There wasn’t much baseball movement on Friday with the playoff schedule paused for the day, but the quiet didn’t last long. Saturday brings all four Division Series to the stage, with a full slate that starts at 1 p.m. and runs deep into the night.
White Sox at Guardians opens the day on TBS, followed by Braves at Dodgers on FOX at 4 p.m. Yankees at Rays takes over at 6:30 on TBS, and Padres at Brewers closes things out at 8:30 on FOX. It could wind up being the last day of the year with more than two games on the schedule, since these are best-of-five series and the National League side could be finished by Tuesday.
For Orioles fans, the attention is already drifting to the offseason, and one of the first checkpoints is arbitration. MLB Trade Rumors released its annual projections late Friday, and the Orioles have seven eligible players: Leody Taveras, Félix Bautista, Codi Heuer, Gunnar Henderson, Albert Suárez, Jordan Westburg, and Colton Cowser.
The likely direction is pretty clear. Henderson, Westburg, Cowser, and Bautista look like straightforward arbitration cases, while Taveras, Heuer, and Suárez probably are not getting offers. That said, the Orioles often prefer to avoid the formal arbitration route altogether and work out deals for the upcoming season instead.
Suárez is the kind of case that shows how flexible this process can be. The Orioles clearly value him - they DFA’ed and re-signed him about 100 times this season - but that doesn’t necessarily mean they want to commit to a $1.1 million arbitration salary. A separate agreement could make more sense.
There’s also the bigger-picture possibility of an extension, though that doesn’t seem especially likely here. Could this be the moment Gunnar Henderson lands his massive deal?
Probably not, especially after his most recent season. Colton Cowser might be more open to something longer-term, but that still feels like a long shot.
And all of this sits under the shadow of the CBA situation. The current agreement expires on December 1 at 11:59 p.m.
ET, while the non-tender deadline usually comes in late November. That means the club should know who gets cut loose before the CBA runs out, even if the arbitration process itself doesn’t really unfold until January and February.
There’s still a lot to sort through.
Roch Kubatko also took a deeper look at the Orioles’ arbitration picture, including how things have shifted since last year.
On the prospect side, MLB.com’s final Top 100 list of the year brings a little comfort for Orioles fans. There are now six baby Birds on Pipeline’s list, with three sitting in the 92-99 range, including Enddy Azocar. Joseph Dzierwa was one of the biggest movers, climbing to No. 69 overall.
And a few Orioles birthdays worth noting: Adam Plutko turns 35, Mike Belfiore is 38, and Mike Johnson celebrates his 51st.
The day in Orioles history includes Mike Cuellar making history in 1970 as the first pitcher to hit a home run in the LCS, and his grand slam powering a 10-6 win over the Twins in Game 1 of the ALCS. The next year, Dave McNally threw seven innings and Baltimore beat the Athletics 5-3 in Game 1 of the ALCS.
In 1986, a loss to the Tigers locked in the Orioles’ first last-place finish since the franchise moved from St. Louis in 1954.
And in 2014, Baltimore delivered one of its most memorable October finishes, scoring four times in the eighth inning of a 7-6 win over the Tigers in Game 2 of the ALDS, capped by Delmon Young’s bases-loaded double off Joakim Soria.
In Other News...
Orioles Nearly Changed Everything With Adley Rutschman Deadline Talks
With the Orioles hanging around the wild card race, the front office spent the deadline exploring just how far it could push the market on Adley Rutschman. Baltimore did not limit the discussion to one club, either. The Orioles talked with the Yankees and Rays before ultimately sending Rutschman to Boston, a move that came only after New York turned down a four-player package the Orioles had put on the table.
The final deal with the Red Sox brought back a five-player return that included prospects and a player to be named later, with Jake Rogers also going to Boston. It was a reminder of how aggressively Baltimore weighed both present needs and long-term control, especially with the players involved carrying different levels of performance and team control. Even for a club still in the postseason mix, the deadline became less about standing pat and more about whether the Orioles were willing to rework everything around one of their most recognizable names. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Can Read This October Flop One Very Different Way
The Red Soxs October ended quickly and badly, with New York sweeping the best-of-three wild-card series by scores of 9-0 and 9-2. For Orioles fans watching from a division rivals point of view, the collapse offers a familiar postseason reminder: the margin for error is tiny, the defense matters, and the little moments can snowball fast, whether it is a sharp play around the plate or a clean pickup at first base.
Bostons struggles also put a spotlight on manager Chad Tracys pitching decisions and on a larger debate the club has leaned into for years, one that mixes data with feel in the biggest spots. Wilson Contreras talked about how numbers and experience both shape the game, and the Red Soxs latest flameout only adds to the sense that their analytics-driven approach still leaves plenty unresolved when the pressure peaks. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Suddenly Have Another Roster Problem Fans Can't Ignore
The Orioles offseason list keeps getting longer, and the latest concern is behind the plate, where the team still looks short on the kind of catcher who can steady a pitching staff and help shape games with defense. Baltimore has spent enough time talking about offense and overall roster balance, but for a club trying to raise its floor in a hurry, the catching situation has become hard to ignore.
Mike Bordick and Buck Showalter both weighed in on the issue, and their comments only sharpened the sense that this is a real problem rather than a minor depth question. Samuel Basallo and Carlos Narvaez are part of the conversation, while names like Jonah Heim and Austin Wells only underline the sort of presence the Orioles would like to have, but the bigger question is whether they can get there before the season turns their weakness into an everyday issue. [Read more 🡒]