepts it, they can't trade him before June 15.

Showalter also talked about the importance of leadership in the bullpen. Darren O'Dayprovided it, but he may not return with so many teams coveting him.

"That's important and it's something that analytics don't show, and sabermetrics don't evaluate that," Showalter said. "That's why there's a need for guys like Dom Chiti and Dave Wallace. When players stake ownership in the responsibilities they have with the club, it's a special thing to watch. Losing guys like Jimmy (Johnson) and Darren ... we're hoping Darren's back for us.

"Darren would be a tough loss for us. He took the mantle that Jimmy had and ran with it. We're hoping that Darren comes back. He means a lot to our club on and off the field."

Showalter asked the panel whether it would sign Johnson, bringing him back to Baltimore after a two-year absence. And if so, should Johnson be used in relief or returned to his original role as a starter?

That's enough for me to say that the Orioles are discussing a reunion with Jim Johnson.

"I just want to throw that out there," Showalter said. "Let you all bottom fish on that for a while." I've cast my line.

Johnson went 2-3 with a 2.25 ERA, nine saves and 1.229 WHIP in 49 appearances and 48 innings with the Braves last season and 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA and 2.036 WHIP in 23 appearances and 18 2/3 innings with the Dodgers, who left him off their postseason roster. He's pitched for four teams since the Orioles traded him to the Athletics on Dec. 2, 2013 for infielder and a player to be named later, who turned out to be catcher David Freitas.

The Orioles had interest in signing Johnson to a minor league deal before he chose the Tigers on Aug. 6, 2014.

Johnson was a starter in the minors. He was a closer with 101 saves over two seasons with the Orioles. He's become a journeyman who might find his way back to the organization that drafted him.

As always, stay tuned.

Showalter also said he knows the Orioles will participate in the on Dec. 10, the final order of business at the Winter Meetings.

The annual FanFest will be held two days later at the Convention Center, much earlier than in previous years.

"There's probably a lot of pressure on us because they pushed up the FanFest to the middle of December," Showalter said. "When we come back from the Winter Meetings and we're at FanFest, we better not walk in there empty handed, huh guys? Or Dan's going to be doing that thing by himself.

"No, we do it together and we'll continue to do it, but we've got a lot of work ahead of us." Showalter met again Wednesday with managing partner Peter G. Angelos and also attended the Ravens' practice.

"We're ready to go and do the things it takes to stay competitive and try to win the division again," Showalter said. "We're waiting for a lot of the dominos to fall probably starting Friday, so we know where we're going. I'm looking forward to the challenges. I know Dan is."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/11/chris-davis-denied-slugger-award-1.html

Chris Davis denied Silver Slugger Award

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 12, 2015

This hasn't been a good week for first baseman Chris Davis.

After being excluded as a finalist for the American League's Most Valuable Player award, Davis lost out tonight to the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera for the Silver Slugger Award at first base.

The announcement came on MLB Network, with Davis and third baseman Manny Machadofailing to garner enough votes from managers and coaches.

The Silver Slugger is presented annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and . The Orioles also were shut out last season after having three winners in 2013 - Davis, shortstop J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones.

The trio ended a five-year drought for the Orioles, with winning the award in 2008 as the .

Davis batted .262/.361/.562 this season with 31 doubles, 47 home runs, 117 RBIs, 84 walks and 208 strikeouts in 160 games. His 47 home runs led the majors, his 117 RBIs ranked third and his .562 ranked seventh.

Davis received a Silver Slugger in 2013 after batting .286/.370/.634 and leading the majors with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs. He would have joined as the only first basemen in club history to win the award twice. won it in 1998.

Murray, Cal Ripken Jr. (eight) and (two) are the only Orioles to win the award in multiple years.

Cabrera won his sixth Silver Slugger despite playing in only 119 games. He batted .338/.440/.534 with 28 doubles, 18 home runs and 76 RBIs. He led the majors in average and the league in on-base percentage.

Josh Donaldson was chosen at third base over Machado, who batted .286/.359/.502 with 30 doubles, 35 home runs, 86 RBIs and 102 runs scored. He was the only player in the majors to appear in every game.

Machado, also excluded from the list of finalists for AL MVP, notched the seventh 20/20 season (home runs and stolen bases) in club history and the second 30/20, along with current Orioles vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson.

Donaldson, one of the finalists for MVP, batted .297/.371/.568 with 41 doubles, two triples, 41 home runs and 123 RBIs. He led the American League in RBIs and total bases (352) and the majors in runs scored (122).

