Baltimore Orioles

ALL
OUTSIDER

Luke, Adam & ESPN

By Anthony Amobi | July 8, 2009 | Oriole Magic

After the display last night from Luke Scott in Baltimore's 12-7 victory over Seattle last night, are we sure that he should be traded? He's one of the streakiest hitters I've ever seen, but he's batting .305 with 17 home runs and 50 RBIs -- which are stats that would put him at the top of pretty much every basic offensive category of anyone on the team. One could say if he didn't get hurt for a while this season, and he played for a winning squad, Scott could conceiveably be up for All-Star merit. Furthermore, he's not even hit arbitration yet and has several years to go before he's a free agent -- granted, he's over 30, but does it make sense for the team to just trade him for the sake of trading him. Sorry, if we want to get rid of someone in a trade for younger...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles, Luke Scott, Seattle Mariners

So About Sano...

By Ben Frazier | July 8, 2009 | Oriole Central

I've avoided the topic because I didn't think there was really fire to smoke that was being put out about the Orioles and reported 16 year old Domincan shortstop/wunderkid Miguel Angel Sano. Apparently, there's fire to that smoke. MASN's Steve Melewski reports that the Orioles are close to offering Sano a contract. That contract offer hinges on the impending conclusion by MLB on whether Sano is indeed 16, and not say 32 years old. It appears that Sano is the ago he's saying and apparently, he's anxious about the O's. The Orioles would offer him more money than Brian Matusz and perhaps as much the recently signed Matt Hobgood. Why not? He'd be just like another 1st round draft pick. I'm really happy that the Orioles are really trying to make this signing happen. There's a good deal of pitching in the system, but there needs to be infield prospects and...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Miguel Angel Sano

Wednesday's Games of the Day

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 8, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Six of Wednesday's fifteen games are day games, making Wednesday a getaway day for those twelve teams. Wednesday doesn't feature the best pitching matchups, but does have some good games worth watching. Two All-Star Game bound ten-game winners are pitching on Wednesday. Ryan Sadowski looks to go 3-for-3 in his first three career starts. The Reds and Phillies continue an entertaining series. Oliver Perez returns to the Mets rotation and the NL Central and AL West showdowns continue. Pittsburgh at Houston: The Pirates-Astros series finishes with Charlie Morton and Wandy Rodriguez facing off. If Pittsburgh wins, they'll be only 2...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Brian Tallet, Chad Guadin, Charlie Morton, Chicago White Sox, Chris Young, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Curtis Granderson, David Hernandez, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Freddy Sanchez, Games of the Day, Hank Blalock, Homer Bailey, Houston Astros, Jeff Suppan, Jose Contreras, Jose Lopez, Kansas City Royals, Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Magglio Ordonez, Max Scherzer, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Oliver Perez, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rodrigo Lopez, Ryan Sadowski, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Scott Kazmir, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Stephen Drew, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Todd Wellemeyer, Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells, Vicente Padilla, Vladimir Guerrero, Wandy Rodriguez, Zack Greinke

Felix Pie Wearing Out Welcome In Baltimore?

By wrigleyville | July 7, 2009 | wrigleyville23

The former Cub super duper prospect appears to be on the trading block because Cesar Izturis, of all people, is coming off the disabled list - and Pie is out of options.He's batting right about at his career level in limited opportunities this year with the Orioles. Which is to say he's not playing very well....

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Felix Pie, MLB

Tuesday's Games of the Day

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 7, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Tuesday brings a full schedule for our viewing pleasure. The day starts with the Reds and Phillies facing off in a game the Reds hope does not turn out the same way as Monday's game. The Rays and Blue Jays jockey for third place positioning in the AL East. Tuesday's schedule also contains games for two series' that will help determine division leaders heading into the All-Star break. Those games and more can be found below. Cincinnati at Philadelphia: The Phillies crushed the Reds 22-1 on Monday and look to continue that dominance against Aaron Harang on Tuesday. Hopefully they...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Harang, Adam Wainwright, Baltimore Orioles, Barry Zito, Cincinnati Reds, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Ross, Detroit Tigers, Dustin Nippert, Erik Bedard, Florida Marlins, Games of the Day, JA Happ, John Lackey, Jonny Gomes, Josh Johnson, Justin Verlander, Kansas City Royals, Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mike Pelfrey, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Yovani Gallardo

At the Halfway Point...

