World Champions 1983, 1970, 1966

American League Champions 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970, 1969, 1966 American League East Division Champions 2014, 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1971, 1970, 1969

American League Wild Card 2016, 2012, 1996

Monday, October 24, 2016

Columns:

Inside the CBA: Barring changes, Orioles will face decisions on qualifying offers soon

after World Series The Sun 10/24

Orioles' Adam Jones goes undercover in classroom, gets animated on Cartoon Network

The Sun 10/21

Camden Yards named MLB's best ballpark for third straight year The Sun 10/21

More on Mancini and the possibility of playing the outfield MASNsports.com 10/24

Notes on pitching prospects Garcia, Scott, Sedlock and Akin MASNsports.com 10/23

The day Justin Turner was an Orioles hero MASNsports.com 10/22

Baseball America’s Orioles’ top 10 prospects: Chance Sisco is No. 1 MASNsports.com

10/24

A look at two of the most improved players on the O’s farm MASNsports.com 10/23

What’s next for Wieters? MASNsports.com 10/22

MLB Rumor Central: Dom Chiti to leave Orioles? ESPN.com 10/23

MLB Rumor Central: Chris Davis to undergo MRI? ESPN.com 10/23

Cubs' Win Means Orioles Move Up On World Series Drought List CSN Mid-Atlantic

10/23

Should The Orioles Think About Trading Brad Brach? CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/22

What Moves Can Return The Orioles To Postseason In 2017? CSN Mid-Atlantic 10/21

2016 Orioles Roster Review, Part Two: The Replaceable Position Players

PressBoxOnline.com 10/21

Orioles Still In Midst Of Long World Series Drought PressBoxOnline.com 10/21

Orioles Staffer Remembered At Breathe Deep Baltimore Lung Cancer Walk CBS

Baltimore 10/22

A Major League Victory for Oriole Park at Camden Yards CBS Baltimore 10/21

Adam Jones Poses as Substitute Teacher to Surprise Kids Baltimore Magazine 10/21

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-inside-the-cba-barring-changes-orioles-

will-face-decisions-on-qualifying-offers-soon-after-world-ser-20161024-story.html

Inside the CBA: Barring changes, Orioles will face decisions

on qualifying offers soon after World Series

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

October 24, 2016

Baseball's collective bargaining agreement expires in December, and a new CBA could change

several aspects of the game moving forward, among them the qualifying offer process, expanded

rosters and an international draft.

With the World Series about to get underway this week, we’ll take a look at some of those key

topics involving a new CBA and how they could affect the Orioles in the not-so-distant future.

Today, we will take a look at the qualifying offer process, which awards draft-pick compensation

when free agents who decline the qualifying offer sign elsewhere.

When the process was introduced four offseasons ago, the design was to level the playing field

when teams lose their big-ticket free agents. And while it has served its purpose in awarding

teams compensation picks, the process has played a major role in dictating the free agent market.

Teams have been hesitant to sign qualifying offer free agents because they don't want to lose

their highest unprotected draft pick in the process.

In the past, the Orioles have signed free agents attached to qualifying offers to under-market

deals, most notably executive vice president Dan Duquette’s signing of Nelson Cruz to a one-

year, $8 million deal before the 2014 season. In that deal, the Orioles lost only a second-round

pick and were content with inking Cruz to a one-year deal because the team had relinquished its

first-round pick in signing Ubaldo Jimenez to a four-year deal. One move would not have

happened without the other.

Before the wild card game, Commissioner Rob Manfred said that he hoped a new CBA would be

agreed upon before the free-agency season begins, and according to a FOX Sports report two

weeks ago, the qualifying offer process will remain in place in the new CBA, but there could be

some adjustments to the format.

“There have been years -- not this past agreement, but the one before -- where we actually

finished the deal during the World Series,” Manfred said in Toronto. “I only remember that

because it's the only World Series I've missed in the last 25 years. And the last time around in

2011, we actually extended a couple of deadlines in the free agent market in order to allow us to

finish up. I do think that there's a natural deadline there. The idea of operating under the new

agreement is an appealing one. So let's hope we do it again.”

Until further details emerge, we have to go by the existing qualifying offer format. Qualifying

offers can be made until five days after the end the World Series, and players have a week after

that to decide whether to accept the offer.

This year, the qualifying offer – which is the average of the top 125 player salaries from the

previous year – is up to $17.2 million, which is up considerably from last year’s $15.8 million

offer.

Earlier this month, Duquette said the club hadn’t decided whether to make qualifying offers to

outfielder Mark Trumbo or catcher Matt Wieters. Last season, the Orioles made the offer to

Wieters and he accepted it. Last year was the first season since the qualifying offer process was

born before the 2013 season that players accepted the offer.

Making a player a qualifying offer isn’t exclusively to get the compensation draft pick, but it has

shown in the past that being tied to a qualifying offer muddles a player’s market because some

teams are unwilling to relinquish a draft pick. And that can lead the player back to his original

team, which was the case for Wieters, who will enter the free agent market in a much better

situation because he’s now shown that he’s fully recovered from Tommy John surgery.

In all certainty, the Orioles will make Trumbo a qualifying offer. And because Trumbo is coming

off the best year of his career – he led the majors with 47 homers – it’s a good bet that he will

decline it to pursue a multi-year deal.

Wieters’ case isn’t as clear cut. If the Orioles made him an offer and he accepted it, Wieters

would be the team’s second-highest paid player. First baseman Chris Davis is the only player

under contract who would make more at $21.2 million.

With the Orioles already committed to nearly $96 million in contracts to eight players and facing

hefty arbitration raises to up to 10 eligible players that could reach an estimated $50.1 million,

according to MLB Trade Rumors, the possibility of Wieters actually accepting the offer again

might be too much of a risk.

Wieters will be the top catcher on the free agent market this offseason, especially after Nationals

backstop Wilson Ramos suffered a late-season knee injury. He started 111 games at catcher and

threw out 35 percent of baserunners, proving his surgically repaired right elbow is healthy. His

.243/.302/.409 slash line wasn’t great, but Wieters’ 17 homers provided rare power for his

position and he gave the Orioles some clutch hits throughout the season. That should be enough

reason for Wieters to test the market this offseason.

It won’t be long until the Orioles have to make decisions on qualifying offers – and again, parts

of the process could change over the next few weeks -- but over the past few years, the process

has been one of the most uncertain to navigate for both players and teams.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baltimore-sports-blog/bal-orioles-adam-jones-goes-

undercover-in-classroom-gets-animated-on-cartoon-network-20161021-htmlstory.html

Orioles' Adam Jones goes undercover in classroom, gets

animated on Cartoon Network

By Josh Land / The Baltimore Sun

October 21, 2016

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones has long been renowned for his involvement in the Baltimore

community, and during this past season, the five-time All-Star partnered with the

#MLBmemorybank program to go undercover at a local school.

Disguised as substitute teacher Herbert Garfield -- wearing 1970s-style glasses, a brown sport

coat, striped socks and what he called "teacher shoes" -- Jones visited a class at The SEED

School of Maryland in Baltimore. He quickly revealed his true identity to the students' delight,

and treated them with tickets to the Orioles' game that night. Below is video of Jones' visit,

courtesy of MLB.com.

