Anyone is allowed to be salty if a medical exam costs them millions of dollars.
Hello, friends.
There are now two months and 11 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. That game against the Blue Jays has one more baked-in storyline as of yesterday, with reliever Jeff Hoffman – who reportedly had a contract scuttled by the O’s due to an issue in his physical – proclaiming that he’d have some extra motivation in facing the team.
These comments are similar in nature to what was said by Grant Balfour after he failed a physical in a different Orioles era. Balfour’s predictions about his own health did not bear out, or at least I’ve always assumed that whatever was on the O’s physical at that time led to Balfour’s having the problems he had from that point forward. Time will tell if the Orioles physical is once again quietly vindicated; the next time it’s known to be wrong will be the first time.
It is interesting about Hoffman that this apparently would have been the first multi-year contract given out by the Elias-era Orioles to any pitcher. Except, they didn’t actually do it, so we’re still waiting for that to happen. I’m sure that the Orioles would have rather completed the signing than have a bad physical report come back. But that’s where we are and now Hoffman is on a division rival.
We’re now within a month until the time that pitchers and catchers will report to spring training. Earlier this week, the Orioles announced a report date of February 12, with the first full squad workout coming on February 18. That will be here before we know it.
There was some genuine Orioles news yesterday with the beginning of MLB’s international amateur signing period. Teams announced the players with whom they’ve had informal agreements for some time and the O’s brought in 22 players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, and even one from St. Thomas. The class is headlined by $1 million bonus baby José Luis Peña, a 16-year-old shortstop from the DR. Check out my article for more on the signing class.
At this point, it’s several years into the Orioles actually being solid players in this international market and I’m still not sure what is the best way to respond to it. The signing of these players is more of a symbolic marker than any actual measurable infusion of talent into the system. No one signed to the O’s by Elias’s group through this process has arrived in the majors yet, or even onto the 40-man roster.
The Orioles hope that Peña and the other players will be able to turn into something, like previous million-plus bonus prospect Samuel Basallo has done. Basallo is going to change that “no one” from the previous paragraph soon enough, we all certainly hope. Many will never pop up on the prospect radar again beyond today. Others might make some noise in the low minors before petering out – or they could make noise in the low minors and get traded before we in Birdland really get a chance to know much about them.
These guys are so young. Everyone signed by the Orioles yesterday was born in either 2007 or 2008. I KNOW. In three years, it will be 2028 and these players will be just 19 or 20; in five years, it will be 2030 and this class will be just 21 or 22. Possibly not a single one of them will have had an MLB debut by that time. Even Jackson Holliday is set to be a free agent after the 2030 season, so maybe the entire Orioles roster will have turned over by the time anyone signed yesterday plays a game with the team or in the majors at all.
The most recent MLB Pipeline Orioles prospect list, from the end of last year, had 13 of its 30 spaces taken up by international talent. There are plenty of guys from the last few classes who are still worth keeping an eye on and if several of them can distinguish themselves further over the course of the coming year, that will be a great sign for the continuing health of the system.
Around the blogO’sphere
José Peña leads Orioles 2025 international prospect signings (Orioles.com)
The player with the biggest bonus understandably got the primary focus in the press remarks from international scouting director Koby Perez. There’s a lot of exciting potential here.
Would Orioles, Anthony Santander reunion make sense on a short-term deal? (The Baltimore Sun)
There’s no question that the 2025 Orioles could use a switch-hitter with 44 home runs in their lineup. Where they’d fit him in and whether he’s going to come close to that many homers this year are two open questions.
What could a full year look like for Jordan Westburg? (Steve Melewski)
No more of other teams causing injuries to Orioles players!
Corbin Burnes says location played large role in decision to leave Orioles (The Baltimore Banner)
Included in this article with remarks from Burnes’s introductory press conference in Arizona is a tidbit that Burnes frequently flew back home to Arizona between Orioles starts last year. That seems awfully chaotic.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2016-19 slugger Mark Trumbo, 2008 infielder Eider Torres, and 2003-04 outfielder Jack Cust. Today is Cust’s 46th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him. Let’s all try to avoid falling over in his honor.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: baseball Hall of Famers Jimmy Collins (1870) and Dizzy Dean (1910), singer-songwriter Sade (1959), composer/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda (1980), Baltimore Ravens legend Joe Flacco (1985), and University of Maryland men’s basketball legend Greivis Vásquez (1987).
On this day in history…
In 27 BC, the Senate of Rome granted the title of Augustus to Octavian, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.
In 1605 AD, the first edition of the book we know today as Don Quixote was first published.
In 1919, Nebraska became the 38th state to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment, reaching the threshold for the amendment to be ratified into the Constitution. Prohibition of alcoholic beverages, as permitted by the amendment, was enacted the following year. Maryland was the sixth state to ratify, passing the amendment on February 13, 1918.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on January 16. Have a safe Thursday.