Orioles Rumors

Orioles’ Owner Gives Approval To Explore Trades Of Relievers, Smith

By Mark Polishuk | July 18, 2017 at 6:55pm CDT

JULY 18: Rosenthal now reports (via Twitter) that Angelos has indeed given Duquette his approval to explore trades involving the team’s top relievers as well as Smith.

JULY 16: As long as Orioles ownership approves, executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette has told other teams that he is open to trading three of his top relievers (Zach Britton, Brad Brach and Darren O’Day) as well as outfielder Seth Smith, Ken Rosenthal reports via his Facebook page.

Also noteworthy in Rosenthal’s report is the list of names the O’s apparently aren’t willing to trade. The club isn’t listening to offers for Manny Machado or Adam Jones, and though Mychal Givens is receiving interest from rival clubs, the O’s also don’t plan on dealing the righty, who is controllable through the 2021 season.

This would indicate that the Orioles aren’t approaching the deadline with an eye towards a full-blown rebuild. Dealing a controllable player like Givens (who is likely being groomed for a larger role should one of the veteran relievers be dealt) or moving cornerstone players like Machado or Jones would imply that Baltimore wasn’t planning on contending in 2018. Instead, the team looks to be attempting to free up some payroll space in the form of pricey relief contacts, and move some excess pieces in the bullpen and bench with an eye towards reloading for next season. With this in mind, Rosenthal opines that Welington Castillo could also be a trade chip, as the catcher can become a free agent this winter if he doesn’t exercise his player option for 2018.

All this trade talk assumes, of course, that Orioles owner Peter Angelos is willing to green-light the proposed deadline moves. Rosenthal points out that Angelos hasn’t permitted his team to make significant trades of veterans at the deadline since 2000, though the O’s are only on the fringes of contention this year. The Orioles entered the day tied with the Blue Jays for fourth place in the AL East with a 42-48 record, 8.5 games out of first place and five games out of a wild card berth.

Britton posted one of the best years of any closer in baseball history in 2016, though he has only pitched 13 innings for Baltimore this season due to a pair of forearm strains. Despite the worrying nature of such injuries, Britton’s track record ensures that he would be a prized commodity at the deadline, with such teams as the Dodgers and Astros already showing some interest.

Britton’s rise to elite closer status has coincided with his arbitration years, as he is playing this season on an $11.4MM salary. Though his injury woes will probably limit the size of his raise in his fourth and final trip through the arb process this winter, Britton still has another $12MM+ salary coming his way in 2018, and there were whispers all winter that the O’s could move Britton and go with a less-expensive option at closer.

Brach, for instance, is only earning $3.05MM this season and is controlled through the 2018 season. This contract situation and Brach’s own strong performance this year as Britton’s replacement at closer has put Brach perhaps even in higher demand than Britton. It probably isn’t likely that both Britton and Brach would be dealt, as the club likely sees one or the other as their closer in 2018.

The veteran O’Day missed some time due to a shoulder strain this year and was hampered by injuries in 2016, though he had continued to post his usual solid numbers when healthy. O’Day has a 3.77 ERA, 11.3 K/9 and 2.79 K/BB rate over 31 frames for Baltimore this year. O’Day is owed $9MM in both 2018 and 2019 and has roughly $3MM remaining salary for this year. The veteran also has a partial no-trade clause in his contract that allows him to block deals to seven teams, so O’Day has some control over his destiny if the Orioles do want to trade him.

Smith was acquired in a trade with the Mariners last winter to boost the Orioles’ left-handed hitting outfield depth, and he has a solid .259/.328/.436 slash line through 244 PA. Trey Mancini has stepped into an everyday corner outfield role, so the O’s could use a platoon of Joey Rickard and Hyun Soo Kim in the other corner spot should Smith be dealt.

Rockies Looking Into Rotation Trades

By Jeff Todd | July 18, 2017 at 1:41pm CDT

The Rockies are at least “poking around” on the market for rotation help, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Just how much of a priority the rotation is remains to be seen; GM Jeff Bridich did suggest earlier today that he’s most focused on bolstering the team’s pen.

