Orioles Rumors

AL East Notes: Donaldson, Betances, Orioles

By Steve Adams | April 13, 2017 at 11:07pm CDT

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson exited Thursday’s contest with what appears to be an aggravation of the calf injury that has plagued him on and off since early in Spring Training, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes. Donaldson doubled into the right field corner but came up lame after rounding first base and ultimately hobbled into second base. There’s no word on the extent of the injury just yet, but Donaldson began to walk off the field almost immediately after play had halted, and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweets that a trip to the disabled list is a possibility. The 2015 American League MVP missed a significant portion of Spring Training and had a brief flare-up of the injury this past weekend.

Elsewhere in the AL East…

Prior to the arbitration hearing that led to a controversial string of comments from Yankees president Randy Levine, right-hander Dellin Betances was offered a two-year deal that would have guaranteed him between $8MM and $8.5MM, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports in his latest AL Notes column. However, with Betances’ camp seeking as much as $5MM in arbitration, they elected to go on with the trial. Rejecting the deal seems reasonable, from my vantage point, as even after losing the trial Betances took home a $3MM figure for the 2017 season. Betances figures to earn more than $4MM next year in arbitration, so the downside in aiming high with the arbitration hearing was relatively minimal.
Baseball America’s Ben Badler penned a harsh critique of the Orioles’ paltry investments in international free agency, noting that the O’s spent just $260K on international talent this period and signed only five players. As Badler notes, it’s nothing new, as Baltimore has routinely eschewed significant investments on the international market — much to the detriment of the farm system. Badler points out that even the cash-strapped division-rival Rays spent more than $3MM on 36 international amateurs in 2016 despite being in the metaphorical penalty box for shattering their pool in a previous signing period (thus preventing them from spending more than $300K on a single player). “[O]wnership’s antiquated approach toward Latin America prevents the Orioles’ international scouts from having the resources they need to do their jobs,” Badler writes. Indeed, Baltimore’s total spending is a pittance relative to the rest of the league; on the opposite end of the spectrum, the Padres spent nearly $80MM on international amateurs during the current signing period alone. Notably, the O’s traded their top international bonus slot to the Brewers tonight to acquire recently designated reliever Damien Magnifico.
The Orioles will turn to Alec Asher to start versus Toronto on Saturday, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. His selection to face a heavily right-handed lineup suggests that Baltimore plans to utilize its upper-level pitching depth on a case-by-case basis to fill Chris Tillman’s spot in the rotation while Tillman is out, Encina adds. Manager Buck Showalter elaborated on that concept a bit, telling Encina: “We know that has potential to be a moving piece until Chris gets back. We can play a little matchup there until we know for sure when we’re going to get Chris back. … The good news is we have some guys to pick from, not only there, but potentially in Bowie, too.” The Orioles added Asher in a minor Spring Training trade and also picked up several other potential options, including Gabriel Ynoa (in a trade with the Mets) and Richard Bleier (in a trade with the Yankees). Lefty Jayson Aquino was also a consideration for this weekend’s start, Encina notes, but the glut of righties he’d have faced led the team to turn to Asher instead. Tillman figures to be out until early May, so there should be quite a few more spot starts up for grabs among this group.

Brewers Acquire Oliver Drake From Orioles

By Steve Adams | April 13, 2017 at 9:53pm CDT

The Brewers have acquired right-hander Oliver Drake from the Orioles in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, the teams announced. This is the second swap between the two teams tonight, as Milwaukee shipped recently designated right-hander Damien Magnifico to the O’s in exchange for an international bonus slot just minutes ago. The acquisition of Drake needn’t be accompanied by a 40-man roster move in Milwaukee, because the Brewers also designated right-hander David Goforth for assignment within the past hour.

Drake, 30, was designated for assignment by the Orioles earlier this afternoon — a seemingly innocuous move at the time that set off this moderately dizzying sequence of transactions for the two clubs. In 37 Major League innings, Drake has a 3.89 ERA with 10.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9 and a 50.5 percent ground-ball rate. Drake doesn’t have minor league options remaining, so he’ll have to be inserted directly into the Milwaukee bullpen. The Brewers could quickly try to run Drake through waivers once again themselves, thus allowing him to be optioned to Triple-A, though in doing so, they’d risk losing him to another club.