By Anthony Amobi | July 6, 2009 | Oriole Magic

There's really not to talk a lot about this weekend. Aside from David Hernandez's performance on Friday, the Orioles were nothing short of bad on the left coast against the Angels. Baltimore should have won three out of the four games in the series, but instead only won one -- on Friday. The inability of our pitchers to go deep (notably, on Saturday and Sunday), poor defense (Saturday with the colossal Markakis/Roberts flyball), and the ghastly bullpen performances, one has to wonder if the swoon for the Orioles is already here.Despite some strong play in the Interleague portion of the schedule, it is looking like the same old Orioles that we have come to know as the calendar has turned to July.Obviously, contention for a playoff spot has been long out of the question; therefore, where do we go from here? Well, are we enthused for the second half, or...

Read more | 3 Comments | Tags: Baltimore Orioles

Big Money and Little Money Both Get Robbed By All-Star Game Voting

By Nuschler | July 6, 2009 | SF Giants Pride

What in the name of Willie Mays has happened to my beloved National League? The Senior Circuit continually plays the second half of the Major League Baseball season with the American League's collective cleat protruding from its rear due to the latter's dominance in the All-Star Game. Even casual fans of the diamond know the Mid-Summer Classic's gone to the league with that ridiculous designated hitter for a while now. Six in a row, 10 of the last 11, and a string of 12 consecutive contests without a loss by the Junior Circuit to be precise. Can you believe it? The NL's gotta look back on that abysmal, embarrassing tie in Milwaukee with fondness. Ugh. And, if you want to know why, it's because our side is usually of a poorer constitution. Say what you want about the antics from New York and Boston, at least their guys can play. ...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: All-Star Game, Bengie Molina, MLB, National League, NL West, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants

Angels lose - Santana & Scioscia strike out.

By Steve Waverly | July 5, 2009 | Big A Baseball

Okay, let's just pin last night's loss to Baltimore on where it belongs and move on. First, Santana. Obviously. Sure, he struck out a few guys. The ball was coming out of his hand well (I guess versus throwing it over a batter's head), and he had some movement. But it seems that ever since Santana has been in the bigs, people have been making excuses for him. Yes, he had 16 wins early on. But his ERA was well over 4, so let's not get too excited. Then the next year he stunk it up so badly they sent him down. He got focused and got back to the bigs and had a nice year last year. Then this year he got hurt, rehabbed, came back, got bombed, rehabbed, came back, got bombed. But the ball's coming out of his hand well? Doesn't matter, because the problem with...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Ervin Santana, Jeff Mathis, Los Angeles Angels, Mike Scioscia, MLB

MLB Great Debates: Which Playoff Contender Needs a Trade to Stay in the Race?

By Staff Report | June 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which contending team most needs to make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline in order to stay in the race? Jaymes Langrehr argues that the Brewers desperately need starting pitching:As we get closer to the trade deadline, a good number of teams are developing clear needs that need to be addressed if they're going to stay in playoff contention. Some teams will be able to cope with their weaknesses and still make the playoffs due to their other strengths. Other clubs will need to make a move if they have any chance at contending in the second half.The Milwaukee Brewers are a prime example. Heading into this season, they knew that their pitching wouldn't be as good as it was down the stretch last season. Given the strength of their offense, however, they figured to be in okay...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: MLB

MLB Top 10: Rox Still Hot

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Sure, the Colorado Rockies may not be on an insanely long winning streak at the moment (they're back to a merely above-average 5-game streak), but they're still playing the best baseball outside of Los Angeles or Boston at this point. For that reason, they hang on to the #1 spot in this week's Top 10 list. But who takes the #2 spot? With quite a few teams piecing together winning streaks lately, there are plenty of contenders -- there are seven teams who have won at least three games in a row, so there's no shortage of teams playing well, unlike in previous weeks.1. Colorado Rockies (36-33)Sure, it may not be an 11-game win streak, but after dropping a game to the Rays to snap the streak, Colorado has won five straight. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 16 wins in their past 17 games, and it's...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, MLB Outsider, MLB Top 10, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays

Fantasy Baseball: Baltimore To Call Up C Matt Wieters

By Brad Berreman | May 28, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The Baltimore Orioles have announced that they will call up catcher Matt Wieters on Friday, and he will make his major league debut that night against the Detroit Tigers. He was taken by the Orioles with the fifth overall pick of the 2007 amateur draft after a stellar collegiate career at Georgia Tech, and is considered to be one of the top position player prospects in all of baseball. At Triple-A Norfolk this season, Wieters is hitting .305 with five home runs and 20 RBI in 141 at-bats through Wednesday. He missed some time earlier in the season with a hamstring injury, but the injury has not been a lingering issue. In 2008, Wieters hit .355 with 27 home runs and 91 RBI between his two minor league stops on his way to being named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America. He has drawn comparisons to Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer due...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Fantasy, Matt Wieters, MLB