While Colorado is loaded with plausible big league starters — a luxury that has rarely been afforded the high-altitude franchise — many of its options hold more future promise than present value. And some of the younger arms could also be limited by workload considerations. While Chad Bettis is also working his way back, perhaps it’s still a bit unclear what can be expected from him.

On the whole, there’s plenty of room for an upgrade, but little in the way of a clear need in the Rockies’ rotation. But adding a new starter might also bump an arm to the bullpen, perhaps providing some improvement there as well by inserting a multi-inning arm into a mix that has had its share of difficulties of late.

Of course, it’s also possible that Colorado could be compelled to part with some young hurlers — particularly if they pursue a quality, controllable arm. As Passan notes, the team does also possess an impressive collection of talent on the farm system. Given the team’s array of controlled talent in the majors, perhaps there’ll be some added willingness to move a prospect or two.

Interestingly, the Rockies are said to have inquired about Orioles Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy. Those two have struggled quite a bit this year; since the start of June, the former has allowed 32 earned runs in 40 2/3 innings while the latter has surrendered 29 earned over his 36 1/3 frames. Still, they’ve each experienced their share of MLB success after long runs as top prospects. And both can be controlled into the future, Gausman for three years and Bundy for four.

Those same factors will likely prevent the O’s from selling them short, despite the difficulties in 2017, even if they decide to give up on the current campaign. Indeed, Baltimore will surely be eyeing pitching in any trades it does pursue; the rotation, after all, has been a big problem this year and seems an uncertainty looking past the current season.

Relief Market Notes: Neshek, Nats, O’s, Reed, Rox

By Jeff Todd | July 18, 2017 at 11:46am CDT

While the concept of leverage is now widely appreciated, the use of a dedicated closer still has a strong hold in the game. David Laurila of Fangraphs takes an interesting look at the subject, talking to a variety of figures from around baseball. It’s a good read and also bears upon some of the considerations that contending teams will be weighing as they look at upgrades before the trade deadline.

Here’s the latest on the market for relievers:

There’s still a wide market for Phillies reliever Pat Neshek, per Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network (Twitter link). Among the teams in pursuit are the Brewers, Rays, and Yankees, but it seems there’s no favorite at the moment. While Tampa Bay has been tied mostly to southpaws, the team is also interested in righties such as Neshek, ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick noted today on Twitter.
The Nationals are also in on Neshek, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, who also links the Nats to Tigers lefty Justin Wilson and Pirates southpaw Tony Watson. Wilson has drawn wide interest in the midst of an excellent campaign, while Watson has flown somewhat under the radar while scuffling through a down year. The latter has allowed just one earned run in his last fourteen appearances, though he also has managed only a single strikeout in the month of July.
While the Nationals are still looking at arms, they obviously have somewhat less urgency after landing two quality relievers over the weekend. We have heard that the Nats reached out to the Orioles regarding Zach Britton, who in theory could still be of interest. But Baltimore “didn’t engage the Nationals” before the latter club’s recent deal, Buster Olney of ESPN.com notes. Whether that’s due to the ongoing acrimony between those organizations isn’t clear.
Mets righty Addison Reed is said to be drawing quite a lot of interest, with the Red Sox are among the teams weighing pursuit, per Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (via Twitter). Boston will surely be casting a wide net as it looks to address what is perhaps a growing need at the back of the pen. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal highlights the need and also looks at some possibilities from the Red Sox’ perspective.
The Rockies enjoyed tremendous bullpen work early on, but have seen some cracks form of late. Adding to the relief corps sits atop the club’s wish list at the deadline, GM Jeff Bridich said today in an interview with MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (via Jim Bowden, on Twitter).

