I’ve railed on the man some fans haver endearingly referred to as “Crush” (or “The Crusher” if you’re Mike Bordick) for years. After the Orioles made the mind-boggling decision to compete against themselves in the bidding for then free agent Chris Davis and up the ante by $11 million, I opined that the Davis deal would set the O’s back years. And it has. Davis has been flat out awful and ironically the only thing saving his spot on the team’s roster is that bloated contract. Team owner Peter Angelos […]

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 […]

Hello Birdland! I am back after a bit of a hiatus, but I don’t think anybody could blame someone for not having much to write about when it came to the Orioles for the past offseason through the first part of the 2019 season, especially anything positive. Here we are at the All-Star break though, and the Orioles are what we thought they would be. However, we are finally seeing glimpses of the future in players that are finally making an impact in the present. This has finally inspired me […]

David Lebron, pitcher, a 26th-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers, acquired by the Orioles in February and now playing for the Frederick Keys, was kind enough to sit down with me this week. Matt: So David, you grew up in Miami-Dade County, is that correct? David Lebron: Yes Matt: So, with that area being such a talent-rich area, do you think that drove you to succeed? Lebron: Yeah no doubt. I mean, growing up, we’re playing a lot of good talent down there. It kind of brings out the […]

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 […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week In all honesty, rather than making a whole new suggestion for this change of the week, I could stick to my guns and maintain the opinion that Bowie starter Zac Lowther should take a ride to Norfolk; his weekly start was strong once again, going 6.0 innings while giving up just two runs on four hits. At the same time, I’m not Mike Elias, and my opinion of extended success at a level may not quite match his. I respect his belief that players […]

In this episode of The Payoff Pitch Prospect Report, I give an update on some players headed to the All-Star Game for the Bowie Baysox, and a former top prospect making a move to the bullpen. And don’t miss this week’s full episode of The Payoff Pitch here.

After a brief hiatus, Andrew Stetka returns with his Thursday Thoughts column for ESR. 1. I was pleasantly surprised, for the most part, in the crowd’s reaction to Manny Machado’s return to Baltimore this week. It’s not that I expected to hear overwhelming booing from the fans, but I expected to hear more of it than I did. It’s great that, at least over the TV broadcast, it couldn’t really be heard at all. It looked all positive for Machado, who deserved all positive. Machado provided Orioles fans with some […]

As many of you probably know, our beloved Orioles will be playing host to the San Diego Padres starting Tuesday evening. While this series normally would carry excitement because of the interleague dynamic, it’s especially important to the city of Baltimore because it marks the return of one Manny Machado to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Since his departure last trade deadline, Machado has been a member of the World Series runner-up Los Angeles Dodgers and signed an incredible contract with San Diego this winter. In just under seven full […]

It’s BEVy time again! Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday the Orioles walked down the orange carpet, took a lead against the Yankees into the late innings, and then saw the bullpen immediately shit said lead away. Of course, the bullpen shitting probably did happen again yesterday. And the day before. And it’ll happen tomorrow. Such is Orioles baseball in 2019. Only three-plus months left of it! Can the Birds lose fewer than the 115 game bar of awfulness set by last year’s squad? Stay tuned. Anyway, […]

The trade deadline is a little over five weeks away – July 31 at 4:00 p.m. ET – and the Baltimore Orioles will certainly be acting as sellers for the second consecutive season as they continue to stock the farm system in the ongoing rebuild process. Let’s take a look at some trade chips the Orioles have who have a chance to be on the move this summer. They could either be players who are of high interest to other clubs or players who the Orioles would like to move. […]

Griesser’s Suggested Change of the Week Last week, I suggested one Bowie pitcher be moved all the way up to the major leagues to aid the Orioles’ horrendous pitching staff. While Mike Elias ultimately hasn’t made that decision just yet, a promotion of some type can’t be too far off, as Bruce Zimmermann went on to pitch a complete-game shutout a few nights later. This week, my suggested change won’t be quite as dramatic, as the player won’t be jumping two rungs of the professional baseball ladder. Instead, I recommend […]

Adley Rutschman still hasn’t signed, which could be causing some apprehension in Birdland. The reality is, Rutschman is signing. For how much of a signing bonus has yet to be determined, but it will probably land in the $8 million range (slot is $8.4 million). Bobby Witt Jr. signed for his full bonus (nearly $7.8 million), breaking Casey Mize’s $7.5 million record. This gives the Beverly Hills Sports Council (Adley’s representation) some leverage in negotiations. But no matter the figure, Adley will sign and become a member of the Orioles […]