With the Baltimore Orioles organization showing off its deep depth of outfield prospects this spring in Sarasota, Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the good problem of a crowded roster and the realities of pitching needs as change abounds in Birdland during a fascinating Grapefruit campaign.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, year, talking, santander, baseball, spring training, spring training games, prospects, hayes, outfielders, sours, triple, mullins, colton, playing, heston, era, love, austin, point
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor J. Aparicio
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:01
Welcome home we are wn St. am 5070, Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive it is. It’s football sort of free agency season here. It’s always wrestling season for Luke but it is baseball season. He and I are contemplating some spring training grapefruit tourism later on in the month but we’re gonna get the Maryland crabcakes we’re back out on the road. All of it brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery 10 times the cache of a handful of these leftover from our week of a couple of Super Bowl we’re gonna be fate Lee’s on Fridays doing live live radio. Hey, nasty when you come back and doing live radio. Every Friday when the Orioles are home we’ll be failing to have the five. So come on down Luke will be there talking baseball because baseball been better buddy good to me. My Poway where my state fair shirts, I want to give them some love as well. The best salmon dish I’ve ever had in my life. Go over there, order it with the rice in the spinach and ridiculous our friends in winter nation 866 90 nation as well as Jiffy Lube, multi care and our newest oldest sponsor, I got to find my hat from Liberty, pure solutions, big appreciation to Doug for keeping our water clean around here. I’m going to be educating you on that as we’ve been educating people on cannabis Gambling Awareness Month, which this is it. But March used to be a time where Luke and I would go out to Indianapolis and eat Latin food and drink all night with Marvin Lewis and Mike Smith, amongst others and the Ryan brothers. And but now we’re grownups we sit here we watch everybody else do it. It’s been a tough week on the football side with the loss of Chris Mortensen around here. And look, I’ll just say this, and you and I went, you got mad at me last week because of the the windy camera blowing around and whatever. But spring training can only be so good when the games aren’t on. And when you can’t follow it every day. And listen, I’m almost I got AARP writing to me and The Rolling Stones. This summer. I’m 55 Right. I’m getting to that silver period of my life, where like afternoon baseball in March at one o’clock and games that don’t matter. Watching cows are watching curse that knowing that sours, name is sours and not stout. Or Jim fuller in this case, or drugo Hayes wood. It’s March, I got a baseball heartbeat. My last name is Aparicio. I’m releasing this book on my father and my love of baseball as I release the it’s like it’s like the prisoner. It’s in that bottle. Luke, I’m getting rid of all the old angst. I’m getting rid of all the Peter principles. I’m finding the love of baseball that came before Peter, I’m finding the Peter era. And I’m wondering where this guy who looks like Steve Martin is going to come and save the Orioles. And but man, I really hope. And I know this is true. Because a normal person will own the team for the first time in 32 years. This next spring training, we’re going to feel differently about spring training, because it’s going to be big business for them. And they’re going to put the games on and we’re going to want to watch them and you want are probably going to be reacting to spring training games because we’re going to have watched them and our audience is going to have watched them. Yeah, and
8
Luke Jones 03:17
let’s let’s be clear. We don’t want to overreact to spring training games either. I mean the Orioles nine and one through their first 10 Grapefruit league games. Does that mean anything in the grand scheme of things? Absolutely not many of them as you’ve seen personally three, I saw I’ve seen four because I played the pirates in Bradenton a couple of times in the pirates as you know living in southern Pennsylvania I get the the pirates sport regional. I’ve seen too. Yeah. So so so you have that. But your point is well taken and I’ll give you a perfect example as I’m on the subject of the pirate Orioles playing the pirates as they did on Sunday. The Orioles hosted the pirates in Sarasota last Thursday. So we’re talking less than a full week into the start of spring training games. It was a matchup that featured Paul Skeens who was the first overall pick this past year of the Pittsburgh Pirates on the on the bump for Pittsburgh against the Orioles with Jackson Holliday the number one pick from the year before that in 2020 to DRAM as you’re gonna find in march right there MLB The official Twitter account for MLB the Instagram account all the all the social you could find was talking about this matchup. MLB Network was talking about it. Well, all that publicity was great until you realized what the game was it on TV. So
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:39
