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Source: https://www.camdenchat.com/rss/index.xml

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<title type="text">Camden Chat</title>
<subtitle type="text">Your best source for quality Baltimore Orioles news, rumors, analysis, stats and scores from the fan perspective.</subtitle>
<updated>2025-10-31T20:50:12+00:00</updated>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/rss/index.xml</id>
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<entry>
<author>
<name>Alex Church</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[World Series Game 6 open thread]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-game-chat/62370/world-series-game-6-open-thread" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62370</id>
<updated>2025-10-31T16:50:12-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-31T20:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Gamethreads" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Blue Jays have an opportunity to win the World Series tonight at home in Game 6. The AL East champs slugged out a 6-1 victory in a pivotal Game 5 and now have two games to close things out. Former Baltimore pitcher Kevin Gausman will get the ball for the home team. Yoshinobu Yamamoto […]]]></summary>
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The Blue Jays have an opportunity to win the World Series tonight at home in Game 6. The AL East champs slugged out a 6-1 victory in a pivotal Game 5 and now have two games to close things out. 
Former Baltimore pitcher Kevin Gausman will get the ball for the home team. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the ball for LA, but almost every pitcher should be available with the Dodgers facing elimination.
George Springer is back in the Jays lineup as the leadoff hitter and DH. Shohei Ohtani will serve as the leadoff hitter and DH for LA.
Will Toronto close things out tonight, or will the Dodgers force an always entertaining Game 7? One way or another, the long ball seems like it will be the key tonight at the Rogers Centre. 

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 1.57 ERA) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.55 ERA) 
Dodgers Lineup
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/shohei-ohtani-660271">Shohei Ohtani</a> (L) DH</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/will-smith-669257">Will Smith</a> (R) C</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/freddie-freeman-518692">Freddie Freeman</a> (L) 1B</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/mookie-betts-605141">Mookie Betts</a> (R) SS</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/teoscar-hernandez-606192">Teoscar Hernández</a> (R) RF</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/max-muncy-571970">Max Muncy</a> (L) 3B</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/enrique-hernandez-571771">Enrique Hernández</a> (R) LF</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/tommy-edman-669242">Tommy Edman</a> (S) CF</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/miguel-rojas-500743">Miguel Rojas</a> (R) 2B</li>
</ol>
Blue Jays Lineup
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/george-springer-543807">George Springer</a> (R) DH</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/nathan-lukes-664770">Nathan Lukes</a> (L) LF</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/vladimir-guerrero-jr-665489">Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a> (R) 1B</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/bo-bichette-666182">Bo Bichette</a> (R) 2B</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/daulton-varsho-662139">Daulton Varsho</a> (L) CF</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/alejandro-kirk-672386">Alejandro Kirk</a> (R) C</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/addison-barger-680718">Addison Barger</a> (L) RF</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/ernie-clement-676391">Ernie Clement</a> (R) 3B</li>
<li><a href="https://www.mlb.com/player/andres-gimenez-665926">Andrés Giménez</a> (L) SS</li>
</ol>

]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Brown</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Orioles fans are mostly on board with the Craig Albernaz hire]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/games-etc/62359/orioles-craig-albernaz-manager-hire-fan-reaction" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62359</id>
<updated>2025-10-31T09:41:43-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-31T10:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Fun & Games" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Orioles announced their choice for their new manager this week, bringing in Craig Albernaz, who they plucked from being a top lieutenant on the coaching staff of the Cleveland Guardians. Albernaz won’t be officially introduced in a press conference until next week. The one clip we’ve seen of him speaking so far is enough […]]]></summary>
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The Orioles announced their choice for their new manager this week, bringing in Craig Albernaz, who they plucked from being a top lieutenant on the coaching staff of the Cleveland Guardians. Albernaz won’t be officially introduced in a press conference until next week. <a href="http://facebook.com/reel/1872230070048108/">The one clip we’ve seen of him speaking so far</a> is enough to realize that all of the jokes about the intensity of his Massachusetts accent were not exaggerated.
In this week’s poll, I asked fans to give a grade to the Albernaz hire. A number of folks commented and declined to make a choice, since it will only be in hindsight that we can know if it was a good hire or not. While true, this point of view is boring. I will tell you from my long experience of doing this that you will never say anything interesting if you’re worried about looking dumb later because you were wrong. Thank you to those who were willing to have an opinion at this juncture. Here’s how the results came in:
<img src="https://platform.camdenchat.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/55/2025/10/Baltimore_1_103025_604f01.png?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" alt="" title="" data-has-syndication-rights="1" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="" />
Overall, it’s an optimistic set of responses, which I will admit surprised me based on the strength of some responses who were disappointed that the Orioles chose someone without any big league managing experience. 
I think for anyone who wasn’t hung up on previous experience as being a must, there’s a lot to like in the hire, and that showed up in the results. That’s 75% who voted for B or better on the grade, an overwhelmingly-positive result. I do think to some degree a grade of B is the default cautiously optimistic answer for people who want to be excited but also know that no games have been played yet. I’d say that’s fair.
