Pitchers and catchers report next week. Baseball is finally on the horizon.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Here in the greater Maryland area, it’s still quite cold. There’s snow in the forecast for next week. Yesterday it was raining ice. It sure doesn’t feel like baseball weather. But baseball nonetheless will be back before you know it, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting to camp in Sarasota in less than a week.
The O’s primed the pump for spring training by announcing their list of non-roster invitees, a 26-player mixture of notable prospects, veteran journeymen, and organizational filler. While guys like Enrique Bradfield Jr. and Dylan Beavers are intriguing enough, there’s nobody on that list other than Samuel Basallo who would make me rush to the TV to watch spring training action, assuming MASN deigns to air a few games. The Orioles have a strong enough 40-man these days that they shouldn’t need to rely much on the non-roster guys to staff their club this season.
Prospects aside, is there a random dude on this list who will make a surprise contribution to the Orioles the way Albert Suárez did last season and Ryan O’Hearn the year before? If I hav to pick, I’ll go with…I dunno, Thaddeus Ward. Sure, he has a career 6.37 ERA in 26 MLB games, and his minor league numbers aren’t all that impressive either, but I just like the name “Thaddeus.” Who’s to say he can’t turn into a mildly successful middle reliever who eats up some innings in June or July?
What say you, Camden Chatters? Do any of these non-roster invitees look like diamonds in the rough? Or are they just plain rough?
Links
Suárez maintains same mindset as another spring training approaches – School of Roch
Speaking of Albert Suárez, he’s ready to prove — in his typically understated way — that his 2024 performance wasn’t a fluke.
Steve Melewski departs MASN hoping to continue chronicling the Orioles – The Baltimore Banner
It didn’t take long for Melewski to find a new place to write, now contributing at my old stomping grounds, BaltimoreBaseball.com. He’ll be covering the minor leagues, which is right in his wheelhouse.
After signing Laureano, will Orioles trade an outfielder? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Rich Dubroff analyzes the effect of the Ramón Laureano signing. Fear not, dear readers, he doesn’t see Laureano as an obstacle to Heston Kjerstad’s playing time.
Samuel Basallo among Orioles 2025 non-roster invites – MLB.com
Jake Rill has more details about the non-roster guys, including an embedded video of Livan Soto highlights. Who knew Livan Soto had enough highlights for a video?
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Six former Orioles were born on Feb. 7: right-handers Scott Feldman (42), Jon Leicester (46), and Dave Borkowski (48); and outfielders Endy Chávez (47), Benny Ayala (74), and the late Al Smith (b. 1928, d. 2002).
On this date in 2012, the KBO filed a protest against the Orioles for signing 17-year-old high school pitcher Seong-min Kim without informing the league as they were required to do. MLB voided the signing and the KBO banned Orioles scouts from all high school and college tournaments. It was a bad look for new O’s GM Dan Duquette, who had been on the job for only a few months. The KBO also issued a permanent ban to Kim, but rescinded it two years later, and the now 30-year-old has since spent six seasons in the league. Last year he posted a 4.34 ERA in 46 relief appearances with the Kiwoom Heroes.