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Orioles To Re-Sign Logan Ondrusek

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DEC. 13: Ondrusek’s option is worth $1.5MM, reports Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Connolly lists Ondrusek’s salary at $650K and notes that it isn’t guaranteed, as the O’s can recoup some of the money if they cut him before Opening Day (in that sense, it seems structured like an arbitration agreement). Ondrusek can also earn up to $500K of incentives in both years of the deal, as he’ll take home $100K for reaching 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 appearances on the season. The contract also allows him to be optioned to the minors without first clearing waivers.

DEC. 12: The Orioles have agreed to a one-year, $625K deal to bring back righty Logan Ondrusek, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). Baltimore also picks up a 2018 option in the agreement.

Ondrusek, 31, came to the O’s in a rare mid-season acquisition from Japan. He had been producing quality results for the Yakult Swallows, working to a 2.17 ERA with 8.2 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in the 99 2/3 frames he threw from the start of 2015.

Upon his arrival, though, he struggled in seven major league appearances. Ondrusek allowed seven earned runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking three. The O’s declined a club option (at an unknown value) earlier in the offseason.

Ondrusek did show that he’s still bringing a roughly 93 mph fastball, and obviously Baltimore thinks he can contribute again in the big leagues. He has 277 total MLB frames under his belt, all with the Reds with the exception of his brief O’s stint. All told, he carries a 4.03 ERA with 7.1 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9.

Welington Castillo Unlikely To Sign With Orioles

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While we’ve heard plenty of chatter connection the Orioles to free-agent catcher Welington Castillo, it now seems more likely that he’ll land with another team, according to Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. More than one competitor has dangled a multi-year offer to the receiver, per the report, though it’s not yet clear whether any clubs have advanced to offering a three-year guarantee.

The Rays and Braves have also previously been tied to Castillo, whose market launched after a surprising non-tender from the Diamondbacks just ten days back. Tampa Bay, however, is likely out of the mix after making a relatively sizable commitment to Wilson Ramos. While the Braves have a number of in-house possibilities already under contract, the Atlanta organization has long been said to be an opportunistic participant in the catching market.

Castillo remains an interesting addition to the open-market mix. While his glove isn’t well loved, he has been quite productive ever since coming to Arizona in the middle of 2015. He owns a .261/.320/.452 batting line with 31 homers in the 760 plate appearances with the D-Backs. Though it’s true that he wasn’t quite as good in 2016 as he was the year prior, Castillo still showed plenty of bat for a catcher.

As for the O’s, missing on Castillo could lead the team to turn back to the rest of the market. Their own free agent, Matt Wieters, remains available and appears to be looking at an ever-shrinking list of plausible landing spots (at least, that is, on the kind of deal he’s probably hoping for). Baltimore has previously been tied to Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta, though it’s not yet clear where they might turn if Castillo does land elsewhere.

Looking further down the list of available backstops, there remain a number of fairly well-known free agents — though most profile more as platoon mates or pure reserves. Kurt Suzuki has spent much of his career as the primary option behind the dish, having played in at least 100 games in eight of the last nine seasons; his market has been quiet (at least publicly). Players such as Alex Avila, Hank Conger, Chris Gimenez, Ryan Hanigan, Dioner Navarro, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and Geovany Soto have all seen plenty of MLB action in recent years.

Orioles Rumors: Trumbo, Carter, Alvarez, Gausman, Outfielders

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The latest on the Orioles, courtesy of Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com:

  • At last check, Baltimore and free agent outfielder/first baseman Mark Trumbo had agreed to a four-year framework, but the sides remained far apart on the slugger’s worth. Despite that, the Orioles likely have the best offer on the table for Trumbo, according to Kubatko. If they’re unable to re-sign Trumbo, the O’s could bring back free agent designated hitter Pedro Alvarez, but he’ll probably end up elsewhere if Trumbo returns to Baltimore. And contrary to an earlier report, the Orioles are not in on free agent first baseman/DH Chris Carter, per Kubatko.
  • While the Rockies could trade one of their outfielders this offseason, they’re unlikely to reach a deal with the Orioles. No matter which Rockie the Orioles have shown interest in, Colorado has consistently pressed for right-hander Kevin Gausman in trade talks. The Orioles aren’t going to move Gausman, though, as he’s arguably their top starter and has four years of club control remaining. Gausman, 25, led all Orioles starters in innings pitched (179 2/3), ERA (3.61) and K/BB ratio (3.7) last season.
  • The Orioles are in the lead for free agent catcher Welington Castillo’s services, writes Kubatko. Baltimore is willing to give a two-year deal to Castillo, who has been seeking a three-year pact since the Diamondbacks non-tendered him Dec. 2.
  • Moving to the outfield, the O’s haven’t closed the door on re-signing free agent Michael Bourn. The club acquired the fleet-footed Bourn from the Diamondbacks at the end of August, and he then proceeded to hit .283/.358/.435 with two home runs and a pair of steals over 55 plate appearances. Meanwhile, the Orioles haven’t discussed a contract extension with fellow outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, who’s entering the final season of the two-year, $7MM deal he signed as a free agent from Korea last winter. The lefty-swinging Kim accrued 346 PAs – 323 against righties – as a major league rookie in 2016 and held his own with a .302/.382/.420 line.