Orioles Acquire Damien Magnifico, Designate Jason Garcia

By Steve Adams | April 13, 2017 at 9:36pm CDT

The Orioles have acquired right-hander Damien Magnifico from the Brewers in exchange for international bonus slot No. 15, the teams announced. The No. 15 international slot comes with an assigned value of $885,300, per Baseball America’s Ben Badler. To make room for Magnifico on the 40-man roster, the Orioles have designated fellow righty Jason Garcia for assignment. Magnifico, in turn, has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk by the Orioles.

In addition to possessing one of the best baseball names you’ll come across, the 25-year-old Magnifico is the owner of a career 3.98 ERA with 9.0 K/9 against 5.0 BB/9 in 63 1/3 career innings at the Triple-A level. He’s logged three innings in the Majors, all with the Brewers last season, and yielded a pair of runs on two hits and three walks without a strikeout. In that brief MLB sample, however, Magnifico averaged nearly 97 mph on his heater, and he induced grounders at a hefty 62.9 percent clip last year in Triple-A.

Garcia, 24, was a Rule 5 pick by the Orioles back in 2014 and spent a good chunk of the 2015 season on the disabled list. He still saw enough time on the active roster to remain property of the Orioles without being subject to further restriction, but he didn’t make the strides the O’s were hoping for in 2016. Garcia jumped straight from A-ball in 2014 to the Majors in 2015, where he appeared in just 21 games and logged 29 2/3 innings in the Majors with a 4.25 ERA and an unsightly 22-to-17 K/BB ratio.

He’s actually yet to appear at the Triple-A level after struggling through the 2016 campaign in Double-A and opening the 2017 season there as well. In 142 career innings of Double-A work, he’s struggled to a 4.82 ERA with just 5.6 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9.

The decision for the Orioles to jettison even more of their international signing money rather than to invest the money into amateur talent acquisition is somewhat puzzling. Baseball America’s Ben Badler offered a harsh critique of the Orioles’ international efforts (or lack thereof) earlier today, noting that Baltimore spent a mere $260K on just five international prospects during the entire 2016-17 signing period, while most clubs sign 25 to 30 players.

Orioles Designate Oliver Drake For Assignment

By Steve Adams | April 13, 2017 at 4:48pm CDT

The Orioles have designated right-hander Oliver Drake for assignment, the team announced on Thursday. The move clears a spot on the roster for 25-year-old right-hander Stefan Crichton, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Norfolk.

Drake, 30, has appeared in parts of the the 2015-17 seasons for the Orioles, logging a collective 3.89 ERA with 10.0 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 in 37 innings as a Major League reliever. The Naval Academy product has generated grounders at a 50.5 percent clip to this point in his big league career and averaged 90.6 mph on his fastball, though it’s perhaps worth noting that he’s averaged 91.8 mph in this season’s very brief sample (3 1/3 innings of relief across three appearances). Drake is out of minor league options, so any club that claims him off waivers would have to add him directly to its 25-man roster.

As for Crichton, the former 23rd-rounder is only 4 2/3 innings into his first taste of Triple-A action, but he’ll quickly jump to the Majors. The righty posted a 3.73 ERA in 72 1/3 innings with Double-A Bowie last year and has fairly consistently posted mid-3.00s ERA marks with solid control throughout his minor league tenure. He owns a career 3.58 earned run average with 7.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9 and a 57.2 percent ground-ball rate across 223 2/3 innings of work since being drafted in 2013. MLB.com rates him as the organization’s No. 30 prospect, praising his 94-96 mph fastball and the sink he can generate on the pitch.

Orioles Re-Sign Dariel Alvarez To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | April 11, 2017 at 6:40pm CDT

The Orioles announced that they’ve re-signed outfielder-turned-pitcher Dariel Alvarez to a minor league contract. Baltimore had only just begun to convert Alvarez from the outfield to the mound when he suffered an elbow injury that will likely lead to Tommy John surgery. In need of a 40-man spot, the O’s released Alvarez last week, though reports shortly thereafter indicated that they hoped to work out a new minor league pact.

Alvarez, 28, defected from Cuba and signed with the Orioles back in 2013. However, while he’s performed decently in parts of three Triple-A seasons, he’s never dominated the level or shown the proficiency needed for the O’s to consider him for a regular spot in their outfield. In 304 games with Norfolk, Alvarez has batted .285/.317/.409 — numbers that closely resemble the .250/.314/.406 line he’s managed in 35 Major League plate appearances.

