Good morning, Camden Chatters.
The first day of the winter meetings is behind us, and so far there’s been a lot more talk than action, both for the Orioles and the rest of MLB. The only player who signed a major league contract yesterday was Daison Acosta with the Padres. “Who?” you ask, which is exactly my point.
Perhaps today there will be some actual signings or trades involving players we’ve heard of. The Orioles, for their part, have been heavily involved in negotiations with a number of free
agents, at least according to Mike Elias. The O’s president of baseball operations dropped a number of intriguing but intentionally vague tidbits during his media availability yesterday.
Among them, Elias said that the Orioles aren’t hesitant to offer long-term contracts for free agent starting pitchers if needed, and in fact have already done so “a lot.” What exactly that means is unclear. Being willing to offer a long-term contract is one thing, but if you don’t actually land the player, it’s kind of a moot point. It’s possible that the O’s have made offers that were still well short, both in years and dollars, of what the player was looking for and what other teams were offering.
The Orioles at least seem to have a plan for which free agents to target, reportedly showing interest in Ranger Suárez, Michael King, and Tatsuya Imai, who are among the best starting pitchers available. Still, the Orioles have never signed a starter to a multi-year deal during Elias’ tenure, so O’s fans will remain skeptical until it actually happens.
Elias also said yesterday that the Orioles are looking to continue bolstering their offense, and that they’d consider adding prominent free agents even if the O’s don’t currently have an open position for them. “If the player’s good enough, we can figure out ways to accommodate them,” he said. To that end, the Orioles reportedly will be meeting with free agent slugger Pete Alonso, the longtime Mets first baseman who’s hit 264 home runs in a seven-year career. Whether that discussion will lead to any serious negotiations between the O’s and Alonso remains to be seen.
Elias is saying all the right things so far. He’s aiming to move aggressively to address the Orioles’ roster needs, and he’s adamant that the team has the payroll needed to make a big splash or two. It could all be bluster, of course, and this offseason ultimately could end up as much of a dud as last year’s. But if Elias lives up to his word and the O’s can pull off a major acquisition or two, fans will be feeling a lot more optimistic about the club’s chances of rebounding in 2026.
Links
More from Elias’ media availability. It sounds like the O’s will be skipping the Rule 5 draft this year. Sorry to all you Rule 5 sickos out there.
O’s expected to meet with Alonso amid search for another impact bat (source) – MLB.com
I certainly wouldn’t complain about the O’s signing the Polar Bear, even if the thought of a long-term deal for a slugging first baseman is giving me bad Chris Davis flashbacks.
If you were wondering about Austin Wynns’ opinion of the new O’s skipper, he’s very much in the “pro” column.
Someone asked Albernaz if the Orioles are going to sac bunt more often, and he said that the O’s aren’t inclined to give away outs. I like that answer.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Five former Orioles were born on this day: right-hander Hunter Harvey (31), third baseman Tony Batista (52), outfielder Tony Tarasco (55), lefty Darold Knowles (84), and the late infielder Billy Klaus (b. 1928, d. 2006).
The Orioles have made a whole bunch of trades on this date in history, including the greatest heist they’ve ever pulled off. In 1965, the Birds acquired Frank Robinson — already a five-time All-Star and former NL MVP and Rookie of the Year — from the Reds for a three-player package that included righty Milt Pappas. Cincinnati foolishly believed that Robinson was on the downside of his career at age 30, and the Orioles took full advantage of the Reds’ short-sightedness. The Hall of Famer proved he had plenty left in the tank, winning the Triple Crown and AL MVP in his first season with the Birds while leading them to their first championship. Thanks, Reds!
On this day in 2008, the Orioles and Reds connected on another trade, with the O’s sending catcher Ramón Hernández for Ryan Freel and Justin Turner. That would have turned into another lopsided trade for the Orioles if only they had held on to Turner, who has hit 201 homers and accumulated 38.7 WAR in the 17 years since. Alas, the O’s waived him after just 17 games.
And in 2010, the O’s swung another great deal, acquiring shortstop J.J. Hardy from the Twins for two nondescript pitchers. Hardy went on to a productive seven-year career in Baltimore, hitting 107 homers, winning three Gold Gloves, and providing veteran leadership for a rejuvenated Orioles team. I’m told by a reliable source in my home that he was also handsome. Hardy was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in 2021.
