Beyond the obvious rebuild with which they’re faced, the Orioles have numerous behind-the-scenes questions to answer this offseason, writes Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link). Longtime owner Peter Angelos has ceded day-to-day operations of the club to sons John and Louis, but the league is still unclear who the new “control” person of the team is at this point. The O’s will also have to make a determination on whether to retain longtime general manager Dan Duquette and/or manager Buck Showalter, as each will see his contract expire at season’s end. Beyond that, the ongoing MASN television rights fee battle with the Nationals will likely have an arbitration hearing in front of a panel of fellow MLB owners in November.
Orioles Rumors
Austin Hays To Undergo Ankle Surgery
Orioles outfield prospect Austin Hays is set to undergo surgery to repair an ankle fracture, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report. Hays, who made his big league debut last September after an enormous minor league season sent him skyrocketing up national prospect rankings, was limited to 75 games in 2018 and batted just .235/.266/.410 in that time. Though he’s had a brief cup of coffee in the Majors, Hays has yet to even suit up for a Triple-A game; he hit .329/.365/.593 with 32 homers, 32 doubles and five triples between Class-A Advanced and Double-A last season and spent the bulk of 2018 in Double-A (when healthy). Hays had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League, but it seems he’ll now forgo that to clean up the lingering ankle issue that has plagued his 2018 season. He only recently turned 23 and is still viewed as an important piece of the Orioles’ future, though the 2018 season looks to have gone down as something of a lost season for the 2016 third-rounder. Hays himself has also confirmed that he’ll have surgery tomorrow (Twitter link).
Dan Duquette Could Draw Consideration From Mets In GM Search
- Shapiro, for what it’s worth, has downplayed reports connecting him to the Mets and expressed that he remains committed to the Blue Jays organization. SNY’s Andy Martino, though, wrote this morning that in spite of Shapiro’s comments, “people around the team continue to point to” Shapiro as a potential candidate. It’s worth noting that Sherman’s column makes mention of tension between Shapiro and Jays ownership at Rogers Communications, though he’d also be an expensive hire for the Mets. Martino, too, lists Cherington as a name to watch, and he also adds current Orioles GM Dan Duquette to the pile. Duquette, notably, is in the final season of his contract in Baltimore, and there’s been previous speculation as to whether he’ll remain with the club.
Jones Facing Waning Playing Time Late In Season
The Orioles recently benched Adam Jones for the entirety of a three-game series, and Eduardo A. Encina examines the awkward situation, writing that it’s becoming more apparent that the organization doesn’t have long-term plans for Jones. Encina notes that Jones “threw a wrench” into Baltimore’s plans when he vetoed a trade to the Phillies prior to the non-waiver trade deadline but opines that it’s nonetheless surprising to see the popular Jones sitting behind a cast of waiver claims and former Rule 5 picks (e.g. John Andreoli and Joey Rickard). Cedric Mullins is the only well-regarded prospect who’s been playing over Jones — the team did call up DJ Stewart earlier today — making Jones’ lack of playing time in his final weeks as an Oriole all the more curious. Jones’ benching did occur on the road, so perhaps the organization plans to give him more playing time for the team’s remaining home games, where fans can show their appreciation for the 11 seasons Jones has given them.
Orioles Promote DJ Stewart
The Orioles have announced that outfield prospect D.J. Stewart is heading onto the active roster. His contract was selected today.
A few corresponding moves were announced as well. Righty Cody Carroll and catcher Andrew Susac were both activated, while outfielder Mark Trumbo and righty Pedro Araujo were bumped to the 60-day DL.
Stewart, a former first-round pick, will make it to the bigs in advance of an offseason Rule 5 decision. Clearly, the O’s expect to carry him on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason.
Now 24 years of age, the FSU product has moved steadily through the Baltimore system. He wasn’t able to follow up on a strong 2017 season at the Double-A level, however, as he struggled a bit in his 490 plate appearances this year at the club’s top affiliate. He hit a dozen home runs, swiped 11 bags, and slashed .235/.329/.387 on the year.
