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 2012, 1996

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Game stories:

Orioles highlights: Miguel Gonzalez bounces back in 5-1 loss to Red Sox The Sun 3/8

Gonzalez turns in better outing in 2nd spring start MLB.com 3/8

Miguel Gonzalez shows improvement in second start (O's lose 5-1) MASNsports.com 3/8

Gonzalez stronger as O's remain winless in spring training AP 3/8

Columns:

With Orioles' pending addition of another masher in Pedro Alvarez, opposing pitchers

'don't get a break' The Sun 3/8

Yovani Gallardo to make Orioles spring debut Wednesday The Sun 3/8

Orioles postgame notes: Matt Wieters' arm looks strong; Chris Lee pulled abruptly The

Sun 3/8

Chapter 2: The American fastball and all those Xu Guiyuan broken bats The Sun 3/8

Schmuck: Orioles have 161 million reasons to keep Chris Davis at first base The Sun 3/8

Orioles players excited about the addition of Pedro Alvarez The Sun 3/8

Davis still O's first baseman with Alvarez move MLB.com 3/8

Potential addition of Alvarez has O's pumped MLB.com 3/8

X-rays clean on McFarland's throwing elbow MLB.com 3/8

Orioles and Phillies lineups (and McFarland update) MASNsports.com 3/9

More thoughts on Pedro Alvarez and his impact on the roster MASNsports.com 3/9

Wrapping up a 5-1 loss MASNsports.com 3/8

More morning notes before today's game MASNsports.com 3/8

Player reaction to Pedro Alvarez MASNsports.com 3/8

X-rays on McFarland's elbow come back clean (and other injury updates)

MASNsports.com 3/8

Orioles lineup vs. Red Sox MASNsports.com 3/8

Talking home runs and spring training records MASNsports.com 3/9

A few notes and stats after the Orioles' agreement with Pedro Alvarez MASNsports.com

3/8

How many home runs will the Orioles hit if all the Orioles hit home runs? ESPN.com 3/8

Pedro Alvarez gives Orioles another lefty bat, muddies OF picture ESPN.com 3/8

Orioles send Gallardo to the mound to try for first win CSN Mid-Atlantic 3/9

Orioles waiting on Alvarez as spring losing rolls on CSN Mid-Atlantic 3/8

McFarland gets good news from elbow x-ray CSN Mid-Atlantic 3/8

Showalter already preparing for Alvarez's arrival CSN Mid-Atlantic 3/8

Orioles think Alvarez can add punch to lineup CSN Mid-Atlantic 3/8

Video: Manny Machado is already in regular season form NBCsports.com 3/8

Power-packed Orioles are going to hit a TON of homers NBCsports.com 3/8

Being Paid to Play Basketball, Pat Connaughton Is Dreaming of Diamonds NY Times 3/8

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-highlights-miguel-gonzalez-

bounces-back-in-51-loss-to-red-sox-20160308-story.html

Orioles highlights: Miguel Gonzalez bounces back in 5-1 loss

to Red Sox

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez bounced back from a difficult spring debut, pitching a solid 2 2/3

innings Tuesday in the Orioles’ 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox before a sellout crowd of 7,894 at

Ed Smith Stadium.

So, the Orioles had that going for them, but they remain the only winless team in the major

leagues. The exhibition loss was their eighth in a row.

Gonzalez allowed a long solo home run to Brock Holt with one out in the first inning, but settled

down to allow just two more hits before giving way to reliever Andy Oliver. Gonzalez seemed

satisfied with the effort, which was much in contrast to his first start, in which he allowed

seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings.

“After the first inning, settled down, got the ball down, did what I had to do," he said. “I got my

work done. That’s what matters.”

This is the time of year to work on specific pitches, and Gonzalez said he was in command of

three of them.

“My fastball command was better at the end," he said. “My splitter was there. I threw a couple

good sliders. I haven’t been throwing them as much. So, it’s all good.”

O’s offense still stuck in neutral

The Orioles continue to struggle offensively. They didn’t get on the board until the fourth inning,

when J.J. Hardy led off with a triple and scored on a one-out bouncer to second by Rule 5 draftee

Joey Rickard.

Through nine exhibition games, they have scored a total of 30 runs, or an average of 3.33 per

game.

Trumbo stays hot

Mark Trumbo, who is playing in Florida’s Grapefruit League for the first time, has not had any

trouble getting comfortable at the plate this spring. He had two more hits Tuesday to raise his

spring average to .400 (6-for-15), but he’s not the hottest hitter on the Orioles roster.

O’s on the leader sheet

In spite of the club’s offensive malaise,Ryan Flaherty came into the day leading the majors with

a .583 batting average and .688 on-base percentage and tied for the first with seven hits. He went

0-for-1 with a walk Tuesday.

First base prospect Christian Walker also was prominent on the leader sheet entering the game,

leading American League hitters in slugging percentage (.917), tied for second in runs (four) and

tied for fourth in RBIs (six) and total bases (11).Nolan Reimold was tied for third in the AL with

two stolen bases.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/166634520/brock-holt-home-run-leads-red-sox-to-win

Gonzalez turns in better outing in 2nd spring start

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. -- For the second time in three days, the Red Sox topped the Orioles, this time

a 5-1 contest on Tuesday at Ed Smith Stadium.

Brock Holt put Boston on the board, driving O's starter Miguel Gonzalez's 3-1 pitch over the

fence for a first-inning solo homer. That was the only run allowed by Gonzalez, who went 2 2/3

innings and fared much better than in his first Grapefruit League start.

"My fastball command was better toward the end and my splittie was there," Gonzalez said of

the 46-pitch outing. "Threw a couple good sliders. I haven't been throwing them as much. This is

the first time out, I've been throwing them. I felt good overall."

Gonzalez gave up three hits and a walk and recorded a strikeout before leaving.

Red Sox starter Roenis Elias tossed two scoreless innings. The lefty allowed four hits and a walk

and struck out two.

The Red Sox loaded the bases in the fourth and sixth innings, off setup man Darren O'Day

and Odrisamer Despaigne, to add another pair of runs.

Boston catcher Christian Vazquez made his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He

played two innings.

"That was my goal, to get back to the field and do my thing, do my catching things," said

Vazquez. "I'm happy. I'm excited. It's a long year to get back, but I'm here."

The Orioles scored on J.J. Hardy's fourth-inning leadoff triple and Rule 5 Draft pick Joey

Rickard's groundout off Red Sox reliever Brian Johnson.

Baltimore is winless in nine games this spring.

Up next for the Red Sox: Right-hander Joe Kelly will start Wednesday afternoon's 1:05 p.m. ET

game against the Pirates in Bradenton, Fla. The game can be seen on MLB.TV. Carson

Smith will pitch out of the bullpen. Pablo Sandoval, Rusney Castillo and Blake Swihart will be

in the lineup.

Up next for the Orioles: Baltimore will travel to Clearwater, Fla. to take on the Phillies as

Yovani Gallardo makes his Grapefruit League debut. Gallardo, signed to a two-year deal with an

option, will faced right-hander Jeremy Hellickson in the 1:05 p.m. ET matchup. The game can be

seen on MLB.TV.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/miguel-gonzalez-shows-improvement-in-

second-start.html

Miguel Gonzalez shows improvement in second start (O's

lose 5-1)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

ORIOLES QUICK WRAP

Score: Red Sox 5, Orioles 1

Recap: Miguel Gonzalez allowed one run and three hits in 2 2/3 innings before reaching his

pitch limit. Brock Holt, the second batter of the game, homered off Gonzalez. Darren O'Day

gave up one run in the fourth after Boston loaded the bases with no outs. Nolan Reimold doubled

to lead off the bottom of the first. Manny Machado and Mark Trumbo singled in the third. J.J.

Hardy singled and tripled in his first two at-bats, and he scored on Joey Rickard's grounder in the

fourth. Trumbo singled twice. Odrisamer Despaigne gave up a run in the sixth on two hits and a

hit batter. Todd Redmond allowed a run in the seventh. Dale Thayer gave up a run in the ninth.

Need to know: Gonzalez threw 46 pitches, 30 for strikes. The Orioles used an infield shift

against Travis Shaw and David Murphy, with Jonathan Schoop moving into shallow right field.

Machado made a sensational diving stop and throw from his knees to rob Chris Young and hold

Mookie Betts at third. Hardy singled, Schoop reached on an infield hit and Rickard singled in the

second to load the bases with two outs, but Reimold struck out with the count full. Matt Wieters,

catching in back-to-back games, threw out Shaw trying to steal. Despaigne has been charged

with five runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings this spring. Today's attendance: 7,894, the second

sellout of the spring. The Orioles are 0-8-1.

On deck: Wednesday, vs. Phillies in Clearwater, 1:05 p.m.

SARASOTA, Fla. - If Miguel Gonzalez was searching for improvement after his first spring

start, he found it today against the Red Sox.

Gonzalez allowed one run and three hits in 2 2/3 innings, with one walk and one strikeout. He

threw 46 pitches, 30 for strikes.

Reaching his pitch limit, Gonzalez left the game after Chris Young fouled out to catcher Matt

Wieters. Brock Holt struck out looking to open the inning.

Gonzalez's debut against the Rays didn't go smoothly, to say the least. He was charged with

seven runs and eight hits in 1 1/3 innings in Port Charlotte, though he was kind enough to

provide an injury update on Jimmy Paredes.

Holt homered with one out in the top of the first inning to give Boston a 1-0 lead. Young

followed with a single, but Travis Shaw popped up and David Murphy grounded into a force

against the shift.

Gonzalez threw 23 pitches, 15 for strikes in the first.

Gonzalez fell into a jam in the second after a leadoff single by Allen Craig and walk to Jackie

Bradley Jr. Deven Marrero bounced into a force on the next pitch, Christian Vazquez bounced to

the mound and Mookie Betts grounded to short.

In the second, Gonzalez threw 10 of his 16 pitches for strikes.

Back out for the third, Gonzalez got two outs on seven pitches and headed to the dugout. Andy

Oliver replaced him and allowed a single to Shaw, who was thrown out trying to steal second

base.

Wieters, catching on back-to-back days, fired a perfect strike to cut down Shaw. Nothing wrong

with that arm.

Ubaldo Jimenez remains the only Orioles starter to complete three innings.

Nolan Reimold poked a double down the right field line on the first pitch from Red Sox left-

hander Roenis Elias. Chris Davis walked with one out, but Adam Jones grounded into a 4-6-3

double play.

The Orioles loaded the bases with two outs in the second on singles by J.J. Hardy, Jonathan

Schoop and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard. Reimold ran the count full, but he struck out swinging.

Rickard continues to impress the Orioles and I continue to insist that his chances of breaking

camp with the team are improving. He's a plus defender who can be used as a late-inning

replacement and he brings much-needed speed.

Update: The Red Sox loaded the bases against Darren O'Day with no outs in the fourth and

settled for one run on a double play. The Orioles got the run back in the bottom half on Hardy's

leadoff triple and Rickard's grounder.

Red Sox 2, Orioles 1.

Gonzalez met with reporters outside the clubhouse and appeared to be satisfied with his outing.

"I kept the ball down. We did what we had to do. Got my work in. That's what matters,"

Gonzalez said.

"My fastball command was better toward the end and my splitty was there. Threw a couple good

sliders. I haven't been throwing them as much. This is the first time out I've been throwing them.

I felt good overall."

Gonzalez had a bounceback start that the Orioles hope leads to a bounceback season.