Quick Hits: Judge, Betts, Nats, A’s, Pirates, Orioles

By Connor Byrne | July 16, 2017 at 10:09pm CDT

In Aaron Judge, the Yankees have a cornerstone right fielder. In Mookie Betts, the Red Sox have a cornerstone right fielder. The 6-foot-7, 272-pound Judge is radically different than the 5-9, 180-pound Betts, but the two American League All-Stars are among the majors’ premier players. To find out who’s the superior building block, Scott Lauber of ESPN.com polled two AL executives, three NL scouts and an AL scout. Each player ended up receiving three votes. One Judge supporter, an NL scout, said of the 25-year-old: “He has gotten shorter and quicker with his swing, more selective and disciplined. I understand that Dave Winfield has really helped him, as they are similarly tall and great athletes. Winfield talked to him about not striking out as much and thinking about RBIs, not home runs.” Meanwhile, an AL executive who prefers Betts, 24, reasoned: “Given the track record of Betts and positional value that likely tracks better during the aging curve, I’d lean in his direction slightly. There’s clearly more upside in Judge if he keeps up this pace and retains such elite value for a longer term of control. But if I had to take one tomorrow, I’d take Betts.”

More reading material from around the majors as you contemplate Judge versus Betts:

The trade the Nationals and Athletics made on Sunday looks like a win-win, opines ESPN’s Keith Law (subscription required and recommended). In acquiring Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle, the Nationals managed to land a pair of quality relievers who possess excellent control without giving up any of their absolute best prospects. On the other hand, Law writes that the rebuilding A’s cleared salary, got back a capable big league reliever in Blake Treinen and a couple promising young players, both of whom were high selections in the 2016 draft. Nineteen-year-old Jesus Luzardo, the 35th choice, had the upside of a No. 2 starter before undergoing Tommy John surgery a summer ago, per Law, who notes that the right-hander seems to be bouncing back well from the procedure. Infielder Sheldon Neuse, the 58th pick, boasts “an above-average hit tool and excellent instincts on both sides of the ball,” and could have a future in the middle infield (likely second base), at third base or at a combination of those positions.
Pittsburgh, which sits seven games back of NL Central-leading Milwaukee, will begin a four-game series with the Brewers on Monday. The outcome of that set could have a major impact on the Pirates’ deadline plans, general manager Neal Huntington acknowledged Sunday (via Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). “Obviously an 0-4 changes the dynamic pretty significantly,” said Huntington. “We go 4-0, it changes the dynamic in a much more positive direction.” While Huntington’s focused on his team’s performance, his own future is murky, as the club still hasn’t exercised his option for 2018. “They’ve expressed interest in having us continue,” he revealed. “I’ve expressed interest in continuing. I’m sure at the appropriate time, we’ll get down to business and put something together.”
Major League Baseball’s deadline to sign draft picks this year was July 7, yet the Orioles didn’t ink 26th-rounder Cameron Bishop until Sunday, as Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network reported. While the Orioles submitted the deal (worth $605K) five minutes past the 5 p.m. ET deadline on the 7th, Bishop actually agreed to it on the 5th and passed a physical on the 6th, relays Rosenthal. With that in mind, the league determined that it would be unfair to punish the left-hander because of a delay by the O’s, so it signed off on the pact.

AL East Notes: Brach, Red Sox, Rays, Archer, Stroman

By Mark Polishuk | July 16, 2017 at 9:37am CDT

Orioles right-hander Brad Brach may be receiving more trade interest than closer Zach Britton, as there is “heavy traffic on” Brach’s services, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports. Brach would come at a lower prospect cost than Britton, hence the larger degree of interest. Both pitchers have one year of arbitration eligibility left, with Brach ($3.05MM this season) on pace for a much lower salary than Britton ($11.4MM) even though Brach has pitched very well as Baltimore’s interim closer while Britton has spent much of the year on the DL. Brach already drew a lot of looks in the offseason and may be even more popular now that teams know they can potentially use him as a closer as well as a setup man.