it was a couple I mean, but again, I consider a pitch till the cows come home. It’s going to change and because of that I can feel differently. I am allowed to feel differently in my soul in my conscience in in my Oh, this makes sense to care about this team because maybe they will care about Baltimore again, maybe they’ll care about their customers again, like I, I just the it’s been the most mind boggling thing of all of it like in 20 years that these creeps are handed a television 20 years ago, 20 years ago, they were handed a television network to promote their prime product, the only thing they own other than a half bankrupt dad and law firm, the baseball team. And they never they, they they, me forget the baseball team. They can never even get television, right? They think they woke up with $220 million dollars a year to function a television network. And they still couldn’t do it. I mean, it’s the level of incompetence would be malfeasance if it were being held to more scrutiny than just me. But it’s I just happy we’re getting to the end of it. And like as I released the book on my father on his birthday on Tuesday, and as I talk about the Peter principles and release that just to let people know, like, how bad it got, and how a guy named Aparicio, who’s ordering 1971 Milk Duds I got an Aparicio Milk Duds I didn’t even know it existed until recently that I’m like, I want to be in love with baseball again. Here I am. Here I am. I got a radio station. I got a big audience. Huge audience growing huge. You should look at the numbers. And fans are gonna come back next month people that have been in the soap opera we talked about wrestling at length here this week. People that are in the soap opera, they don’t care whether it’s sting or rock or or Hulk Hogan or you know, we all Ric Flair and that they’re gonna watch it like if 115 losses if you’re watching that you’re watching anything. I’m trying to figure out how they become the toast of the city again, and like I’ve got DNA for that. I mean, I was born into it. Let’s start with that offer 60 660-970-7179 83 all the tickets clubs I’ve been going through in the memories of my dad, like I want to buy in. I just I hope this transition and these rumors that Evan drellich Who I text this weekend, writing that this could be over in 24 days. I mean, like this is gonna be a hell of a month around here. I mean, like really like if this thing is really over the last week seen a John Angelo’s has had his head down in the owner suite in Sarasota the other day if that’s really the end, I to me, this is like a Halloween episode where like Jamie Lee Curtis keeps stabbing the thing with the with the like, and it never goes away. I just I’m wondering when when it goes away. We’ll have spring training baseball. I mean, I’m convinced that like, that’s an that’s such an obvious thing to me that next year, they can make this big theater and they’re gonna win 100 games again, they might win the World Series or not. But like, this is a time of the year that the NFL has gotten Right. Right. We’re on combines nothing underwear Olympics. We’re on free agency and three tampering. We’ll be talking about tampering next week. Like they never ends baseball has this beautiful thing that they do that the Orioles have missed out on?
Luke Jones 08:19
Yeah, look, as far as grabbing new people to what you’re pointing to. I don’t know if the end all be all is more spring training games. I certainly agree there should be more spring training games. And I think there will be although far more complicated figuring out what mass and and all that is going to look like moving forward. The end of the John Angelos era is going to bring Yes, new ownership but new ownership having to figure out these issues that plague all baseball teams at this point. I was just reading over the weekend, how splintered and fractured the Yankees TV rights are with Amazon Prime and all kinds of I mean for a Yankees fan, if you’re living in that market to everything you have to be subscribed to to watch. I mean, these are these are issues that are not going to be fixed. Much like NFL telling me I had that peacock. Sure. Exactly. Exactly. So these are issues that are not going to be fixed overnight with with the new ownership group. But you’re absolutely right. My hope is yeah, if not every single spring training home game, at least most of them, right? This is
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:19
8a really good spring training more not that every spring training is not interesting if the team’s competitive. And one of the problems here is the team hasn’t been competitive enough over the long haul to make March and the only one screaming about it in March. But it’s such an obvious thing to your point. It doesn’t need to be the number one overall pirates prospect just to make it like a part of my life in March when the Terps think and I’m not interested in March Madness and I’m not watching a hockey game and you’re playing in the middle of the day, which could get me into lunch with Joe Enoch and Bill Cole over at wherever what like I just made me love the team again. I mean, for God’s sake, for God’s sake, this team so worth that these players are worth that everybody I talked to out of the market is in love with Adley rutschman are in love with Gunnar Henderson and they want to know what of Jackson holidays up to. And we’re not even talking holiday like the question this week. If we were watching the games would be Couser curse that sours what happens to the rest of them, let alone what happens with contracts with Hayes Mullen Santander. Like they got a lot of players and a lot of decisions to make and pitching they need, right. So we could be beaten this around four hours a day taking phone calls, it’s how wn St. was born, was doing this super duper level interest in the baseball team on a daily basis to know who the setup to the setup guy is in the sixth inning. Sure,
Luke Jones 10:50
I would, I would slightly alter what you said when you said make me love the team again, I would say make it easier for me to love the team. Because it is such an exciting product on the heels of a 101 win season. And you have all these young players yet you’re making it difficult for me to consume and engage and interact with your product this time of year. That aside. We know what that is. We know what that’s been we know what it’s hopefully going to be starting next spring. There are a lot of interesting questions about this team. And I’m glad you brought up the outfield because I even wrote about this at Baltimore positive.com late last week, Jackson holidays, the number one headline we get that and rightfully so talking about a kid who isn’t going to have his first legal beer until later on in 2024. After the season’s over. We know he’s going to be in Baltimore at some point, assuming the worst doesn’t happen an injury along those lines. Question is going to be is he going to be her opening day and that remains to be seen.
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:54
Positional issue with what him being here opening day does to a lot of other players. It moves dominoes, just yeah, it alone moves the lineup. It does.