"Mentally, when things aren't going well, you just put yourself down," he said. "You've just got

to get up and put your head down and work hard. Wiety (Matt Wieters), great job back there like

always. Our defense played good."

Gonzalez didn't have much to say about Pedro Alvarez.

"Anyone's more than welcome on our team," he said. "We'll make him feel welcome. It's going

to be a good thing."

Update II: The Red Sox increased their lead to 3-1 in the sixth after Odrisamer Despaigne

loaded the bases with one out on a double, single and hit batter. Todd Redmond gave up a run in

the seventh.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=360308101

Gonzalez stronger as O's remain winless in spring training

Associated Press / ESPN.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Miguel Gonzalez pitched into the third inning as he rebounded from a

horrible first start, but the Baltimore Orioles dropped to 0-8-1 in the exhibition season with a 5-1

loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday.

Gonzalez opened by allowing seven runs and eight hits in 1 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay. This

time he gave up a first-inning home run to Brock Holt. Overall, he gave up three hits, walked one

and struck out one.

He tried to forget about last week's start.

"Of course, mentally when things are not going well you just put yourself down. You just got to

get up and put your head down and work hard," Gonzalez said.

Roenis Elias pitched two scoreless innings for Boston, allowing four hits.

J.J. Hardy tripled in the fourth and scored on Joey Rickard's infield out, the only run for

Baltimore, the major leagues' only winless team during spring training.

The Orioles had 12 hits and stranded 13 runners.

STARTING TIME:

Red Sox: Elias, who could start the season in either the bullpen or with Triple-A Pawtucket,

struck out Nolan Reimold with the bases loaded to end the second.

Orioles: Gonzalez has allowed eight runs and 11 hits in four innings.

TRAINER'S ROOM:

Red Sox: C Christian Vazquez caught two innings for the first time since last year's Tommy

John surgery on his right elbow.

Manager John Farrell says he expects Vazquez to catch three innings on Friday when Boston

plays Toronto.

"I wish we could say we've got the next two months blocked out when we know he's going to

catch, but we're taking (an) optimistic, yet cautious approach to how he comes out of each and

every game," Farrell said.

RHP Michael Kopech, Boston's first-round pick in the 2014 amateur draft, broke his right hand

in an altercation with his roommate earlier this month general manager Dan Hazen said.

Orioles: LHP T.J. McFarland, who left Sunday's game with a tender left elbow, received good

news on his X-ray. Nothing alarming was found, and he hopes to return shortly.

INF Ozzie Martinez was in the clubhouse, two days after colliding with INF Garabez Rosa in

Sunday's game. Martinez said the collision occurred when Rosa failed to call him off a grounder

up the middle. He's not sure when he'll return.

INF Ryan Flaherty won't play at Philadelphia on Wednesday because of medical testing.

LHP Chris Lee was removed from the game because manager Buck Showalter noticed he wasn't

his prescribed protective goggles.

UP NEXT:

Red Sox: Play at Pittsburgh. Joe Kelly starts against Ryan Vogelsong in a matchup of right-

handers.

Orioles: RHP Yovani Gallardo pitches for the first time for Baltimore on Wednesday when they

play at Philadelphia. RHP Jeremy Hellickson starts for the Phillies.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-va-sp-orioles-spring-training-0309-20160308-

story.html

With Orioles' pending addition of another masher in Pedro

Alvarez, opposing pitchers 'don't get a break'

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

The pending addition of slugger Pedro Alvarez adds another 30-home run bat to theOrioles'

power-packed lineup, but it also creates a logjam at the designated hitter spot that the club will

have to maneuver around this season.

Alvarez — who agreed to terms on a one-year, $5.75 million deal with the Orioles on Monday

night — must still pass a club physical before the deal becomes official. He was scheduled to fly

into Sarasota from his home in Nashville on Tuesday afternoon.

When the Orioles' late attempts to sign a corner outfielder failed — their pursuit of outfielder

Dexter Fowler proved unsuccessful last month when he returned to the Chicago Cubs and

outfielder Austin Jackson turned down more money to sign with the Chicago White Sox this past

weekend — the club turned to the best available power hitter on the market.

With Alvarez, the Orioles now have six hitters in their lineup who have hit at least 30 homers in

a season.

"We have great hitters here," said Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, who hit a career-high

35 homers last year. "He's another 30-homer guy. I think everybody in this lineup could possibly

hit 30. I think this guy right next to me [second baseman Jonathan Schoop] is on the verge of

hitting 30, so one through nine, we're going to be stacked up."

The left-handed-hitting Alvarez, who hit .243/.318/.469 with 27 homers and 77 RBIs last season

with the Pittsburgh Pirates, averaged nearly 28 homers over the past four seasons. He also

averaged 152 strikeouts a year over that span. In 2013, he led the NL in both homers (36) and

strikeouts (186).

Alvarez was a third baseman for most of his career — he led the National League in errors

playing there from 2012-14 — and then moved to first base last year and led all NL first

baseman with 23 errors.

But the Orioles signed Alvarez to join their group of mashers. They're not paying him to play

defense. They're paying him to launch balls onto the right field flag court at Camden Yards.

"I think the guys are going to hit," said Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who pitched

against Alvarez in the NL Central. "You look at one through nine, the kind of lineup we have, it's

not easy [to face]. You don't get a break as a starting pitcher. … Now adding Alvarez, any one of

those guys can hit for power, hit for average, hit the ball the other way and just play the game. I

think it's going to benefit us and this club."

"He's a dangerous hitter," Gallardo added of Alvarez. "He's the kind of guy who can do some

damage no matter what the situation, no matter where in the lineup he hits. He's got great power

and I think he's going to do great. I think he's going to fit into this clubhouse and it's exciting."

The Orioles were interested in Alvarez since early this offseason when it became clear the

Pirates –— faced with hefty arbitration raises — were considering not tendering a contract to

Alvarez because he was projected to make around $8 million in his final year of arbitration

eligibility. Unable to trade Alvarez, the Pirates non-tendered him, making him a free agent.

He sat on the free-agent market all offseason, receiving lukewarm interest. The Orioles —

because of their hitter-friendly ballpark and since they didn't need him to contribute defensively

— seemed to be the best fit all along.

"He's a powerful bat, as big as there is in the game," said Orioles utility man Ryan Flaherty, who

has been a close friend of Alvarez's since their days as college teammates at Vanderbilt. "I think

a lot of the things he does is what this team's had success the last four years or so. He can

definitely help."

The player most affected by the Alvarez signing is Mark Trumbo, who now projects to be the

team's starting right fielder on most days. The Orioles are taking a long look at Trumbo in right

— he is regarded as a below-average defender there, with a strong arm but questionable range —

but he was also slated get a large slice of the designated hitter at-bats before the team agreed to

terms with Alvarez.

Trumbo made a career-high 70 starts in right field last season with the Arizona

Diamondbacks and Seattle Mariners. He ranked 21st among qualifying major league right

fielders in defensive runs saved, according to The Fielding Bible.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said that the fact that Trumbo was doing extra work in the

outfield on Tuesday morning with outfield coach Wayne Kirby was little more than coincidence,

but it was a sure sign of the effect of the Alvarez signing at work.

"[Trumbo] was out there with Kirb today at 8:30 in the morning while we were all having Corn

Flakes," Showalter said. "He's been doing that, preparing for all the possibilities. We knew a

possible addition might come and we didn't want to wait until the end. We've been doing it since

the day he got here. Whether it's right field, first base or left field, we'll continue to get looks. We

haven't done a whole lot in the games in left field, but we've done stuff on the back fields."

Chris Davis has also made 57 career starts in right field, including 29 starts there in 2015, but

Showalter said Tuesday that Davis — who received the largest contract in franchise history, a

seven-year, $161 million deal — will remain the team's primary first baseman. First base is

Trumbo's best position and where he's most comfortable.

Trumbo will likely still get DH at-bats, especially against left-handed pitching. Alvarez is a

career .203/.270/.332 against left-handed pitching, compared to a .246/.320/.473 hitter against

right-handers. That makes right-handed-hitting outfielders Nolan Reimold and Rule 5 pick Joey

Rickard both key figures as the roster rounds out.

Showalter has said there is a way the team can carry both players on its 25-man Opening Day

roster. Reimold is one of the club's more patient hitters, something the team needs after adding

another low on-base hitter in Alvarez. And Rickard is having a strong spring at the plate and in

the field as he attempts to show the club he can play all three outfield positions and hold his own

with his bat.

Showalter wouldn't discuss Alvarez and how he hypothetically fit in with the club.

"As we've been down this road a few times, let the process run its course," Showalter said,

alluding to last month's foul-up with Fowler. "Then we'll have plenty of time to talk about these

things."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-notebook-0309-20160308-story.html

Yovani Gallardo to make Orioles spring debut Wednesday

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo has been waiting to make his spring trainingdebut with his

new club, and he will get that opportunity Wednesday afternoon when the Orioles face

the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater.

Gallardo is scheduled to throw two innings, or 35 to 40 pitches, against the Phillies.

"I'm excited," Gallardo said. "It's the first step toward getting ready for Opening Day. That first

game of the [spring], it's important. You get to face other hitters and get to get that adrenaline

going. It's exciting. I signed a week late, but you know what? It's just a matter of getting ready

and catching up to what the other guys are doing and then go from there."

Gallardo, who remained unsigned going into spring training because he was tied to draft-pick

compensation, signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Orioles one week into workouts for

pitchers and catchers. But Gallardo said he didn't fall behind because he remained on his

offseason throwing program throughout and reported to camp with four bullpen sessions already

under his belt.

"It's just a matter of getting that release point, finding that quickly enough," Gallardo said. "In

the bullpens and the time I threw to hitters last time [out], it felt good. It felt like it was coming

out good. Obviously you have to make that adjustment. Once the hitter steps in there, you tend to

ramp it up a little bit. The ball is up a little bit, but that will come. I think with the rest of the time

we have here, it will all end up working out."

Gallardo threw a live batting practice session Saturday, marking the first time he faced live

hitters. He threw 15 pitches to hitters, took a break, then threw 15 more pitches to simulate a

two-inning stint.

"Going out for an inning, then sitting down for a couple and then getting back up, that's

obviously how the game goes," Gallardo said. "Those are the things you have to get used to. I

think that first one was a little bit of a taste of that first outing, but like I said you never know

once the game actually starts. There's going to be a lot of adrenaline."

Gallardo said he wants to both work on getting the feel for his pitches and at the same time get

good results in his first outing, but his fastball command will be his primary focus.

"You want to go out there and do well," Gallardo said. "You want to work on all the things you

want to — your breaking stuff, commanding the fastball. And I think that's going to be the most

important thing that I'm going to try to do tomorrow. I'm going to try to throw strikes, pound the

strike zone and obviously you have to take it one step at a time and go from there."

Around the horn: The Orioles signed their 21 pre-arbitration players to one-year contracts, the

club announced Tuesday. Those players were right-handers Parker Bridwell, Odrisamer

Despaigne, Oliver Drake, Jason Garcia, Kevin Gausman, Mychal Givens, Chaz Roe, Andrew

Triggs, Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright; left-handers Chris Jones, Chris Lee and T.J. McFarland;

catcher Caleb Joseph and Francisco Pena; infielders Jimmy Paredes, Jonathan

Schoop and Christian Walker; and outfielders Dariel Alvarez, Joey Rickard and Henry Urrutia.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-postgame-notes-wieters-arm-looks-

strong-lee-pulled-from-outing-abruptly-20160308-story.html

Orioles postgame notes: Matt Wieters' arm looks strong;

Chris Lee pulled abruptly

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, catching on back-to-back days for the first time this spring in the

team's 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox, threw out Boston third baseman Travis Shaw attempting

to steal second.