Alvarez’s excellent arm has reportedly been a consistent point of interest for the Orioles, though, which served as the impetus for his transition to the mound. Though he figures to miss the entire 2017 season, he’ll rehab with the only Major League organization he’s ever known and could conceivably return to the Orioles for the 2018 campaign as well, when he can resume his work on the mound.

Orioles To Re-Sign Michael Bourn

By Jeff Todd | April 11, 2017 at 7:56am CDT

The Orioles have reached agreement on a new minors deal with veteran outfielder Michael Bourn, according to ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). He’ll report to extended spring training, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets.

Bourn, 34, seemed likely to make the O’s roster when he signed on over the winter, but a broken finger intervened. In the meantime, Baltimore has opened the season with fellow minor-league signee Craig Gentry functioning as a defensively-minded reserve outfielder.

Once Bourn is back to health, then, he’ll be working to unseat Gentry. If and when he returns to the majors, he’ll look to pick up where he left off last year, when he slashed .283/.358/.435 in a 55 plate appearance stint with the O’s. That’s a tiny sample, of course, and Bourn has not been nearly so productive otherwise in recent campaigns.

Dodgers Acquire Joe Gunkel

By Jeff Todd | April 10, 2017 at 7:04pm CDT

The Dodgers have acquired righty Joe Gunkel from the Orioles, per a club announcement. Los Angeles will send cash or a player to be named later in return.

Gunkel was designated for assignment recently by Baltimore, after the club claimed young fireballer Miguel Castro. Now, he’ll became the latest hurler to make the move to the Dodgers, who are seemingly always gathering rotation depth.

The 25-year-old had a notable 2015 season. After moving from the Red Sox to the O’s via trade, Gunkel threw 104 1/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball with 6.0 K/9 against only 1.3 BB/9. He continued to exhibit elite command last year, but gave up quite a few more hits and earned runs while working to a 4.02 ERA in 161 innings — most of them at Triple-A.

AL East Notes: Machado, Price, Barnes, Rasmus

By Steve Adams | April 10, 2017 at 11:53am CDT

Manny Machado’s capability to play shortstop could impact the Orioles in both the short- and long-term picture, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The 24-year-old Machado will hit the open market following the 2018 season, and he tells Rosenthal that he still thinks about playing his natural position of shortstop even though he’s spent the bulk of his career at third base (and become one of the best defensive third basemen in the game — if not of all-time). Asked about the thought of playing shortstop on a consistent basis, Machado replies: “I’m not going to lie. It’s always been there. … I played a little bit there (last year). That was fun. I trained this year to play there just in case anything happened.” Machado also acknowledges, though, that he’s experienced great success at third base, rhetorically asking, “So why change?”

As Rosenthal notes, the Orioles hold a $14MM option over J.J. Hardy at season’s end, and the ability to move Machado to short could impact their thinking. (Although the option would vest and become guaranteed if Hardy tallies 600 PAs.) Beyond that, though, Rosenthal wonders if Machado would be enticed by the opportunity to play shortstop on an everyday basis when he reaches free agency in the 2018-19 offseason, whether in Baltimore or elsewhere.

A few more notes pertaining to the AL East…

Red Sox left-hander David Price threw a 20-pitch bullpen session today and came away from the workout feeling good, he told reporters (via Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald). The key for the former AL Cy Young winner, however, will be seeing how he feels tomorrow. Price has yet to pitch for the Sox this season after a forearm issue led to a scare during Spring Training and, prior to today, hadn’t thrown off a mound since Feb. 28, Jennings notes. Farrell said that if Price feels strong tomorrow, another mound session would be lined up for Wednesday. There’s still no definitive timeline when it comes to Price’s return, but Jennings notes that he won’t pitch in the Majors until at least May.
In a Red Sox bullpen that has quite a bit of uncertainty throughout its ranks, right-hander Matt Barnes has emerged as the primary setup option for closer Craig Kimbrel, writes Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. That could change, potentially, when Tyler Thornburg is ready to come off the disabled list, but Barnes’ early showing and the struggles of many of his teammates have him primed for a big role in the Boston ’pen. ““A guy that’s maybe a little bit more seasoned than some others in some of those big spots, he’s going to be a pivotal guy in our bullpen,” said Sox manager John Farrell to MacPherson. The 26-year-old Barnes averaged 9.6 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 with a 45.6 percent ground-ball rate out of the bullpen last season, and he’s logged a 5-to-1 K/BB ratio through his first 3 2/3 shutout innings in 2017.
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Colby Rasmus’ rehab assignment with the Rays’ Class-A Advanced affiliate in Charlotte is still on hold for a few more days, likely pushing the outfielder’s debut back until next week. Rasmus was involved in an outfield collision in Charlotte last Thursday, as Topkin reported, and while he remained in that game, the team is now proceeding rather cautiously. Topkin also suggests that speedster Mallex Smith will likely head to Triple-A Durham once Rasmus is healthy enough to rejoin the Major League roster. Rasmus, who signed a one-year, $5MM contract with Tampa Bay this winter, is recovering from offseason hip surgery.

