This is a weekly column that dives into some random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. I used to do eight as a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. This year, I’ll be cutting it down to four or five, so consider it the Earl Weaver–Brooks Robinson era of Thursday Thoughts. – A.S.
1. This week’s saga surrounding Brady Anderson and his role with the Orioles took up much of the headlines. It all stemmed from a very well-sourced, in-depth article written by FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. If you haven’t had the chance to read it, it’s worth a few minutes of your time.
Many want to paint a picture of dysfunction or chaos within the O’s organization following this piece. I don’t think that was Rosenthal’s intention, nor do I think it’s the truth. I think the best word that can be used to describe the situation is “awkward.” That’s all it is right now. It’s a bit of an awkward situation, something unique that few if any other teams are dealing with.
I went in depth about the matter earlier this week with our friends over at Bird’s Eye View, and I urge you to give our chat a listen. In the end, I think Anderson is a benefit to the Orioles. I think he is a positive influence on players and can help the club in the long run.
2. Dan Duquette stepped in it again this week, and he made a bigger mess than he did earlier this winter. I had no real issue with Duquette when he claimed the Orioles weren’t interested in signing Jose Bautista because the fans don’t like him. It was a load of crap, but I didn’t have any serious beef with what he said. The quote was simply a cop out. The O’s weren’t going to sign Bautista because of financial reasons, not because of the fans.
I went on the record as saying I would’ve welcomed Bautista if the O’s signed him. Once you put on that uniform, you’re part of the team. It wasn’t in the cards, so no big deal.
But this week, Duquette doubled down on his claim, and went a step further. When asked by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand about why the team didn’t further pursue Bautista’s services, Duquette again played the “villain” card:
“Well that was an easy one; our fans just don’t like Jose. We play those guys 25 times a year and he’s the face of the Blue Jays. He’s the villain in the play whenever we play the Blue Jays. I like our guys. Our guys are good. [Mark] Trumbo is like a working-class-type baseball player. If he was going to work every day on a construction site, you would understand that he brings that kind of work ethic every day. That’s the kind of player that our fans identify with. We try to get gritty players that work hard every day and give their best effort every day. Our fans seem to like that and respond to it.”
Nevermind that Duquette doesn’t realize that division opponents play each other 19 times a year, not 25. The comparison to “gritty” players like Trumbo is odd to me. It borders on distasteful even. There are undertones of something embedded in that quote that rub me the wrong way.
Perhaps I’m missing something in context, but I don’t see how Trumbo is a player who the fans of Baltimore truly identify with, especially after just one season in the city. It’s strange to me that Duquette didn’t make the comparison to Adam Jones or Manny Machado. I’m not sure, either, if Duquette was trying to imply that Bautista doesn’t have a good work ethic. I don’t think it’s any secret that he’s one of the most dangerous hitters in the game, and while he may be aging, he’s still a threat.
Bautista may be a villain in Charm City, but he didn’t deserve a second slew of quotes like this from Duquette either.
GulfBird Sports/Craig Landefeld
3. The search for a fifth starter continues, with no true frontrunner emerging. I’m not even sure why anyone would expect one to emerge with this group. There’s virtually no question at this point that Chris Tillman won’t make his first scheduled start, though Buck Showalter continues to hint it’s still a possibility. Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, Gabriel Ynoa, Chris Lee and Jayson Aquino are the most logical candidates for the gig. None of those names inspire confidence.
I feel as if this narrative has been beaten down this spring, but it’s really what we have to work with. The rotation, which already didn’t look that strong entering the season, is now trying to cope with the loss (at least temporarily) of its most consistent member. For my money, I would just throw Wilson out there for the time being. I’d deal with the five innings he can give you and hope you can put up more than the four or five runs he’s going to allow.
He seems to be the safest bet of any of them. Regardless of the outcome, I won’t be confident in it.
GulfBird Sports/Craig Landefeld
4. The other real battling still going on this spring is in the corner outfield spots. I honestly have no idea how the O’s are going to manage keeping the players they want to keep. I’ve basically counted eight players for a maximum of two spots. Obviously Adam Jones is on the team, along with Seth Smith and Hyun-Soo Kim. Everything I’ve seen and heard from Joey Rickard would lead me to believe he deserves a spot on the roster, but he also has options. That makes him expendable for now.
Rickard, along with Rule 5 picks Anthony Santander and Aneury Tavarez, Craig Gentry, Pedro Alvarez (yes, somehow considered an outfielder), Chris Dickerson, Logan Schafer and Michael Bourn are up for the two positions in my mind. Gentry has impressed this spring, while Bourn is a good bet to start on the disabled list after breaking his finger. Alvarez has had a hot bat, but can likely start in the minors as well after signing such a contract that has an opt-out date. Santander also has an injury of course, and could also possibly be stashed on the DL.
In the end, I don’t see how the O’s are going to keep a Rule 5 guy unless they work out a trade. I’ll be fascinated to see how this roster shakes out. Are the O’s going to be able to use a platoon in both left and right field? Are there even enough roster spots for that?
5. The conclusion of the World Baseball Classic was thrilling. It was awesome to see Adam Jones help the USA to its first WBC title. Many dismissed the WBC, and they have every right. For me, it had a little extra juice this year. Perhaps it simply had to do with Team USA being competitive, something it hadn’t done up to this point.
Watching Jones slug homers, come through with clutch hits and rob Manny Machado of a home run was a joy. There’s no question that the WBC isn’t perfect. The timing and logistics of it will always be a bit off. But I hope it continues to gain some popularity and every four years, we get to have some fun watching events like this one. For a few weeks, it gave us meaningful baseball way earlier than we ever would have it otherwise.