On top of that reveal, Jones will be featured on Cartoon Network on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. in a

World Series-themed episode of the show, "Uncle Grandpa."

In the episode, Uncle Grandpa enlists Jones, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer, Houston

Astros second baseman José Altuve, Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price and New York Mets

pitcher Noah Syndergaard to help train his struggling Little League team.

Below is a clip from the episode.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-camden-yards-named-mlb-s-best-ballpark-

for-third-straight-year-20161021-story.html

Camden Yards named MLB's best ballpark for third

straight year

By Jon Meoli / The Baltimore Sun

October 21, 2016

Finally, after seemingly months of discussion about the amount of people at Camden Yards each

day, we can cross the actual stadium off the list of blame-worthy parties.

In their annual rankings released this week, Stadium Journey named the Orioles’ ballpark the

best in baseball. This is the third straight season Camden Yards has won that honor from the site,

which travels to each major league park and rates on aspects such as concessions, atmosphere,

the surrounding area, the fans in attendance, accessibility and cost.

Allow Lloyd Brown of Stadium Journey to explain, as found in the rankings here.

He wrote: “So what is the secret to the Orioles success? They knew how to build a ballpark

unlike any other stadium at the time. Instead of tearing down the surrounding neighborhood, they

embraced it and incorporated it into the stadium design. In the years since Camden Yards was

built the Orioles have concentrated on every element of the fan experience by constantly

upgrading the concession offerings, creating special promotions celebrating the diversity of

Baltimore’s population and making customer service the first priority for its game day staff.

"Other elements that kept the Orioles rating at the top are the extras surrounding the park, as both

Babe Ruth’s childhood home and the Inner Harbor entertainment and restaurant district are

within walking distance of the park. Accessibility is another factor that rated highly with both

our reviewers and the fans who submitted opinions on the MLB parks.”

All reasonable, though the Inner Harbor being listed as a real asset is more for out-of-town

tourists visiting the park. Camden Yards itself doesn’t look like it will be turning 25, and nothing

about the game experience feels old-fashioned.

And with the stadium crossed off the list as to why the Orioles saw attendance fall from an

average of 29,384 in 2015 to 26,819 this year, we’re left with the usual culprits settled upon in

September: weather, school nights, “winning” fatigue, unease in the wake of the unrest after

Freddie Gray's death, tickets not going on sale early enough, and who knows what else.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/10/more-on-mancini-and-the-possibility-of-

playing-the-outfield.html

More on Mancini and the possibility of playing the outfield

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 24, 2016

Chris Davis has six years remaining on his $161 million deal with the Orioles. He isn’t budging

off first base next season unless it’s the occasional at-bats as the designated hitter.

Trey Mancini is the top first base prospect in the organization and one of its best young position

players. He’s obviously blocked by Davis, which leads fans and media to wonder whether he

could move to the outfield.

I’ve done some digging and the best I can come up with is this:

Maybe.

At the very least, the Orioles could take a look at Mancini in the outfield in spring training. Not

the same commitment they made to Christian Walker, who was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in

March with instructions to play left field in the International League. Just a look.

The question is whether Mancini’s arm would play in the outfield. There are some doubters,

which is the reason why he stayed at first base this year.

One person in the organization said, “If I’m running things, the day we signed Davis, I would

have been thinking about that.”

But will the Orioles act upon it?

Manager Buck Showalter suggested that Mancini could compete for Mark Trumbo’s spot if the

latter departs as a free agent. He’s referencing a right-handed bat, with power, who could be the

designated hitter and also spell Davis at first base.

That’s D-A-V-I-S. Maybe he’ll write it in the dirt.

But seriously ...

There’s room for Davis and Mancini on the opening day roster, as I’ve written in the past. An

outfielder’s glove isn’t a requirement. But maybe we’ll see Mancini shagging fly balls. I don’t

see a downside to experimenting with him.

Walker hadn’t played the position until last spring. He made 90 starts in left with the Tides,

committed three errors and had three assists. Reports on his defense vary, but none of them

suggest a Gold Glove Award in his immediate future.

It wouldn’t be fair to expect Walker to become Alex Gordon overnight. But remember that

Gordon was drafted as a third baseman. They don’t all look like Billy Rowell, the former first-

round pick who moved from third base to right field and couldn’t judge a fly ball to save his life.

(The Orioles never should have moved Rowell off third base at that stage of his career and it

created more tension between scouting and player development. The kid had enough on his plate

without putting him at a position that embarrassed him. But I digress ...)

“Walker got better,” said director of player development Brian Graham. “I think he did a good

job in the outfield. He definitely got better.

“It’s about reactions to the ball off the bat and also his routes. I think he’s an outfielder and a

first baseman both. I think the fact he can play the outfield and first base is a huge plus.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/10/notes-on-pitching-prospects-garcia-scott-

sedlock-and-akin.html

Notes on pitching prospects Garcia, Scott, Sedlock and Akin

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 23, 2016

I filed a blog entry last week with Orioles director of player development Brian Graham offering

his opinion of Jason Garcia’s season at Double-A Bowie.

Now let’s hear from Baysox pitching coach Alan Mills.

“He’s a talented individual,” Mills said of Garcia, the former Rule 5 pick who went 6-10 with a

4.73 ERA and 1.544 WHIP in 24 starts.

“Kind of started slow, but he got better as the year went on. At the beginning of the year, he had

some command issues, and he worked some things out with his delivery and he just got better.

He controlled his fastball better, his slider was probably his best secondary pitch and by the end

of the year his changeup got a lot better.

“He just improved as the year went on. Nothing that I did. It was just more of him, I guess,

getting more comfortable with himself. Maybe in the spring he was putting a lot of pressure on

himself or whatever, but as the year moved on he got a lot better.”

Left-hander Tanner Scott split his season between Single-A Frederick and Bowie, going a

combined 5-4 with a 4.76 ERA and 1.508 WHIP in 64 1/3 relief innings. His fastball touches 100

mph and he averaged 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings, but he also averaged eight walks.

Mills said Scott also started slow with Bowie, where he made 14 appearances, but got better as

the season progressed.

“Just a matter of him getting more comfortable with his delivery and getting a more consistent

release point. And once he does that, his command will get a lot better,” Mills said.

“He throws close to 100 mph and that’s hard to find. His breaking ball is in the process of getting

a lot better. He’s kind of feeling his way through. I’ve been there. I didn’t throw that hard, but

I’ve been in that situation where I couldn’t throw the ball where I wanted to. But it’s just a matter

of once he gets more comfortable with his delivery, he’ll find the strike zone.”

Graham said Scott, 22, made “huge strides” this year. Perhaps he can lengthen them again in the

Arizona Fall League.

“Sometimes, I think the expectations are really high and if you look at how well he pitched, how

well he did, he made huge strides this year,” Graham said. “I’m really pleased with how he

pitched this year - his control/command and the ability to use his breaking ball, as well.”

Scott is starting for the Peoria Javelinas, though he’s going to remain a reliever in the minors.

“The idea is he’s pitching against really good competition and he’s being able to have a bullpen

in between his outings and that’s all part of the development process,” Graham said.

Graham said it’s too early to determine where pitchers Cody Sedlock and Keegan Akin, the top

two picks in the 2016 draft, will be assigned next season.

