Pete Alonso didn’t hide from the moment Monday delivered in Baltimore.
One day after the Orioles sent 2019 first-round pick Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox, Alonso spoke to reporters and addressed the team’s reaction to a deadline that also included the departures of Taylor Ward and Tyler Wells. According to Alonso, Orioles GM and President Mike Elias met with the club and laid out where things stand.
Alonso said he appreciated Elias being straightforward with the group. He also said Elias still believes Baltimore can make a postseason push.
The bigger issue, Alonso suggested, is that the Orioles haven’t done enough to make the front office’s job easier. Baltimore sits at 54-58, fourth in the AL East and 2.5 games back in the race for the third wild card. The chase is crowded, with Minnesota, Texas, Seattle, Baltimore and Detroit all packed within 2.5 games of the final spot.
For Baltimore, the cleanest answer now is on the field. Win games, steady the noise and make the move harder to absorb.
That’s easier said than done after a deadline that hit a few players hard, especially those close to Rutschman. He was reportedly on his way to the movie theater to see the new “Spiderman” movie with Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson and Ryan Mountcastle when he got the news. Rutschman was well-liked in the clubhouse, but, as the saying goes, baseball is a business.
There’s also reporting that the Orioles offered Rutschman two deals between November and May, and both were turned down.
The timing makes Tuesday night feel even heavier. Baltimore is set to open at Camden Yards against the Los Angeles Angels, with Grayson Rodriguez - now pitching for the Angels - scheduled to start. How fans respond to the reshaped roster, and to seeing one of the club’s former pitchers back on the mound, will be part of the story when the Orioles take the field.
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Caballero has taken the decision in stride, backing Lombards ability and putting the emphasis on what helps the Yankees most in the long run. For a player who arrived with a chance to carve out a larger role, it leaves him in a tougher spot now, even if the message from inside the room is that the priority remains team success over any individual preference. [Read more 🡒]