Good morning, Camden Chatters.
MLB teams are continuing to make big moves for starting pitchers. Unfortunately, the Orioles are not currently one of those teams.
The Texas Rangers were the latest to strike
for a high-upside hurler, acquiring Nationals ace MacKenzie Gore yesterday for a five-prospect package. The 26-year-old Gore was a first-time All-Star last season for Washington, posting a 3.02 ERA in the first half before injuries slowed him in the final month. He’s a hard-throwing, strikeout-happy, somewhat command-challenged lefty with two years of team control.
The rebuilding Nats had Gore on the market all winter, and there were some whispers that the Orioles were interested, but ultimately it was the Rangers who made the deal. They gave up five of their top 18 prospects (as ranked by MLB Pipeline), so it’s not as if Gore came cheap. That kind of package might have been too rich for Mike Elias’s blood, assuming the O’s were even interested in Gore to begin with. The Birds already parted with a number of prospects in their December deal for Shane Baz, another 26-year-old with an intriguing arm and multiple years of team control remaining.
With Gore off the board, one day after the Brewers dealt Freddy Peralta to the Mets, there are precious few starting pitchers left on the trade market. If the Orioles were hoping to go the trade route for a rotation upgrade, they might have missed their chance. Then again, they could swoop out of nowhere and acquire some pitcher that nobody even knew was available. That’s essentially what they did with Baz, who hadn’t been linked to the Orioles in any rumors before the O’s pulled off the trade. Elias tends to keep us on our toes, you know.
Do the Orioles have another pitching acquisition still to come, or are they going to roll into the spring with what they’ve got now? The latter would seem like a disappointing outcome, especially when so many O’s fans were convinced the team would act aggressively to land a top-shelf starter after the Pete Alonso signing.
It could still happen. But the opportunities are dwindling.
Links
Orioles claim Weston Wilson (another Birdland Caravan update) – School of Roch
The Orioles acquired another outfielder who will probably spend all year at Triple-A. Who says they weren’t busy yesterday?
These two pitchers are more similar than I’d like to admit. But Baz has the advantage of having already returned from injury and pitched a full season, which is more than can currently be said of Grayson.
Orioles cancel Saturday Birdland Caravan events due to forecast snowstorm – The Baltimore Banner
It’s the right decision, but it’s a real bummer that the Orioles’ fan event weekend will be cut short. I haven’t gotten to go bowling with Adley Rutschman in weeks.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have five Orioles birthday buddies, though you might not have heard of most of them: infielders Cord Phelps (39) and Marty Brown (63); catcher Charlie Greene (55); outfielder Sherman Obando (56); and the late infielder Chico Carrasquel (b. 1926, d. 2005), who was a four-time All-Star with the White Sox before joining the Birds.
On this day in 1984, the Orioles signed Dan Ford. On this day in 1986, the Orioles released Dan Ford. Jan. 23 sure has been an eventful day for Dan Ford.
And on this date in 2010, the Orioles reunited with All-Star infielder Miguel Tejada, signing him to a one-year, $6 million deal. Tejada had been a star in his first stint with the Orioles from 2004-07, including a franchise-record 150 RBIs in 2004, before the rebuilding O’s traded him to Houston. His second stint in Baltimore, though, was forgettable. The longtime shortstop shifted to third base and struggled defensively, while his offense also plummeted (seven homers and a .670 OPS in 97 games). The Birds dumped Tejada and his salary to the Padres at the trade deadline.