Sedlock, the 27th overall pick out of the University of Illinois, posted a 3.00 ERA in nine starts

at short-season Single-A Aberdeen. He allowed only one home run in 27 innings, but he also

averaged 4.3 walks.

Akin, the second-rounder out of Western Michigan University, posted a 1.04 ERA and 0.846

WHIP in nine starts over 26 innings. He averaged 2.4 walks and 10 strikeouts.

Both pitchers received positive grades in the fall instructional league.

“Akin was probably the most impressive and Sedlock was really good,” Graham said.

“Akin throws strikes. He throws three pitches for strikes. He’s down in the strike zone, he works

quick, he has no fear. He was very impressive. We saw better velocity in the instructional league

than we did during the season.”

Akin was throwing his fastball, slider and changeup for strikes.

“All three good pitches, and he commanded the baseball well,” Graham said. “It was good. He

was 93-94 mph in instructional league.”

Having more giddy-up on his fastball this late in the year?

“A little bit unusual,” Graham said, “but it was really good to see, obviously.”

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/10/the-day-justin-turner-was-an-orioles-

hero.html

The day Justin Turner was an Orioles hero

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

October 22, 2016

Justin Turner would be the ideal utility player and a perfect fit for the Orioles if he hadn’t

outgrown the role.

He plays every infield position and even has one inning of experience in left field. His power

developed late. He’s a great teammate and is willing to do whatever is asked of him. But the

utility train has left the station.

Turner is one of the more attractive pending free agents on the market and his timing is

impeccable with career highs across the board: 622 plate appearances, 153 hits, 34 doubles, three

triples, 27 home runs, 90 RBIs and a 4.9 WAR. His .493 slugging percentage matches his 2014

total. He hasn’t withered under the hot lights of the postseason, going 6-for-15 with a triple,

home run, five RBIs and five walks in the Division Series. And all of this for $5.1 million.

The Orioles are set at all four infield positions. They don’t seem inclined to move Chris Davis to

right field. And the Dodgers will push hard to keep Turner at third base.

I’ll always remember covering Turner in spring training and parts of the 2009 and 2010 seasons

before the Mets claimed him off waivers. Versatile, friendly, but nothing that really jumped out

at you besides the red hair.

Manager Dave Trembley liked him, but he didn’t get much of a look, going 3-for-18 in 2009 and

0-for-9 in 2010. He backed up at third base, second base and shortstop.

Turner was a September call-up as a rookie and made three starts among his 12 appearances.

Does anyone remember his moment of glory as an Oriole?

Trembley hasn’t forgotten about it.

It came in the season finale against the Blue Jays on Oct. 4, 2009. Turner entered the game as a

pinch-hitter in the sixth inning and delivered a go-ahead two-run single. The Orioles won in 11

innings on Brandon League’s throwing error that allowed Jeff Fiorentino to reach and Michael

Aubrey to score.

The sixth inning began with the Orioles trailing 3-2. Fiorentino singled into center field, Brian

Roberts singled into left and Robert Andino walked. Matt Wieters grounded into a force at home

and Nick Markakis popped up. Melvin Mora was due up, but Turner took his at-bat and

grounded a single up the middle to give the Orioles a 4-3 lead.

Mora was playing his last game with the Orioles, adding a thick layer of drama and leaving

Trembley open to heavy criticism from fans as Turner strolled to the plate. What in the world

was he thinking here?

“I had asked Melvin a couple of days in advance what he wanted to do for his last series at

Camden - I had Juan Samuel with me - because I wanted to make sure Melvin was taken care

of,” Trembley, now the Braves’ director of player development, told me this week.

“He said, ‘I will play Friday, not Saturday, and will play Sunday, but when I leave the field after

three outs in the top of the (sixth), I am done.’ Didn’t want to hit in the bottom of the (sixth). I

said, ‘Melvin, you sure about this?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ Samuel talked with him.

“We had a little announcement planned for him to tip his cap, etc. He didn’t want to do it, so I

went to Justin Turner and said, ‘Be ready to hit for Melvin next inning.’ The first three guys got

on and I sent Turner up to pinch-hit. The boo birds were out. ‘Trembley, what are you doing?’

Turner got a two-run pinch-hit single and I looked like a genius. People were now cheering

Turner. Little did anyone know this was scripted.”

The story has become a real ... wait for it ... page-turner.

Trembley remembers Turner for having “excellent makeup,” a reputation that still holds today.

“Thought of him as a second base/third base type at the major league level,” Trembley said. “He

didn’t have the range to play shortstop on an everyday basis at the major league level. He was a

line drive hitter. He became a power hitter when he changed his approach at the plate after he left

the Orioles. He developed the leg kick like (Jose) Bautista, (Josh) Donaldson, and it has worked

for him.

“I’ve seen Turner a couple of times in recent years. He always thanks for me hitting him the

ground balls on the back fields during spring training and for how I treated him. He made a

commitment to himself. A tireless worker in the offseason. Came back from some knee problems

and is going to make a lot of money this offseason as a free agent.

“I don’t see him leaving the Dodgers, but they’re going to have to pay him.”

Too bad he can’t get back on the Orioles payroll.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/10/baseball-americas-orioles-top-10-

prospects-chance-sisco-is-no-1.html

Baseball America’s Orioles’ top 10 prospects: Chance Sisco

is No. 1

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 24, 2016

After he was drafted in round one of the 2011 draft, right-hander Dylan Bundy became the

Orioles’ No. 1 ranked prospect at the end of that season. And Bundy stayed as the club’s top-

ranked prospect every year after, even as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2013.

But with Bundy no longer eligible for prospects lists, there is a new Orioles No. 1. Catcher

Chance Sisco’s steady move up the rankings has led him to the top spot. When Baseball America

released its latest O’s top 10 prospects rankings today, Sisco headed up the list. He was ranked

No. 10 after 2013 and then No. 4 and No. 3.

Some players with major league experience are still eligible for prospects list. A player is eligible

if they are currently under contract to an organization and they have not exceeded the major

league rookie minimums of 130 at-bats or 50 innings, and haven’t made more than 30 relief

appearances in the big leagues.

Under these rules a few pitchers that were eligible this time last year are no longer eligible - that

list includes Bundy, Mychal Givens, Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright. Some with MLB

experience that are still eligible include Donnie Hart, Trey Mancini and Oliver Drake.

A look at the Baseball America top 10:

1) Chance Sisco, C: As his defense took solid strides forward this year, the 21-year-old Sisco

continued to hit for average and his power took a small step forward as well. At Double-A

Bowie, Sisco hit .320/.406/.422 this season and led the Eastern League in OBP. For his four-year

career, he is batting .323/.406/.422.

He played in the Futures Game in July and he homered. Sisco was ranked No. 85 on Baseball

America’s mid-season top 100 list and he should have a solid shot to start showing up on more

top 100 lists.

Is he the future catcher of the Orioles? Some feel the answer is yes, while others still wonder

about his defense. But Bowie manager Gary Kendall said he saw solid improvement there this

season.

“His game calling, his receiving and blocking skills really improved this year,” Kendall said. “So

did his quickness and his ability to shape the ball and keep the ball close to him when he did

block it. This year he read swings better and was very communicative with the pitching staff. I

thought he made a lot of strides taking charge.”