Luke Jones 12:05
It’s not as though he’s blocked or that someone else is necessarily blocked in the sense of okay, you have Jorge Mateo. You have Ramona Reyes, guys who I think still bring some value off the bench, earliest with his versatility Matteo, certainly with the speed defensive shortstop. He actually started the game in centerfield in Bradenton, on Sunday. I think that’s a big key for his value coming off the bench now, because we saw late last year as it was going on Gunnar Henderson became the primary shortstop. And now Jackson Holliday, who, presumably whether it’s opening day, whether it’s May 1, whether it’s the beginning of June, he’s going to be most likely the primary second baseman, but will also still see plenty of shortstop, Jordan Westbrook can play shortstop, in fact, saw him make a really nice play the other day playing, making a start at shortstop. So if you’re Jorge Mateo, your value to this team is not just okay, you can play a backup shortstop and albeit at a high level, defensively, it’s needing more versatility. So the Jackson holiday question still, for me comes down to is he ready. And I’ll continue to remind everyone 91 career plate appearances at triple A, if the club deems him not quite ready, if they want to see him, make more regular starts at second base, as we talked about in a previous conversation, he averaged about a start per week at second base last year. So we’re not talking about someone who’s extremely experienced there. Although I have no doubt that he’s going to play a quality second base. But if you want to give him a little more seasoning with stakes that aren’t quite as high, depending on you know, what the bat has looked like over the course of spring, you know, you look at it early on, he has struck out a good bit early on in camp. I’m not saying reading too much into that I’m just presenting that to you. So I think it’s to be to be determined. But, you know, the point with him is, you know, there’s going to be a spot for him whenever they deem the time to be right for him to make his debut, whether it’s opening day or shortly thereafter. I do think the acquisition of you know, the signing of Kolten Wong was interesting on that front, if they view him as potentially a placeholder if they want to give Jackson holiday a little more triple A seasoning, you know, but I don’t it’s a minor league deal. Just because Kolten Wong is on the minor league roster and one of the invitees doesn’t mean that Jackson Holliday isn’t making the opening day roster
8Nestor J. Aparicio 14:32
I thought was interesting. He played with his father. I thought that was a good one. Yeah, yeah. Well,
Luke Jones 14:36
how about the fact Colton was well, not just that I’ll give you another one. Kolten Wong was drafted by the Cardinals in the final year that Mike Elias and sigma Dell were part of the Cardinals organization before you know they went with Jeffery luno to Houston so there’s a little bit of Sarah I don’t know if you’d call it serendipity or just fun coincidence. But I think you know that that was interesting to see but I don’t think it’s a Deal Breaker one way or the other, you know, in terms of what’s going to happen with Jackson Holliday, I think I think it’s still a TBD. I think you want to see him look like he’s at the plate with confidence. You know, he’s had a couple of extra base hits. It’s not as though he hasn’t. He’s been off or anything like that. But I’ll remind everyone 91 plate appearances at triple A’s 20 He had a 796 Oh, PS in triple A, which is more than holding your own. But it’s not so extraordinary where anyone needs to say, well, they’re holding this kid back, you know, if they ultimately determined, hey, we’re going to start a triple A for a month, three weeks, whatever it is. And who knows, you never know what’s going to happen in the sense of Grayson Rodriguez started the year at AAA last year, Kyle Bradish takes a comeback are off his foot. And then Grayson Rodriguez was starting first time through the rotation. So you never really know on that front. But I want to get back to what you had mentioned. Because I think that’s for me, there’s more meat on the bone to the discussion. I just kind of covered the Jackson holiday debate. And that’s kind of where we are right now. And that’s not to say it’s not exciting or interesting or compelling. But that’s kind of where it is, is it ready? Or are they going to slow play it a little bit more? And again, if they deem, if they deem that to be the case that they’d rather slow playing a little bit and send them the trip away for a little bit of time? I’m okay with that. You know, I don’t think that’s going to make or break their season, that decision alone. So I think you do look at the outfield. And I think what’s so compelling and you touched on this briefly, but I think back to where the Orioles were three or four years ago, you know, when we were still talking about this thing being not in the infancy of the rebuild, but still, you know, the elementary school years of the rebuild, if we want to call it that. There wasn’t a whole lot to hang their hat on. I mean, that’s the Upstate, the obvious there. But what was one of the early factors that you could kind of point to and say, All right, that looks like it’s promising. It was the outfield, you know, it was those holdovers from the end of the do cat era. You had Anthony Santander who was a former Rule five pick and had issues staying on the field and staying healthy. But when he would stay healthy, you saw the pop, you know, you saw that he could be a player, certainly with Cedric Mullins, you know, I’ll be at ups and downs. Same thing with Austin Hays ups and downs in terms of staying healthy. And in terms of some consistency. But those three, I mean, we’re talking about assuming Santander is going to be in right field and not at the D H spot, which is possible, given how things were playing out at the end of last year. This could be the fourth straight opening day where it’s Hayes mall and Santander manning the three outfield spots. I mean, that shows you what kind of continuity they’ve had in the outfield, you know that that was kind of the earliest position group that was in place in terms of this rebuild, but we’re now reaching a different point. Right, we now have Colton