Albernaz is going to have his work cut out for him around here. Although he’s not inheriting as hopeless of a situation as his predecessor Brandon Hyde did seven years ago, there was a lot of disappointment and underachievement from the core group of Orioles position players this year and Albernaz will probably be judged in substantial part on how much better that goes in the future. The quality of the pitching staff that Mike Elias assembles for him will, obviously, be another key factor.
All that we know so far is that at least two-thirds of the hitting coaches will not be returning to next year’s staff. The two assistant hitting coaches from 2025, Sherman Johnson and Tommy Joseph, are reportedly not going to be back. With how things went this year, some changes had to be made.
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Stacey</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Orioles’ Tyler O’Neill was bad and injured in 2025]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-analysis/62330/orioles-tyler-oneill-season-review-2025-bad" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62330</id>
<updated>2025-10-30T22:50:45-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-31T09:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Commentary & Analysis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Orioles went into last offseason with the stated need of a lefty-mashing batter to balance out a lefty-heavy lineup. While it’s true the Orioles do have a lefty-heavy lineup, they weren’t actually that bad against lefty pitchers in 2024. Nevertheless, the goal was stated and Mike Elias went out and addressed the need by […]]]></summary>
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The Orioles went into last offseason with the stated need of a lefty-mashing batter to balance out a lefty-heavy lineup. While it’s true the Orioles do have a lefty-heavy lineup, they weren’t actually that bad against lefty pitchers in 2024. Nevertheless, the goal was stated and Mike Elias went out and addressed the need by signing Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract with an opt-out after the first year.
This was notable as it was the first multi-year contract Elias handed out in his tenure with the Orioles. And he did it for a very flawed player. O’Neill was coming off a fantastic year with the Red Sox. However, his performance has been up and down over the years with the one constant being his spot on the Injured List. The ideal outcome for O’Neill’s 2025 was for him to be good enough help the Orioles back to the playoffs, then exercise his opt-out to get a bigger contract elsewhere.
That, of course, did not happen. O’Neill missed more time with injury than in any other year of his career. When he was in the lineup, he was bad. And he didn’t even live up to the hope that he’d hit lefties. In his limited action, he was even worse against them than against right-handed pitchers. 
Before we get into the gritty details, it’s time for me to confess. Last fall, the writers of Camden Chat spent a few weeks detailing what off-season moves we thought the Orioles should make. I <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/2024/11/21/24302043/mlb-free-agents-2025-orioles-tyler-oneill">suggested </a>the Orioles sign Tyler O’Neill. Normally, when I suggest things on this website that end up being bad ideas, I can claim that’s why I talk about the Orioles instead of working for them. But this time, what they did and what I suggested matched up! Sorry about that. It was a terrible idea.
The departure of Anthony Santander left a vacuum in the power-hitter department for the Orioles, and O’Neill could have filled that role. He mashed 31 dingers for the Red Sox in 2024 in just 113 games, and on Opening Day 2025 against the Blue Jays he hit his first as an Oriole. It was part of a three-hit, two-walk game. He then wowed the home crowd with a four-hit game in the home opener against the Red Sox a few days later. What a great signing! We love Tyler O’Neill! Not so fast…
O’Neill quieted down after that, but played steady baseball until April 23rd, when he had to go on the IL with neck inflammation. At the time, he was batting .215/.284/.365. Not great! O’Neill’s IL stint was relatively short, and he returned on May 9th to continue being bad. He returned for six games in which he picked up one hit, then went back on the IL. This time he had a left shoulder impingement. His OPS dropped to .608. 
The Orioles had a miserable April and May, both with and without O’Neill. His second trip to the IL was longer, and he returned on 4th of July. Over the next month, he hit six home runs and three doubles, slugging .571 in 71 plate appearances. Given his injuries and slow start to the season, it was hard to trust him, but he was coming around. Unfortunately, he lasted just a month before hitting the IL again. That’s what he couldn’t be trusted! 
On August 6th, O’Neill went on the IL for the third and final time. This time it was for wrist inflammation. He did not return until September 12th. The Orioles’ season had been lost for months, but by that point they were really just playing out the string. O’Neill played in 11 games between the 12th and the end of the season, and his hitting was back to being putrid. He had just six hits in that stretch until, mercifully, the season came to an end. 
Overall, in 54 games, Tyler O’Neill hit .199/.292/.392 with nine home runs and six doubles. Quite a disappointment. There was a lot to dislike about his offensive game in 2025, for sure. But he did have a few good areas in offense, per Statcast. His bat speed is good, he has a good barrel %, and his walk rate was stable. Is this a sign that he could rebound next year? Your guess is as good as mine, but it’s better than him being miserable across the board. 
Also poor was O’Neill’s defense. He had bad range in right field and often looked like he was running through Jell-O to get to the ball. He does have a pretty strong arm once he gets to the ball, so I guess that’s something. He somehow won two Gold Gloves early in his career, but those skills were not on display this year. 