Here’s more from the AL East…

The Red Sox have placed two relievers on the 10-day DL in as many days, with Joe Kelly sidelined with a left hamstring strain yesterday and veteran righty Blaine Boyer announced this morning as suffering from a right elbow strain. The hard-throwing Kelly has a 1.49 ERA over 36 1/3 relief innings for the Sox this season, with peripheral stats indicating some good fortune (.228 BABIP, 88.1% strand rate) to go along with Kelly’s 54.9% grounder rate. Boyer, meanwhile, has a 3.00 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 3.33 K/BB rate over 24 innings after signing a minor league deal with Boston in April. The Red Sox were already rumored to be looking for relief help at the deadline, and it’s likely that the search will intensify after losing two bullpen arms.
The Rays asked the Marlins about relief pitching when the two sides were negotiating the Adeiny Hechavarria trade last month, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. With the Rays looking for bullpen help and Miami seemingly open to moving any veteran player, it seems that the two sides are likely to re-open talks as we approach the deadline.
Also from Topkin, he reports that one team (not necessarily the Marlins) asked the Rays for both Brent Honeywell and Willy Adames in exploratory discussions about relievers. Needless to say, it would be a big surprise if either top prospect was actually dealt, though it gives an example of the high price tag that teams are placing on top-shelf relief pitching at the deadline.
The Cubs checked in on Chris Archer and Marcus Stroman during their wide-ranging search for young and controllable pitching, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com writes. Archer has long been linked to Chicago in trade rumors, though the most recent talks unsurprisingly went nowhere since the Rays want to keep their ace to make a playoff run. As for Stroman, the Blue Jays informed the Cubs that the 26-year-old righty would cost Chicago a player from its big league roster. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently observed in his “Taking Inventory” analysis on the Jays, Stroman probably isn’t a likely trade candidate unless Toronto decides to embark on a total rebuild. The Cubs, of course, acquired Jose Quintana earlier this week and are reportedly still on the lookout to add another controllable arm to their rotation.

AL Notes: Twins, Orioles, Red Sox, Tribe

By Connor Byrne | July 15, 2017 at 7:04pm CDT

Right-hander Bartolo Colon, whom the Twins signed to a minor league deal July 7, will start Minnesota’s game against the Yankees on Tuesday, reports Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. The 44-year-old spent the first couple months of the season with Atlanta, which signed Colon for a guaranteed $12.5MM over the winter but had to release him after he recorded an 8.14 ERA across 63 innings. Colon has made one minor league start with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in Rochester, and even though it didn’t go well (four earned runs on four hits and two walks, with five strikeouts, in 3 2/3 innings), he’ll return to the majors for the upstart playoff contenders. Colon won’t get any defensive help Tuesday from standout center fielder Byron Buxton, whom the Twins placed on the 10-day disabled list Saturday with a left groin strain. His absence will make room for the return of Joe Mauer, who went on the DL earlier this month after straining his lower back.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/15/2017

By charliewilmoth | July 15, 2017 at 8:38am CDT

Here are today’s minor moves from around the game.

The Orioles have announced that they’ve outrighted outfielder Craig Gentry to Triple-A Norfolk. The 33-year-old Gentry has batted .175/.273/.263 in 68 plate appearances spanning two stints with the Orioles this season after signing a minor-league deal with the club last winter. Gentry was once a valuable contributor in Texas, thanks largely to his fine center field defense, but he has struggled to stick in the Majors in the past couple seasons as his offense has slipped.
The Dodgers purchased the contract of lefty reliever Brian Moran from the the Atlantic League’s Bridgeport Bluefish, the Bluefish have announced. Moran will report to Double-A Tulsa. The 28-year-old Moran posted a 2.32 ERA over 19 1/3 innings with Bridgeport, striking out a terrific 33 batters and walking nine. He was also throwing 93 MPH there, Driveline Baseball’s Kyle Boddy recently tweeted. Though Moran has never pitched in the Majors, this won’t be his first stint in affiliated ball — he was a seventh-round pick by the Mariners in the 2009 draft and spent several years in Seattle’s system, then briefly pitched for the Braves’ Triple-A team in Gwinnett last year. Overall, Moran has fared well at the Triple-A level, with a 3.69 ERA, 2.7 BB/9 and a tremendous 11.9 K/9 over 105 innings spanning three seasons.