Orioles Lacking In Multi-Positional Players
- The Orioles are lacking in multi-positional players, Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun writes, giving the team yet another area to address as it enters a rebuild period. Not even any of the players acquired by the O’s in their deadline deals looks like a candidate for such a role in the future, though the team will be looking at what Jonathan Villar, Breyvic Valera, and Steve Wilkerson can do at multiple positions.
Kubatko: Orioles Will Re-Sign Martin Cervenka
- The Orioles plan to re-sign pending free-agent catcher Martin Cervenka, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. Cervenka joined the Orioles via the Giants in the minor league phase of last year’s Rule 5 draft, and has since amassed “lots of supporters” within the O’s organization, Kubatko writes. The 26-year-old may even debut in the majors’ next season, as Kubatko adds that Cervenka could have a shot to emerge as the Orioles’ backup catcher in 2019. In doing so, he’d become the first native of the Czech Republic to ever play in the majors. The highest level Cervenka has reached to this point is Double-A, where he put up a .258/.317/.457 line with 15 home runs in 375 PAs this season.
Heyman: Orioles Did Interview Ned Colletti
- Earlier this summer, Orioles vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette denied a report that the O’s had interviewed former Dodgers GM Ned Colletti for a front office position. However, an interview between one of Orioles owner Peter Angelos’ sons and Colletti did occur, according to Heyman. It’s still not known which position the two sides discussed, though, nor is it clear if Baltimore continues to have interest in Colletti. Notably, Duquette is about to reach the end of his contract – which could put the O’s in the market for a new baseball operations chief – but it’s not a lock he and the club will part ways, Heyman writes.
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Orioles Select Corban Joseph
The Orioles announced Friday that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Corban Joseph from Double-A Bowie. He’ll join the big league club for the remainder of the season.
[Related: Baltimore Orioles depth chart]
It’ll be the second call to the big leagues this season for Joseph — the younger brother of Baltimore catcher Caleb Joseph. The younger Joseph brother went 1-for-9 in four games with the O’s earlier this season before being designated for assignment and outrighted back to the club’s Double-A affiliate.
Joseph, 29, has enjoyed a solid season with Bowie this year (albeit against much younger competition), hitting .312/.381/.497 with 17 homers, 30 doubles, a pair of triples and eight steals in 523 plate appearances across 122 games. He’s appeared at first base, second base and third base in the minors. His addition gives the Orioles a full 40-man roster.
Orioles Release Craig Gentry
The Orioles announced Wednesday that they’ve released outfielder Craig Gentry. He’d been designated for assignment on Aug. 31 when the club began its September roster expansion. Additionally, the O’s announced that infielder Steve Wilkerson has been recalled from Triple-A and will join the club for the remainder of the season.
Gentry, 34, appeared in 68 games for Baltimore this season and posted a .269/.321/.346 with a homer, five doubles, two triples and a dozen steals (in 15 tries) over the life of 169 plate appearances. He’s spent most of the past two seasons as a reserve with the Orioles organization, serving as a defense- and baserunning-focused backup outfielder. The former 10th-round pick (Rangers, 2006) has a long history in that sort of role, though he hasn’t amassed even 200 plate appearances in a season since 2014.
Overall, he’s a career .262/.333/.339 hitter with solid but unspectacular numbers against left-handed pitching and more troublesome numbers against righties. He’s consistently drawn solid marks for his glovework in the outfield, and 2018 was no exception (+6 DRS, +2.2 UZR, +3 Outs Above Average in 386 innings).
As for Wilkerson, the versatile 26-year-old will be getting his second look with the O’s after a brief seven-game cup of coffee earlier this year. He batted .270/.329/.500 in a small 86-game sample in his first run at Triple-A this season and is a career .282/.342/.399 hitter in parts of three Double-A campaigns. Wilkerson, the Orioles’ eighth-round selection in the 2014 draft, has played all four infield positions and both corner outfield positions in his minor league career.