Here's the list of Orioles winners, which doesn't need updating:

1983: Eddie Murray (1B) and Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1984: Eddie Murray (1B) and Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1985: Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1986: Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1989: Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) and (C) 1991: Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1993: Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1994: Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) 1996: (2B) 1998: Rafael Palmeiro (1B) 2004: Miguel Tejada (SS) and (3B) 2005: Miguel Tejada (SS) 2008: Aubrey Huff (DH) 2013: Chris Davis (1B), Adam Jones (OF), J.J. Hardy (SS)

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/11/duquette-recaps-gm-meetings.html

Duquette recaps GM meetings

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com November 12, 2015

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette is headed home after the general managers meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., with no additions to the roster, but lots of conversations that he hopes will lead to future transactions this winter.

In other words, it was the GM meetings. That's usually how it works.

"We met with several clubs to see where we might be compatible on the trade market," Duquette said this morning while heading to the airport. "And then we also met with several agency groups to see if there was some common ground on some free agents, so we got a better idea of the market. And we expressed directly to people that we were trying to add some and some pitching to our roster."

The shopping list obviously remains the same.

Duquette stayed busy despite the lack of moves.

"We met directly with probably 20 teams and we had some secondary talks with the other nine," Duquette said. "We had some face-to-face meetings with most of the clubs, and we got an idea who the clubs like and what some of our trade options might be."

Duquette won't talk about specific players, but the Orioles did reach out to catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia's representative. They're also focused on improving their depth behind the plate, especially if Matt Wieters leaves via free agency.

The Orioles still haven't heard whether Wieters is accepting or declining the $15.8 million qualifying offer. Agent Scott Boras will discuss it with him again on Friday before the 5 p.m. deadline.

"That's what the agency said," Duquette said. "They're going to talk tomorrow."

Duquette wasn't focused only on free agent targets from outside the organization. The Orioles still want to retain at least a few of their own, including first baseman Chris Davis and relieverDarren O'Day.

"We'll see," Duquette said. "We had some active discussions with free agents and with some other clubs."

O'Day has more suitors than suits and it probably isn't close. Several teams have been linked to him, including the world champion Royals, who don't have a glaring need for another bullpen arm.

Other clubs reportedly making a run at O'Day include the Dodgers, Tigers, Red Sox, Giants, Nationals and Cubs. He's in high demand and could land a four-year deal.

"It's always interesting when a free agent is going to sign with 24 other clubs," Duquette quipped.

So where does this leave the Orioles?

"Twenty-five," he replied.

The Orioles are continuing their search for an assistant hitting , with vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson heavily involved in the process. They're lining up candidates for interviews.

"We're still in the job search process," Duquette said. "We've got some good ones."

Also, top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy will undergo a follow-up examination with Orioles physicians in Baltimore after being shut down in the due to a strained muscle in his right forearm.

Pressed for his level of concern, Duquette replied, "It sounds like a minor issue."

Hunter Harvey, the Orioles' first-round pick in the 2013 draft, remains shut down after experiencing tightness in his right elbow in the fall instructional league, but he's apparently making progress in his recovery.

"He's in a resting phase," Duquette said. "He's going to start throwing again later in November." Note: Infielder Brandon Snyder, who appeared in 93 games at -A Bowie this season after signing a minor league deal in late April, announced on that he's joining the Braves organization.

Snyder was a minor league free agent after batting .278/.356/.467 with 26 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 52 RBIs with the Baysox.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2015/11/can-teams-win-without-an-ace-pitcher- plus-a-take-on-wieters.html

Can teams win without an ace pitcher? (Plus a take on Wieters)

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com November13, 2015

Here are two pitching stats for a team in the 2015 regular season. This team had a starting rotation ERA of 4.34 to rank 12th in the American League. The same team got 912 2/3 innings from its starting pitchers this year to rank last in the AL.

Was the team the Orioles? No, the team is the and they won the .

In ranking 12th in starting pitcher ERA in 2015, Kansas City was ahead of only , Baltimore and Detroit in the AL.

The Royals blew the doors off two narratives this year. First, that you can't win without a huge payroll. Second, that you need an ace to win in the postseason. Well, maybe there should be an asterisk on that second note. They acquired an ace in , but he failed to pitch like one with a 4.76 ERA in the regular season for the Royals. The regular season ERAs of their other three postseason starters were 3.55 for Edinson Volquez, 4.08 for Yordano Ventura and 3.06 for Chris Young.