2) Cody Sedlock, RHP: The Orioles really liked what they saw out of this University of Illinois

product that they drafted 27th overall last June. He pitched to an ERA of 3.00 for short season

Single-A Aberdeen and New York Penn League batters hit just .158 off him. His fastball touched

97 and his slider flashed plus often. Buck Showalter will love the fact he already has an

impressive time of 1.2 seconds to home plate when holding runners.

3) Ryan Mountcastle, SS: A player one scout called “a Sisco-type with more future power,”

Mountcastle had a real solid age 19 season at Single-A Delmarva. He hit .281/.319/.426. The bat

is solid and he showed a very mature approach for a young player with plus bat speed. But scouts

I talked with are convinced a lack of arm strength means Mountcastle will eventually wind up in

left field and not at shortstop. However, the Orioles did keep him at short during fall instructional

league.

4) Hunter Harvey, RHP: Harvey looked very impressive with Single-A Delmarva in 2014,

once dueling pitch-for-pitch with the Nats’ Lucas Giolito, who was ranked as the sport’s No. 5

prospect after the 2015 season. But after nearly two years trying to rehab a strained right flexor

mass, Harvey had Tommy John surgery July 26. He could resume throwing early next year. Most

pitchers get back to game action between 12 and 18 months after the procedure. His role model

should probably by Bundy, whose long road back culminated with a solid season in the majors

this year.

5) Trey Mancini, 1B: This is Mancini’s highest-ranking on this list after he was No. 8 a year

ago. As a player that is still rookie-eligible, he remains eligible for this list. What a big league

debut he had in September, homering in each of his first three starts. He produced a solid

.282/.357/.458 line on the farm in 2016, mostly at Triple-A. A first baseman on defense where

scouts say he is adequate with the glove, there are rumblings the Orioles might take a look at him

in the outfield next spring.

6) Keegan Akin, LHP: In his first exposure to pro ball, Akin certainly did well. The club’s

second-round pick in June, he pitched to an ERA of 1.04 in nine games with Aberdeen and threw

20 scoreless innings to end his season. Baseball America rated him the No. 12 prospect in the

New York-Penn League. Akin’s fastball touched the mid 90s and he showed a plus slider. Some

scouts feel he could move faster than anyone in the Orioles’ 2016 draft class.

7) Austin Hays, OF: The Orioles were pretty excited to get Hays in the third round out of

Jacksonville University. He hit .336/.386./.514 in 140 Aberdeen at-bats. He missed time with a

sprained wrist but was healthy at the end of the year. Hays showed a solid package of tools with

an above average arm and speed.

8) Jomar Reyes, 3B: Reyes dropped from No. 4 to No. 8 after a sub-par year at Single-A

Frederick. There are scouts that feel he should not be ranked this high. But in his defense, he is

still young and learning and was the second-youngest player in the South Atlantic League in

2015 and the youngest in the Carolina League in 2016. Reyes hit just .230/.271/.337 and some

questioned his approach and ability to make adjustments. Reyes drew props from some of the

O’s brass for improvements he made and focus he seemed to show during instructional league.

9) Chris Lee, LHP: Lee ended the year dealing with a shoulder injury and didn’t pitch after May

23. He saw Dr. James Andrews in September was told not to throw for three months. The Orioles

expect him to be ready for spring training. Added to the 40-man last November, Lee is 9-2 with

an ERA of 3.02 in 15 games at Double-A in 2015-16. He is clearly on the radar and probably

would have been called up this season had he stayed healthy. Now he just needs a return to

health.

10) Tanner Scott, LHP: You can’t teach 100 mph and scouts say Scott would hit triple digits in

more than half of his games. We’ve heard he’s hit 102 mph and two members of the organization

told me they’ve seen 104 mph. But Scott walked 57 in 64 innings between Frederick and Bowie.

His slider made gains in quality. Now he needs the command to improve in addition to the ratio

of throwing quality strikes. If it does the O’s may have a bullpen power lefty. He should start at

Bowie next year and the last two years both Mychal Givens and Donnie Hart joined the

Baltimore bullpen directly from Bowie.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/10/a-look-at-two-of-the-most-improved-

players-on-the-os-farm.html

A look at two of the most improved players on the O’s farm

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 23, 2016

What a wild scene at Wrigley Field last night. And yes, 71 years is long enough. The Chicago

Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1945.

Now they look for their first world championship since 1908.

Between 1908 and 1945, the Cubs lost the World Series seven times. The Cleveland Indians, the

American League champs, have not won the World Series since 1948. The Indians will host the

Fall Classic opener on Tuesday night. If there is a Game 7, it would be played on Wednesday,

Nov. 2.

According to ESPN Stats and Info and Elias Sports, the combined years for both teams since

their last World Series title is 174 years, the most ever. The previous was 129 years when the

Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox played in 2005.

Now onto to an Orioles-related topic.

If the goal of the Orioles’ player development operation is to get players to improve and get

closer to the major leagues, then two players who fit that bill big time this season were

outfielder Cedric Mullins and reliever Jimmy Yacabonis.

Both had very solid years and showed promise for the future. And neither was a high draft pick.

In fact, both were 13th-round selections with Yacabonis drafted out of St. Joseph’s University in

2013 and Mullins out of Campbell University in 2015.

Listed at just 5-foot-8 and 175 lbs., Mullins was the leadoff batter and center fielder for Single-A

Delmarva. In 124 games, Mullins hit .273/.321/.464 with 37 doubles, 10 triples, 14 homers, 79

runs, 30 steals and 55 RBIs. Yep, he filled up the stat sheet.

Mullins, who turned 22 on Oct. 1, is a switch-hitter who posted better stats hitting lefty. Batting

left-handed, he hit .290 with an OPS of .831. Batting right-handed, he hit .217/.632.

Mullins got better as the year got longer. In the second half he hit .293/.335/.510 with an OPS of

.844. Over his last 10 games for the Shorebirds, he hit .419 with five doubles, three homers and

10 RBIs.

An above-average runner, Mullins showed a polished and impressive approach at the plate. As a

shorter player that was not a high draft pick, he’ll have to prove himself at each level on the

farm. But he sure had a solid 2016 season and we should see him at Single-A Frederick next

year.

The 24-year-old Yacabonis went 2-4 with a 2.64 ERA between Frederick and Double-A Bowie.

In 64 2/3 innings, he gave up 51 hits and 20 walks with 67 strikeouts. Like Mullins, he improved

during the year, to the point where his stats were better after he moved up to Bowie. There, he

posted an ERA of 2.03 with a 1.08 WHIP and 46 strikeouts over 44 1/3 innings.

Yacabonis has shown a plus fastball since his first day in the pro ranks. He pitched this year

between 93 and 95 mph, touching 97 mph with a solid slider and changeup. But he relied mostly

on his fastball, which showed good sink at times.

Yacabonis needs to be added to the Orioles’ 40-man roster next month to avoid being eligible for

the Rule 5 draft and the Orioles seem likely to add him.

Right now, he is pitching for Peoria in the Arizona Fall League. In five innings, he has allowed

three hits and one run with two walks, six strikeouts and a .167 average against.

While on the subject of minor league talent, the latest edition of the Orioles’ top 10 prospects

will be released tomorrow by Baseball America. Dylan Bundy, who was the O’s No. 1 prospect

per Baseball America at the end of every year from 2012-2015, no longer qualifies for the list.