Couser, who has 523 career or played appearances at triple A, you have Heston Karstadt, who’s just over 330 plate appearances and triple way. Kyle sours who’s kind of been a forgotten man, but he’s off to a good start. In spring training, again, it’s spring training. I’m not reading too much into the numbers. But he was on the opening day roster last year, we kind of forgot about him because he got off to a bad start. And he’s not the same highly touted top five draft pick as those other guys. So inherently he’s not going to be viewed through the same lens. But the point is, they’ve got some really interesting options that you really, it’d be hard to argue. Unlike Jackson Holliday, it’s hard to argue any of those guys have much to prove a triple A at this point. I mean, yeah, they’ve all put up numbers at Norfolk. They’ve all put up, you know, ample plate appearances. I mean, her curse dad being the the one who has the least, and he has half a season at triple A Norfolk at this point, you know, in terms of it that so you have these three guys, I’m not at all implying that they’re all going to be starters, or they’re all going to succeed at the major league level, we know some prospects aren’t going to work out. And, you know, good spring aside, Kyle sours to this point and his major league career and it hasn’t looked so great. You know, Colton Couser, albeit it was only what 60 played appearances or whatever it was, he really struggled last year. I mean, there’s no doubt about it. I mean, he’s talked about it. So you never know. But at the same time, if you’re Mike Elias, if you’re looking at this thing, not just through the 2024 lens, but in the big picture sense, you are reaching an inflection point because Afeni Santander is going to be free agent at the end of this year. And he’s he’s making a lot of money in the final year of arbitration. And I’m not saying that that’s the deciding factor, and oh, he’s automatically gone. But he’s hitting free agency after this year. Austin Hasan and Cedric Mullins have one more year after this until they become free agents and the question starts to become Who are you committing to long term and who have these young guys? You know, one? How are you going to get them opportunities and at bats at the major league level and start to have them factor into the equation? And the question is, are these guys when they get a chance to play one? Are they going to succeed? And two, if they do succeed, do you get to a point where they are potentially upgrades over some of the guys that I just mentioned, some of the Mainstays. And I think that’s where this is such an interesting conversation, because not that you’re basing it off of what happens in the spring, but you have these guys who were, for lack of a better term ready to sink or swim at the major league level. So how do you account for that? That’s not at all to imply that you just trade away the veterans or your bench them? Or, you know, what are your trade the prospects, but how do you factor that in? And I think this is where you look at where they are with the incumbent starters. And you kind of say, okay, how can you how does, how can you factor in a Colton Couser a little more regularly into the lineup. And I think the rationale behind that, for me, anyway, is Santander while he stayed healthy the last couple of years. Injury history. We saw him last year da Qing more than he had in previous years because he’s slowing down a little bit, you know, as he gets closer to 30. He’s certainly not a someone who covers a ton of ground, but he’s the right fielder, and there’s no problem with that. But I look at Cedric Mullins who had an injury plagued 2023. I look at Austin Hayes, who look was a great story as an all star in the first half last year, go look at what a second half numbers were, he really slowed down at the plate, you know, really wore down. So for me, and I think we saw this last year. I think the Blueprint was there with Aaron Hicks. But for me, it’s and I kind of look at Colton Couser because he’s the most versatile from a defensive standpoint more so than cursed at how do you work him into the lineup, not that he becomes a regular in the sense that he replaces one of those guys, but you can kind of look at do it through the lens of maybe you have four guys that become your primary outfielders also using the DH spot there, and then that’s a way to keep Santander and keep Cedric Mullins and Keep Austin Hays a little more fresh over the course of the season and hoping that it keeps them productive and keeps them healthy. And in the meantime, then you’re hoping Colton Couser takes those at bats takes those plate appearances and runs with it, you know, or Heston Karstadt, or whoever you’re talking about Kyle’s towers. So I think that’s a that’s a really intriguing point. Part of this the spring training narrative with these outfielders because you have so many guys. And yes, the young guys are unproven. And I don’t want to say that you just hand them a roster spot either. Because, you know, I’ll give you one example, Mike Boddicker spent parts of four seasons where he made extensive starts at triple A Rochester, I mean, it’s not unprecedented that someone’s blocked and, and kind of has to just occupy time down and trip away. But at the same time, you have these heralded prospects, that you have this great farm system, you want to maximize their value in terms of either putting them on the in the Major League lineup, and having them start to develop and become a part of your major league team. Or in the case of some guys, as we saw with Joe, your teas, you trade them, you package them as to go get a pitcher. And
Nestor J. Aparicio 23:28
as you’re always gonna come in and talk about that, because like the the notion that they have too many guys could mean a very, very good thing at the trading deadline. If somebody’s sitting 312 at Norfolk and they’re blocked, right, like literally,
Luke Jones 23:46
