The Birds picked up a couple wins in exhibition games over the weekend, saving us a repeat of last year, when goofy fans were hand-wringing for two weeks while the team lost fake game after fake game before recording their first victory. This week, we finally have our first MASN broadcast of 2017! Check out the Birds today at 1:05 against the Yankees if you are able.
To the links…
Strop’s New Deal Could be a Brad Brach Blueprint
I still miss Pedro Strop (don’t @ me, bro). As Camden Chat’s Mark Brown points out, Pedro just signed a contract extension with the Cubs. He has pitched extremely well in Chicago since heading to The Windy City with Jake Arrieta a few years ago – even better than Brach has lately, by most metrics. The pitchers are similar though, and as such Strop’s deal could be instructive as to what the O’s could expect to spend if they want to keep Brach around.
Minor League Ball’s Wayne Cavaldi says that O’s catching prospect Chance Sisco has one of the prettiest swings in the minor leagues, and can hit the ball all over the field. This is certainly exciting, but just a week after we watched Matt Wieters walk away from Baltimore, I’m going to ask that we not put together ChanceSiscoFacts.com just yet. Please?
Joe Reisel of Camden Depot scoured through the Orioles’ AAA roster over the last decade to try to identify players whom the organization was trying to groom as utility men. Spoiler alert – none of them worked out. Hence Ryan Flaherty still being here and making over a million dollars. Nonetheless, some interesting names pop up on Joe’s list.
Holes that Need Fixing for All 30 MLB Teams
ESPN’s Bradford Doolittle goes through each MLB squad’s most glaring hole. While the Orioles’ is obvious (Buck isn’t going to let anybody run wild on the bases, man. They don’t value it – get over it), I found it a bit more enlightening to go through the other AL East teams to find ways in which the Birds can exploit them. For instance, the Red Sox apparently don’t hit enough home runs, which is news to anybody who watched the O’s pitch to Mookie Betts in 2016.
O’s Fans, Get Ready to Know RHP Jesus Liranzo
Baltimore Sports Report’s Josh Michael says that Birdland should get familiar with pitcher Jesus Liranzo, whom the O’s put on the 40-man roster to protect from the Rule 5 draft.