So who will be the Orioles’ new No. 1 prospect when the list is released Monday?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/10/whats-next-for-wieters-will-the-pending-

free-agent-stay-an-oriole.html

What’s next for Wieters?

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

October 22, 2016

He was the Orioles’ first-round draft pick (taken No. 5 overall) in the 2007 draft. He has played

882 games in an Orioles uniform. But catcher Matt Wieters’ time as an Oriole could be over

now.

The club has to decide whether it will make the pending free agent a qualifying offer and/or

attempt to sign him to a new contract. Another option is to let Wieters leave via free agency and

sign with another team. Wieters holds the cards now. He can accept and/or turn down any offer

he chooses.

Wieters was extended a one-year qualifying offer last year, accepted it and played for $15.8

million in 2016. The qualifying offers are $17.2 million now. Any team extending one has to be

prepared to have a player accept it and play at that salary in 2017.

Is that too much for Wieters? The Orioles would get a draft pick if he received, but turned down,

the qualifying offer to hit the open market.

There have been rumblings that Wieters and agent Scott Boras are seeking a free agent deal

similar to those of two other American League East catchers. The Yankees signed Brian McCann

to a five-year deal worth $85 million after the 2013 season. The Blue Jays signed Russell Martin

to a five-year deal worth $82 million after 2014.

In a weak market for free agent catchers, can Wieters cash in that big this winter?

After Tommy John surgery in 2014, Wieters was limited to 75 games the next season, but he

played in 124 last year. He hit .243/.302/.409 with 17 homers, 66 RBIs and with an OPS of .711.

In July he was selected to the American League All-Star team for the fourth time.

Among catchers who played in at least half of the games this season in the American League,

Wieters ranked fourth in caught-stealing percentage:

48.1 - Salvador Perez, Kansas City

45.0 - James McCann, Detroit

37.5 - Carlos Perez, Los Angeles

34.8 - Matt Wieters, Orioles

He returned to full health in 2016. But will teams be willing to make a multi-year offer to a

catcher that will turn 31 next May?

Orioles fans have long debated Wieters’ ability to frame pitches and call pitches. Some of his

critics in the fanbase felt his defense was not solid the last few years, even though manager Buck

Showalter and O’s pitchers seem to swear by him.

If the Orioles do move on from Wieters, who catches next year? There was a time when the

position in the hands of Caleb Joseph would have looked just fine. But he is coming off an RBI-

less season. Catching prospect Chance Sisco is getting closer to the majors, but may not be ready

yet.

If the Orioles feel they need Wieters for another year it may come at a $17.2 million price tag.

Do they need him that badly?

http://insider.espn.com/blog/mlb/rumors/post/_/id/30054/mlb-rumor-central-dom-chiti-to-leave-

orioles

MLB Rumor Central: Dom Chiti to leave Orioles?

By Kyle Brasseur / ESPN.com

October 23, 2016

Having already bid farewell to pitching coach Dave Wallace this offseason, the Baltimore

Orioles could soon see another member of their coaching staff depart.

Dom Chiti, the O's bullpen coach for the last three seasons, could be moving on from his role

with the team, ESPN's Buster Olney reports.

Chiti began his coaching career in the Orioles' organization in 1982, where he spent nine seasons

serving as a minor-league pitching coach and a roving pitching instructor before joining

the Cleveland Indians in 1990.

In addition to potential uncertainty surrounding Chiti, the Orioles have yet to find a replacement

for Wallace.

http://insider.espn.com/blog/mlb/rumors/post/_/id/30096/mlb-rumor-central-chris-davis-to-

undergo-mri

MLB Rumor Central: Chris Davis to undergo MRI?

By Nick Ostiller / ESPN.com

October 23, 2016

Although Baltimore Orioles' first baseman Chris Davis never went on the disabled list in 2016,

he played through discomfort in his hand for most of the season.

According to Roch Kubatko of masnsports.com, the team has arranged an MRI for Davis just to

be certain that he won't need surgery this offseason.

"We did the X-rays and everything," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter two days after his

team lost in the American League wild-card game. "It’s just sometimes you’re in a sport where

you can’t give something time to get back to 100 percent, and I could say that about probably 10

or 15 guys.

"There’s so many things like that that are going on, you're always careful about telling truths that

hurt innocent people, and Chris wanted nobody to look at it as an excuse."

Davis still managed to swat 38 home runs, but they came at a cost as he struck out a career-high

219 times. Overall, the nine-year veteran slashed .221/.332/.459 with 84 RBI.

Other Orioles' injury notes:

Kubatko reports that outfielder Joey Rickard will not require surgery on his right thumb this

offseason. The former Rule 5 selection tore a ligament while crashing into the wall at Yankee

Stadium on July 20. Prior to the injury, Rickard was slashing .268/.319/.377 with five home runs

and 19 RBI through 85 games.

All-Star reliever Brad Brach underwent a minor surgery on Oct. 11 to repair a flap tear on the

meniscus in his left knee, per Kubatko. Baltimore Ravens team physician Dr. Leigh Ann Curl

performed the procedure, which Kubatko writes lasted less than half an hour. The right-hander

struck out 92, walked 25, posted a 2.05 ERA and compiled 24 holds in 79 innings out of the

Orioles' bullpen this season.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/cubs-win-means-orioles-move-world-series-

drought-list

Cubs' Win Means Orioles Move Up On World Series

Drought List

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 23, 2016

The end of the 71-year Cubs World Series drought certainly qualifies as big news. It was fun to

watch the fans at Wrigley Field and the Cubs bask in their triumph and sets up a World Series

between two teams that have won a Series in a combined 174 years.

Just a few months ago, the Cleveland Indians might have been vying for the sentimental

underdog role, but the Cavaliers’ winning of the NBA championship last June has made the Cubs

a clear favorite in the eyes of the U.S.

The Cubs’ win now moves the Washington Nationals, who started life as the Montreal Expos, to

the top of the no World Series list. The Expos, an expansion franchise in 1969, never reached the

Series, and the Nationals, despite excellent teams of late, haven’t either.

In second place is the Seattle Mariners, who began life in 1977. They won 116 games in 2001,

lost in the American League Championship Series, and haven’t been to the postseason since.

The Mariners have played in three ALCS’ while the Expos/Nationals franchise has played in

only one NLCS, in 1981.

Of the teams that have played in World Series, the original franchise that has gone the longest

without getting back is the Pittsburgh Pirates, who beat the Orioles in a stinging 1979 World

Series.

Many Orioles fans still cringe at listening to “We are Family” by Sister Sledge.

The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Orioles in a taut American League East race in 1982.

Who can ever forget the farewell to Earl Weaver after the final game at Memorial Stadium that

season?

Milwaukee went to the World Series that season, losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven

games.

The Brewers, who switched leagues in 1998, lost in the NLCS to the Cardinals in 2011, but

haven’t played in the Series as a National League team.

And believe it or not, the Orioles now have the fifth longest World Series drought.

Next season marks 34 years since a World Series was played in Baltimore.

Since then, the Orioles moved from Memorial Stadium to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and

have played in three American League Championship Series.