Manager Buck Showalter said he has noticed that Wieters, who caught on consecutive days just

five times last season as he came back from Tommy John elbow reconstruction, is more free

throwing this spring.

“I wouldn’t say it’s new this spring,” Showalter said. “It was just something I didn’t notice last

year. … It’s just [a sense of], ‘Let’s go. Let it rip.’ You can tell he’s not thinking about it. There

was a little different edge of tentativeness last year, especially when games were close together

and he didn’t have that recovery time. … For that position, you’re throwing the ball almost every

play, but there’s definitely a different feel to it this year. There’s a different look to it.”

Showalter said Wieters has been talking to Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, who is 11

months removed from Tommy John surgery, giving him advice on his recovery. Showalter said

people from the Red Sox organization have also inquired about how the Orioles treated Wieters’

recovery.

Lee pulled suddenly

Showalter abruptly pulled left-hander Chris Lee in the fifth inning because he wasn’t wearing the

protective goggles that were prescribed for him this spring.

Lee faced three hitters, allowing a double and then retiring the next two batters before Showalter

jogged to the mound to remove him from the game.

“I was not going to take a chance of him pitching without them and he’s not going to pitch for

the Orioles again without them,” Showalter said. “Everything we do -- batting practice, infield--

he’s got to have them on.”

He was replaced by minor league right-hander Nick Additon.

“I asked him, ‘Are your goggles in the dugout,’” Showalter said. “He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Are they

in the bullpen?’ He said, ‘No.’ I said where are they? [He said], ‘They’re in the clubhouse.’ And

I said, ‘Well, we can’t let you pitch. I probably should have taken him out as soon as I noticed

them after the first hitter and let Additon take as much time as he wants. Looking back on it, I

wish I had taken him out right away when I noticed. I let him go another hitter."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-chapter-2-the-american-fastball-and-all-those-

xu-guiyuan-broken-bats-20160308-story.html

Chapter 2: The American fastball and all those Xu Guiyuan

broken bats

By Jeff Barker / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

Let’s talk about the 75 bats that Xu Guiyuan shattered at one of the three Major League

Baseball developmental centers in China. That’s a lot of smashed lumber.

Before and after Roy Hobbs broke his bat “Wonderboy” in “The Natural,” fans have paid

attention when ash or maple splinters at home plate, and perhaps wonder the reason. It’s often

simple physics -- a pitch striking near the thin handle of a large-barreled bat.

In Xu’s case, his mentor imbues the broken bats with a sort of symbolism.

Simon Huang, Xu’s friend, teacher and business manager for MLB in China, suggests the player

wore the bats out through relentless practice in the cage.

“He worked so hard and never gave up his dream,” Huang said in an email interview from

China. “Last five years when he was with us, you can tell from his eyes, he wants to be a pro

player. I remembered that we sent him to [the] U.S. for a month of training when he was 16 years

old. When he came back, he had more confidence on the field, worked much harder than before.

Itchy is way more mature than the other same-age kids.”

His disposition is a central part of Xu’s story because he clearly faces an adjustment to American

pitching (not to mention American culture, food, minor league bus trips, etc.).

He has had major league coaching in China. Former Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jesse Litsch was

among his teachers. But regardless of Xu’s talent, he’ll have to be pretty dogged to catch up (and

perhaps one day eclipse?) his 150 fellow minor leaguers at Twin Lakes Park. He has been

playing in developmental centers with young Chinese players for years.

Xu might start in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and could end up this season at Short-A

Aberdeen of New York-Penn League. "Birdland begins in Aberdeen" is a team promotional

slogan.

It’s likely that things will seem to be moving quickly at first for Xu, who is due to arrive at the

airport before midnight and will be in the hotel lobby before 7 a.m. Wednesday morning to bus

to camp.

And then there’s the fastball. That will seem to be traveling pretty rapidly, too.

When Xu arrived in Florida for the instructional league last fall, “the biggest concern for him

was that the fastball velocity was so much better here,” said Orioles player development director

Brian Graham.

“Fastball velocity was a big change for him. But, you know, that’s baseball.”

From China to Birdland

Arriving at Orioles minor league spring training this week, Xu Guiyuan, a 20-year-old left-

handed-hitting first baseman, is trying to become the first player from mainland China to make it

to the big leagues. He’s already the first player signed from one of the major league's three youth

developmental centers in China, a country that American baseball officials consider fertile

ground to grow their sport. He has adopted the nickname "Itchy Shoe," a reference to his hero,

Ichiro Suzuki, and the phonetic pronunciation of "Xu." The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Barker is

following Xu's journey with daily reports and videos: Can he hit American pitching, much less

navigate the pressure and cultural curveballs that accompany his 9,000-mile trip? Barker is

involved in a documentary chronicling Xu and Major League Baseball’s China push.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-schmuck-column-orioles-0309-20160308-

column.html

Schmuck: Orioles have 161 million reasons to keep Chris

Davis at first base

By Peter Schmuck / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

The pending arrival of free agent Pedro Alvarez has given rise to all manner of speculation

regarding the likely makeup of the Orioles' regular-season lineup and defensive alignment.

There certainly are some interesting possibilities and permutations that are impacted by both the

limited defensive capabilities of Alvarez and the uncertain status of other players on the roster.

Does the Alvarez signing mean, for instance, that Chris Davis will spend significant time in right

field this season?

Or does it mean that newly acquired Mark Trumbo just became the everyday right fielder by

default?

Davis and manager Buck Showalter both said Tuesday that Davis will remain the primary first

baseman, but that's not really going to settle the issue. Everyone knows that Showalter is going

to use any number of lineups and there's a case to be made that the best defensive alignment

might feature Trumbo at first base and Davis in right.

So, it would be logical to assume that Davis will show up out there as he has on occasion in the

past, because he's a terrific, versatile athlete who can play at an acceptable level just about

anywhere.

The logic attached to that, however, ignores the giant woolly mammoth in the room. There are

161 million reasons why Davis should not spend much time in the outfield. The Orioles cannot

afford to put the guy with the biggest contract in club history (by far) at a position that could

subject him to a greater risk of injury or possibly impact his performance at the plate.

Davis got that huge deal because he's one of baseball's premier home run hitters and a

potential Gold Glove first baseman, not because he's capable of being the Paul Bunyan of

baseball utility players.

Don't think for a minute this hasn't already been a major topic of discussion inside the Orioles

front office. Executive vice president Dan Duquette probably has nightmares in which he has to

go see owner Peter Angelos and tell him that Davis is going to be out for two months because he

broke his wrist crashing into the out-of-town scoreboard at Camden Yards.

Sure, a guy can get hurt at first base, too, but it is definitely a safer position than right field and

Davis would be far less likely to take an unusual twist or turn at the position where he has played

nearly 75 percent of his major league games.

Showalter undoubtedly will be tempted to put his best possible defensive alignment out there on

occasion — and probably will give in to that temptation — but you're not going to see Davis

spend any long stretches in the outfield.

Never mind that agent Scott Boras tried to increase Davis' free-agent marketability by exploiting

the fact that he can be more than just a first baseman. The Orioles are going to think hard before

risking the dead money that would accompany a lengthy stay by Davis on the disabled list.

There's also the fallout to consider if Davis gets bounced back and forth and goes into a tailspin

at the plate. This is a clear case of something not being broke and not needing to be fixed.

"I think I'm probably going to be at first base most of the time," Davis said. "That's kind of the

indication that I've gotten, but you never know. With Buck, it can be a coin flip sometimes. …

Having three guys that have played first, a little bit of outfield and obviously me and Pedro

playing third … it gives us a lot of options, so we'll see what Buck does with that."

For the moment, the focus will be more on Trumbo, who is working largely in right field this

spring, but could also be a candidate to play left if the Hyun Soo Kim experiment does not work

out. Ideally, Alvarez would be the full-time designated hitter who shows up on the field only if

Showalter wants to field an exaggerated left-handed lineup.

The only thing that's beyond debate is that the Orioles have assembled one of the most power-

packed lineups in franchise history.

If it performs up to its potential, the club can probably afford to sacrifice a little defense.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-early-orioles-notes-os-players-excited-

about-the-addition-of-pedro-alvarez-20160308-story.html

Orioles players excited about the addition of Pedro Alvarez

By Eduardo A. Encina / The Baltimore Sun

March 8, 2016

The pending addition of Pedro Alvarez to an already power-packed lineup gives the Orioles yet

another slugger with 30-homer capabilities.

Alvarez, who agreed to a one-year $5.75 million deal Monday night, gives the Orioles batting

order the potential to hit 250 homers this year.

The Orioles could also post record strikeout numbers. Regardless, the addition of Alvarez makes

the Orioles lineup more fearsome.

“I think the guys are going to hit,” said Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who pitched

against Alvarez in the National League Central. “You look at one through nine, the kind of

lineup we have, it’s not easy [to face]. You don’t get a break as a starting pitcher. … Now adding

Alvarez, any one of those guys can hit for power, hit for average, hit the ball the other way and

just play the game. I think it’s going to benefit us and this club.

“He’s a dangerous hitter,” Gallardo added of Alvarez. “He’s the kind of guy who can do some

damage no matter what the situation, no matter where in the lineup he hits. He’s got great power

and I think he’s going to do great. I think he’s going to fit into this clubhouse and it’s exciting."

Alvarez was scheduled to take an early afternoon flight from his home in Nashville to Sarasota to

take his club physical. The deal could be completed as early as Wednesday.

“Let’s hope he shows up,” said utility man Ryan Flaherty, a former Vanderbilt teammate and

close friend of Alvarez, making reference to last month’s Dexter Fowler foul-up.

“He’s a powerful bat, as big as there is in the game. I think a lot of the things he does is what this

team’s had success [doing] the last four years or so. He can definitely help.”

Orioles right-hander Vance Worley was a teammate of Alvarez the past two years with

the Pittsburgh Pirates and pitched against him as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

“He’s another great clubhouse guy,” Worley said. “I think he fits really well with these guys.

Obviously, he’s got a bat and the more pop in the lineup we have the better. It’s going to help us

out a lot.”

Alvarez, who was projected to make around $8 million in his final year in arbitration, was

shopped by the Pirates before the nontender deadline in December. He then became a free agent

after he was nontendered by Pittsburgh.

Worley said he was surprised to see Alvarez remain unsigned for so long.

“Yeah, I think its tough when you have some really, really big names early out there early on so

those guys are getting taken care of first,” Worley said. “I was definitely surprised that he lasted

as long as he did, but I’m glad these guys pulled the trigger and got him.”

McFarland relieved by X-ray results

Left-hander T.J. McFarland said he was relieved to find out that X-rays on his left elbow were

negative.

“I know that I feel a lot better, and it’s gradually getting a lot better,” McFarland said. “It’s

showing signs that I’m going to heal, and I’m going to be fine.”

McFarland was pulled from Sunday’s game just shy of his pitch count of 40 with tenderness in

his left elbow. McFarland said there are no plans for him to get an MRI.

“Whenever you’re dealing with something like that, and you get a test, and it comes back clean,

it’s a huge rush that comes over you," McFarland said. "[I am] definitely relieved that there’s

nothing seriously wrong. Happy about that.”

Showalter said that it is possible that McFarland resumes throwing by the end of the week.