Beltway Notes: Buy Or Sell, Britton, MASN, Solis

By Jeff Todd | July 13, 2017 at 12:12pm CDT

Here’s the latest from the broader beltway region:

Some in the Orioles front office apparently see the merit in weighing at least a partial sell-off if the club’s fortunes don’t change before the trade deadline, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag writes. But that will still require the sign-off of owner Peter Angelos, who Heyman notes may not be inclined to give up on the current season. Though the O’s are still within sight of the Wild Card chase, there’s no indication at present that the team’s starting pitching woes will really improve. Then again, the organization has managed to surprise quite a bit in the recent past.
Even if the O’s do begin marketing some pieces, Heyman says there’s no indication they’ll be willing to part with their core position players. But relievers could be fair game, he suggests, with late-inning arms Zach Britton, Brad Brach, and Mychal Givens all generating phone traffic from rival organizations. The Dodgers are one team with interest in Britton, Heyman writes, as Los Angeles looks into the possibility of adding a big-time lefty to the pen. It seems the Nationals may also be at least looking into Britton, though obviously relations between the Nats and O’s aren’t exactly sunny.
Indeed, the long-broiling MASN television rights fees dispute between the Orioles and Nationals is still ongoing. But it did reach an important point today, as Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post notes on Twitter. A New York appellate court ruled that the proper arbitral forum for the dispute is MLB’s Revenue Sharing Definitions Committee — the same body that gave the Nats an award for past years’ rights fees that spurred the current legal battle. That ruling itself can still be appealed, of course, and even then it seems the sides could still need to go through another arbitration process (barring settlement but also possibly subject to its own appeal). While that appears to be a nice win for the Nationals, then, it’s not as if the team will suddenly gain access to the money it has long sought from the Orioles, who control the jointly owned television network.
Meanwhile, as the Nats weigh all manner of bullpen possibilities, the team has officially announced that lefty Sammy Solis was optioned to Triple-A. He had only just been activated from a lengthy DL stint, but was hammered in four outings since his return. Presumably, the Nats will hope to work out the kinks for the power lefty over the next few weeks, but his struggles could feature prominently in the team’s thinking at the deadline.

American League Injury Situations That May Impact The Trade Deadline

By Jeff Todd | July 12, 2017 at 11:47am CDT

With the deadline approaching quickly, teams will be forced to make tough decisions. Health issues will play a large role in complicating those decisions. In some cases, when a player is known to be out for the entire season, acting decisively to find a replacement makes clear sense. But there are plenty of unresolved health issues throughout the game that will likely have significant impacts on a team’s approach to the deadline. Teams will be gathering information on internal players and on possible targets; here are a few players whose uncertain health status will be watched closely:

Carson Smith & Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox: While Pablo Sandoval is nominally on the DL, and perhaps still factors into the team’s needs at third base, the real action is in the pitching staff. Smith could yet represent a significant pen arm, but it’s still unclear how much (if at all) he’ll contribute. And while Rodriguez has been excellent, and seems slated to return shortly from the DL, his recurring knee problems could become a major near-term concern.

Matt Andriese, Rays: There have been plenty of suggestions that the Rays could consider dealing a starter — particularly, pending free agent Alex Cobb — even if they’re in contention. But that’d be much harder to do if Andriese isn’t showing clear signs of returning to full health. Even if he is, the club could elect to stand pat, perhaps deciding to use the abundance of starting options to bolster the relief corps rather than spending young talent to get a new bullpen arm.

Greg Bird & Tyler Austin, Yankees: Perhaps the ship has sailed on the Yanks fully relying on Bird in the second half. After all, he struggled when he was available and is dealing with an ankle injury that does not appear to come with a straightforward solution. And it’s unclear just how much stock the Yankees would put in Austin even if he were at full health. Still, the injury signals coming from these two over the next few weeks could impact the Bronx Bombers’ deadline plans, particularly since the organization is clearly looking to avoid parting with significant prospects unless strictly necessary.

J.J. Hardy, Orioles: Chris Davis is on the shelf as well, though the team’s glut of corner options allows them to weather that storm fairly well. It’s another story with Hardy, who is still one to three weeks from even resuming baseball activities. The Orioles have been in a free fall since mid-May, but GM Dan Duquette was maintaining a buyer’s outlook as recently as late June, but more recent suggestions indicated that the team is presently on the fence. If the O’s perform well in the first two weeks coming out of the break, Hardy’s absence creates a potential area of need.

