ZiPS projections are out, Melewski looks at the minors, and more in today’s Bird Droppings
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Things are still quiet around Birdland, with spring training just about a month away and just under three months until Opening Day. Ugh, three months is forever from now!
I just can’t wait to spend every day focused on the games being played, allowing that to dictate how we all feel about the team rather than endless speculation and wondering why they did or didn’t make some roster move. I can’t focus any longer on why they claimed this guy they had just traded or why they didn’t offer that contract to the player who just signed with the other team. It’s both boring and exhausting at the same time.
Around baseball, there was some sad news when Liam Hendriks announced that he has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and will begin his treatment today. Hendriks, who was briefly an Oriole during the 2013-2014 offseason, is an excellent relief pitcher and by all accounts an excellent human. It’s sad to hear and I hope that next year will be the Liam Hendriks comeback tour similar to what we saw with Trey Mancini.
In less serious news, Carlos Correa still hasn’t officially signed with anyone! What is this wackiness? It seems like Correa will still be a Met when it’s all said and done, but there is a chance another team could slip in there and if that happens, I will laugh and laugh. Because it’s all so silly. CBS Sports has a breakdown of the saga that’s good if you haven’t been keeping up.
Links
2023 ZiPS Projections: Baltimore Orioles | FanGraphs Baseball
If you missed it last week, Dan Szymborski published his write-up on the 2023 ZiPS projections for the Orioles. It has its ups and downs. I do like that Dean Kremer number!
Baltimore Orioles: Both Corner Outfield Spots Could Use Further Assistance – Birds Watcher
This writer thinks David Peralta could be a good fit for the Orioles. I am not convinced.
A look at the many challenges for minor league managers – MASN Sports
Steve Melewski with what it’s like being a minor league manager. Offseason content!
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! As you may already know, you have zero Orioles birthday buddies. That doesn’t happen very often.
Some non-Orioles born on this day in history include Princess of Wales Kate Middleton (1982), Baltimore native and former NBA player Muggsy Bogues (1965), Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (1944), and Thank God I’m a Country Boy singer John Denver (1935). Hey, an Orioles connection!
On this day in 1990. Jim Palmer became Hall of Famer Jim Palmer as he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Elected alongside Palmer was second baseman Joe Morgan.