Orioles Targeting Welington Castillo

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The Orioles’ preferred option behind the plate is free-agent backstop Welington Castillo, according to a report from Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com. Interest had previously been reported, and Robert Murray of Fan Rag suggested yesterday that there was some momentum building towards a deal.

Baltimore has continued to discuss a possible multi-year contract with Castillo’s representatives since the Winter Meetings wrapped up yesterday, Connolly writes. There’s some “optimism” on the team’s part, though talks remain “firmly in the discussion phase” at this time.

Castillo is one of several names still under consideration for the O’s, but seems to have emerged as the favorite. Incumbent Matt Wieters and veterans Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta are other options that appear still to be possibilities as Baltimore seeks a primary backstop to pair with Caleb Joseph.

Castillo, 29, was a somewhat surprising addition to the market after he was non-tendered by the Diamondbacks. Given the fact that he seems to be lining up for a contract that covers two or more years, though, that may turn out to have been a blessing (depending upon what guarantee he is able to command, at least). Castillo was projected to earn $5.9MM in his final season of arb eligibility.

Castillo is regarded as a bat-first catcher, with some real questions about his glovework — in the framing department, in particular. But the bat does play quite nicely, especially when one considers the dearth of offensive output from receivers leaguewide. Since joining the DBacks in the middle of the 2015 season, Castillo has slashed .261/.320/.452 and driven 31 home runs over 760 plate appearances.

Orioles Still A Possibility For Matt Wieters

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  • Free agent catcher Matt Wieters might not sign until late in the offseason, in part because the market is slow for catchers, agent Scott Boras informed Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun on Wednesday. As he’s known to do, Boras talked up his client, saying, “Look, he threw out over 35 percent of his runners. When Matt Wieters is behind the plate, the Orioles are in the playoffs. He’s won Gold Gloves … and his ERA of the pitching staff is one run lower than when other catchers catch. I think Baltimore has a real commodity there. He’s performed at high levels there.” Wieters – who’s coming off a poor year from both offensive and pitch–framing standpoints – remains a possibility for the catcher-needy Orioles, according to both Boras and O’s general manager Dan Duquette. The 30-year-old Wieters has been a member of the Baltimore organization since it drafted him fifth overall in 2007.

Orioles Notes: Dyson, Gardner, Trumbo

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Here’s the latest on the Orioles, who seem to have spent the day so far in pursuit of position players:

  • The Orioles have recently spoken to the Royals about outfielder Jarrod Dyson, FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets. (The Athletics emerged yesterday as another possible suitor for the Royals, and Heyman identified the Orioles and Rangers as other possibilities.) Dyson is a free agent after next season, and the Royals might look to deal him as they plan their way ahead. For the Orioles or for whichever team acquires him, he’ll be a cheap, versatile, lefty-swinging outfield option who brings outstanding baserunning and defense.
  • Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner could be a fit for the O’s, Heyman tweets. The Orioles, however, would like to have the Yankees pay down some of Gardner’s remaining salary (a total of $25MM guaranteed over the next two seasons). At last check, the Yankees had been listening to offers for Gardner. Whether the Yankees would want to trade Gardner within the division remains to be seen, however.
  • The Orioles remain interested in retaining Mark Trumbo, MASN’s Roch Kubatko writes. The two sides have agreed that Trumbo’s deal to stay in Baltimore should be four years. They’re far apart on the price of the deal, however. As Kubatko noted yesterday, the Orioles also don’t want to give Trumbo a no-trade clause.