Danny Salazar, Indians: Shoulder issues have significantly limited the talented right-hander, who is working back towards the majors at present. If he can return to full health, Salazar could conceivably get back to providing quality innings from the rotation — or, at least, the bullpen. If not, the team’s possible pitching needs will be all the more clear.

Hector Santiago, Twins: With a somewhat mysterious and lingering back issue, the southpaw is a question mark for Minnesota in the second half. The team is shopping for young starters regardless, but the urgency of that effort — if not also the possibility of considering at least a modest rental investment — could hinge in part upon Santiago’s progress.

Nate Karns, Royals: Kansas City is reportedly looking to augment the back of its rotation, which is likely in no small part due to the fact that the return of Karns is looking less and less likely. The last update on Karns suggested that thoracic outlet surgery may very well be in his future. If he is indeed lost for the season, as lefty Matt Strahm recently was, the Royals’ need to snag a back-of-the-rotation rental becomes more acute.

Dallas Keuchel & Collin McHugh, Astros: The AL West crown is already nearly in hand for Houston, but that doesn’t mean the team is without its needs. The ’Stros have the luxury of looking ahead to the postseason, but still clearly would like to add to the top of the rotation. So long as Keuchel and McHugh are moving back toward the major league mound, the addition of a starter will remain classified as a strong want. But if either (particularly Keuchel) show any worrying signs, the organization will surely feel a much greater urgency to add an arm that can help drive the team through the postseason.

Matt Shoemaker, Angels: Obviously, Mike Trout is of even greater concern. But all indications are that he’s good to go beginning this Friday. For the Angels, deciding whether it’s worth adding to the roster at the deadline could hinge more upon the health of the rotation. Shoemaker will get checked out before hopefully beginning a throwing program within the week; whether he is progressing toward a return will be important to the Halos’ plans. (Honorable mention: Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, who are on longer-fuse rehab paths.)

Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners: It’s not clear at this point whether Seattle can expect much at all from the veteran down the stretch. Seattle is already without Drew Smyly for the year due to Tommy John surgery. If Iwakuma can’t begin to make his way back from shoulder problems before the deadline –and if the team can hang in the Wild Card hunt over the next two weeks — then pursuit of a starter would make all the more sense.

Keone Kela & Jake Diekman, Rangers: The Texas pen has produced plenty of hand-wringing this year. Ironically, perhaps, the first crack seemed to form with Kela’s stunning demotion to start the year, owing to behavioral issues. But he has been effective since making his way back, pitching his way into consideration for the closer’s role that has been vacated by Sam Dyson and Matt Bush. Now, however, Kela is dealing with shoulder soreness; his status could help dictate the team’s needs over the coming weeks. Diekman is even more of a question mark after surgery to treat ulcerative colits cost him the entire first half. He’s throwing from flat ground as of early July, and a return to the mound would obviously be a potential boon for the Texas relief corps. But, they also can’t fully know how much to expect from him in the second half given the unique nature of his medical status.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/11/17

By Steve Adams | July 11, 2017 at 5:56pm CDT

Here are the day’s minor moves…

The Orioles announced that infielder Paul Janish and first baseman/outfielder David Washington have both cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. The veteran Janish has the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, though he’s accepted a number of outrights from the O’s in the past and figures to do so once again. The 34-year-old Janish has appeared in exactly 14 games for the Orioles in each of the past three season but went just 2-for-26 at the plate in this year’s run. Janish has never offered much with the bat but is an excellent defensive shortstop and will continue to provide depth in Triple-A. Washington, meanwhile, made his Major League debut with Baltimore this season. The 26-year-old collected six plate appearances and punched out five times in a brief cup of coffee. The longtime Cardinals farmhand has a strong track record in Triple-A, though, where he’s hit .267/.343/.518 with 38 homers in 682 plate appearances.

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