The Orioles’ offseason housekeeping has already started, and Monday brought a few small but notable moves. Albert Suárez, Colin Selby, and Codi Heuer all cleared waivers.
Suárez chose free agency, though that may not necessarily mean his time in Baltimore is over. Selby and Heuer will stay in the organization.
That’s just the opening act for a busy stretch around the league. Today brings the announcement of BBWAA award finalists and Silver Slugger finalists, and Pete could be in the mix for the latter.
Beyond that, free agency opens, which also makes today the deadline for teams to hand out qualifying offers to their own free agents. The Orioles are expected to give one to Trevor Rogers unless they get a deal done with him first.
There’s another Orioles decision on the board as well: whether to exercise Ryan Mountcastle’s $7.5 million team option. The fit doesn’t look obvious, but the Orioles have been known to surprise people with these calls.
Around baseball, the Gold Glove winners were revealed yesterday. Former Oriole Christian Walker picked up his fourth award, and nine of the winners were honored for the first time.
For more Orioles reading, there’s a look at a busy November ahead over at MASN Sports, plus a mailbag from Roch Kubatko. BaltimoreBaseball.com has a profile of utility prospect Brandon Butterworth, who is 5’9”. MLB.com also reported that the Orioles declined Robert’s ‘27 team option after an injury-plagued season, a move that came with a $20 million price tag.
And for the birthday crowd: happy birthday if you’re celebrating today. Orioles birthday buddies include Sam Horn, who turns 63.
Horn was Baltimore’s DH from 1990-92 and made quite an entrance in his Orioles debut in 1990, when he launched two home runs and drove in six runs. A left-handed hitter who struggled against lefties, he found his best role as a platoon bat.
His top season came in 1991, when he posted an .850 OPS with 22 home runs in 117 games.
Other former Orioles born today include Sidney Ponson (50), Denyi Reyes (30), Wilson Betemit (45), and Paul Hartzell (73).
On this date in 1971, Pat Dobson threw a no-hitter against the Yomiuri Giants in an exhibition game in Japan. The Orioles went 12-2-4 over their 20-game tour there.
And in 2011, Baltimore claimed Darren O’Day off waivers from the Texas Rangers. He went on to become a bullpen fixture for seven seasons, appearing in more than 60 games in five different years. Over his first four seasons with the Orioles, he was especially sharp, posting a 1.93 ERA in 273 games.
In Other News...
Orioles May Have Found A Trade Return Who Fits Everywhere
The Orioles trade with San Diego sent away Ryan OHearn and Ramn Laureano, but it also brought back a batch of prospects that Baltimore will spend plenty of time sorting through. Among them is Brandon Butterworth, who has already given the organization a look at the kind of adaptable player it may have targeted in the deal. He has talked about the adjustment that comes with being moved, and his early time in the Orioles minor league system and the Arizona Fall League has only added to the sense that he can help in more ways than one.
Butterworths appeal is tied to flexibility, something the Orioles tend to value as they build out depth across the roster and the farm system. He has moved around the field enough to stand out as a versatile piece, the sort of player who can keep himself in the conversation by fitting where needed. For Baltimore, the bigger question is how much that versatility can translate into a real role as he settles in and the organization decides where he belongs. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Prospect Braxton Bragg Is Making A Strong Case For More
The Arizona Fall League has been a useful stage for Orioles prospect Braxton Bragg, who keeps showing up in the weekly stat leaders as the league settles into its first month. Baltimore has plenty of reasons to pay attention to the broader crop of standouts there, but Braggs recent run has been especially noteworthy because it comes on the pitching side, where consistency and command tend to matter as much as raw stuff.
Braggs latest outing added another layer to that case, putting him in a small group of arms who have separated themselves early in the fall. For an Orioles system always looking for pitchers who can turn promise into dependable innings, his performance has made him one of the names worth tracking closely as the AFL schedule moves deeper into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Bullpen Suddenly Has A Late-Inning Question Worth Watching
Ryan Helsleys future in Baltimore had been a question after a season interrupted by injuries, but the right-hander is staying put. The Orioles reliever has opted into his contract, giving the club another late-inning arm to factor into a bullpen picture that already revolves around Felix Bautista and the hope that both pitchers can be available when it matters most.
Helsleys first season with Baltimore was a frustrating one, as he was limited to 15 innings and posted a 4.11 ERA before the elbow issue ended his year. Even so, the strikeout stuff remained encouraging, and if he can get back to full strength, he gives the Orioles some flexibility in how they piece together the back end of games next season. [Read more 🡒]