Orioles Asked Braves For Mallex Smith In Brad Brach Talks

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  • The Braves inquired with the Orioles about the availability of right-handed setup man Brad Brach but found the asking price too high, tweets Sherman. Per his report, Baltimore asked Atlanta for young outfielder Mallex Smith in return. Brach has been nothing short of outstanding with the O’s over the past two seasons, compiling a 2.39 ERA with 10.3 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 in 158 1/3 innings of work, and he’s under club control for another two seasons. Smith won’t turn 24 until next May, though, and comes with five years of team control. He appeared in 72 games last season, his Major League debut, hitting .238/.316/.365. While those numbers don’t stand out, Smith has blistering speed and is considered a plus defender capable of playing all three outfield positions. He’s also performed fairly well in the upper levels of the minors, though he looks to have a limited role in 2017, when Atlanta will trot out Matt Kemp, Ender Inciarte and Nick Markakis to the outfield grass.

Orioles Show Interest In Chris Carter

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The Orioles have been in contact with Chris Carter’s representatives, according to FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  The O’s also had interest in Carter last offseason before the slugger signed with the Brewers.

Since being non-tendered by the Brewers last week, Carter has drawn interest from the Indians and Rockies, so it makes sense that another team in need of some first base/DH-type power has gotten in touch.  As Heyman notes, Carter would essentially replace Mark Trumbo’s power bat, and at a fraction of Trumbo’s reported asking price.  Pursuing Carter would also fit Orioles executive VP Dan Duquette’s recent strategy of not overpaying for power hitting; Baltimore has gotten quite a bit of pop from Nelson Cruz, Pedro Alvarez and Trumbo himself in recent years at relatively low costs.

Carter hit .222/.321/.499 in his lone season in Milwaukee, leading the NL in both homers (41) and strikeouts (206).  Despite all of Carter’s power, his lack of a well-rounded hitting game and below-average fielding and baserunning contributed to a value of just 0.9 fWAR in 2016.

Despite these drawbacks, Baltimore is a good fit on paper for Carter’s game.  He should provide as much home run power as ever in hitter-friendly Camden Yards, and his defensive shortcomings wouldn’t be an issue since thanks to Chris Davis’ presence, Carter would primarily be a designated hitter.  Over his career, Carter has been a notably better hitter as a DH ( 130 wRC+ in 764 PA) than as a first baseman (105 wRC+ in 1575 PA), so a case could be made that he could still unlock some greater hitting potential if freed from a regular defensive assignment.

The Orioles’ lineup already tilts heavily to the right side, however, and the O’s may be more interested in seeing what they have in young DH candidate Trey Mancini.  Baltimore could prefer to save its DH spot for Mancini and a rotation of veterans on rest days and instead direct its funds towards landing an everyday right fielder.

Orioles Playing Waiting Game?

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  • The Orioles have had success in landing qualifying offer free agents late in the winter, and Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes that this strategy could benefit the team again this offseason.  Edwin Encarnacion’s eventual deal will bring some clarity to the market for big bats, though there is still enough uncertainty around the likes of Mark Trumbo and Ian Desmond (not to mention other non-QO free agents) that the Orioles could find some quality hitting at a relatively low price come January or February.

Royals Making Progress Toward Trading Jarrod Dyson; Athletics Interested

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The Royals are advancing toward a potential trade of outfielder Jarrod Dyson, with the Athletics as a potential suitor, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes (all Twitter links). (Jon Heyman of FanRag adds the Rangers and Orioles to the list of interested teams.) The idea, Sherman reports, is that with a number of key players set to become eligible for free agency following the 2017 season (including Dyson, Wade Davis, Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Alcides Escobar), the Royals need to think about how the team will look in the future. Meanwhile, they can capitalize on the market’s current demand for center field help by trading Dyson, while also dealing Davis and moving Kelvin Herrera to the closer’s role.

The 32-year-old Dyson batted a relatively modest .278/.340/.388 in 2016 and only collected 337 plate appearances, but still contributed 3.1 fWAR thanks to his excellent defense. The Athletics need outfield help and have, in recent years, acquired outfielders like Coco Crisp, Sam Fuld and Craig Gentry whose profiles when acquired were heavily oriented around defense. Dyson is also relatively cheap, at a projected $2.5MM for 2017. It makes a degree of sense, then, that the A’s would want to add him.

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