In the time since the Orioles won the World Series, 25 other teams have made it there including

four teams—Arizona, Colorado, Miami and Tampa Bay—that didn’t even exist then.

It’s a great argument for parity.

The Cubs are the team with the best record in baseball, and the Indians, came within one win of

equaling Texas for the best record in the American League. (Cleveland had a game rained out in

Detroit in the last week of the season that wasn’t made up.)

In recent years, the Red Sox and White Sox have broken long dry spells, and this year someone

else’s goes away while another stays on.

A World Series in Baltimore would be fun, and while fans may be frustrated that the three

postseason appearances in the last five years haven’t gotten the Orioles to the holy grail, the

franchise is in good hands, and should be a contender again in 2017.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/should-orioles-think-about-trading-brad-brach

Should The Orioles Think About Trading Brad Brach?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 22, 2016

The Orioles should trade Zach Britton and get a haul for him. That was the suggestion of one

reader when I wrote on Friday of the moves the team could potentially make this offseason.

When Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter held their year-end press briefing on Oct. 4, Duquette

was asked about the possibility of trading Britton or Manny Machado, both of whom could be

free agents two years from now.

“I haven’t thought about that that much, but that’s something we can think about for the

offseason,” Duquette said. “I like those guys on our ballclub, I like the work that they do and I

like watching them every day. One’s an MVP candidate and the other one’s a Cy Young Award

candidate. Those guys are tough to find and they’re young and they’re good and they play for the

Orioles. We like them on our ballclub.”

In Duquette’s five years with the Orioles, the team has been in contention each season, and he

has shown no inclination to trade attractive players who are nearing free agency.

Not even in 2015 when the Orioles were on the fringe of contention and they had some tradeable

assets who were about to become free agents: Wei-Yin Chen, Darren O’Day and Matt Wieters,

did they trade.

Instead of trying to move them, Duquette added another looming free agent, Gerardo Parra, to

the team.

Trading Britton after his historical season, could appear to some to be wise, but even though he’s

under club control for two more seasons, those will be expensive seasons, and there are many

clubs who would balk at paying a reliever—even one as excellent as Britton—the $11.4 million

that he could earn in arbitration, according to MLBTradeRumors.com.

If Britton has another good season, he could make perhaps $15 million in his final arbitration

year, and while some teams with large payrolls could afford that, how many teams have the type

of players that would make a deal like that attractive to the Orioles?

As good as the Orioles bullpen is, Britton is the key.

But, there’s another alternative to trading the best relief pitcher in baseball, and that’s trading

Brad Brach.

Brach is also two years away from free agency, and while he’s no Britton, some teams needing a

closer may think he could fit.

It’s highly unlikely that two years from now, the Orioles could afford a high priced bullpen that

includes O’Day, who is set to make $9 million in 2018 and 2019, Britton and Brach.

While Duquette has held onto his free agents, the Orioles don’t have many attractive veteran

players to trade, and Brach is perhaps the most attractive.

Brach was obtained three years ago from San Diego, where he struggled to establish himself as a

major leaguer. In one of Duquette’s best trades, the Orioles acquired Brach for minor league

pitcher Devin Jones, who did not play in 2016.

In his three seasons with the Orioles, Brach is 22-8 with a 2.61 ERA and last year had a 2.05

ERA and an All-Star selection.

Brach has three saves in the last two years, and in arbitration, he is estimated to bring home $2.9

million in 2017, far less than Britton’s number.

The three biggest reliever names expected to hit the market are Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen

and Mark Melancon. If the Kansas City Royals don’t exercise Wade Davis’ $10 million option,

he could be on the market, too.

Brach would also be far cheaper than any of those.

While a bullpen featuring Brach, Britton, O’Day, Mychal Givens and Donnie Hart would be

strong, Givens has pitched well enough to move into Brach’s role.

In his last 13 regular season appearances, Givens allowed just one run on six hits in 12 2/3

innings, striking out 16. In Brach’s last 13 appearances, he allowed eight runs—five earned—on

13 hits in 12 1/3 innings for a 3.65 ERA.

I’m not one to throw out fantasy trades, but it’s obvious the Orioles are looking for help in the

leadoff spot as well as fortifying catching.

If Brach, who underwent minor knee surgery earlier this month, can fetch the Orioles some help

at the top of the order, perhaps they should listen.

I’m not campaigning for the Orioles to trade Brach, but they’ve shown organizational ability to

develop relievers. In the past two seasons, they’ve brought both Givens and Hart up directly

from Double-A.

Showalter likes having relievers who are optionable, and moving Brach could open a spot for a

reliever who can be freely optioned.

Givens, Hart, Oliver Drake and Parker Bridwell all have options.

Keeping Brach isn’t a bad idea, but seeing what they could get for him seems to make a lot of

sense.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/baltimore-orioles/what-moves-can-return-orioles-postseason-

2017

What Moves Can Return The Orioles To Postseason In

2017?

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

October 21, 2016

In 2017, the Orioles will try to accomplish something they haven’t done in 20 years, play in the

postseason in consecutive seasons.

While the Orioles have the most wins in the American League over the past five seasons (444),

they played in the postseason in 2012, 2014 and 2016, but didn’t in 2013 and 2015.

Before each of the postseason years, the Orioles made key moves, whether it was in the

traditional offseason months or at the beginning of spring training. In the years they didn’t

qualify, their postseasons weren’t terribly active at all.

When Dan Duquette took over nearly five years ago, his first offseason included the signing of

Wei-Yin Chen, trading Jeremy Guthrie for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom as well as

drafting Ryan Flaherty.

He made some other moves during spring training and during the season, signing Miguel

Gonzalez and Nate McLouth that became huge successes.

Following the 2012 season, the Orioles had a young and inexpensive team, and their only major

moves were nontendering Mark Reynolds and re-signing McLouth.

The Orioles won 86 games in 2013, but finished out of the playoffs.

While Duquette was heavily criticized for inaction during the winter, he saw two players, Nelson

Cruz and Ubaldo Jimenez that offered good values, and he signed them early in spring training.

A trip to the American League Championship Series followed.

In the offseason that followed, Duquette was rumored to be the next president of the Toronto

Blue Jays, and the Orioles quickly lost Cruz, Nick Markakis and Andrew Miller with no suitable

replacements. A .500 season followed.

Last season featured Duquette making moves early and often—securing Matt Wieters for another

year after he accepted a qualifying offer, trading for Mark Trumbo, signing Hyun Soo Kim, and

re-signing Darren O’Day and Chris Davis.

In spring training, Yovani Gallardo and Pedro Alvarez were added.

This offseason, the Orioles don’t seem to have as many holes as they did a year ago, but for one

of them, they must decide quickly what they’re going to do.

Wieters is again a free agent, and the Orioles must decide whether they’re going to seriously

pursue him, or if he leaves whether they’ll fill the catching vacancy internally or externally.

There won’t be many quality catchers on the market, and the Orioles should move expeditiously

to either sign or trade for someone who could start in 2017.

They could decide they think a combination of Chance Sisco and Caleb Joseph can handle the

job, but that decision must not linger.

The Orioles must improve their depth so that manager Buck Showalter feels comfortable in

resting Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Jonathan Schoop.

While the Orioles may try and re-sign Wieters and Mark Trumbo, they won’t be chasing after

big ticket free agents early in free agency.