MLB Great Debates: The Ballpark Experience

By Staff Report | May 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which experience is better, going to a Major League Baseball game or going to a minor-league one?Jaymes Langrehr says MLB's quality is top-notch:Where I grew up, I was about a three-hour drive east away from Milwaukee County Stadium, and a three-hour drive west away from the Metrodome. I was literally stuck in the middle of nowhere when it came to the MLB map, and looking back, I was definitely jealous of the kids who were able to spend their summers buying cheap Brewers tickets and move their way up to field level (because it's not like anyone was sitting in those seats, anyway). Still, the few major-league games that I was able to attend were incredible -- even though the home team almost always got crushed. Even when your team stinks, there's something special about a Major League game that...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: MLB

Fantasy Baseball: Baltimore Orioles SP Rich Hill

By Brad Berreman | May 21, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Baltimore Orioles' starting pitcher Rich Hill made his 2009 big league debut this past Saturday, and was solid as he pitched into the sixth inning and allowied two runs on seven hits and struck out six along with getting the win in the Orioles' victory over the Kansas City Royals. Hill had not pitched in the big leagues yet this season due to an elbow injury. Hill was acquired from the Chicago Cubs during the offseason after spending most of 2008 in the minors. He made five starts for the Cubs last season, going 1-0 with a 4.12 ERA in 19.2 innings. In 2007, Hill made 32 starts for Chicago and had an 11-8 record and a 3.92 ERA while pitching 195 innings. Hill spent some time on the DL with lower back soreness last season, which may explain his control issues (9.7 BB/9 in seven Triple-A starts and 8.2 BB/9 in the big leagues), though the...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Fantasy, MLB, Rich Hill

Fantasy Baseball: Nolan Reimold (OF-BAL)

By Jeff Freels | May 20, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Baltimore Orioles rookie outfielder NOLAN REIMOLD was called up May 13 to fill in for injured outfielder and designated hitter Luke Scott. Since then, the 25-year-old right-hander is batting .261 with one home run and three RBIs in 23 at-bats. Scott will remain on the disabled list until May 26, if not longer, and Reimold's cup of coffee will linger at least until then. So what do we make of this youngster?Reimold was drafted by the Orioles in the second round of the 2005 draft out of Bowling Green State University. From his initial minor league assignment until his callup last week, Reimold was a career .287 minor league hitter with 0.053 HR/AB (which translates to 26.5 HRs in 500 AB) and a respectable 0.65 BB/K. Though Baseball America had Reimold rated as the Orioles fifth-best prospect this pre-season, he has never been considered a first-rate prospect.The biggest knock on...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Fantasy, MLB, Nolan Reimold

MLB Outsider Mock Draft: Baltimore Orioles Select Tyler Matzek

By Staff Report | May 14, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Matzek - CamdenDepot.com

MLB Outsider is hosting a 2009 MLB mock draft, where bloggers from all over come together in an attempt to project the draft results that will take place June 9.Camden Depot's Nick James and Jon Shepherd picks for the Baltimore Orioles at No. 5. Pitching follows an Oriole trend in the selection of Tyler Matzek. Follow the mock draft here.In-season Scouting Report for MatzekThe Pick:Matzek was number two on our draft board, preseason, and we were thrilled to see him still around at pick 1:5 in the draft. The lefty has everything we'd look for in a High School arm, including refined secondary pitches, control, command, poise and pitchability. Comparisons have been made to our 2008 first-round selection, Brian Matusz, and we think they fit (though Matzek could end up with a plus fastball to go with his impressive secondary arsenal). Here are the highlights from our full scouting...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, MLB

MLB Great Debates: Steroids and the Hall of Fame

By Staff Report | May 13, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Should the BBWAA look past the use of performance-enhancing drugs and vote known "steroids guys" into the National Baseball Hall of Fame?Jaymes Langrehr says the writers will eventually have no choice but to vote in tainted players:Once again, the game of baseball has been rocked by a star testing positive for a banned substance. Every time this happens, everyone ends up trying to decide if that player is going to be allowed to enter the Hall of Fame. And every time this happens, all the old time-tested baseball writers voting for the Hall say that the player will get in over their dead bodies.It's getting to the point now, though, that eventually they're going to have to lighten up, or risk enshrining some undeserving players. If they stick to their word, we won't be getting Alex Rodriguez and Manny...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: MLB

MVN: Most Valuable Network