“We’re upbeat about that," Showalter said. "He feels good today. .. There’s very little [swelling]

left there at all, so he should be able to get back in the mix here shortly. We feel good about

that.”

Martinez still sore

Nonroster shortstop Ozzie Martinez said his neck is still sore from a collision with second

baseman Garabez Rosa on Sunday.

“I was sore,” he said Tuesday morning. “I got hit in the head. I hit the ground hard, so that’s why

I didn’t want to get up too quick. I stayed down for a little bit.”

The club believes Martinez got whiplash from the collision and he passed concussion tests.

Martinez said he should find out when he can get back into a game within the next two days.

Tillman feeling good

Right-hander Chris Tillman (right hip flexor) felt good after throwing a live batting practice

session Monday. He will make his first spring training start Thursday in a ‘B’ game against the

Pirates at the Ed Smith Stadium complex back fields.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/166624134/chris-davis-remains-orioles-first-baseman

Davis still O's first baseman with Alvarez move

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. -- With the Orioles set to add Pedro Alvarez, manager Buck Showalter said on

Tuesday that Chris Davis will remain the team's primary first baseman. Alvarez agreed to terms

on Monday night on a one-year deal pending a physical, according to a source, but the club has

not confirmed the deal.

Alvarez's arrival, at first glance, means Mark Trumbo will see more time in the outfield and less

at designated hitter. Davis is an option in right field, as well, and Showalter said the team has

also been giving Trumbo work in left field this spring.

"[Trumbo has] already spent a lot of time [out there in the outfield]. He was out there with

[Wayne Kirby] Kirb today at 8:30 in the morning while we were all having corn flakes,"

Showalter said. "He's been doing that, preparing for all the possibilities. We knew a possible

addition might come, and we didn't want to wait until the end.

"We've been doing it since the day he got here. Whether it's right field, first base or left field,

we'll continue to get looks. We haven't done a whole lot in the games in left field, but we've done

stuff on the back fields."

Trumbo can also play first base, which is where Alvarez -- in the National League for the past

six seasons -- played 124 games last season.

While neither Alvarez nor Trumbo are known as exceptional defenders, that could mean more

possible playing time for O's Rule 5 Draft pick Joey Rickard. Rickard has been impressive in the

outfield this spring, and he could slot in on the bench as a late-game defensive

replacement. Nolan Reimold is another outfielder who could fit in a bench role.

Hyun Soo Kim has been projected as the team's Opening Day left fielder, but he's hitless so far

this spring, and Baltimore also wants to keep its options open.

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/166608688/orioles-excited-for-addition-of-pedro-alvarez

Potential addition of Alvarez has O's pumped

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles infielder Ryan Flaherty was already exchanging messages

withPedro Alvarez on Monday night.

Flaherty, who was roommates with Alvarez while the two were at Vanderbilt, was excited that

Baltimore had agreed to terms with the left-handed hitter, according to a source. Since the

Orioles have not announced the signing, he couldn't resist making a joke that perhaps Alvarez,

who agreed to a one-year deal, would change his mind and surface in another camp, as Dexter

Fowler did when he signed with the Cubs on Feb. 25 after a reported agreement just days earlier

with the O's.

"Let's hope he shows up," Flaherty said.

"I think he does a lot of things that this team's had success with over the past four years and he's

obviously a powerful bat. He's a good teammate."

Alvarez would add another left-handed power bat to Baltimore's lineup.

"We've got a lot of power potential on this team," Chris Davis said. "We did before [Alvarez],

but we just keep adding to it. I'm sure he's excited to finally have a place to call home and finally

get after it."

Alvarez will reportedly make $5.75 million in 2016, with performance bonuses between $1.25

million and $1.5 million. The 29-year-old has spent his entire six-year Major League career with

the Pirates, who selected him second overall in the 2008 Draft. With Baltimore, Alvarez -- who

came up as a third baseman -- figures to be primarily a designated hitter, though he's also an

option at first base, which could mean Davis will get some playing time in right field.

"I'll never play right field again. Never, ever," Davis joked.

"I think it's going to shake things up a bit, for the most part. I think I'm probably going to be at

first base most of the time. That's kind of the indication that I've gotten, but you never know.

With Buck Showalter, it can be a coin flip sometimes. I never expect too much. I'm still waiting

for that day when I come in and see my name in the leadoff spot playing short. I'm not going to

hold my breath."

Alvarez hit .243/.320/.469 with 27 homers in 150 games with Pittsburgh last year. His best

season came in 2013, when he went to the All-Star Game and batted .233 with career highs in

home runs (36) and RBIs (100).

"He's a powerful bat, as big as there is in the game," Flaherty said. "I think a lot of the things he

does is what this team's had success the last four years or so. He can definitely help."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/article/166621598/x-ray-clean-on-tj-mcfarlands-throwing-elbow

X-rays clean on McFarland's throwing elbow

By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com |

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Orioles reliever T.J. McFarland's X-rays on his throwing elbow came back

clean, and he could resume throwing by the end of the week.

"Very relieved," the lefty said of the test results. "Whenever you're dealing with something like

that and you get a test and it comes back clean, it's a huge rush that comes over you. Definitely

relieved that there's nothing seriously wrong."

McFarland exited Sunday's game against the Red Sox with some tenderness in his left elbow,

which is something he hadn't experienced before. Manager Buck Showalter said the test revealed

a little swelling in the area, but nothing serious.

Tidbits

• Ozzie Martinez, who was involved in an on-field collision with second baseman Garabez

Rosa on Sunday, said Tuesday morning he's feeling better. He passed the concussion protocol

and is just dealing with some lingering whiplash in his neck.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/orioles-and-phillies-lineups-and-mcfarland-

update.html

Orioles and Phillies lineups (and McFarland update)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 9, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - Yovani Gallardo makes his Orioles debut this afternoon against the Phillies

in Clearwater.

Manny Machado is leading off and playing third base, followed by Jonathan Schoop at second

base. Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo, Hyun Soo Kim and Nolan Reimold also are on the trip.

For the Orioles Manny Machado 3B

Jonathan Schoop 2B

Chris Davis 1B

Mark Trumbo DH

Hyun Soo Kim LF

Nolan Reimold RF

Caleb Joseph C

Paul Janish SS

Xavier Avery CF

Yovani Gallardo RHP

The Phillies lineup includes former Orioles David Lough and J.P. Arencibia.

For the Phillies Peter Bourjos LF

Cesar Hernandez 2B

Obudel Herrera CF

Darin Ruf 1B

Carlos Ruiz DH

J.P. Arencibia C

J.P. Crawford SS

Taylor Featherston 3B

David Lough RF

Jeremy Hellickson RHP

Reliever T.J. McFarland said his left elbow feels better today and the swelling continues to go

down. He could throw later this week, though there's no timetable.

"The swelling's gone down again today, so that's a good sign. It's going in the right direction," he

said.

"Still no specific dates or timeline or timetable yet, but the swelling's gone down significantly, so

that's a good sign."

Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that McFarland could get back on the mound later

this week.

"Yeah, that would be in the range," McFarland said. "It's all dependent on how the swelling goes.

It's going down, so it's very encouraging. It's good. It's a good sign."

McFarland last pitched on Sunday against the Red Sox. He won't have to start over as if it's the

first day of camp.

"I thought I wouldn't have to," he said. "Right now, I've only taken three days off. The process to

get back to it probably wouldn't take that long at all. Luckily, it happened earlier in camp rather

than later. That way we had some time to work with."

McFarland continues to get treatment on the elbow while waiting to throw again.

"Kind of day by day thing, just to see how it reacts and how the swelling goes down and we'll go

from there," he said.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/more-thoughts-on-pedro-alvarez-and-his-

impact-on-the-roster.html

More thoughts on Pedro Alvarez and his impact on the

roster

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 9, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - Why did it take so long for a team to sign Pedro Alvarez?

Concerns about his defense limited his market to American League suitors. There's been talk that

his agent, Scott Boras, pushed for assurances that Alvarez would play half of his games in the

field. Money usually is a factor, though Dexter Fowler and Austin Jackson would like a minute

for rebuttal.

They'll also take your recommendations for the best deep dish pizza in Chicago.

Manager Buck Showalter's plans for Alvarez and Mark Trumbo will come into focus once the

deal becomes official and we inch closer to opening day.

Chris Davis apparently will remain the primary first baseman, as we've been told since he re-

signed and during the first three weeks of camp. The Orioles won't put an electric fence around

right field to keep him out of it, but he's not changing positions.

The initial response to the Alvarez news was that Trumbo instantly became the right fielder, but

I've already had left field floated past me as another possibility. Let's not assume that Hyun Soo

Kim automatically breaks camp as a starter.

It's been projected and expected, but there's always the possibility that Trumbo slides over to left,

Kim goes to the bench and right field is handled by Nolan Reimold, Rule 5 pick Joey

Rickard or L.J. Hoes. Dariel Alvarez and Henry Urrutia are on the 40-man roster. The Orioles

have choices.

It's wasted energy to craft one scenario. Trumbo can play left, right or first base, or serve as the

designated hitter. Alvarez has a career .203/.270/.332 slash line against left-handers, which could

put him in a platoon at designated hitter. Trumbo could assume that role versus southpaws, with

a better defender in the outfield.

Scouts have joked that center fielder Adam Jones, with so much ground to cover, will weigh 120

pounds by the end of the season.

Trumbo keeps flashing a plus arm in workouts, one of the strongest in the organization. He just

needs to do a better job of tracking the ball, which is a challenge for anyone in spring training.

High sky, wind, poor background. The best tend to look bad. But there's been carryover into the

regular season, which is why the Orioles considered first base to be his best position.

I wonder what the Reds were asking for in exchange for Jay Bruce, who made more sense for the

Orioles due to his ability to play right field. Christian Walker definitely was part of the package.

Bruce has hit .217 and .226 the past two seasons, he owns a lifetime .319 on-base percentage and

he's owed $12.5 million this season. I'm not implying he was a perfect fit.

Would it have been wiser to re-sign Steve Pearce, who plays the corner outfield spots, first base

and second if needed? He started at third for the Rays in Thursday's game against the Orioles.

That's water under the bridge. Alvarez is the guy and the Orioles now have a left-handed hitter

with Davis-like power. Showalter will figure out ways to minimize any defensive concerns in the

lineup, which brings us back to Rickard, who can take over David Lough's role of late-inning

replacement.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/wrapping-up-a-5-1-loss-1.html

Wrapping up a 5-1 loss

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Orioles have signed their remaining non-arbitration eligible players to

2016 contracts.

Everyone on the 40-man roster is under contract, a list that includes pitchers Parker Bridwell,

Odrisamer Despaigne, Oliver Drake, Jason Garcia, Kevin Gausman, Mychal Givens, Chaz Roe,

Andrew Triggs, Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, Chris Jones, Chris Lee and T.J. McFarland;

catchers Caleb Joseph and Francisco Pena; infielders Jimmy Paredes, Jonathan Schoop and

Christian Walker; and outfielders Dariel Alvarez, Joey Rickard and Henry Urrutia.

The travel roster for Wednesday's game against the Phillies in Clearwater will include Joseph,

Schoop, Manny Machado, Mark Trumbo and Hyun Soo Kim.

Despaigne allowed a run and two hits in the sixth, but his fastball was up to 95 mph.

Lee came out of the game after only two-thirds of an inning because he forgot to wear his

protective goggles. They were in the clubhouse.