8well, and that’s where I think it’s tough because and I made mention of this. Look, if I’m being totally honest with you, and I’m not talking about this through the lens of what imagining what the Orioles payroll could look like under new ownership. I’m just looking at the players how the players profile. I look at Anthony Santander and I look at Cedric Mullins and I look at Austin Hayes, I look what’s in the pipeline coming. You know, Enrique Bradfield, that was their first round pick last year. He’s not going to be in the majors this year. But it’s not inconceivable that maybe by next year, at some point, he’s ready, and can maybe be the centerfielder. Again, a lot has to happen between now and then. But point is, I don’t necessarily look at any of these outfielders right now and say that that those guys are the kind of players that scream contract extension in the same way that everyone’s talking about Adley rutschman or Gunnar Anderson right now. Now, let me be clear what that means. That doesn’t mean that Santander is automatically gone next year. That doesn’t mean that hazer Molins is automatically gone after next year. But I think you just view it through the lens of where are you going with your outfield if you’re Mike Elias right now, what do you see the outfield being on opening day which I think everyone can predict right now it’s the three incumbents barring an unforeseen trade. But what does that look like at the All Star break? What does that look like at the end of this year? What does that look like? In October? What does that look like next spring, you know, is Santander someone that maybe you bring back on a shorter, shorter term deal? Because you like what he maybe how he profiles as a DH in his age 30 and 31 seasons? And he also probably isn’t someone that’s going to command a ton of money on the open market. If you look at how free agency goes, I don’t know. We’ll see. You know, I think that’s a question mark there. But, you know, as I mentioned, you know, Cedric Mullins, he’s got to stay healthy this year. You know, Austin Hays has to put together a six a 462, or 145 games season where he’s not dipping offensively as much as he has in the search.
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:52
Nobody here has really been paid a really paid write, like making a $10 million. And not that that’s not paid, it’s paid. But getting a contract. You know, there’s plenty of money in the coffers, to your point with new ownership coming in, how they spend that money, how they’re going to allocate that you want, Mike Elias to decide that with the new billionaire group and Cal Ripken, and whoever’s involved in this, right, that’s the way you want this done. I saw that the commander’s new owner sitting in on the meetings in Indianapolis was arranged down the highway the other day, I’m like, Well, you know, new ownership they were, there’s gonna be things that are good things that are bad, you gotta hope most of its gonna be better than we began this whole thing with how bad the television part of their product is in March. But the decision making for all of this is that there are a lot of hungry cats here who want 101 games last year, there’s several of these guys that were here when the team lost on 15 for that, so there’s just a lot of hunger here amongst all everybody in the organization. This, that’s one of the reasons this thing can be so celebratory, because people if they had been disengaged, if they come back to the ballpark and come back to the team, they’re gonna get a much better version of the team, not just on the field off the field for the future. But whatever the buy in is of my 162 days of my life and going from peacock this to Comcast and XFINITY this the Verizon that the app this to given people money to, well, dollars for beers down at the ballpark, think they’re 12 bucks. All of that, that that becomes worthwhile. Because like, they’re a better franchise, you know, and they’re perceived as a better franchise in that way, by people like me who care about what a franchise is, and know the difference between good and bad. And ugly, you know, through the course of time, but my thought on all of this is there’s a hunger every name you mentioned, is somebody who could go out this year and have a career year any of those guys are they’re all capable. They’re all capable. And maybe it’s Hayes that’s having that incredible year. He sent in 318 He’s got 21 bombs at the All Star brown making that up. But like that he becomes the guy they deal you know, to get something I don’t know but they’re gonna be feelings hurt because that’s part of this too because all these guys aren’t going to be piled dive in at the end is Buck would say right? Like, there’s going to be some movement here. And if you go back and look at the Astros history, at Spring trainings and things that they needed to do, to go get Verlander, whatever, that names are going to change here and there gonna be don’t get too comfortable with the jersey and the name on the back. We we’ve been trying to deal mountcastle for a couple years, right? Yeah,
Luke Jones 28:43
yeah. And I’m glad you brought up Austin as just as an example. And look, I think the scenario is much more that Austin Hays is maybe and we’re just gonna stay with the same example. But I’ll give you a different scenario using that same player. Let’s say Austin Hays isn’t having a monster year like that. Let’s just say he’s having a solid Austin Hays kind of year. But for me, what’s more exciting in a big picture sense is that Colton Couser has worked forced his way into the equation and they’re kind of playing those four. Those four outfielders are playing over the course of the week. And you know, Santander is getting a day off a week. Mullins is getting a day or two off a week, Hayes is getting a day or two off. Yeah. And when I say they get a day or two off, maybe their da Ching. Right. I mean, point is you’re doing what you did at the end of last year with Aaron Hicks still in the equation only it’s Colton Couser now, or it could be Kirsten, I’m just using that as an example. What I like is the idea that one of the young guys is forcing his way into more and more playing time. And now you have the scenario of okay. What’s more pitching at the trade deadline? How’s this going to work out? Can we pack up some prospects and okay, we’re going to take on a big contract. Austin Hays You know he’s going to be entering his final year of arbitration salaries probably going to go up. We don’t know if he’s gonna be one of our best three outfielders anymore because Colton Couser and Heston Karstadt are hitting the cover off the ball. That might be a scenario where maybe you do trade a veteran player in, you know, for whatever bullpen help another starting pitcher, whatever it is, and again, I’m just spitballing off the top of my head but
