The Arizona Fall League wrapped up one of its showcase moments last night, and four Orioles prospects were right in the middle of it. Braxton Bragg, Patrick Reilly, Vance Honeycutt and Ike Irish all suited up for the American League in the Fall Star Game as the AFL heads into its final stretch.
Reilly got the start, but the outing was a rough one. He didn’t give up a hit, yet he issued three walks and also let a run cross on a wild pitch. Bragg followed in the third and looked much sharper, punching out the first two hitters he faced - one looking, one swinging - before finishing the inning with a groundout.
At the plate, Honeycutt’s strong fall didn’t carry over into this one. He went 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts, though he did draw a walk.
Irish, meanwhile, made a more direct impact. He singled in a run in the third inning to give the AL a 2-1 lead at the time, and he also worked a walk.
The game was tied 3-3 in the seventh when the night ended for me, so I can’t tell you how it finished. What I can tell you is that the Fall Star Game came at an odd point in the AFL calendar.
The league is off today, then plays two more days of regular-season games before a quick playoff round Thursday through Saturday. The championship is set for Saturday night.
For the Orioles’ contingent, the bigger picture is still strong. The Peoria Javelinas, where Baltimore’s prospects are playing, are tied for first place at 16-10.
Elsewhere around the Orioles world, the offseason remains mostly quiet. After a brief burst of movement earlier in the month, MLB has gone still, with the General Manager meetings set to begin in Las Vegas tomorrow.
That’s usually where the groundwork for winter deals gets laid, and maybe this week finally brings some action before baseball heads into a bleak winter. If the Orioles are taking suggestions, Trevor Rogers was floated as a name worth signing to a contract.
There’s also been some Orioles chatter around the league. Rich Dubroff spoke to Braxton Bragg ahead of the Fall Star Game, and Roch Kubatko took a look at some of the key numbers from last season’s starting rotation. MLB Trade Rumors also examined possible Steven Kwan trade fits, with the Orioles among the teams mentioned.
And on this day in Orioles history, the club made a move that worked out nicely. On this day in 1988, Baltimore traded minor leaguer Pete Bohm to the Pittsburgh Pirates for first baseman Randy Milligan.
Milligan became a key piece for the Orioles over four seasons, including the 1989 “Why Not” club, when he hit .268/.394/.458 in 124 games and formed part of the heart of the lineup with Cal Ripken and Mickey Tettleton. He was even better in 1990, posting an OBP over .400 and a .900 OPS.
In four years with Baltimore, Milligan finished with an OPS+ of 130, 59 home runs and 81 doubles, while Bohm never reached the majors.
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Orioles May Soon Regret Moving A Bullpen Arm They Revived
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What made Wells so intriguing was the way he got results despite the risk baked into his style. He did not generate many ground balls, but he also kept the ball in the park at a respectable rate on fly balls, which helped the Orioles get real value out of him before moving him to the Rays during the 2026 season. For a bullpen that had just found a workable answer, that kind of departure can linger. [Read more 🡒]