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Adley Rutschman

Orioles Notes: Draft, Rutschman, Bundy, Hyde, Hays

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With the first-year player draft fast approaching, Orioles fans may want to acquaint themselves with Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman, who could be the team’s next top prospect. The Athletic’s Dan Connolly offers a detailed profile of the college junior and his path to prospect stardom. With the O’s holding the first selection in June’s draft, general manager Mike Elias and company will have their choice of the best amateur players in the country. However, Rutschman is doing what he can to make Baltimore’s pick an easy one; the switch-hitting catcher has emerged as the favorite to have his name called first by commissioner Rob Manfred, earning rave reviews from scouts, coaches, and teammates alike. On the baseball diamond, Rutschman earns praise for his outstanding defense at a premium position, which he pairs with an impressive combination of power and contact at the plate. At a pivotal juncture in the Orioles’ rebuild, the organization’s choice at the top of the draft could be a franchise-altering decision,

Here’s the latest news out of Baltimore…

  • In Connolly’s latest for The Athletic. he offers thoughts on all things Orioles, including a drop in velocity that prompted manager Brandon Hyde to yank Dylan Bundy from his last start in just the fifth inning. The source of the declining velocity is unclear; it could merely be a continuation of a trend that began in 2016, or there could be a health issue, though Bundy claims he is healthy. Regardless, it’s a situation to monitor going forward, whether because of injury, or because the O’s might consider tinkering with Bundy’s repertoire.
  • More from Connolly: Brad Ausmus, who succeeded Jim Leyland as the Tigers’ manager from 2014-2017, offers some advice for rookie manager Brandon Hyde, who finds himself in a similar situation, having to follow in the footsteps of the respected Buck Showalter. Hyde certainly has been, and will continue to be, subjected to his fair share of scrutiny in his first month-plus at the helm of a Big League club. Commandeering a rebuilding team, Hyde has had to balance outsiders’ demands to win with the mandate to identify and develop young players around whom the organization can construct the next great Orioles team.
  • Talented outfielder Austin Hays, a preseason favorite to play his way into in the Orioles’ starting outfield this season, will make his season debut in the coming days. After suffering a thumb injury in March, Hays should join one of the O’s low-level affiliates shortly and work his way through the ranks, hopefully culminating in an extended stay in the Majors, where he could contend for a starting role. Hays has long tantalized fans with eye-popping minor-league numbers, though he struggled in his 2017 debut. After a disappointing 2018, the hope is that Hays will actualize his offensive potential and force his way into Baltimore’s lineup.

AL East Notes: Sanchez, Orioles, Draft, Red Sox, Jays

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The injury-plagued Yankees could welcome Gary Sanchez back to the lineup as soon as Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone told reporters Sunday (link via Newsday’s Laura Albanese). He’ll suit up for a rehab game with Class-A Charleston today, and barring any kind of setback, that’ll line him up for a midweek return against the Halos. Boone spoke optimistically but also vaguely about injured regulars Aaron Hicks, Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton and Troy Tulowitzki, declining to put a specific timetable on any of the bunch.

Here’s a look around the division…

  • The Orioles, who hold the No. 1 overall pick in this June’s draft, currently are considering high school shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman but haven’t made any firm decisions as to who they’ll take, per MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubtako. It’s of course worth noting that with more than a month to go until the draft, a different player could soar up the pre-draft rankings and thrust himself into the mix for the top selection. Similarly, a currently projected top pick could still give teams cause for concern and/or incur an injury. Both Rutschman and Witt were pegged as top-three overall picks in the first of what will be several mock drafts over at Baseball America, where Rutschman was projected to go to Baltimore.
  • The Red Sox expect to stick with internal options in the rotation following Nathan Eovaldi’s injury, writes Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Hector Velazquez will be the leading candidate to step into the rotation, though Marcus Walden could also be an option. Manager Alex Cora downplayed the possibility of opting for a bullpen day in place of Eovaldi, voicing a clear preference for someone who can go out and pitch at least five innings. If the Sox want to go with a nonroster option, Cotillo notes that righty Erasmo Ramirez could again be selected (he’s already cleared waivers following last week’s DFA and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket).
  • With Matt Shoemaker down for the season due to an ACL tear, the Blue Jays are weighing options to replace him in the rotation, writes Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star. The top traditional starting pitching candidates look to be righty Sam Gaviglio (who made 24 starts for Toronto a year ago), lefty Thomas Pannone, right-hander Sean Reid-Foley and right-hander Jacob Waguespack. However, the Jays could also more creatively look to deploy an opener — a strategy with which skipper Charlie Montoyo is quite familiar from his time in Tampa Bay. In that instance, someone such as Gaviglio or Pannone could handle multiple innings in relief of an opener, thus shielding the team’s weakest starter from the opposing lineup’s most dangerous hitters the first time through the order. For now, the Jays have several off-days looming on the schedule, limiting their need for a fifth starter and lessening the urgency of the decision.

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