Lee allowed a leadoff double to Boston's Mookie Betts in the fifth, retired the next two batters

and was replaced by Nick Additon.

"He somehow got to the mound without them and I was not going to take a chance with him

pitching without them," manager Buck Showalter said after a 5-1 loss to the Red Sox. "He's not

going to pitch for the Orioles again without them. We do infield drills, batting practice,

everything we do, he's got to have them on.

"I asked him, 'Are your goggles in the dugout?' He said, 'No.' I said, 'Are they in the bullpen,' and

he said, 'No.' I asked, 'Where are they?' and he said, 'In the clubhouse.' And I said, 'Well, then we

can't let you pitch.'

"I probably should have taken him out as soon as I saw it. I noticed it after the first hitter. And let

Additon spend the whole time ... he can spend as much time as he wants. Looking back on it, I

wish I had taken him out right away when I noticed. I let him go another hitter.

"It's just what's right. He's got some challenges that won't keep him from pitching well in the big

leagues for as long as his arm will allow him that he needs to be aware of. It's nothing mean or

vindictive. But from a safety standpoint, I'm not going to take that chance with his eyes."

Miguel Gonzalez allowed one run and three hits in 2 2/3 innings, an improvement over his spring

debut.

"Better," Showalter said. "Stuff was better, a little crisper. Getting there little by little. I know he

felt a little better. Velocity was a little better, kind of what you'd expect."

J.J. Hardy singled, tripled and scored a run. The wind robbed him of a home run yesterday.

"J.J.'s swinging the bat well," Showalter said. "He's moving around good. He was telling

somebody this is the best he's felt in spring in a long time and you can tell. He's running good

and swinging the bat with a lot of freedom."

Hardy scored on Rickard's grounder to the right side with the infield playing back.

"Rickard had a good professional at-bat there," Showalter said. "It was good to see. Those are the

kind of things you take out of it. That was good.

"He throws the ball to the right base, he hits the cutoff man. So far so good. But nobody can say

for sure it's going to continue in the big leagues if we kept him and he made the club. I know he's

leading us in plate appearances because these are very fleeting looks. This will be a big decision

in a few weeks that affects not only him, but a lot of players, so we want to make a good

educated guess."

The wind robbed Adam Jones of a home run to center field this afternoon.

Matt Wieters, catching on back-to-back days, threw out Travis Shaw trying to steal in the third

inning.

"You can tell it's about baseball now," Showalter said. "It's not about how he feels. He's playing

with that certain controlled recklessness. There's no tentativeness there at all. That's good to see.

"I wouldn't say it's new this spring, it's just something I didn't notice last year. I wish there was a

better word than 'recklessness.' It's just, 'Let it rip.' You can tell he's not thinking about it.

"There was just a little edge of tentativeness last year, especially when the games were close

together and he didn't have that recovery time. There's definitely a different feel to it this year, a

different look."

Showalter hasn't come up with a targeted number of starts for Wieters and Joseph.

"I haven't really put numbers on it," Showalter said. "We're fortunate to have someone like

Caleb, who's done well. The pitchers, we're very lucky. It probably happens on very few teams

where the guys don't really care between those two who's catching.

"We're taking each week as it comes and kind of map it out. I don't think we're going to go into it

with a firm number. I've got in the back of my head where I think it will end up. It could be less

than that, it could be more than that."

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/more-morning-notes-before-todays-

game.html

More morning notes before today's game

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter wouldn't comment this morning on Pedro

Alvarez reaching agreement last night on a one-year deal. The move was referenced, the addition

of a left-handed power bat implied, but nothing more.

"You know, as we've been down this road a few times, let the process run its course," he said.

"Then, we'll have plenty of time to talk about those things. I'm sworn to double-secret probation

and I'm going to honor that protocol and process."

I gave it a shot, asking if Showalter still views Chris Davis as his primary first baseman, no

matter what else happens with the roster.

"Yes," he said.

Alvarez is expected at the complex this afternoon. The Orioles are in Clearwater on Wednesday,

which makes it more likely that a press conference will be held the following day if the Orioles

get back the results of his physical. Otherwise, they're in Tampa on Friday.

Infielder Ryan Flaherty won't make the trip to Clearwater for the game against the Phillies. He's

staying back to get bloodwork done as a routine follow-up to his physical.

"I think it's just an excuse for him to stay back with his buddy," Showalter quipped, making the

obvious reference to Alvarez.

"I'm talking about (Hyun Soo) Kim and him," Showalter said, taking the joke a step further.

"Kim and him."

The Orioles will need to make a 40-man roster move after signing Alvarez, and it's complicated.

I've been told they can't simply put Jimmy Paredes or another player on the 60-day disabled list

to open a spot at this early date in the spring. Same with designating certain minor leaguers for

assignment.

The Orioles could release a player on the 40-man, as they did previously with left-hander Chris

Jones, and re-sign him to a minor league deal.

Mark Trumbo was on the field by 8:30 a.m. to perform outfield drills, while the rest of us were

"eating Corn Flakes," Showalter said.

I had a breakfast sandwich at the hotel, but I digress ...

Asked whether Trumbo could see a lot of time at first base and the corner outfield spots,

Showalter replied, "I don't know what you call a lot of time. He's already spent a lot of time. He

was out there with Kirb (Wayne Kirby) today at 8:30 in the morning. He's been doing that,

preparing for all the possibilities.

"We knew a possible addition might come and we didn't want to wait until the end. We've been

doing it since the day he got here. Whether it's right field, first base or left field, we'll continue to

get looks. We haven't done a whole lot in the games in left field, but we've done stuff on the back

fields.

"Right field and left field are a lot different. Left field, I think, is the hardest place to play in the

outfield and maybe next to shortstop (on the whole field) to be really good at it because the bat

comes off so different with right-handed hitters. I'm not saying right field is easy, but most

people will tell you that left field is a lot harder than right field."

Showalter indicated that reliever T.J. McFarland could be ready to throw again by the end of the

week after X-rays on his left elbow came back clean.

"We're upbeat about that," Showalter said. "He feels good today. Very little ...

"The trainers use edema for swelling. There's very little left there at all, so he should be able to

get back in the mix here shortly. We feel good about that."

Showalter said McFarland wants to throw today, but the end of the week is a more realistic goal.

Minor league shortstop Ozzie Martinez has a sore neck, described as whiplash, after colliding

with second baseman Garabez Rosa on Sunday while chasing a bouncer up the middle.

"I think they feel good about the concussion not being an issue, even though they followed the

protocol," Showalter said. "Our guys are as good as it gets. But I think it's more of a whiplash

thing now. He's pretty sore, but he's better today. Hopefully, he can get back into it here before

too long."

A third pitcher may join Chris Tillman and Kevin Gausman in Thursday's B game against the

Pirates.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/player-reaction-to-pedro-alvarez.html

Player reaction to Pedro Alvarez

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - Ryan Flaherty couldn't resist, but he sure tried.

Flaherty was asked earlier today about the Orioles reaching agreement with Pedro Alvarez, his

close friend and former Vanderbilt teammate. He immediately shot a glance toward Adam Jones,

a clear reference to the Dexter Fowler debacle.

The Orioles thought they had an agreement with Fowler, who spoke to Jones on the phone and

expressed his excitement over joining the club. Fowler shocked the industry by returning to the

Cubs.

"Let's just hope that I'm better friends with him than ...," Flaherty said, as reporters prodded him

to finish his thought. "Let's hope he shows up."

It may have been Flaherty's finest moment with the Orioles, at least off the field.

If Alvarez unexpectedly shows up in Bradenton and starts hugging his Pirates teammates, at least

it's a short drive for the Orioles beat crew.

Flaherty said he spoke to Alvarez "a little bit" last night.

Who reached out?

"Back and forth," Flaherty said.

Will Alvarez deny it later?

"No guarantees," Flaherty said, smiling.

Too soon? Nope. We're having fun with it.

Though Flaherty and Alvarez lived together for two spring trainings and remain friends, there

was no recruitment going on before last night's agreement.

"No, I wouldn't convince him," Flaherty said. "He's my friend first and foremost. He wanted to

go to a place that's a good fit and he wanted to play for a team that's going to compete. I think it's

a good fit for him.

"He's a powerful bat, as big as there is in the game. I think a lot of the things he does is what this

team's had success the last four years or so. He can definitely help.

"He's a good teammate."

Pitcher Vance Worley confirms it, having played with the Pirates last season.

"I'm excited to have him over here," Worley said. "We played against each other a long time and

then we finally got to be teammates over in Pittsburgh and we became really good friends. I've

been trying to keep tabs on him and see what's going on and I got the news on social media, of

course. So it's like, 'Is it true?' but you guys are coming up to me, so it must be. I'm looking

forward to having him over here.

"He's another great clubhouse guy. I think he fits really well with these guys. Obviously, he's got

a bat, and the more pop in the lineup we have the better. It's going to help us out a lot."

It just took time, with Alvarez remaining on the free agent market into the second week of

March.

"Yeah I think it's tough when you have some really, really big names early out there early on, so

those guys are getting taken care of first," Worley said. "I was definitely surprised that he lasted

as long as he did, but I'm glad these guys pulled the trigger and got him."

What does Worley think when he sees this lineup?

"I'm thinking I got a good shot at winning," he replied. "We definitely have a dangerous lineup.

Spring training numbers don't necessarily show it at this point, but once these guys all get

rolling, it's going to be fun."

Chris Davis was having a blast with reporters at his locker this morning.

Asked how he would pitch to Alvarez, Davis replied, "I'd throw him all splitters. That's my out

pitch."

Yes, we remember.

"It's exciting," Davis said. "I think any time you add a player like that it's obviously exciting.

We've got a lot of power potential on this team. We did before, but we just keep adding to it. I'm

sure he's excited to finally have a place to call home and finally get after it. We'll see what

happens over the next few days.

"There's good balance in this lineup, both right- and left-handed. From what we've seen so far.

We haven't scored a ton of runs, but you see the body of work. It's going to be fun to see what

this lineup can do."

Davis still projects as the everyday first baseman, but he could get more reps in right field, with

Mark Trumbo playing first base. It's a work in progress.

"I'll never play right field again. Never, ever," Davis quipped.

"I think it's going to shake things up a bit for the most part. I think I'm probably going to be at

first base most of the time. That's kind of the indication that I've gotten, but you never know.

With Buck (Showalter), it can be a coin flip sometimes. I never expect too much. I'm still

waiting for that day when I come in and see my name in the leadoff spot playing short. I'm not

going to hold my breath.

"Having three guys that have played first, a little bit of outfield and obviously me and Pedro

playing third - I don't know if Mark has played third - it gives us a lot of options, so we'll see

what Buck does with that."

In typical fashion, the Orioles continue to tweak and turn around the roster while playing

exhibition games. There's no real deadline. Moves can come at any moment.

"I think that's kind of the goal," Davis said. "You want to exhaust any option you have.

Obviously, we like the guys we have in here right now, but if we feel like there's a guy out there

that can help us out, I don't see any harm in adding him.

"Still pretty early right now, so we don't really know what it's going to look like, but as long as

there's time left to make your team better, you want to do everything you can."

Miguel Gonzalez is starting today for the Orioles. Other available pitchers include Odrisamer

Despaigne, Darren O'Day, Oliver Drake, Chris Lee and Todd Redmond.