In the postseason, the Kansas City starters went 3-5 with a 4.97 ERA. Only Texas had a higher playoff ERA for their starting pitchers. Cueto's playoff ERA was 5.40 and Ventura's was 6.43.

By the way those four Kansas City starting pitchers made a combined $18.925 million this year. Only Ventura is homegrown. Volquez was signed to a two-year deal for $20 million last Dec. 29. Young was signed for one year in March. Cueto was acquired at the trade deadline. So three of the Royals' World Series starters were not even on their team last Christmas.

Kansas City made up for a not great rotation in other ways of course. It had an excellent defense and bullpen. It had a balanced offense that could put the ball in play, get clutch hits and take the extra base. They scored big in the playoffs. They were a team motivated to win by losing in the final game the year before.

But when I first noticed the Royals were 12th this year in rotation ERA, I was quite surprised. I didn't think a team with a rotation that shaky could win. But they did.

Can the Orioles win without an ace? They did win 96 games and the division title in 2014 without one. Ironically, the 2015 Royals had such a good bullpen that they finished third in the AL in team ERA this year. The 2014 Orioles were also third in team ERA. If your rotation is not great, your bullpen better be pretty darn good.

In looking at the 2015 postseason, the Blue Jays had an ace, but didn't pitch like it. The Mets had a few young guns and they didn't win. The 2014 did have an ace and it was a big reason why they won.

Let's not act like having an ace pitcher isn't huge. It is. But the Royals proved it can be done without one.

Revisiting Wieters and the qualifying offer: Matt Wieters must decide today whether or not to accept the Orioles' one-year qualifying offer of $15.8 million for 2016. If he declines and leaves the Orioles, they will get a compensatory draft pick in June. Chris Davis and Wei-Yin Chen seem certain to turn down the qualifying offers.

In the last few days, the Braves re-signed catcher A.J. Pierzynski to a one-year deal and last night traded shortstop Andrelton Simmons. It now seems Wieters to Atlanta - rumored as a very strong possibility for years - no longer makes sense. With Atlanta apparently off Wieters' list of suitors, will he now be more apt to take the O's qualifying offer?

Also last night, Colby Rasmus accepted the qualifying offer from , becoming the first player ever to take the offer. Wieters no longer has to be the first.

He could take the offer, get a raise from $8.3 to $15.8 million, come back, prove himself healthy, play well and then set himself up for a big contract as a free agent 12 months from now. A big contract delayed, but not denied, as Buck Showalter might say. He'd rejoin the only major league team he's ever known, play for a manager he loves in front of fans he feels the same about.

In the end, Wieters will probably turn down the qualifying offer, but I think the events of the last few days has made this a tougher call for him heading into today.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-find-out-today-if-wieters-accepts-offer

Orioles find out today if Wieters accepts offer

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic November 13, 2015

Friday is a big day for the Orioles. After they find out if Matt Wieters accepts their qualifying offer, they’ll have a much better idea of how much money they can spend this winter.

They know that Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Davis will turn the $15.8 million offer down, and they suspect that Wieters will, too. He must decide by 5 p.m.

But, even though Scott Boras continues to denounce the offer, he’ll use it if it benefits his client.

After his preliminary visits with potential Wieters suitors at the General Managers meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., Boras has a better idea of the potential market for the best catcher on the free agent market.

With Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pierzynski both off that market, the relatively thin market becomes thinner still.

Does it make economic sense for Wieters to take the $15.8 million for 2016? Or does he have a club that could pay him three or four times that money for three or four years?

If he takes the Orioles offer, and he’s healthy, a year from now, Wieters will be 30 and nearly 2 ½ years removed from Tommy John surgery.

But, if he doesn’t have a year akin to his pre-surgery seasons, then his value is greatly reduced.

If Wieters doesn’t take the offer, the odds that he’ll re-sign with the Orioles later on this offseason are greatly reduced because they’re not going to pay him as much as other clubs.

They have Caleb Joseph and Steve Clevenger and perhaps a veteran free agent addition to replace him.

And, if Wieters doesn’t take their offer, they have that money to bid on others, perhaps Darren O’Day. While O’Day’s total contract will be higher than $15.8 million, that would represent a large percentage of it, and the Orioles could possibly up their offer.

If Wieters takes the offer, the chances of retaining O’Day probably go way down. It probably doesn’t have a lot of effect on Chris Davis, who they know is going to attract offers well north of $100 million. They’re realistic about that.

