With Opening Day a little over a week away, I’ve offered a dozen Orioles-related thoughts, each in 50 words or less:
1. Despite not striking out a batter, Chris Tillman fared better in his second spring start than his disastrous debut by allowing one run and no walks over five innings against Detroit’s regulars. Whether he turns his career around remains to be seen, but Monday was a positive step.
2. I’m shocked Alex Cobb doesn’t have a job with the opener around the corner. Baltimore isn’t the ideal destination on a cheap one-year deal, but the organization’s lack of aggressiveness with major rotation needs and money to spend — based on last year’s payroll — is extremely disappointing. He’d help beyond 2018.
3. I touched on Mark Trumbo recently, but news of him missing the next few weeks with a quadriceps injury doesn’t bode well for a turnaround from 2017. He needs at-bats, and I wonder if the Orioles will prolong his rehab assignment as much as they can when the time comes.
4. Trumbo’s absence could create more chances for Anthony Santander, which is an interesting development. The Rule 5 pick was mostly an unknown last year because of an elbow injury the Orioles used to their advantage, but he has a .914 OPS with four homers and 16 RBIs this spring.
5. I’m not sounding the alarm as long as he’s healthy, but Dylan Bundy sporting a 9.00 spring ERA in 15 springs innings makes you a little more uneasy remembering he’s coming off a career-high 169 2/3 innings, 60 more than he pitched the year before.
6. On the bright side, early reviews on Andrew Cashner have been positive with how he’s fit in and his first two spring outings (1.00 ERA). It’s a good start, but he’ll need to miss more bats to have a chance to finish anywhere near his 3.40 ERA from 2017.
7. Austin Wynns’ demotion narrowed the backup catcher competition to Chance Sisco and Andrew Susac. If Sisco can benefit from catching more games at Norfolk, that’s fine. However, the backup needs to play frequently enough to keep Caleb Joseph fresh, which sounds like a decent role for the rookie.
8. Hunter Harvey will make another major league spring start on Wednesday. If the Orioles are truly considering having him begin the year in the rotation, the season slogan should read, “We really don’t care what happens after 2018.” Unfortunately, the club hasn’t used the same mindset in addressing the rotation.
9. If you haven’t read it, I recommend checking out the piece by MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince on the one-year anniversary of Adam Jones’ unforgettable catch in the World Baseball Classic. Seeing the Orioles center fielder make that play on that stage was truly special.
10. Jones had an eventful weekend on Twitter as he helped recruit Michael Crabtree to the Ravens, gave props to UMBC, and ribbed former teammate and Virginia alum Tyler Wilson about the Retrievers’ historic victory. Funny stuff.
Hello @t_willy18 (waiting for him to wake up in Korea) pic.twitter.com/uQjTR6OKqB
— 10 (@SimplyAJ10) March 17, 2018
11. Speaking of UMBC, a friend of mine suggested senior guard Jairus Lyles throwing out the first pitch at an Orioles game this season. I wholeheartedly agree, but why stop there?
There’s still an open rotation spot too. https://t.co/4krMqAO19P
— Luke Jones (@BaltimoreLuke) March 19, 2018
12. I’m all for charitable causes and celebrating patriotic holidays, but does anyone honestly like how these caps look? Is there some middle ground Major League Baseball can find with these initiatives? Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go yell at a cloud.
Introducing our 2018 on-field caps and jerseys for MLB’s league-wide initiatives, which will be auctioned for charity throughout the year. #Birdland pic.twitter.com/2PNOy01C5i
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) March 19, 2018