For the Red Sox Mookie Betts RF

Brock Holt 2B

Chris Young DH

Travis Shaw 3B

David Murphy LF

Allen Craig 1B

Jackie Bradley Jr. CF

Devan Marrero SS

Christian Vazquez C

Roenis Elias LHP

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/x-rays-on-mcfarlands-elbow-come-back-

clean-and-other-injury-updates.html

X-rays on McFarland's elbow come back clean (and other

injury updates)

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been a busy morning for the media at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

Injuries needed updating and players were asked for their reactions to the Orioles' agreement

with Pedro Alvarez on a one-year, $5.75 million contract.

Reliever T.J. McFarland said the X-rays on his left elbow came back clean and he feels great this

morning. He isn't sure when he's going to start throwing again, but the news is encouraging.

No MRIs are scheduled for McFarland, who exited Sunday's game against the Red Sox in Fort

Myers with discomfort in his elbow.

"Very relieved," McFarland said. "Whenever you're dealing with something like that and you get

a test and it comes back clean, it's a huge rush that comes over you. Definitely relieved that

there's nothing seriously wrong. Happy about that.

"I don't really have a timetable just yet. It's so early. The fact that I came in today and it's already

been significantly better is a huge sign."

McFarland couldn't offer specifics on the source of his discomfort.

"To be honest, I don't want to quote them on something I don't know how to pronounce exactly,"

he said. "I'm sure you can ask the trainers or somebody else who has a little more information on

it. I know that I feel a lot better and it's gradually getting a lot better. It's showing signs that I'm

going to heal and I'm going to be fine.

"Just had an X-ray and it was clean and it's very, very good. Just doing treatment. I really don't

know a timetable just yet. It's looking very, very promising."

Double-A shortstop Ozzie Martinez said he has whiplash, but no concussion, following his

violent collision with second baseman Garabez Rosa on Sunday. Martinez came out of the game.

"I'm feeling better. Feeling better. It's just my neck, still sore," Martinez said.

"It's a ground ball in the middle, slow roller. I had to go get that ball. Nobody called that ball.

That's why we collided.

"I was sore. I got hit in the head. I hit the ground hard, so that's why I didn't want to get up too

quick. I stayed down for a little bit."

Did Martinez get hit by Rosa's elbow or shoulder? It remains a mystery.

"I just remember I got hit and I was on the ground," he said. "That's it."

Martinez doesn't know when he'll play again.

"They're going to tell me today or tomorrow," he said. "I feel way better."

Brian Matusz has played catch for the past two days and said his lower back is much better. The

pain is gone.

Matusz was diagnosed with a strained muscle on the lower right side. He's made only one

appearance this spring.

"It's feeling good," Matusz said. "We're making progress every day. Played catch the last two

days. I think with the help of the trainers and the training staff, I think we're trying to knock this

thing out sooner than later. We're going just day to day with it, so there's no outline we have

when we have to decide when I'm going to get back on the mound, but hopefully sooner than

later."

Chris Tillman threw live batting practice yesterday and is ready to start Thursday's B game

against the Pirates on the Camden Yards replica field.

I'll pass along comments on Alvarez in my next entry.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/orioles-lineup-vs-red-sox-8.html

Orioles lineup vs. Red Sox

By Roch Kubatko / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. - Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard is in left field today and Mark Trumbo is in right

for the Orioles' 1:05 p.m. game against the Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium, which will air live on

MASN.

Nolan Reimold is leading off and serving as the designated hitter.

For the Orioles Nolan Reimold DH

Manny Machado 3B

Chris Davis 1B

Adam Jones CF

Mark Trumbo RF

Matt Wieters C

J.J. Hardy SS

Jonathan Schoop 2B

Joey Rickard LF

Miguel Gonzalez RHP

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/03/talking-home-runs-and-spring-training-

records.html

Talking home runs and spring training records

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

March 9, 2016

Now that the Orioles have acquired this power-packed lineup, just how many home runs might

the 2016 Orioles mash? Can they set records?

With power throughout the lineup and with a team playing in a hitter friendly ballpark, another

200-homer season seems very likely.

Starting with 2012, the Orioles have hit 214, 212, 211 and 217 homers. They have ranked in the

top three in the league in homers each year, leading the American League in 2013 and 2014. But

those teams didn't have Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez and Hyun Soo Kim. The team last year

had Jonathan Schoop for just 86 games and Matt Wieters for 75. J.J. Hardyhit just eight homers

and Adam Jones' total of 27 was his lowest since 2010. And that team still hit 217 homers.

That homer total last year was the second-best in O's team history:

257 - 1996

217 - 2015

214 - 1985, 1998, 2012

212 – 2013

That 1996 Orioles team ranks tied for third in major league history for most home runs ever.

That team also tied a major league record with seven players hitting 20 or more homers. Brady

Anderson hit 50, Rafael Palmeiro 39, Bobby Bonilla 28, Cal Ripken Jr. 26, Chris Hoiles 25,

Roberto Alomar 22 and B.J. Surhoff 21. The other teams to feature seven players hitting 20 or

more were Toronto in 2000, Texas in 2005, the New York Yankees in 2009 and Toronto in 2010.

Here are the single-season MLB team homer leaders:

264 - Seattle (1997)

260 - Texas (2005)

257 - Orioles (1996), Toronto (2010)

249 - Houston (2000)

We know the starting rotation's performance will be critical this year, as it is every year. But the

2016 Orioles might make a run at some homer records. When they've got several batters on hot

streaks, it could be fun to watch.

Meanwhile, is there any correlation between playing well in spring training and playing well in

the regular season? None I know of and simply no reason to put much, if anything, into a team's

spring training record.

Having said that, the Orioles are 0-8-1 and now have lost eight in a row since a tie in their spring

opener. While they have given up ten runs or more four times, their offense has produced just

one run the last two games. The hometown fans would be okay with a few wins soon. But again,

it won't mean much either way.

The O's spring training and regular season records recently:

2012: 11-13 and 93-69

2013: 19-9 and 85-77

2014: 13-9 and 96-66

2015: 12-19 and 81-81

Last year's World Series teams actually did have good spring training records heading into the

2015 season. Kansas City went 20-10 and the New York Mets were 19-12.

So just how many homers might this team hit this year? And do spring records mean anything at

all?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2016/03/a-few-notes-and-stats-after-the-orioles-

agreement-with-pedro-alvarez.html

A few notes and stats after the Orioles' agreement with

Pedro Alvarez

By Steve Melewski / MASNsports.com

March 8, 2016

In a recent entry here, I wrote that the Orioles could field a lineup this year with five players that

have hit 30 or more homers in one season in the major leaguers. Change that number to six.

The Orioles agreed to terms with Pedro Alvarez last night on a one-year deal, pending a physical.

Here are career-high homers totals for six Orioles, adding Alvarez:

53 - Chris Davis

36 - Pedro Alvarez

35 - Manny Machado

34 - Mark Trumbo

33 - Adam Jones

30 - J.J. Hardy

Alvarez, who turned 29 on Feb. 6, gives the Orioles another left-handed power bat and he'll

probably get most of his at-bats at the DH spot, moving Trumbo into right field. Last year over

150 games with Pittsburgh, Alvarez hit .243/.318/.469 with 18 doubles, 27 homers, 77 RBIs, 131

strikeouts and a .787 OPS.

The Orioles, who have hit 200 or more homers a club-record four straight years, look like a near

shoo-in to add a fifth year to that. There will be a lot of homers and a lot of strikeouts.

Alvarez could be a platoon bat with a career average of just .203 and OPS of .601 against left-

handed pitching. But last year, he did hit .258 with an OPS of .712 against lefties. Those

numbers versus right-handed pitching last year were .240 and .799.

The O's now have three of the top 11 and four of the top 20 in homers since 2012:

1st - Davis (159)

9th - Jones (121)

11th - Alvarez (111)

18th - Trumbo (102)

Those four also rated high over the last four years in strikeouts: Davis is first, Alvarez seventh,

Trumbo 12th and Jones 29th.

The Orioles have spent $242.55 million on free agents this winter:

* Davis signs for seven years, $161 million

* Darren O'Day signs for four years, $31 million

* Yovani Gallardo signs for two years, $22 million

* Matt Wieters signs for one year, $15.8 million

* Hyun Soo Kim signs for two years, $7 million

* Alvarez signes for one year, $5.75 million (with $1.25 million in incentives)

Alvarez, unless I am overlooking someone obvious, is the highest-drafted player on the current

roster. He was taken second overall in the 2008 draft out of Vanderbilt. He gives the O's a Vandy

connection that includes Ryan Flaherty and minor league outfielder Mike Yastrzemski.

O's on MASN today: The first MASN Orioles spring training telecast is set for later today. The

Orioles host the Boston Red Sox, and you can watch live at 1 p.m., with a rebroadcast tonight at

7 p.m.

MASN will also televise games on March 10, 16, 20, 25, 29 and 30.

So what is your take on the pending addition of Alvarez? What might the lineup look like now?

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/68706/how-many-home-runs-will-the-orioles-hit-if-

all-the-orioles-hit-home-runs

How many home runs will the Orioles hit if all the Orioles

hit home runs?

By David Schoenfield / ESPN.com

March 8, 2016

The Baltimore Orioles, who lust after home runs like the Weinstein brothers go after an Oscar,

signed another slugger by agreeing with Pedro Alvarez on a reportedly one-year, $5.75

million contract.

Alvarez, bumped out of Pittsburgh due to his lousy defense at third base and then first base,

won't have to worry about that with the Orioles, with whom he presumably slots in at the DH

spot, with Mark Trumbo moving to fill a hole in right field. Overall, it's a minor upgrade for the

Orioles and maybe worth a win or two. Alvarez will provide more offense than the projected

right-field combo of Ryan Flaherty and Nolan Reimold, though Trumbo's defensive deficiencies

will give some of that back.

Here's what interesting: How many home runs will the Orioles hit in 2016? They hit 217 in 2015,

which ranked third in the majors behind the Blue Jays (232) and Astros (230). They led the AL

in 2014 with 211 -- 34 more than the Blue Jays -- and led in 2013 with 2012, 24 more than the

Mariners. What if all the regulars matched their career highs in home runs? Let's look:

LF Hyun Soo Kim: 17 (ZiPS projection)

3B Manny Machado: 35 (2015)

1B Chris Davis: 53 (2013)

CF Adam Jones: 33 (2013)

DH Pedro Alvarez: 36 (2013)

RF Mark Trumbo: 34 (2013)

C Matt Wieters: 23 (2012)

SS J.J. Hardy: 30 (2011)

2B Jonathan Schoop: 16 (2014)

Total: 277. That would break the major league record of 264, set by the 1997 Mariners (Ken

Griffey Jr. led the way with 56). Of course, the bench would chip in a few more homers, so let's

add 23 to give the Orioles an even 300 home runs.

Now let's do this: What if they scored runs at the same ratio to home runs as they did in 2015?

2015: 217 home runs, 713 runs = 3.28 runs per home run

2016: 300 home runs x 3.28 runs per homer = 984 runs

Of course, I don't know if that ratio holds up. The more home runs you hit, the more likely more

of them are solo home runs, so the ratio of runs scored goes down (unless you're adding more

hits and walks). But we're just having fun with this, so we'll stick with it. Now, 984 runs is a lot

of runs. Only two teams in recent history -- the 1999 Indians and the 1996 Mariners -- have

reached that mark, and those teams played in a higher offensive era with more hits, more walks

and fewer strikeouts than the Orioles.

Plus, let's be realistic: All the Orioles aren't going to reach their career highs. Hardy, for

example, once hit 30 home runs but has just 17 over the past two seasons. But let's say the

Orioles hit 260 home runs. Using our same scale, we get 852 runs. Hey, that's still a lot of runs!