Wieters doesn’t have to worry about the stigma of being the first player to accept the qualifying offer. After 34 no’s in the first three years of the system, Colby Rasmus took the offer from Houston on Thursday.

The Orioles had pursued Rasmus last offseason, but he wasn’t high on their list this time.

The guess here is that Wieters turns down the qualifying offer, the Orioles get a draft pick as compensation, and he finds a club or two willing to risk he’ll show no effects from the surgery in 2016.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/baseballs-general-managers-getting-younger- and-younger

Baseball's general managers getting younger and younger

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic November 12, 2015

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Dan Duquette laughed as he looked around the room at the General Managers meetings.

What he saw was a lot of new faces. More than one-third of MLB teams have changed their general managers since August.

For a few, the GMs moved up to a higher position, but will still be making the decisions. For most, there are new, and much younger people making the decisions.

“It’s a challenge to get to know new people and who they’re working with because there’s been so much turnover this year. You’ve got to work a little harder. You’ve got to have your scorecard in place. People are moving around, and owners are changing horses quickly,” Duquette said.

At the meetings, , the longtime general manager, who is now team president, talked about getting his first GM job with the Kansas City Royals at 41. That was considered young back in 1981—before a few current general managers were even born.

“Generationally, there are some differences, right? There are some personality differences. Things happen pretty quickly these days. These new general managers are getting an opportunity earlier and earlier in life,” Duquette said.

Schuerholz’s success paved the way for Duquette and other young GMs. Duquette was 33 when he succeeded as Expo GM in 1991. Dombrowski was 31 when he started running the Expos.

Jim Bowden was also 31 when he took over the Reds in 1992, and just 28 when he took the job in Boston.

“These kids have a lot of knowledge. They have great analytical skills. They’re hustling. They’re getting a lot of experience on the job, too,” Duquette said.

Duquette was asked if general managers would soon be hired right out of high school.

He chuckled.

“Well, I’m not sure about that,” Duquette said.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/baseball-hopes-clarification-sliding-rules

Baseball hopes for clarification on sliding rules

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic November 12, 2015

BOCA RATON, Fla. – If you spend much time with Buck Showalter, you know he always has strong opinions on rules.

At this week’s General Managers meetings, rule changes and clarifications were discussed. They’ll be discussed further at next week’s Owners Meetings and next month’s Winter Meetings.

The most contentious play from this postseason came when Los Angeles’ slid so hard into the Mets’ Ruben Tejada at second that Tejada suffered a broken leg.

Joe Torre, Chief Baseball Officer, suspended Utley for two games. Tejada hopes to be ready for .

“I thought that was a little overly aggressive,” Torre said. “He slid too late and didn’t make an effort to touch the base. His target was the infielder.”

A clarification on the rule could be coming.

Torre is proud of the game’s improvements on safety. He cites the 2014 collision rule at home plate in being a boon.

“We don’t want guys carried off the field,” Torre said.

During the postseason, there was a lot of complaining about the strike zone. Torre says little has changed.

“I know that it appears that the strike zone this year was different from last year, but it was the same. The same low strikes were called last year and this year,” Torre said.

He noted that managers are being ejected more often in the age of replay for arguing balls and strikes.

Managers have told Torre: “We have nothing else to argue about.”

Replay has brought to light the pop-up slide. In the past, a player who slid and quickly stood up was always safe. Now, players are called out on replay who have briefly left the bag.

“Before replay, we accepted the imperfections of our game,” Torre said. “Now since replay, we’re impatient with a play that might be missed.”

He notes on the pop-up slide: “A lot of times you’re negating good baserunning.”

Replay is working well. Fewer than two percent of the calls in replay are incorrect, Torre says. But, 52 percent of calls were overturned in replay, higher than it was in 2014.

Managers are now forced to use a challenge on the collision play at home, and that’s worked well, Torre said.

MLB is looking to add fan interference calls to replay so that baserunners can be properly placed.

The question of ejections for throwing at batters continues to vex the game.

“A lot of times it seems unfair. Usually the guy who’s trying to stick up for his club pays the price. I don’t really drop at on the umpire because they get one shot at it. You try to keep players in the game,” Torre said.

As for pace of play, over the season a reduction of more than six minutes was achieved. The average game in 2015 was 2 hours, 56 minutes, down more than six minutes from 2014.