DL Notes: Howell, Beltre, Rickard, Johnson, Otani

By Mark Polishuk | April 9, 2017 at 11:30am CDT

Here’s the latest injury news from around the baseball world…

The Blue Jays placed southpaw J.P. Howell on the 10-day DL with a sore shoulder, with righty Dominic Leone recalled from Triple-A to take Howell’s place on the roster. (Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi was among those to report the news.) Signed to a one-year, $3MM deal in the offseason, Howell has a 54.00 ERA over one-third of an inning in his brief Jays tenure, thanks to an ugly outing on Friday that saw him allow two runs without recording an out. Howell underwent labrum surgery in 2010 but his shoulder hasn’t had any issues since; the durable reliever has averaged 64 games per season from 2012-16. With Howell sidelined, Aaron Loup is the only left-hander in the Toronto bullpen. [Updated Blue Jays roster at Roster Resource]
Adrian Beltre is eligible to return from the 10-day DL today but the Rangers have decided against activating the star third baseman, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Beltre has been out of action due to a right calf strain and isn’t quite ready to play, though he has participated in batting practice and some running drills. Joey Gallo has been filling in at third in Beltre’s absence.
Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard is headed to the 10-day DL due to a sprained left middle finger, manager Buck Showalter told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters. Rickard suffered the injury sliding into second base yesterday. The O’s had a ready-made replacement for Rickard on the 25-man roster, as Wade Miley was activated from the 10-day DL for his scheduled start this afternoon against the Yankees. There was some question over how Baltimore would find a 25-man roster spot for Miley upon his return, and according to Showalter, Rickard wouldn’t have been optioned had he been healthy. With Rickard out, Trey Mancini and Craig Gentry will be the right-handed hitting sides of Baltimore’s corner outfield platoons, with Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith providing the lefty bats. [Updated Orioles roster at Roster Resource]
Showalter also told media that Chris Johnson suffered a broken bone in his forearm after being hit by a pitch during a Triple-A game yesterday. Johnson is expected to miss six to eight weeks. The Orioles signed Johnson to a minor league deal this winter, and then released and re-signed the veteran to a fresh contract at the end of Spring Training. The opt-out dates within Johnson’s contract (if any) aren’t known, though this lengthy absence could likely impact his decision about staying in Baltimore’s organization.
In notable international injury news, Shohei Otani will miss approximately six weeks due to a strain in his left thigh muscle, The Associated Press reports. Otani suffered the injury trying to beat out an infield single, and as the AP piece notes, “the injury will add further debate to Otani’s insistence on batting as well as pitching.” The two-way star is both Japan’s best pitcher and a very promising hitter, posting a 1.004 OPS with 22 homers over 382 PA last season for the Nippon Ham Fighters and is off to a blistering start in his first eight games this season. (Otani has yet to pitch in 2017.) Otani’s professional future is the subject of wide interest on both sides of the Pacific, as the 22-year-old is reportedly planning to come to the Major League Baseball in 2018.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Yankees, Rockies, L. Robert, Orioles, Mariners

By Connor Byrne | April 8, 2017 at 6:01pm CDT

Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez left Saturday’s game in Baltimore with a right biceps strain, per a team announcement. There’s no timetable for his return, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, but it’s worth noting that Angels righty Garrett Richards landed on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a right biceps strain. It’s possible Sanchez’s injury will be more severe, of course, which would be a terrible development for the Yankees. The 24-year-old deservedly entered the season with significant hype surrounding him after hitting an astounding .299/.376/.657 with 20 home runs in 229 plate appearances as a rookie in 2016.

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