The Blue Jays scored 891 last year, but the No. 2 team in the AL was the Yankees with 764.

The Orioles allowed 693 runs last year. If they score 852 and allow the same number of runs,

we'd project a win-loss record of 97-65. So there you go, Orioles fans. Hit 260 home runs, and

maintain the same run prevention, and you'll win the AL East.

http://espn.go.com/blog/baltimore-orioles/post/_/id/552/pedro-alvarez-deal-gives-orioles-

another-lefty-bat-muddies-of-picture

Pedro Alvarez gives Orioles another lefty bat, muddies OF

picture

By Eddie Matz / ESPN.com

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Baltimore Orioles went into the offseason looking for left-handed bats.

Nearly three weeks into spring training, they got another one.

Monday night, the Orioles reached agreement with Pedro Alvarez on a one-year deal worth

$5.75 million. The pact, which is pending medical review, gives an already potent offense yet

one more power bat. By adding Alvarez -- the former Pirate whose 36 homers led the National

League in 2013 -- to a lineup that already features Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Mark

Trumbo, Manny Machado andJ.J. Hardy, Baltimore now has six players who’ve hit 30 bombs in

a season.

It also gives an Orioles team that was heavily right-handed last season a little more balance

among the projected regulars. Alvarez, who will likely slot in as the team’s primary designated

hitter, and fellow offseason signing Hyun Soo Kim, give manager Buck Showalter two more

lefty swingers to go along with slugging first baseman Davis, not to mention catcher Matt

Wieters, who's a switch-hitter.

It’s worth noting that despite Baltimore’s righty-heavy lineup last season, it actually did a much

better job against right-handed pitchers than lefties. As a team in 2015, Baltimore's .752 OPS

against righties was second best in the American League, while its .662 OPS against southpaws

was the AL’s third worst. The 90-point differential, which was the second largest in baseball

behind the Rockies, isn’t likely to improve with the addition of Alvarez, whose career OPS

against lefties is nearly 200 points lower than it is against righties (.601/.794).

Defensively, although Alvarez isn’t likely to see much time in the field, his addition further

complicates what was already a pretty complicated outfield situation. As recently as Monday, the

thinking was that Trumbo would be the regular designated hitter. Acquired in December in a

trade with Seattle, Trumbo’s best position is first base. But the Orioles already have some guy

named Davis there. Trumbo also has experience playing the outfield, but he’s not nearly as

effective there. For his career, he’s accounted for 12 defensive runs saved as a first baseman, and

minus-12 DRS in the outfield despite playing roughly 1,000 fewer innings there.

With Alvarez in the fold, Trumbo will need to play somewhere in the field. It’s possible he could

be part of a platoon in left field with Kim, who came to camp as the projected starter but has

struggled at the plate, going hitless in his first 18 at-bats. As for right field, even though Davis is

an excellent athlete who’s played there some in the past, it doesn’t sound like the Orioles have

any plans on moving him out there so that Trumbo can play first. At least not on a regular basis.

"I think I’m probably going to be at first base most of the time," said Davis on Tuesday morning.

"That’s the indication I’ve gotten."

Buck Showalter also indicated that no matter what happens with the Orioles’ roster, Davis will

be his primary first baseman. That said, the manager was very tight-lipped about anything

regarding Alvarez, which is hardly surprising in the wake of the Dexter Fowler debacle that took

place earlier in spring training.

"We’ve been down this road a few times," said Showalter. "I'm sworn to double-secret probation,

and I’m going to honor that protocol."

As of now, there’s been no sign of Alvarez in Sarasota, where the Birds are hosting a day game

against the Red Sox.

Earlier Monday, Baltimore infielder Ryan Flaherty was asked what he thinks about the Orioles

reportedly agreeing to terms with Alvarez, his former Vanderbilt teammate. Said Flaherty: "Let's

hope he shows up."

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-send-gallardo-mound-try-first-win

Orioles send Gallardo to the mound to try for first win

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

March 9, 2016

Today's Game:

Baltimore Orioles vs. Philadelphia Phillies, Bright House Field, Clearwater, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Starting pitchers:

Yovani Gallardo vs. Jeremy Hellickson

Keys to the Game:

All eyes will be on Yovani Gallardo, who is pitching as an Oriole for the first time.

The Orioles are trying to win their first game. They've lost eight straight and are 0-8-1.

News and Notes:

Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and Mark Trumbo will all play. It's Davis' and

Machado's first road game.

T.J. McFarland says his left elbow is feeling better, but isn't sure when he'll pitch again.

Hyun Soo Kim will attempt to break his 0-for-18 streak.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-waiting-alvarez-spring-losing-rolls

Orioles waiting on Alvarez as spring losing rolls on

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. – If Pedro Alvarez passes his physical, he’ll join the Orioles lineup. His debut

will be several more days after his signing is made official.

By the time Alvarez joins the Orioles, they hope to finally have won some games.

Without Alvarez, the Orioles have yet to win a game, and on Tuesday dropped their eighth

straight. They’re 0-8-1, and are the only team in the major leagues without a win during spring

training.

Miguel Gonzalez, who pitched decently during his outing, is looking forward to having Alvarez

join the lineup, which has produced just 30 runs in nine games.

“We will make him feel welcome. It’s going to be a good thing,” Gonzalez said.

The Orioles’ 5-1 loss before 7,894 at Ed Smith Stadium had some offense. The team had 12 hits,

but left 13 runners on.

J.J. Hardy’s triple and Joey Rickard’s infield out gave the Orioles their only run in the fourth.

“Rickard had a good professional at-bat with the infield back. It’s good to see,” Showalter said.

The addition of Alvarez seemingly increases Rickard’s chances to make the club. He plays all

the outfield positions, could be used as a late-inning defense replacement and can pinch run.

“He throws the ball to the right base, hits the cutoff man,” Showalter said. “Nobody can see for

sure it’s going to continue in the big leagues if we kept him and he made the club.”

Last Thursday Gonzalez allowed seven runs on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings against Tampa Bay.

“They didn’t even let me breathe out there,” Gonzalez said then.

His second start was a much better one. Gonzalez allowed one run on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.

“Kept the ball down. We did what we had to do, got my work in. That’s what matters,” Gonzalez

said.

He allowed a home run to Boston’s Brock Holt, his second batter, was happier.

“Of course, mentally when things are not going well, you just put yourself down. You just got to

get up and put your head down and work hard,” Gonzalez said.

Manager Buck Showalter was pleased with Gonzalez.

“His stuff was better, a little crisper, getting there. I know he felt a little better. Velocity was a

little better. Kind of what you expect,” Showalter said. “You see progress.”

The Red Sox started Christian Vazquez behind the plate. It was Vazquez’s first game since he

underwent Tommy John surgery nearly a year ago.

The Orioles started Matt Wieters, who was recovering from that surgery a year ago. Showalter

doesn’t think about that now.

“You can tell it’s about baseball now. It’s not about how he feels. There’s no tentativeness,”

Showalter said.

He hasn’t decided how many games he’d like Wieters to catch, but he has an accomplished

backup this year in Caleb Joseph.

“We’re fortunate to have someone like Caleb who’s done well. The pitchers are very lucky

where the guys don’t really care between those two who’s catching,” Showalter said.

Rookie pitcher Chris Lee was removed from the game after pitching to three batters in the fifth

inning because he wasn’t wearing his protective goggles.

“He somehow got to the mound without them, and I wasn’t going to take a chance,” Showalter

said. “He’s not going to pitch for the Orioles without them.”

Showalter noticed that Lee was without the goggles when he was pitching to his second hitter.

“I wished I had taken him out right away when I noticed it. I let him go another hitter,”

Showalter said.

NOTES: Yovani Gallardo, who signed after spring training was already underway, will start for

the first time on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater. Jeremy Hellickson

pitches for the Philllies. … Hyun Soo Kim, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and Mark

Trumbo are scheduled to make the trip. … The Orioles recorded their second sellout. … The

Orioles agreed on one-year contracts with all 21 of their 40-man roster players not eligible for

arbitration. Pitchers Parker Bridwell, Odrisamer Despaigne, Oliver Drake, Jason Garcia, Kevin

Gausman, Mychal Givens, Chris Jones, Chris Lee, T.J. McFarland, Chaz Roe, Andrew Triggs,

Tyler Wilson and Mike Wright. Catchers Caleb Joseph and Francisco Pena, infielders Jimmy

Paredes, Jonathan Schoop and Christian Walker and outfielders Dariel Alvarez, Joey Rickard

and Henry Urrutia.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/mcfarland-gets-good-news-elbow-x-ray

McFarland gets good news from elbow x-ray

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla.-- The X-ray on T.J. McFarland’s left elbow showed no damage, and

according to manager Buck Showalter, he could return to action shortly, perhaps by the end of

the week. He was removed from Sunday's game with elbow tenderness.

“Maybe. He wants to do it today. Maybe. That’s a possibility,” Showalter said.

“We’re upbeat about that. He feels good today…He should be able to get back in the max

shortly. We feel good about that.”

McFarland, who’s in the hunt for the final bullpen spot, wouldn’t speculate on when he might

return.

“I really don’t know a timetable just yet. It’s looking very, very promising,” McFarland said. “I

know that I feel a lot better, and it’s gradually getting a lot better. It’s showing signs that I’m

going to heal, and I’m going to be fine.”

He was glad he didn’t have to have an MRI.

“Whenever you’re dealing with something like that, and you get a test, and it comes back clean,

it’s a huge rush that comes over you. Definitely relieved that there’s nothing seriously wrong,”

McFarland said.

Ozzie Martinez, who collided with minor league infielder Garabez Rosa on Sunday, was checked

for concussion symptoms, and found that he’s suffering from whiplash.

“It’s a ground ball in the middle, slow roller. I had to go get that ball. Nobody called that ball.

That’s why we collided,” Martinez said.

“I was sore. I got hit in the head. I hit the ground hard, so that’s why I didn’t want to get up too

quick. I stayed down for a little bit.”

Ryan Flaherty won’t play in Wednesday’s game in Clearwater against Philadelphia because he’ll

be getting medical testing.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/showalter-already-preparing-alvarezs-arrival

Showalter already preparing for Alvarez's arrival

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla.-- Manager Buck Showalter didn’t want to comment on the reports, which

have been confirmed by multiple industry sources, that Pedro Alvarez will be joining the Orioles.

Alvarez is scheduled to arrive Tuesday afternoon to begin the Orioles’ physical.

“As we've been down this road a few times, let the process run its course. Then we'll have plenty

of time to talk about these things,” Showalter said.

Alvarez projects as the Orioles’ designated hitter, and that would mean moving Mark Trumbo

into the outfield. Trumbo has regularly been taking fly balls.

“He’s been doing that, preparing for all the possibilities. We knew that a possible addition might

come and we want to be able to not wait until the end,” Showalter said.

Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell has to adjust to a new wrinkle in an opponent’s lineup.

“Another power bat in a hitter’s ballpark,” Farrell said. “Buck’s teams have always been ones

that have been filled with power. This lineup projects to be very similar to that.”

Alvarez will be paid $5.75 million this year. In his contract are incentives for an additional $1.25

million. Alvarez will get $200,000 each for 350, 400, 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances. He

would get $250,000 for 600 plate appearances.

