This was clearly the only thing preventing the big name shortstop from landing in Baltimore
Good morning, Birdland!
It was fun to have some things to talk about for a while, wasn’t it? We had the left field wall drama, and that ran right into the international signings, which was the most significant batch in team history. That included César Prieto and his hair. It was a banner weekend!
But now, we are basically back to crickets. Labor talks are at a public standstill, and the planned start date of spring training is only getting closer.
There was some very minor news on Tuesday night that many fanbases will hope matters to them, but in reality will not in any way. Carlos Correa switched agencies. The shortstop that is widely considered the best remaining free agent now employs Scott Boras.
Now, why does this matter? You see, the thing is that it doesn’t. At least not to any of us. Correa has an opportunity to cash in on his talent and productivity, for which he has been vastly underpaid to this point in his career. He wants the agency that is going to get him the best deal, and clearly he believes that Boras will do that.
You certainly could construe this news into anything you like. Perhaps Correa received underwhelming offers prior to the lockout. Or maybe his previous agency just refused to tell Mike Elias how much Carlos wants to be an Oriole and accept any offer they make. That’s probably what happened. I cannot wait to see him trot down the orange carpet sometime soon.
Links
Ep. 80: International Signings w/ Koby Perez | On The Verge Podcast
I have not had the chance to listen just yet, but the guys on this podcast are always great, and Koby Perez is an awesome get this time of year to break down the team’s latest signings.
Rougned Odor joins Baltimore with chance to return to productivity | The Baltimore Sun
The Orioles needed help at second base, and the internal options were limited, or at least underwhelming. Rougned Odor should be an upgrade, particularly in the field, which is welcome considering the team’s pitching staff is likely to still be going through some growing pains for much of the upcoming season.
Rutschman, Kjerstad, Cowser headline next minicamp | School of Roch
The overwhelming majority of minor league players are not part of MLBPA, which means they have next to no voice when it comes to changes they would like to see in regards to treatment and downright abuse of professionals below the big league level. So, many of them are available to participate in minicamps this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, it will be exciting to get up-to-date reports on some of the organization’s top talents, but it would be better if the players were treated fairly.
Some O’s international players will be moving on up this season | Steve Melewski
The Orioles are newcomers to this whole international thing, so it’s going to take some getting used to. Those 16-year-olds won’t be in Baltimore for a long time. They won’t even be with one of the nearby affiliates for a while. We just need to to have some faith that the eventual fruits will make their way to the bigs in good time.
‘This is the best job in baseball’: Why the assistant GM role has become so popular in MLB front offices | The Athletic
This was an interesting look at how MLB front offices are structured. Unsurprisingly, they are rather homogeneous, filled with Ivy League types and overwhelmingly men. It’s changing, but slowly.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday! A whole slew of former O’s were born on this day.
- Rick Krivda turns 52. The left-handed pitcher spent three seasons in Baltimore from 1995 through 1997. He had a 5.13 ERA over 207 innings.
- Chris Sabo is 60 years old. The bespectacled infielder played in 68 games for the 1994 Orioles, posting a 96 OPS+ in the process.
- Fred Valentine celebrates his 87th. The outfielder appeared in three different seasons for the O’s: 1959, ‘63, and ‘68. Altogether he played in 85 games for the orange and black.
This weekend in O’s history
1995 – Orioles owner Peter Angelos announces that the team will not use replacement players if the ongoing strike is not settled prior to Opening Day.
2013 – Longtime O’s manager Earl Weaver dies at 82. Fellow Hall of Famer Stan Musial passes away the same day at age 92.
2017 – The Orioles and slugger Mark Trumbo agree to a three-year contract worth $37.5 million