Nestor J. Aparicio 30:22
the point is civilities are endless on a shore and look, I
8Luke Jones 30:26
mean, someone listening with loves Austin Hays, it might be one of the young guys being traded. Let me be clear about that. I’m not saying that automatically has Heston cursed out and Colton cows are going to be outfielders that the situation will work itself out and somebody’s gonna get injured. And you know, and create an opportunity, because that’s just the way the odds are right, literally. And I think that’s the big key here. Look, if there’s something that we can glean from what we’ve seen, as the Orioles have kind of made this transition from Think about the first half of 2022. Right, right around the time that Adley rutschman arrived is when they started winning, right? They had a really good second half. You know, they were in the wildcard race, you know, whether you thought it was real or not, they were in it mathematically. They were absolutely in it in September, a two years ago. But certainly you had what happened last year, you have all kinds of scenarios with injuries. And you know, we’re seeing this on the pitching side right now. Although sounds like Kyle Bradish is gonna throw a bullpen this week. It sounds like so far. So good. We’ll see. I think now is when we start to see okay, is this real, you know, some long toss, okay, but gets on the mound and starts throwing bullpens. And he’s feeling good, then that’s when I think I think you can allow yourself to be a little more optimistic. But we’ll see. We’re still you know, we’ll see how that plays out in the next week or so, you know, week to 10 days. But what we have seen with Mike Elias is the roster churn hasn’t been as dramatic. I think, if you go back to you and I talking at the end of last season, I think the Orioles had what 16 guys that were arbitration eligible. I think that was the number they had the most in baseball. And I said at that point, and I wasn’t alone in saying this, that my prediction was you were going to see, I don’t know whether it’s remote areas, or Jorge Mateo, or go down the list of, you know, a couple bullpen arms. My prediction was you’re going to see a couple guys end up being non tendered. And that ended up not being the case. You know, they tended these guys, you know, they all have them as it stands right now. And I understand that doesn’t mean they’re here on opening day, but they’re still in the mix. Point is the roster churn hasn’t been quite as dramatic, quite as swift, as we might have anticipated it being at the start of last or started last this past offseason. So I think Mike Elias values, the organizational depth I think Mike Elias would rather have some prospects blocked a trip away, then to deal them away and then be in a position that Austin Hayes turns his ankle and you don’t have Colton cows are ready to go at Norfolk or you don’t have Heston curse dad ready to go or Kyle sours. Uh, so I think we’ve seen that that churn not be quite as rapid as some might have thought, you know, given you have these outfielders that are seemingly ready to go. So that’s where I think it’s a good problem to have. But I think it is something that they have to figure out here. So, you know, we, we saw the big trade, you know, the Corbin burns trade was the monster trade, but other trades they’ve made have been, you know, less dramatic, you know, they’ve been more okay. We traded a couple guys in our system that, you know, we kind of sort of like, but they weren’t like our top guys,
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:31
you know, and also signing veteran quality guys like long, right? Sure.
Luke Jones 33:35
I mean, Kolten Wong, they brought in Julio Turon, who, you know, I don’t think is going to be in the rotation, but he could be the long man out of the bullpen. You know, the first three weeks of the season. I mean, that’s possible. So you know, but Michael is values that depth and if anything, he wants to hoard that depth rather than trade from it to, to quickly write to it and
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:59
8to have chess pieces in July, showing your four games up on the Blue Jays and six up on the Yankees and like, and you’re like, Alright, we’ve got five major league outfielders we need piece X, whatever that would be right. And they’re not going to need a catcher. They’re not going to need middle infield help. They’re not you know, like they need pitching. And at some point, bats will get your arms to some degree if you’re giving somebody something they need independent race, and the more teams that are in the pennant race, and we know that that’s the way baseball is, the more likely this becomes and I mean, this is really something we’ve never ever ever, ever seen the Orioles through here right? This is something the rays would do. This was something the Yankees used to do back in the day when they could really have depth 3025 30 years ago when they would get players because they have more money than anybody else. That you could you could deal from the bottom of the deck because you Have so much debt. I’ve been doing this 32 years, my 33rd year talking to real baseball on the radio. I’ve never spoken of. I mean, dude, 30 of the 32 years you you’d say, Who are they going to deal? They don’t have anybody anybody else wants, like that went on forever. They never had a piece to deal ever. And now, we could talk about half the roster being deal trouble. Well, I
Luke Jones 35:27
mean, I think back to what was it 2014 When they ended up getting Andrew Miller, but if you recall, the big name that was being talked about at that point in time that the Orioles were potentially trying to trade for was John Lester. But the thought at the time was, well, you have Dylan Bundy or you have Hunter Harvey, that’s about all you had in your system at that point in time that you could potentially deal and notice
Nestor J. Aparicio 35:50
they were arms by the way, too. They weren’t. But the point
Luke Jones 35:53