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/blog/orioles-talk/orioles-think-alvarez-can-add-punch-lineup

Orioles think Alvarez can add punch to lineup

By Rich Dubroff / CSN Mid-Atlantic

March 8, 2016

SARASOTA, Fla. – Ryan Flaherty and Pedro Alvarez played together at Vanderbilt, and roomed

together for two spring trainings when Alvarez was with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Now, the two old friends are teammates with the Orioles.

“Let’s hope he shows up,” Flaherty joked on Tuesday morning.

Flaherty was referring to the reports that the Orioles had reached an agreement with Dexter

Fowler only to have him show up at the Chicago Cubs camp instead.

“He’s a powerful bat, as big as there is in the game. I think a lot of the things he does is what this

team’s had success the last four years or so. He can definitely help,” Flaherty said.

He didn’t try to get Alvarez to come to the Orioles.

“No. I wouldn’t convince him. He’s my friend first and foremost. He wanted to go to a place

that’s a good fit and he wanted to play for a team that’s going to compete. I think it’s a good fit

for him.”

Chris Davis knows it’s another big bat.

“It’s exciting. I think any time you add a player like that it’s obviously exciting. We’ve got a lot

of power potential on this team. We did before but we just keep adding to it. I’m sure he’s

excited to finally have a place to call home and finally get after it,” Davis said.

“It’s going to be fun to see what this lineup can do.”

With Alvarez added to a lineup with Davis, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and

Mark Trumbo, it could be a fearsome batting order with lots of home runs, and strikeouts, too.

Davis may have to play right field occasionally with Alvarez on hand.

“I think it’s going to shake things up a bit for the most part. I think I’m probably going to be at

first base most of the time. That’s kind of the indication that I’ve gotten, but you never know.

With Buck, it can be a coin flip sometimes. I never expect too much. I’m still waiting for that

day when I come in and see my name in the leadoff spot playing short. I’m not going to hold my

breath,” Davis said.

Vance Worley was a teammate of Alvarez’s in Pittsburgh last year and knows what he brought to

the Pirates.

“I’m thinking I got a good shot at winning. We definitely have a dangerous lineup. Spring

training numbers don’t necessarily show it at this point, but once these guys all get rolling it’s

going to be fun,” Alvarez said.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/03/08/video-manny-machado-is-already-in-regular-season-form/

Video: Manny Machado is already in regular season form

By Bill Baer / NBC Sports

March 8, 2016

A lot of spring training focus, especially early, is spent on hitters as the return of baseball means

the return of dingers. And, no doubt, they’re fun to watch. I watched Mike Trout‘sfirst spring

round-tripper on Monday at least 10 times.

But we’re in a pretty special era of baseball now as there are some prolific defenders. Trout, of

course, is one of them with his penchant for robbing home runs. New Angels

shortstop Andrelton Simmons is on track for an historic defensive career with at least 25 runs

above average in each of the last three seasons according to Baseball Reference. Rays

outfielder Kevin Kiermaier had one of the best defensive seasons ever at any position.

Then there’s Manny Machado who, by virtue of his position, sometimes brings back memories

of umpteen-time Gold Glove Award winner and former Oriole Brooks Robinson. Machado is

big, listed at 6’3″, 185 pounds. He’s deceptively agile at the hot corner with a strong and

accurate arm. Some third basemen have comparable range to Machado but lack the arm strength

to capitalize on it, which is what makes the 23-year-old so good.

That was all on display Tuesday afternoon as the Orioles took on the Red Sox in Grapefruit

League action. In the top of the fifth inning, Chris Young hit a sharp grounder down the third

base line. Machado adroitly snagged the ball and whipped, seemingly effortlessly, the ball across

the diamond to first base for the second out of the inning. He makes it look so easy. The live

camera angle doesn’t do him much justice, but the replay certainly shows how difficult a play it

was.

http://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/03/08/power-packed-orioles-are-going-to-hit-a-ton-of-homers-

this-season/

Power-packed Orioles are going to hit a TON of homers

By Aaron Gleeman / NBCsports.com

March 8, 2016

Baltimore’s defense may not be pretty after shifting people around to make room in the lineup

for Pedro Alvarez, but the Orioles are going to hit a ton of home runs this season.

Last year the Orioles ranked third among MLB teams with 217 homers, behind only the Astros

with 230 and the Blue Jays with 232. Now take a look at the power throughout the Orioles’

projected lineup following the Alvarez signing:

Catcher: Matt Wieters hit eight homers in 75 games last season after coming back from injury

and has averaged 20 homers per 150 games for his career.

First base: Chris Davis led the league with 47 homers last season and led the league with 53

homers in 2013.

Second base: Jonathan Schoop hit 15 homers in just 86 games last season and has averaged 21

homers per 150 games for his brief career.

Third base: Manny Machado hit 35 homers last season at age 22.

Shortstop: J.J. Hardy hit just eight homers in 114 games last year, but has topped 20 homers in

five different seasons.

Left field: This is the one spot that doesn’t have a clear-cut starter, but everyone competing for

the job has some power. Hyun Soo Kim hit 28 homers in Korea last season, Nolan Reimold has

averaged 20 homers per 150 games for his career, and Jimmy Paredes hit 10 homers in 363 at-

bats for the Orioles last season.

Center field: Adam Jones hit 27 homers last season and has hit at least 25 homers every season

since 2011.

Right field: Mark Trumbo hit 22 homers in 142 games last season and has averaged 28 homers

per 150 games for his career.

Designated hitter: Pedro Alvarez hit 27 homers for the Pirates last season, led the league with 36

homers in 2013, and has averaged 27 homers per 150 games for his career.

An injury or two can change things in a hurry, but if that group stays mostly healthy this season

Baltimore is going to have crazy power up and down the lineup. Here’s what seems like a

reasonable and maybe even somewhat conservative home run projection for each starter based

on the numbers quoted above:

Wieters: 20

Davis: 40

Schoop: 20

Machado: 30

Hardy: 15

LF starter: 15

Jones: 25

Trumbo: 25

Alvarez: 25

Add that up and you get 215 homers, which is just two fewer than the Orioles hit in total last

season. And that doesn’t include any production from bench players, which will amount to

hundreds and hundreds of at-bats–last year 19 different Orioles got at least 100 plate

appearances–and a minimum of, say, 20 more homers.

Baltimore adding all-or-nothing sluggers Trumbo and Alvarez to a lineup that already included

Davis may not always be the prettiest thing to watch or equal the most all-around value, but the

Orioles have a real chance to hit 250 homers this season and no team has done that since 2010.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/07/sports/basketball/being-paid-to-play-basketballpat-

connaughton-is-dreaming-of-diamonds.html?_r=1

Being Paid to Play Basketball, Pat Connaughton Is

Dreaming of Diamonds

By David Waldstein / The New York Times

March 6, 2016

Downtime for N.B.A. players is a study in relaxation techniques. After a practice or before a

game, many indulge in video games, a movie, a book or the ever-popular nap. A day off might

include all of the above.

But Pat Connaughton, a rookie with the Portland Trail Blazers, has a method all his own. On a

nice day, he slips on a baseball glove, goes outdoors and plays catch with his father.

It is no ordinary catch, though, and it is not solely for relaxation or familial bonding.

Connaughton, a lithe 6-foot-6 shooting guard with a smooth jump shot and a rocket arm, throws

with a purpose.

He might go to a remote park around Portland, Ore., with his father, Len Connaughton, a real

estate manager. Pat Connaughton loosens up from a close distance for a while, then throws 120

feet on a line and then moves in to 60 feet, firing 90-mile-per-hour lasers that slice through the

air.

“Some guys take naps,” Connaughton said last week before a game against the Knicks. “As busy

as we are and as focused as we are at our sport, there are times the coaches want you to get away

from basketball. If my dad’s not around, then I’ll go out and throw against a fence.”

Connaughton, a gregarious 23-year-old with high aspirations, is not throwing only for recreation,

though. He is like any pitcher readying himself to enter a game — the only difference is that the

game is two, three, maybe 10 years away.

“Even if I have a successful and plentiful N.B.A. career,” he said, “someday I am going to go

back and try to be a big league pitcher.”

Later Tuesday night against the Knicks, Connaughton briefly played for the first time in six

games. The next night, in a game in his hometown, Boston, he had 7 points while playing 7

minutes 45 seconds, each figure a career high.

Connaughton does not play much. Few second-round draft picks do. For many observers,

including the hopeful Baltimore Orioles, baseball is Connaughton’s better sport.

“He has the talent to be a top-of-the-rotation guy,” Rick Peterson, the Orioles’ pitching

coordinator, said in Sarasota, Fla., on Friday. “He has a major league arm, but just as important,

he is a major league person, and that is a prerequisite. He has everything it takes.”

Peterson helped usher in a golden pitching era in Oakland with Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and

Barry Zito. He also worked closely with Pedro Martinez and Tom Glavine with the Mets. But

when he watched Connaughton throw a bullpen session in Sarasota in summer 2014, he

witnessed something he had never quite seen before.

“His fastball looked like no other fastball,” Peterson said. “It has the most unique late movement

I’ve ever seen.”

That bullpen session was shortly after the Orioles had drafted Connaughton in the fourth round

of the Major League Baseball amateur draft. That summer, in six games during a brief turn with

the Class A Aberdeen IronBirds, Connaughton had an eye-opening 2.45 E.R.A. over 142/3

innings. Then he was off to Italy on a trip with the Notre Dame basketball team, followed by his

senior year with the Fighting Irish.

Connaughton played both baseball and basketball at Notre Dame, but after graduation, he told

the Orioles that basketball was his preference. He adores the sport, and he had to see if he could

make it.

Contrary to many predictions, he was drafted — 41st over all by the Nets. He was immediately

traded to the Trail Blazers, whose general manager, Neil Olshey, is considered a top talent

evaluator.

In order to sign his rookie contract, Connaughton had to give up professional baseball for at least

two years, although he said Portland was fine with his light throwing program. After two years,

the Blazers say, Connaughton can petition to have that condition reconsidered.

That is why he continues to play catch. Peterson and Chris Correnti, an Orioles trainer who has

worked closely with Martinez and Johan Santana, gave Connaughton the Orioles’ standard off-

season throwing program to follow in his free time. Connaughton also stretches out his arm

every night to help keep it in shape.

“I understand assets,” he said. “My arm is an asset, and I need to take care of it.”

Connaughton relishes a challenge, especially overcoming doubters who said he would never be

drafted in the N.B.A., that Notre Dame’s 2-point loss to Kentucky in the Midwest Regional final

of last year’s N.C.A.A. tournament was his basketball peak.

It very well may not be. But to date, Connaughton’s N.B.A. journey has been unsurprising for a

second-round pick. He gets most of his playing time in practice as a member of the scout team.

In real games, he is averaging 3.0 minutes and 0.8 of a point. He has played in only 25 of the

Blazers’ 64 games. Yet even that is more than most expected.

“No one thought I would be here,” he said. “You see people say: ‘He should go back to baseball.

He should do this; he should do that.’ Those are people who said I would never even make it

here. There’s always another hurdle to go over, and it’s fun to use that as motivation.”

If he develops into a solid N.B.A. player, Connaughton could gain the leverage needed to play

both sports professionally, the way Chuck Connors, Dave DeBusschere and Danny Ainge once

did.

Connaughton is no longer an Orioles employee, but the team retains his rights in case he returns

to baseball. So when Connaughton heard that a reporter was soon headed to Orioles camp in

Florida, he smiled.

“Tell them I said hello,” he said with a playful wink, “and I’ll see them shortly.”