There are now 84 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. In uniform number terms, that’s Yusniel Díaz days to go, as that was the number assigned to the one-time Machado trade centerpiece for the one and only game he played with the team two Augusts ago. Díaz signed a minor league deal with the Giants earlier this offseason. Thank goodness Dean Kremer turned into something.
Is today the day that an Orioles move happens? Probably not, but you never know! We are now in the midst of the second offseason where it feels like the Orioles have to do something substantial about the starting rotation.
That’s what I thought about last year and they signed Kyle Gibson and traded for Cole Irvin. The big swing move never happened. Even the midseason trade for Jack Flaherty, which shipped out three prospects, wasn’t a big one for one of the big or big-ish prospects. It was hard to be disappointed with the results of the 101-win Orioles of last year. Yet I can’t help but feel that counting on everything from last year to be the same is not maximizing the chances of repeating anything close to that success.
It’s been hard for me to visualize the Orioles actually doing anything big in this way, because they’ve never done it. They’ve never signed a top-end free agent pitcher – Ubaldo Jiménez and Alex Cobb certainly don’t count – and their trades over the last 15 years haven’t brought in MLB-experienced top-of-the-rotation pitchers either.
Getting my hopes up for something big is just asking for disappointment. I learned last year when I started talking myself into why the Orioles should sign Justin Verlander. And it all worked out for 2023, so that makes it a lot easier to trust in Mike Elias’s plan. If he doesn’t make something happen, then okay, that’s the decision and they’ll have to figure out the rest later.
There is one day this month that we can fixate on where we know something will happen. On the 15th, this year’s international amateur signing period will open up. The Orioles have one of the biggest pools this year, at $7,114,800. The deals are already worked out. They’ll just be announced in eleven days. It’ll be fun to imagine one or more of them turning into noteworthy prospects, like catching prospect Samuel Basallo has done.
Around the blogO’sphere
In non-breaking news, Orioles still seek starting pitching (School of Roch)
Roch offers what he calls a “non-update update,” that the Orioles are probably going to trade for a starter rather than sign one, if they get one at all. He adds that they’re still talking to the White Sox on possible Dylan Cease trades, and that trading with the Marlins or Mariners is also a possibility.
The Orioles want a starting pitcher. Who’s left on the market? (The Baltimore Banner)
The Banner’s Andy Kostka surveys the remaining market. If we assume a signing is not happening, other possibilities include Seattle’s Logan Gilbert and Miami’s Edward Cabrera. I’m a lot more excited by the idea of Gilbert than Cabrera. Or Cease, for that matter.
24 predictions for the 2024 Orioles (Orioles.com)
The Five Things industrial complex is strong, but so it seems is the “24 things for 2024” complex. And it’ll only be worse in 2025. Number one on Jake Rill’s list is that the Orioles will make a trade this month for a noteworthy starter. Guess I’d better stay alert.
Orioles’ non-roster invitees could play big role in 2024 (Baltimore Baseball)
In contrast to a few years ago when questions about non-roster invitees finding roles was about guys like Spenser Watkins, part of the question here involves the spring training opportunity for Jackson Holliday and Connor Norby. That’s way more exciting!
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
There is one lone former Oriole with a birthday today. Happy 62nd to Jay Tibbs, who pitched to a 4.92 ERA (79 ERA+) over 50 games with the team from 1988 through 1990. It’s not all bad, as Tibbs was 5-0 with a 2.82 ERA in ten games for the 1989 Orioles.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Braille inventor Louis Braille (1809). R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe (1960), actress D’Arcy Carden (1980), and actress Dafne Keen (2005).