is, at any point whether you’re talking the Duquette era, whether you’re talking about the Pat Gillick era, whether you’re talking about rolling HeMan you know, going way back for you. I mean, it’s been since the mid 80s You know, the it was the early 80s When I mean the Orioles the golden you know the Oriole way the golden era of Orioles baseball, they had they were so flushed with prospects from the early 60s through the early 80s. You know, just take your pick of
8Nestor J. Aparicio 36:21
the prospects dude, I’m older than you I can start throwing names you have guys who could I miss Bob Baylor DRONGO Hayes with Jim Fuller, Ken Gerhard Craig Worthington. Just go through the list of Alex Oates show up you know, I’m gonna guys like Jeffrey Hammonds, Jake area, and I’m just going to guys, it became something when they left or even gone Baylor Bobby Grich, who became even better when they left and made more money. And like all of that, like, I’ve seen all the errors of all the errors there are, I’ve never, I mean, we talked about this with the Ravens last year, the best team we’ve ever seen that then have unbalanced and like all of those things. It doesn’t win as we know where you win when you win. But the number one organization in baseball from a depth perspective, per baseball, America and everybody else, right? They want 101 games, they’re about to get an owner who’s going to have some level of competence that has to be beyond what we’ve seen here before. And we’re no longer talking about them playing in the big bad American League East, we’re no longer talking about them not having a chance to make the playoffs because everybody can make the playoffs now. You can win 8889 90 games and maybe get in. So I it’s just there’s a level of prosperity here for them all the way around. But the depth of the organization and the fact that they enter this era of strength with such an abundance of talent. There’s no way they’re not going to make deals, dude. I mean, right? I mean, there’s just no way somebody you love one of all these names have this rich list of prospects, some Westberg Couser curse stat Mullins hates there, these guys are gonna get down in the same way that nobody got their feelings hurt when delta first baseman a couple years ago, and we didn’t even mention him anymore. Yeah,
Luke Jones 38:18
I mean, I think the only scenario where you don’t see a move or two, at some point, you know, whether it’s by opening day, or whether it’s by the trade deadline would be the scenario like what the raise endured last year, which if you just have so many injuries, that you’re just having to hold on to people. I mean, that’s really the only scenario but it is wild. I mean, just to finish a previous thought, I mean, even some of the prospects that you just named Nestor going back to the 80s or 90s. I mean, those were still scenarios where the Orioles needed that guy to make it because they didn’t have much else right. I mean, all every Hammonds was that guy, you know, like, if it wasn’t for him, it’s, it’s like, oh, great, well, who’s gonna be the next cow who’s gonna be the next star for this team? They have so much depth that they’re dealing from such a position of strength there that you probably have to go back to the the Paul Richards era, the Orioles of the KT core and like, you know, all the bonus babies and Oh, my God, you’re talking about a different sport, a different era, a different generation, all that. I mean, it’s not exactly it’s not remotely the same. But that’s the kind of depth that they have in their system right now. But you’re right. I mean, it leads to some tough decisions. And, you know, I’ll throw one name out. I may have mentioned this in passing and where it’s so interesting. The Orioles were at a point. And I don’t need to tell you this, but this is for our listeners, and especially for younger listeners. The Orioles were at a point in the early 80s where things were so good for so long, that Mike Boddicker who ended up having a heck of a major league career and had a heck of a run for the Orioles. Mike Boddicker. Won start in triple A in 1978 when he after he was drafted 12 starts in triple A Rochester in 1979 25 starts at triple A Rochester and now 8080 29 starts at 1979
Nestor J. Aparicio 40:02
Mike Flanagan Cy Young 1980 Steve Young Steve stone Cy Young. Keep keeps going. Scott McGregor
Luke Jones 40:09
820 Game winner Jim Palmer was still hanging around. The point is Martinez couldn’t work starts. And I’m not comparing the Orioles out better than any of these guys we’ve mentioned at the end. But the point I’m not trying to make here is that the Orioles outfield is what the Orioles started rotation was in the early eight, you know, late 70s into the early 80s. The point is, when you have an organization that has great depth, sometimes you’ll have now that was on the extreme side and you wouldn’t, you wouldn’t see anyone making 12 Plus starts four years in a row a triple A, that’s worth anything. Right. And mind you he had really good era is each of those years to I think his worst out of those four years. He had a four to era, you know, it wasn’t, you know, he was okay. In 1981 wasn’t anything special in Rochester. But point is, you had an organization at that point in time that had so much Major League depth and had so much depth waiting there. It triple A, you know, it’s where it reminds you a little tiny bit as much as anything in 2024 compared to the early 80s. You know, in the tiniest way, that’s kind of what you’re seeing that right now with the thought of, you know, is there gonna be a spot for Colton cows? Or is there gonna be a spot for Heston? couristan? What about Kyle sours who’s hit three home, runs it early on in spring and is hitting lefties and looks as good as he’s looked in a couple years. It’s a good problem to have stocks up. They got to figure it out. And look, hey, you just said it. Maybe that maybe the the solution is Kyle sours will get packaged with, you know, one of their better prospects and maybe someone else that’s a, b prospect for them. And maybe that’ll go get a starting pitcher or another reliever as I pointed out something that I’d still like that’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 41:53
the plan, hey, do go hit the cover off the ball, we’ll send you to St. Louis, and you’ll have a happy life or whatever.
