With the 2019 season wrapping up, the Orioles are in a battle for the #1 overall pick, something I wrote about (along with many other O’s fans) this past week. At this point, it’s really a matter of Baltimore and Detroit being in a two-horse race. However, unlike last season, I don’t think it’s all that important for Mike Elias to snag the top selection. Adley Rutschman was one of the best prospects in recent memory; this year’s class doesn’t seem to have the same disparity in talent at the […]

In this week’s installment of Hot Take Tuesday, I’m going to have to go back on something I wrote a while back, something I really would rather not do. Normally, when you make a fiery take you stick by it, so please don’t question my credibility – I love the game of the hot take and fully respect it. At the same time, I think this take is just as hot as my prior one was, and with that one being so far out of question at this point, I […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week With so many players having been called up for September roster expansion and the upcoming end of all minor league play, there’s going to be far fewer moves to be made for the remainder of the year. As a result, this will be the last regular installment of the Suggested Change of the Week, at least until the offseason. Still, I do think there’s one managerial change for the Orioles to make, and that revolves around making a consistent dedication to youth. This year, […]

(Ed note: An earlier version of this post attributed it to Derek Arnold. Aidan Griesser is the correct author. We apologize for the error.) Sitting at 45-92 late on Monday night, there’s no question that the Orioles…well, suck. They’re not easy to watch at all, and quite frankly, I’m about ready for the season to end. It’s only natural that all of our minds are solely focused on the Baltimore Ravens at this point. However, perhaps because of how awful the summer has been, what’s been going through my mind […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week Given the focus on developing youth this season, this week’s Suggested Change is one of my favorites. It’s finally time for September Call-Ups. The 2019 season has been a tough one to watch and I’m sure even tougher to play through as a member of the team. But, finally, reinforcements are coming. On September 1, the Orioles will be able to expand their roster from 25 to 40 players, giving GM Mike Elias the opportunity to bring up anyone who can contribute and provide […]

In a season in which the Orioles have mightily struggled, I’ve reasonably found it difficult to pick out bright spots to write about, whether in a Hot Take Tuesday or a Suggested Change of the Week. At the same time, one of the brightest spots that I repeatedly missed has become abundantly clear to me – it just took a milestone for me to realize it. This weekend, Jonathan Villar became the first Oriole since Manny Machado in 2015 to join the 20/20 club, and all of a sudden it […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week With September call ups on the horizon, it’s safe to say the extra brutal dog days of the baseball season for a rebuilding team may be coming to an end. That’s not to say the last bit of the season won’t be painful – because it will – but to point out that watching younger players get a crack in the majors will become more and more possible moving forward. Still, we’re not quite there yet. Thus, this week’s suggested change is still rather […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week The trend over the last few installments of this column has been opportunity. I’m sure this will come as little surprise, but this week will be no different. For the Orioles, giving unproven players the chance to step up at the MLB level is something worth doing, especially at this time of the year. The team is firmly in the cellar, scrapping to get through the season, and focusing organizationally on rebuilding a farm system that has been dry for the better part of […]

Anyone who follows me on Twitter (@Kool_A1D_Jammer) knows that I’m a proud Stanser, or Hanser Alberto stan. Trust me, he’s one of my favorite Orioles since the rebuild began, I hope he sticks around for a while, at least in the MLB if not on the O’s. That being said, you might be surprised to know that my favorite player in the organization actually isn’t Alberto, and isn’t even on the big league squad. Instead, it’s a minor league arm that Dan Duquette acquired at last year’s deadline: Dean Kremer. […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week The Orioles highlight of this week, while a disappointing one, is undoubtedly the exchange between manager Brandon Hyde and first baseman Chris Davis on Wednesday night. Though it easily could have been nothing, having that sort of scuffle caught on camera in a 14-2 blowout loss to the Yankees is downright embarrassing. Chris Davis has to be held back from going after Orioles' manager Brandon Hyde #mlb pic.twitter.com/Kn6wEfNcZb — Sports Gifs & Videos (@Supreme_gifs) August 8, 2019 In the aftermath, most of the discussion […]

