The Orioles
Rebuilding Orioles still focused on future
Consecutive seasons with more than 100 losses mean the Orioles are in the midst of a long-term rebuild, one in which much of the club’s investment is in its future and what’s happening at the major league level is somewhat secondary.
Still, second-year manager Brandon Hyde seems to have a lot more usable major league talent to work with than in the 108-loss 2019 season, when the team’s lack of pitching depth meant trouble at every turn.
The breakout of rookie All-Star John Means was a bright spot, but this year’s Orioles will have to navigate the trade of former first-round draft pick Dylan Bundy out of their rotation to the Los Angeles Angels in the offseason.
Their hope is that the return of Alex Cobb, who made just two starts last year and had back surgery but is the highest-paid pitcher in franchise history, will add some strength to the rotation. Same goes for veteran minor league free-agent signings Wade LeBlanc and Tommy Milone, and major league free agent Kohl Stewart, all of whom have a pedigree and level of experience that the Orioles didn’t have last year.
Some better starting depth and consistency from the bullpen would allow the Orioles’ pitching staff to leave a 2019 season when they set the record for most home runs allowed by a team — with over a month left in the season — in the past.
A settled bullpen should help. With a settled six relievers of Mychal Givens, Richard Bleier, Hunter Harvey, Paul Fry, Shawn Armstrong, and Miguel Castro all showing at times that they could be dominant in the right role, it will be on Hyde and the coaching staff — not to mention the rest of the pitchers — to get them into those spots consistently and let the team reap the rewards.
Mind the sluggers
Before every team in baseball was bashing home runs at record rates, the Orioles were. The only two players left from those teams are first baseman Chris Davis and outfielder Trey Mancini, and Mancini will miss the season after having surgery for colon cancer in the spring.
Davis, who has been in a free-fall at the plate since signing a seven-year, $161 million contract ahead of the 2016 season, is showing signs that his passivity at the plate and record strikeout rates might finally abate.
A rejuvenated Davis could mitigate some of the on-field loss as the Orioles try to make up for what Mancini gave them.
Call up the kids
After one year on the job for executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, the Orioles’ farm system took a big step forward. A lot of that had to do with the players he inherited in the minor leagues, and many of them might arrive at Oriole Park at Camden Yards this season.
Outfielder Austin Hays made a good case to be the opening day center fielder at the end of 2019, and could soon be joined by slugger Ryan Mountcastle in the outfield. On the pitching side, the Orioles added left-hander Keegan Akin and right-hander Dean Kremer to the roster this offseason.
Others who could make it to Camden Yards this year include Yusniel Diaz, Bruce Zimmermann and Ryan McKenna. Any of them coming to the Orioles would bring some buzz to a team that might not have much.