Luke Jones 41:59
And I want to remind everyone, it’s spring training. And as much as the Orioles aren’t going to be fooled by spring training stats, most other organizations that are smart, shouldn’t be fooled,
Nestor J. Aparicio 42:08
I would say and we can end it on this because if I were down there having drinks with these kids, and I did that with every Matt Riley, and every you know, just that every rock rains down the list for years, you know, for 30 years, I was pretty close to the team in and out and around even after they threw me out for a couple of years. You know, wouldn’t be such a bad thing. If you get dealt to the wherever, you know, like if you’re on in this organization. Yeah, you want to be here and all that. But if you’re getting blocked, and they’re saying to you do your you know, you’re going to be a platoon player here, you’re going to be this or that. I mean, Matteo is gonna have to live with that, right? Like a lot of guys are gonna have to live with that I’m gonna get 171 at bats this year, and that’s going to be my major league year. Well, the way you mentioned Boddicker in 81 That was a strike here I bet they just hit him at triple eight to have him you know, when there’s no baseball you hide your quad A guy’s and let them play because the minor leagues play so you know, I’m just thinking we don’t have that to worry about around here but but getting blocked to your point getting botica got blocked and would have been better for like bikers career 1980 If they had dealt them off to some godforsaken place like the Mets because he would have been their number three starter and pitched might have gotten his brains beaten and might have had bad defense behind him. You know, like we can go through all of that. But there is a part where service time and playing and to your point 91 at bats for it AAA for holiday. Yeah, if you need more seasoning there, you need more seasoning. But all of these issues and I go back to I’d like to be watching these games on TV every day. You know, I wouldn’t mind having the Major League package and paying the 99 cents per month, or whatever it is to have it and we’re going to talk some football or we go to baseball. Is there any other grapefruit thing you need to say about baseball?
8Luke Jones 43:55
I just had to mention it because you just mentioned guys being blocked. Just saw a highlight the other day Joey Ortiz hitting a two run homer for the Milwaukee Brewers in in spring training action. There’s a perfect example of someone to
Nestor J. Aparicio 44:08
be on a major league absolutely has a chance to we’re here. He wasn’t going to be that.
Luke Jones 44:12
I mean, he was blocked. He was already blocked before Jackson holiday got to Norfolk so you’re not gonna be able to keep everyone well, he’s
Nestor J. Aparicio 44:19
know for a long time he was playing to play in another organization. Probably. Yeah, probably. I mean, in the same way that Patrick Queen knew every time he went out there with a raven helmet on he was going to put his body on the line. He was doing it to get signed by our next segment is that’s a good segue and it was good. Yeah, I’m a professional. I’ve done this a long time ago Jones this year. They wonder why I don’t sound like a podcaster because I’m not one. Marilyn lottery sponsors are 10 times the cash. We’re going to be getting out and doing the crabcake tour. I’m wearing my state fair shirt. I went in there the other I went to Beaumont, the last two Saturdays for brunch, if I give anybody a recommended action that you should take go to the Beaumont for brunch on the weekends. Unbelievable. But we were at State Fair across the street. I got some salmon, rice and spinach. It was like one of the best things I’ve had like. I mean, I’m like go get it for lunch today. I mean, my father loved fish honors birthday on the fifth. We’re releasing the book I wrote in 2006 about my father’s love of baseball, my family, my Aparicio card collection, amongst other things, just how baseball started all this and how the last 18 years the issues gotten off the track. And later on in the month, Lucas and I are threatening to go down to Florida and chase the Orioles around. I’m looking for David Rubenstein. We’ll be having some fun with all that. Also the NFL still in bloom and we’re gonna be talking a lot of NFL we’re gonna be talking free agency tampering, and all that good stuff. Our friends with our nation as well as Liberty pure and Jiffy put this out on the road for the Maryland crabcake tour. We’re going to be doing every Friday that the Orioles are home live from failures fadeless Fridays from two to five. It’ll all be brought to you by the Maryland lottery to come down and get a crab cake. I spent the whole month of January not having a crab cake and then I had like five in a row in the early part of February. So but I’m about to make my comeback at cost this week with a big fat crabcakes sandwich. I’m Nestor we are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. We never stop talking Baltimore positive and crabcakes and baseball and stuff.