When you’re writing about a sub-.500 club with little to be excited about, it’s often difficult to find fiery ideas for your weekly Hot Take Tuesday segment. This past week, I was really going through the struggle – I honestly had no idea what I’d be writing about. That is, until I came across a fascinating tweet from the MLB Pipeline’s page that really got the gears turning. According to their newest top-100 prospect list, the Orioles have the 10th most “prospect points” of the entire league’s system, not a […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week In an unexpectedly quiet trade deadline, Mike Elias surprised me by not dealing one of either Jonathan Villar or Mychal Givens. Had he done so, I would have centered this Change of the Week around replacing either player. When the dust had officially settled, I figured I’d have to dig real deep to make any sort of recommendation to the O’s GM for the upcoming week. However, I think I do have a little change he could make to help this team in the […]

As I write this before the first pitch is thrown in the series opener between the Orioles and Padres on Monday night, the Birds have enjoyed a decent stretch of baseball. Since their last series with San Diego, in which the Friars secured a two-game sweep at Camden Yards, the O’s are 13-12, and in search of their first winning month since August of 2017. In the process of winning those games, they’ve actually forfeited their hold on the worst record in baseball, which for those closely following the rebuild, […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week With the MLB Trade Deadline approaching, it’s no surprise that my Suggested Change of the Week will revolve around the departure of a player or two. I don’t really think I need to go into much more detail about that, but I’ll remind everyone that as one of the worst teams in the league, the Orioles have no need for players with current value, and should ship them off to bring in younger talents who could make the club better when it becomes relevant […]

In such an awful year for Orioles pitching, a great deal of my articles – especially the Suggested Change of the Week variety – have revolved around the rotation. This installment of Hot Take Tuesday will be no different. A few weeks ago, I argued that John Means’ season may be the best since Erik Bedard graced the Yard. I stand by that statement, but the person I’d believed would jump to second-best has been far from trustworthy in 2019. With that in mind, I see the rotation pecking order […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week I’d say if there is anything at which the Orioles are worst, it’s pitching. Most of you would likely agree. Simply put, they have the worst ERA in the majors. That should be all you need to know. As a product of that, Mike Elias has been scrounging for scraps to place on the bump, and after trading one of the team’s more consistent starters in Andrew Cashner, the search is only going to be heightened. Now don’t get me wrong. There’s no way […]

I’m sure most of you have heard, but the big news of the weekend was the O’s trading Andrew Cashner. On Saturday, Mike Elias agreed to a deal with Boston that gives the Sox the back-end stability they coveted, while bringing two 17-year old international prospects to Baltimore’s system. Since the two position players don’t carry huge names or a known potential because of their age, there’s been a decent amount of backlash for the trade, as many feel Elias sold low on Cashner. However, in this week’s Hot Take […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week As I outlined recently, the 2019 Baltimore Orioles are not going to have a particularly active trade deadline. While the team is in no position to buy and likely would prefer to sell than stand pat, Mike Elias doesn’t have too many chips on hand. However, despite that unfortunate reality, it’s possible that the O’s could make moves to advance the rebuild. I’ll explain how in this week’s Suggested Change of the Week. If the Orioles want to move forward in acquiring prospects, there’s […]

In a frustrating 2019 campaign, the first year of a long rebuild that the Orioles are undergoing, it’s critical for fans to follow the exciting stories. They’re few and far between, that’s for sure, but it’s on us to enjoy them when we see them. To that point, there’s no easier story to enjoy than the emergence of John Means, the Orioles’ new ace. As the O’s All-Star representative, Means has quickly become a fan favorite and a household name in Baltimore. That’s impressive, especially given the fact that he’s […]

Last Monday, my fellow ESR blogger Dillon Atkinson wrote an article focusing on the numerous Orioles players that could be available for trade to the rest of the MLB. Honestly, Dillon sort of stole my thunder, as this post was about to be my Hot Take Tuesday. Luckily, it’s a story that could wait a week, so here we go. While there are a great deal of players that Mike Elias may consider moving, the Baltimore Orioles are not going to be legitimate sellers. Before you turn on me, understand […]