There are few quality pitchers on the prospective market, but there are some quality hitters

including Alvarez, Trumbo, Jose Bautista, Carlos Beltran, Yoenis Cespedes, Ian Desmond,

Edwin Encarnacion, Dexter Fowler, Kendrys Morales, Mitch Moreland, Colby Rasmus, Josh

Reddick and Michael Saunders.

It’s not Duquette’s way to try and outbid other teams, but there are so many good hitters that

perhaps one or two of these names, or ones from the second tier fall into the Orioles’ price

range.

In order to improve their depth, the Orioles will likely again be active in the Rule 5 draft, but

unless they move a pitcher or two from their current crop, it seems unlikely they can be flexible

enough to keep a drafted pitcher on hand.

In 2015, the Orioles drafted Jason Garcia and Logan Verrett. They ended up keeping Garcia and

sending Verrett back to the Mets.

Having Garcia on the staff complicated manager Buck Showalter’s use of the bullpen, and he

was sent to Bowie to start in 2016, but didn’t raise many eyebrows.

Joey Rickard, the outfielder drafted last December, proved to be a useful addition who filled in

for Jones and platooned with Kim before he was hurt.

If the Orioles find a pitcher they like they’d have to include him on a prospective staff that

already includes starters Gallardo, Jimenez, Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman, Wade Miley and

Chris Tillman as well as relievers Brad Brach, Zach Britton, Mychal Givens, Donnie Hart, and

Darren O’Day.

It’s more likely that a Rule 5 pick would be a position player.

While the early part of the offseason may include a series of smaller moves with bigger ones

waiting for the market to settle, fans will undoubtedly criticize what they see as Duquette’s

seeming lack of action.

They shouldn’t because in the end if he has a decent start to free agency, he usually has a strong

finish—and so do the Orioles.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/10/21/2016-orioles-roster-review-part-two-the-

replaceable-position-players

2016 Orioles Roster Review, Part Two: The Replaceable

Position Players

By Paul Folkemer / PressBoxOnline.com

October 21, 2016

Welcome back to the 2016 Orioles roster review, which analyzes every player who made an

appearance for the Birds this season. Part One covered the the barely there Orioles who played

10 or fewer games. Now we'll take a look at the Orioles position players who got some playing

time but didn't contribute much -- or in some cases, actively harmed -- the club.

C Caleb Joseph: It's hard to think of an Oriole in recent memory who had a more painful season

than Joseph, both physically and statistically. Joseph suffered a truly horrific testicular injury

May 30 that required emergency surgery and sidelined him for a month. When he was on the

field, Joseph was making history for all the wrong reasons. He went the entire year -- 141 plate

appearances -- without collecting a single RBI, becoming the first player in major league history

to post an RBI-less season with 100 or more at-bats. Joseph batted .174 with a .413 OPS overall

and was 2-for-27 with runners in scoring position.

Joseph's record-setting poor performance at the plate earns him the dubious honor of least

productive Oriole of 2016. On a more positive note, he's back in full health and figures to remain

with the Birds in 2017, where he'll get a crack at notching that elusive RBI.

OF Nolan Reimold: Let's start with the good news: at age 32, Reimold spent a full, healthy

season in the major leagues for the first time during his career. The bad news is that he didn't do

much to earn it. Reimold served little use as a bench player either offensively or defensively; he

was meant to be a platoon bat against left-handers, but couldn't hit them (a .183 average and .565

OPS against southpaws), and he was used as a defensive replacement but wasn't good with the

leather.

The Wild Card game in Toronto Oct. 4 perfectly encapsulated Reimold's season. He pinch-hit in

the top of the 11th and struck out on three pitches, then mishandled a single in the bottom of the

inning that allowed the winning run to get to third base. It's likely that was his final game as an

Oriole.

OF Joey Rickard: Rickard became a fan favorite early on, winning a starting outfield spot with

a hot spring as a Rule 5 pick, then batting .350 during his first 14 regular-season games. Rickard,

though, ultimately suffered some growing pains during his rookie year, batting .268 with a .696

OPS during 85 games and looking shaky in the field, often taking bad routes to fly balls. Rickard

suffered a thumb injury July 20 that brought his season to a premature end.

OF Drew Stubbs: With Rickard out for the year and Reimold struggling, the O's attempted to

fill the right-handed outfielder void by claiming Stubbs on waivers Aug. 31, but he only added

gasoline to the fire. Stubbs went 3-for-22 and failed to impress with his speed or defense. Don't

look for him to return to Baltimore. His next team will be his eighth stop during a six-year span.

C Francisco Pena: The highlight of Pena's season was his Orioles debut June 2, when he hit his

first major league home run. After that game, though, he went 6-for-36 with one RBI. He spent

the entire month of September on the Orioles' roster but played only two innings during that

span.

IF Paul Janish: The O's didn't seem to know what to do with Janish. Although he's known as a

stellar defensive shortstop, he started only one game at the position in 2016, instead sliding to

third base with Manny Machado at short while J.J. Hardy was on the disabled list in May and

June. The O's recalled Janish again Sept. 15 but didn't put him in a game, and they designated

him for assignment three days after the season ended.

IF Ryan Flaherty: Flaherty has served as the Orioles' primary utility infielder since 2012, but

his offensive production -- which was never strong to begin with -- has declined every year since

2013. This season, Flaherty posted a career-worst .610 OPS during a career-low 74 games.

Defensively, Flaherty was as versatile as always, playing every position except catcher and

center field, and even making a pitching appearance Aug. 20. But that versatility might not be

enough to save the arbitration-eligible Flaherty from getting non-tendered this winter.

IF/OF Steve Pearce: Perhaps "OF" should be in quotation marks in that description of Pearce,

because it turned out he wasn't suited to play the outfield at all. The Orioles re-acquired the

popular Pearce from Tampa Bay at the Aug. 1 trade deadline knowing he had a forearm injury

that had restricted him to infield duties for the Rays, yet the O's tried him in the outfield anyway.

He promptly hurt his forearm trying to make a throw from right field during his third game with

the club Aug. 7. Pearce tried to battle through the injury and played 25 games for the Birds --

batting .217 with a .729 OPS -- before he was shut down with a right flexor mass strain. It

certainly wasn't the reunion the O's had hoped for with Pearce.

OF Michael Bourn: A much more successful trade-deadline acquisition was Bourn, whom the

O's acquired Aug. 31 from Arizona. Bourn was a spark plug during 24 games, providing speed

on the bases and a quality glove in the outfield, so much so that he earned more frequent starts

down the stretch for the Orioles. Unfortunately, Bourn's season ended on a sour note. During the

Wild Card game, he failed to catch a fifth-inning fly ball that allowed the Jays to tie the game,

which they eventually won.

Part three of the series will continue to focus on the non-productive members of the 2016

Orioles, this time on the pitching side.

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/10/21/orioles-still-in-midst-of-long-world-series-drought

Orioles Still In Midst Of Long World Series Drought

By Stan Charles / PressBoxOnline.com

October 21, 2016

From 1966-1983 (a 17-year stretch), the Baltimore Orioles didn't just seem to be the sport's best

franchise, they were -- appearing in five World Series, winning one during each of the 1960s,

70s and 80s.

