Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Is it just me, or is baseball suddenly kind of fun again?
The Orioles could end up disappointing us all again, and soon. But yesterday was a pretty great day for the organization. On the field, the O’s pulled off a stunning, extra-innings victory over the Astros to run their winning streak to six, getting key contributions from unheralded (and in some cases, maligned) players like Tyler O’Neill, Leody Taveras, and Cam Sanders. The Orioles are now within two games of a wild
card spot, though they’re still having to play catch-up to the surging Red Sox, who won their 12th game in a row last night.
And the Birds made even bigger news off the field, signing Kyle Bradish to a five-year, $90 million extension. The deal buys out his remaining two years of arbitration and keeps him in an O’s uniform for an additional three. It’s great news not only for Bradish but also for the Orioles, who have locked up a quality arm through the 2031 season. With Shane Baz also signed long-term, the O’s have guaranteed some stability in their rotation for the next several years.
Bradish has been perhaps the best pitching success story under the Mike Elias administration. The O’s acquired him as a High-A minor leaguer in the Dylan Bundy trade with the Angels in 2019, and while he wasn’t a top prospect at the time of the deal, the Orioles have developed him into one of the game’s most dependable hurlers. Bradish has a career 3.50 ERA in 86 major league starts, including a dominant 2023 season that earned him fourth place in the AL Cy Young vote. After Tommy John surgery cut short his 2024 and 2025 campaigns, he has returned to form this season as an integral part of the Birds’ rotation. Now we’ll be seeing him for a long while.
Kudos to Elias and David Rubenstein for getting this deal done. There are a lot of problems with this Orioles team that won’t be easy to fix — and could ultimately cost Elias his job if the O’s tail off again — but ponying up the money to keep talented players in Baltimore is an excellent way to build the foundation of a winning team. In the past 12 months, the O’s have done it with Samuel Basallo, Baz, and now Bradish, not to mention the five-year commitment to add Pete Alonso in free agency. The Orioles have the core of a contending roster. Now let’s work on cleaning up the other stuff.
There was still more Orioles signing news yesterday. The O’s announced an agreement with their 2026 first-round draft pick, Eric Booth Jr. The deal is for $7,324,700, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, which is $2,500 less than the slot value of the #7 pick. There wasn’t much doubt that the Orioles were going to sign Booth, but it’s nice that they got this over with quickly so that the speedy outfielder from Oak Grove, Miss., can start his professional career.
There’s a lot going on with the O’s right now, most of it good. Let’s hope they can keep the positive vibes rolling as they go for a three-game sweep in Houston this afternoon.
Links
Tyler O’Neill saves Orioles in 4-2 win over Astros in extras to extend streak – The Baltimore Sun
Not bad for a player who I wanted the Orioles to release in April.
Bradish inks 5-year contract extension, becomes highest-paid pitcher in O’s history – MLB.com
More on the Bradish extension, including complimentary quotes from Trevor Rogers. Could Rogers himself be next?
O’s announce: They have signed top draft pick Eric Booth Jr. – Steve Melewski
Melewski speculates that Booth could report to extended spring training at Sarasota for a while before he joins an affiliate. But I want to see him now! Don’t the Orioles care what I think?
Will a player ever hit The Warehouse at Oriole Park? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Think of all the terrible pitchers the Orioles have employed in the last 34 years, and yet none of them have ever given up a warehouse home run. I’m starting to think it’s never going to happen.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Former Orioles born on this day are first baseman David Segui (60), catcher Dan Graham (72), and the late infielder Billy Gardner (b. 1927, d. 2024).
On this date in 1991, Cal Ripken Jr. played his 1,500th consecutive game and also hit his 20th homer of the year, becoming only the eighth hitter in MLB history to begin his career with 10 consecutive 20-homer seasons. That streak was broken the following year, when he hit just 14 during the 1992 campaign.
And in 1994, the Orioles’ scheduled game at the Kingdome was postponed when four 15-pound tiles fell from the roof onto the seats. Fortunately it was two hours before gametime and no fans were sitting there, but yikes. An inspection revealed water damage in many of the roof’s tiles. The Mariners had to play their remaining 20 games on the road before the strike canceled the rest of the season.
Random Orioles game of the day
On July 19, 1956, the Orioles lost to the White Sox, 3-2, to end a six-game winning streak. Birds starter Mike Fornieles lasted only three innings, giving up three runs and seven hits, and the O’s offense had no answer for White Sox lefty Billy Pierce, who tossed a complete game for the victory. Pierce was a pretty good pitcher but especially dominant against the Orioles in his career, posting a 2.22 ERA against them in 66 games (more than a run lower than his overall 3.27 mark). Left fielder Bob Nieman homered in the losing effort for the Orioles.