According to Dan Halem, MLB’s Chief Legal Officer, negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement should begin in February or March. The agreement expires Dec. 1, 2016.

Halem said that reducing the schedule to 154 games is unlikely, and so is further expansion.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has said that playing regular season games in Mexico and perhaps Europe in the next five years is a priority. He also said that baseball continues to work on an international draft.

NOTES: Cal Ripken will receive the award for his lifetime contributions to the game at a dinner at next month’s Winter Meetings in Boca Raton, Fla.

“I am thrilled to be receiving the Tony Gwynn Award,” Ripken said.

“Tony was a friend and a terrific ambassador for the game. I will always remember entering the Hall of Fame with Tony and the great time we had in 2007. My sincere thanks to for thinking of me on this anniversary year of 2,131 and bestowing me this honor.”

Ripken and commissioner emeritus are being honored by Baseball America.

-Manny Machado lost out to Colorado’s for the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year at third base on Wednesday night.

-Chris Davis is a favorite to win the Silver Slugger award at first base on Thursday night.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/duquette-way-home-general-manager-meetings

Duquette on the way home from General Manager meetings

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic November 12, 2015

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Dan Duquette left the General Managers meetings on Thursday morning hoping that his time here set the Orioles up for trades and free agent signings.

Duquette continued to meet with more agents and teams on Wednesday night as the Orioles continue to look for pitchers and outfielders.

By Friday at 5 p.m., the Orioles will learn whether Matt Wieters accepted their qualifying offer of $15.8 million. Wei-Yin Chen and Chris Davis will reject theirs.

The agent for Chen, Davis and Wieters, Scott Boras held court on Wednesday afternoon.

Boras believes that major league players are underpaid and that the $15.8 million qualifying offer is unfair because it holds the market value of many players down. He also objects to baseball executive salaries rising without a governor while player salaries are held down artificially in his opinion.

And, the prices he pays for season tickets keep rising, he remarked.

If Wieters declines the qualifying offer as has everyone else in the first three years of the system, he’ll be free to negotiate with others, and the Orioles will turn elsewhere for a free agent catcher.

Two of the more experienced names, Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pierzynski, are reportedly already off the market.

Boras compared Davis’ stats with ’s—back in the days when he was a client of the uber-agent. Clearly, Boras is expecting a big haul for Davis, and he implied that Orioles ownership has taken notice.

Chen won’t be back with the Orioles next year, and he’ll be one of the prized left-handers on the market.

Darren O’Day has gotten huge interest from teams, including the Orioles, but it seems a stretch for him to stay, particularly when others will likely be offering much more money, a longer contract and in some cases, a more prominent role.

The and Minnesota Twins made an interesting trade on Wednesday with catcher John Ryan Murphy heading off to the Twins for outfielder Aaron Hicks.

Hicks was a first round pick in 2008, and has hit only .225 in parts of three seasons with Minnesota. He has some power, but strikes out a lot. He’s also speedy and if the Yankees trade Brett Gardner, could be a cheaper replacement.

Gardner to the Orioles? I doubt it.

He’s owed $37.5 million over the next three seasons, and still has some decent numbers (16 homers, 66 RBIs, a .259 average with a .343 on-base percentage and 20 steals last year). At 32, he’s on the downward slope, but I don’t see a trade match with New York.

The Orioles and Yankees don’t often make deals with each other.

“I believe you have to be a little more thoughtful if you’re going to trade within your division,” Duquette said.

“A lot of times there’s good reason to trade within your division. Generally, that’s not the preferred choice, right? Because if you’re not right on your transaction you have to look at your transaction 18 times a year. It’s generally easier to look outside your division. Sometimes it’s required.”

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2015/11/12/yankees-planning-to-make-a-serious-run-at-wei-yin-chen/

Yankees planning to “make a serious run” at Wei-Yin Chen

By Aaron Gleeman / NBC Sports November 12, 2015

Left-handed rotation help is atop the Yankees’ offseason wishlist and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News reports that they’re planning to “make a serious run” at free agentWei-Yin Chen.

Chen spent the past four seasons with the Orioles, logging 707 innings with a 3.72 ERA. That includes a 3.34 ERA and 153/41 K/BB ratio in 191 innings this year at age 30.

Feinsand writes that Chen is believed to be looking for a five- or six-year deal. While that’s somewhat reasonable given his age and track record, it’s worth noting that last offseason Max Scherzer and Jon Lester were the only two pitchers to get deals longer than four seasons.