Anecdotally and ironically, I can now even confess to a certain level of on-air arrogance

regarding the Orioles' position in baseball compared to the lowly Cleveland Indians circa 1985.

Night after night during my WFBR radio postgame talk show, whenever I'd give the scores and

the Indians were 20 games out of first place by mid-June, I can remember saying, "And the

Indians lose to the Royals, 6-2. ... Can you imagine what it must be like to be 20 games out of

first by the middle of June? The Indians haven't been to a World Series since they lost to the

Giants in 1954, when Willie Mays robbed Vic Wertz. … That's more than 30 years, and with no

hope of anything anytime soon."

Well, as we know, the Indians became a pretty damned good baseball team starting in the early

1990s. In fact, they made it to two World Series during a three-season span, losing in six games

to the Atlanta Braves in 1995 and seven games to the then-Florida Marlins in 1997, blowing a 2-

1 lead in the ninth inning of Game 7 in Miami with the seemingly unhittable Jose Mesa on the

mound.

So the Indians have not won a World Series since 1948, a drought sitting at 67 years and running

Should the Chicago Cubs win their National League Championship Series against the Los

Angeles Dodgers, the 2016 World Series would pit the teams with the longest droughts in the

sport against each other.

Of course, everyone knows the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, a breathtaking

drought of 107 years. The Dodgers, who have quite a postseason history, have not been back to

the World Series since they last won in 1988 -- the year of Kirk Gibson's famous Game 1-

winning home run off Athletics' closer Dennis Eckersley. That drought is good for 27 years and

earns the Dodgers the 13th-longest World Series drought in Major League Baseball.

But to circle back to the hometown nine and this concept of droughts -- it's now unimaginable

Ronald Reagan was President of the United States when Baltimore last celebrated both being in a

World Series and winning one in 1983.

Right now, the Orioles have the 10th-longest streak, at 32 seasons and counting, since their last

World Series appearance.

How confident are you that, despite all the great work of executive vice president of baseball

operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, the 32-season drought is on the precipice

of ending?

As bad as the Orioles' 32-season drought is, how about teams No. 3-8 on this list? Those six

teams have never won a World Series since their franchise's creation. They are the Texas

Rangers (55 seasons), Houston Astros (54), Milwaukee Brewers (47), San Diego Padres (47)

Washington Nationals (47) and Seattle Mariners (39).

Interestingly, two storied franchises, the No. 9 Pittsburgh Pirates (at 36 years, not since beating

the O's during 1979) and the No. 11 Tigers (31 years), both sandwich the Orioles in the 10 spot.

Whoever wins the 2016 World Series will put a lengthy drought to bed. America loves the story

of an underdog, and there is no question that if you are going with emotions and rooting for the

underdog, ironically, the favored Cubs are probably your dog in this fight.

For me, as the clock ticks on, I am more concerned with when the Orioles will at least get the

chance to give Baltimore what it hasn't had through more than three decades -- a world

championship in baseball.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/22/orioles-staffer-remembered-at-breathe-deep-baltimore-

lung-cancer-walk/

Orioles Staffer Remembered At Breathe Deep Baltimore

Lung Cancer Walk

CBS Baltimore

October 22, 2016

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — The Orioles teamed up with the LUNGevity Foundation to fight lung

cancer, and honor one of their own. Hundreds participated in the event at Camden Yards on

Saturday morning.

The LUNGevity Foundation hosts walks all over the country, and this is the ninth annual Breathe

Deep Walk in Baltimore.

Hundreds came out to Camden Yards to raise awareness and funds, including survivors and

those who lost loved ones to the disease, working together to fight lung cancer.

The Orioles hosting the event also in memory of their late public relations director Monica

Barlow, who lost her life to lung cancer in 2014.

“Since she has been gone, its a way for me to both remember her and also trying to make sure as

few people have to go through what me and her family had to go through,” said Monica’s

husband Ben Barlow, who’s walking in memory of his wife.

Ben Barlow leads Team Barlow, one of the largest fundraising teams for the Baltimore walk.

“We hope the day comes when lung cancer and other cancers are just a chronic disease we have

to deal with and not something that takes our loved ones,” said Barlow.

LUNGevity’s walks continue to grow larger every year. Over the last nine years, Breathe Deep

Baltimore has raised more than half a million dollars for lung cancer research.

“I just celebrated five years as a survivor,” said lung cancer survivor Keith Humphries.

This year’s walk had 11 survivors participate, and they were all joined by their family and

friends.

“You can’t do this by yourself, you have to have a support group, they have motivated me and

given me strength,” said Humphries.

The LUNGevity Foundation will be hosting another walk in Washington, DC in November.

To find out more information about the event and other events, or to donate CLICK HERE.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/21/a-major-league-victory-for-oriole-park-at-camden-

yards/

A Major League Victory for Oriole Park at Camden Yards

By Devin Bartolotta / CBS Baltimore

October 21, 2016

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — It’s not the World Series, but a major victory for the Baltimore Orioles.

The experience at Oriole Park has been named the best in the country for the third year in a

row. Stadium Journey has been ranking MLB parks for years, and once again, they’ve decided

Baltimore does baseball best.

“We think that’s tremendous,” said Greg Bader, Orioles vice president of communications and

marketing.

Bader says Baltimore has set the bar.

“We say that Camden Yards is the park that forever changed baseball. And as we go into the

25th anniversary season next year, we’re really looking forward to celebrating the impact that

this stadium has had across the nation,” said Bader.

Fans agree — when it comes to baseball, Camden Yards is king.

“They were the leading architects, and the entire baseball country followed suit,” said one fan.

“The stadium brings about a warmth that feels like people are coming together,” another said.

Stadium Journey staff ranked all 30 MLB parks on seven criteria. Camden Yards won them over

with concessions, affordability and the location — close to the Inner Harbor, but embracing

historic B&O Railroad architecture.

Overall, “The Yard” is the number one fan experience in the country.

“You go in there and you automatically feel like you’re in a ballpark, you’re not in a huge

commercialized stadium venue,” one O’s fan said.

“People in Baltimore are winners, and the Orioles make us feel like winners.” said another.

A third home run win for a ballpark whose hometown couldn’t be more proud.

In January, Stadium Journey will come out with its best overall facility in all of professional

sports. Camden Yards has won that award the last two years.

St. Louis and Pittsburgh took second and third place for best ballparks this year.

http://www.baltimoremagazine.net/2016/10/21/adam-jones-poses-as-substitute-teacher-to-

surprise-kids

Adam Jones Poses as Substitute Teacher to Surprise Kids And other top news from Baltimore sports this week.

By Jess Mayhugh / Baltimore Magazine

October 21, 2016

In what has to the cutest Bank of America commercial ever, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones

goes undercover. Sporting some seriously thick, retro glasses and a shabby suit and tie, Jones

poses as substitute teacher Herbert Garfield at the SEED School of Maryland.

After trying to get the class under control, Mr. Garfield gets a package from his "other job" and,

as he opened the Jones jersey, all the kids in the class slowly started to realize who was standing

in front of them. A second surprise came when he took the whole class to an Orioles game later

that night and the ad really pulls on the heart strings by showing the genuine excitement and

wonder on the kids' faces. Nice work, Herbert, Adam, and BofA.