Baseball Historians

I know, it’s not final yet until the physical goes down, but the Orioles are going to sign Steve Trachsel to a one year, $3.1 million deal to replace Kris Benson in the rotation.  Trachsel won 15 games last year but his numbers were hardly stellar.  He walked 78 and struck out only 79 in [...]

This hurts.  Kris Benson wasn’t anything special on the mound, but he was an innings eater who provided a veteran prescence in a rotation that’s filled with kids.  He tore his rotator cuff and it looks like he’s out for all of 2007.
So now the Orioles have another hole to fill, and it’s in the [...]

The Orioles locked up Corey Patterson to a one year, $4.3 million deal yesterday and the team is not finished signing their arbitration eligible players.  I think this was a bit high, but even the Orioles end of the arbitration offer was $4 million so that would have been the ceiling.  Patterson had a solid [...]

It’s hard not to like Kevin Millar even though his on the field performance hasn’t quite been what Orioles fans would have hoped.  Buster Olney at ESPN.com recently had an online interview with Kevin Millar and it’s a solid read.  Good stuff and they talk about everything from from the Orioles offseason acquistions to his [...]

Beyond the Box Score recently wrote up their 2007 team preview for the Orioles and while it’s always nice to see a more sabermetrically inclined anaylsis, the final prognosis is the same…..the Orioles aren’t going to be very good in 2007.  Great analysis though.
On the same website, he’s what they think about how prospects Adam [...]

The Orioles avoided arbitration with second baseman Brian Roberts when they locked him up to a one year, $4.2 million deal today.  Robert had a monster year in 2005 but an elbow injury slowed him down a bit.  Regardless, Roberts is one of the best second basemen in baseball so $4.2 million isn’t all that [...]

When your biggest addition is former closer Danys Baez, it’s tough to be too optimistic about the Orioles.  The Orioles spend money, but they seem to do it wisely enough to turn those dollars into wins.  This season, the Orioles were pretty much on the sidelines when it came to the hot stove, unless you [...]

Spencer Fordin, the Orioles beat writer for MLB.com, recently answered reader’s questions in a mailbag column.  He talks about the Orioles long term plans for Jay Gibbons as well as how the bullpen should flush out heading into the 2007 season.  I particularly like his answer as to why Corey Patterson shouldn’t be the Orioles [...]

Baseball Prospectus’ Maury Brown recently had a very detailed interview with Jim Duquette. In the interview, they cover everything from the recent trades and free agent signings that have gone down with the Orioles as well as how the Orioles are going to address left field.  Good stuff and well worth checking out if you [...]

The Orioles traded their Jeckyl and Hyde starter Rodrigo Lopez to the Rockies for two minor leaguers.  Lopez had been regressing after a solid season in 2004 and was eventually pulled from the rotation.  He loss a league high 18 games in 2006 and he just barely kept his ERA below six (5.90).  Now he’ll [...]

There were rumors floating around about a month ago that Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. was interested in buying the Orioles and had met with current owner Peter Angelos about a staggered sale.  Angelos squashed those rumors by simply saying he wasn’t selling.  Now Ripken has come out publicly and said if Angelos were [...]

Kevin Goldstein recently unveiled his list of the top 10 Orioles prospects and you have to like what you see here.  Right handed pitcher Brandon Erbe tops the list after playing a full season at Low A as an eighteen year old.  133 strikeouts in 114 1/3 innings is very solid, especially for a guy [...]

The Orioles signed starting pitcher Danny Cabrerra to a one year, $1.75 million deal.  This means the two parties won’t have to go arbitration.
Cabrerra showed flashes of greatness last year but his achilles heel is still his walk rate, which is still through the roof.  He did strike out 157 in 148 innings though and [...]

Joe Sheehan did a nice job of evaluating what effect Aubrey Huff will have on the Baltimore Orioles in 2007 and he seems to be cautiously optimistic.  While no predictions are made, he says the Orioles have a “chance” to compete for the Wild Card.  Great read.

The Orioles signed Aubrey Huff over the weekend to a three year, $20 million contract.  Huff can play third, first and the outfield and while he’s struggled in 2005, he bounced back in 2006 with an .800+ OPS.  Huff had a career year in 2003 when he hit 34 homeruns and drove in 107.  Not [...]

The Orioles re-signed utility infielder Chris Gomez to a one year, $850k deal yesterday. Gomez is one of those guys where you look at his numbers and wonder how he made it fourteen years in the league but then you realize he’s a nice guy to have around because he can play anywhere on the infield.

The Orioles signed outfielder Jay Payton to a two year, $9.5 million deal.  Payton had a pretty mediocre year in 2006 and while he’s a career .286 hitter, his career OBP is only .330.  He does make good contact though and he doesn’t strikeout too often.
Payton will fill in at left field.  While I wouldn’t [...]

Minor League guru John Sickels recently unveiled his preliminary list of the top Orioles prospects.  At the top is third baseman Bill Rowell.  The top pitcher is Brandon Erbe.  He gives six Orioles farm hands a B or better rating.  Unfortunately, nobody earned even an A- in his book.  These are pretty much in line [...]

The Orioles reinked fan favorite Kevin Millar to a one year, $2.75 million deal.  Millar was okay in 2006 and never lived him to his declining reputation but for this price, I like the deal.  Millar can play first and he’ll find some time at DH.  He can take a pitch and draw a walk [...]

The Orioles signed two more relievers in what’s been pretty much a complete revamp of the bullpen.  Chad Bradford (best known for his part in the book Moneyball) signed a three year, $10.5 million deal and the injury prone Scott Williamson got a one year, $900k deal.
As far as value, I like these signings a [...]

It looks like Angelos is opening up the pocketbook again.  Although in this case, I think we’re throwing money around a little too freely.  Jamie Walker is a quality left handed reliever, but to pay him almost $4 million a year for three years is a bit much for a situational lefty.  I like the [...]

On the one hand, we’re giving up a only a decent (but young) reliever and in exchange we’re getting a former 15 game winner.  Unfortunately those 15 games are three seasons removed but we’ll see how Jaret Wright does now that he’s reunited with the pitching coach that got that good season out of him.  [...]

Nolan Reimhold, who’s being billed as one of the best of a crop of Orioles prospects, has been lighting up the Arizona Fall League.  You can check up on him and all of the Orioles prospects who are playing winter ball in this MLB.com column.
Man it’s been quiet so far for the Orioles. I know [...]

No big surprises here.  Kevin Millar is a great guy but he never lived up to his better years in Boston even with a solid second half in 2006.  Bruce Chen has been on breakout player lists for the last few seasons and he has yet to live up to his billings.  And LaTroy Hawkins [...]

MLB.com beatwriter Spencer Fordin answered his email in a recent column.  He discusses the Kris Benson trade, who the Orioles backup catcher will be and James Hoey’s chances of making the big league club next year.  Good stuff as always.