There were a number of signings in the post-Christmas period a year ago.
Hello, friends.
Orioles Opening Day 2025 is now three months and one day away. That’s when the Orioles will be playing against the Blue Jays in Toronto to start off the season. Two months from today, the O’s will have already played four spring training games. Or at least that’s what’s on the schedule.
In general, I don’t expect very much of importance to happen in the world of MLB now that we’re in between Christmas and New Years. That doesn’t mean that nothing will happen. Just a year ago in this time period, there was news of a variety of different signings, with one that felt relevant to the Orioles pursuit of pitching as the Red Sox grabbed pitcher Lucas Giolito on a two-year contract.
Giolito has yet to throw a pitch with Boston as he underwent UCL surgery in March. Tough luck for a team who signs a guy for two years and his elbow blows out to wipe out year one and at least part of year two also. I imagine this is the kind of thing in Mike Elias’s mind as he considers pitching moves for the team. There’s always going to be some risk involved.
The Orioles, of course, are in a position where they also must consider the risk of doing nothing. If Elias does not haul in a top-of-the-rotation upgrade before the start of the 2025 season, it is going to feel like he has not given the correct weight to the risk of doing nothing. The cost of doing something will be either dollars or prospects. For 2024, that turned out to be acquiring Corbin Burnes, a deal that worked out pretty much as well as it could have. Another one-year-only deal would feel disappointing.
Burnes himself remains unsigned. For many in Birdland, all hopes on the current rotation picture improving are pinned on Burnes. The free agent market beyond him is thin on palatable options, with a couple more names coming off the board just before Christmas as the Mets brought in Sean Manaea and the Red Sox rolled the dice on Walker Buehler, who was hurt and bad in 2024.
I did not particularly want Manaea, nor do I particularly want Nick Pivetta or Jack Flaherty, guys remaining who are in that $20 million a year for a mid-rotation-if-you’re-lucky starting pitcher. But I also don’t particularly want Trevor Rogers in the rotation, or a scenario where the 2025 Orioles have to count on Albert Suárez having more magic. Something must change.
Until someone else signs Burnes, there’s hope in the form of possibility that it could be him. The same is true of Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, whose posting window is ongoing though he now cannot formally sign until January 15. Burnes is going to cost the biggest free agent contract in Orioles history, perhaps in excess of 50% beyond the previous record of the Chris Davis deal. And just having brought that thing up should make anyone shiver.
It’s also no reason why the current GM and ownership should not make a big and bold move if they deem it in the best interest for the Orioles of the next three years. That’s the point where the current young core starts to reach free agency and the team might be at a crossroads.
That’s a long time. Three seasons is a lot of baseball. But the end of that time is going to arrive in a hurry if the first of the remaining three years ends up as an underachieving one because of an easily-recognizable flaw in the starting rotation that could have been shored up over this offseason.
To all the Jewish readers of Camden Chat, may you continue to have a happy Hanukkah.
Around the blogO’sphere
Yesterday was Christmas and Santa did not leave Corbin Burnes under the figurative Christmas tree of Birdland, so, you know. Forgive me for not finding anything new for this section today.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 1995, the Orioles made a trade, sending outfielders Curtis Goodwin and Troivin Valdez to the Reds for lefty pitcher David Wells. In his one season with the Orioles, Wells tossed 224.1 innings while getting about average results – which in the era of that ‘96 season was actually a 5.14 ERA.
There are a number of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1982-86/1992 pitcher Storm Davis, 1984-89 outfielder Jim Traber, 1988 outfielder Jeff Stone, 1955-57 infielder Wayne Causey, and 1963-67 pitcher Stu Miller. Today is Causey’s 88th birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: mathematician Charles Babbage (1791), baseball Hall of Famer Judy Johnson (1899), baseball Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk (1947), baseball Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith (1954), comedian/author David Sedaris (1956), and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich (1963).
On this day in history…
In 1776, following the now-famous crossing of the Delaware River, George Washington led the American Army to victory in a surprise attack at the Battle of Trenton.
In 1825, anti-czar Russians rose up in what is now known as the Decembrist revolt, an attempted uprising in the middle of an unexpected transition period after the previous czar’s death. It was not successful.
In 1919, after five years of play with the Boston Red Sox, Babe Ruth was traded to the Yankees for $100,000. There are those who believe this was the beginning of a curse.
In 1991, the Soviet Union formally dissolved after a final meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on December 26. Have a safe Thursday.