It’s not official that O’Neill isn’t taking his opt-out. That decision won’t be made until the World Series ends. But he is not going to take his opt-out. No one would sign him to the big contract that he’d need to take it. So he will be an Oriole for two more seasons. He may be pretty good in those two years, at least when he’s on the field. Because he will get hurt. But he has been decent enough in the past to have some hope for the future. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>John Beers</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Seranthony Domínguez is poised to go from Oriole to World Series champion]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-analysis/62347/seranthony-dominguez-is-poised-to-go-from-oriole-to-world-series-champion" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/62347/seranthony-dominguez-is-poised-to-go-from-oriole-to-world-series-champion</id>
<updated>2025-10-30T23:00:57-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-31T08:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Commentary & Analysis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[There’s only one player from the 2025 Orioles who’s still competing for a World Series title and his name is Seranthony Domínguez. Of the players trade away in the 2025 fire sale, the former O’s closer is the one who’s found the most success while netting the Orioles an interesting prospect in return. The flame-throwing […]]]></summary>
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There’s only one player from the 2025 Orioles who’s still competing for a World Series title and his name is Seranthony Domínguez. Of the players trade away in the 2025 fire sale, the former O’s closer is the one who’s found the most success while netting the Orioles an interesting prospect in return.
The flame-throwing righty was one of four Orioles relievers dealt at this year’s trade deadline, and of those four, arguably had the highest highs while in Baltimore. After coming over from the Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline, Domínguez assumed the closer role down the stretch after the release of Craig Kimbrel. 
Through his first 15 appearances in black and orange, Seranthony was the shot in the arm the Baltimore bullpen needed. Over 14 innings, he pitched to a 2.57 ERA, struck out 17 batters and picked up six saves. Sure, he had somewhat of a home run problem (at one point, he allowed solo homers in three straight outings) but was an overall positive for the Orioles’ pen.
His close to 2024 was less promising. In his last 10 regular-season appearances, his ERA ballooned to 6.23, walks and home runs were standout issues and he lost his role as the O’s closer. Domínguez did have two scoreless appearances in the Orioles’ two playoff losses, but just like the rest of the 2024 Orioles, his overall individual performance left something to be desired.
That roller coaster nature carried over into the start of the 2025 season. Domínguez started the year with nine straight scoreless appearances, punching out 10 in 8.1 innings while allowing only two hits. After finally allowing his first earned runs on April 26th, the 30-year-old righty seemingly lost his feel for pitching. From April 26th through the end of May, Domínguez made 14 appearances while allowing 12 runs (8.31 ERA) and 14 hits as opposing hitters teed off on his high-octane fastball.
When the calendar flipped to June, a switch flipped in Domínguez and he once again became one the Orioles’ most reliable relievers. From June 1st until he was traded on July 29th, the seventh-year MLB vet made 20 appearances, pitched 20.1 innings, racked up 28 strikeouts and held opponents to a .211 and 1.33 ERA. 
The big adjustment that changed the trajectory of Domínguez’s season was a heavier reliance on his newly developed splitter. The righty ditched his changeup for the split-finger fastball before the 2025 season, but seemed hesitant to rely on the new pitch early. In April, he only threw six total splitters (less than 4% of his pitches). That usage rate jumped up to 11.3% in May, but really exploded as the season headed into the summer months. Across June and July, the splitter became his go-to secondary pitch, as the usage jumped above 27% while opponents struggled to a .107 average against the off-speed offering.
The reinvented Domínguez earned himself one of the oddest trades of July just days before the deadline. With the Blue Jays in town for a doubleheader, Domínguez found himself in the Orioles’ bullpen for the first game and pitching against the Orioles in the second game. 
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Seranthony Domínguez was traded between games of the Blue Jays-Orioles doubleheader He walked past his old teammates to get to the Blue Jays bullpen 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/PVMgOIbBoL">pic.twitter.com/PVMgOIbBoL</a>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1950338016976744743?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Beyond the weird circumstances that come with being traded to the opposing team in the middle of a doubleheader, the Domínguez trade saw the Orioles get one of their best returns of the fire sale. It was a one-for-one swap, with 23-year-old RHP prospect Juaron Watts-Brown heading to the Orioles in return. The former 3rd-round pick from the 2023 draft has one of the best sliders in minor league baseball and gives the O’s a potential MLB starter with four above-average pitches.
Watts-Brown was dominant in seven appearances with the Baysox after the trade, holding opponents to a .159 average while posting a 0.91 WHIP and punching out 43 batters over 35.1 innings. In MLB.com’s end-of-season prospect rankings, Watts-Brown checked in as Baltimore’s No.13 prospect and the second-highest rated prospect of the players acquired at the 2025 deadline. He’ll be competing with players like Michael Forret, Trey Gibson and Nestor German to be the first pitching prospect to debut in 2026.
Since joining Toronto, Domínguez has been a more reliable piece for the AL champions as a setup man for closer Jeff Hoffman. In 24 regular-season appearances for the Jays, Seranthony struck out 25 in 21 innings while posting a 3.00 ERA and .169 average against. Importantly, he only allowed one HR in the regular season for Toronto, cutting his HR/9 rate from 0.9 with the Orioles to 0.4 with the Blue Jays.
He’s been similarly solid for the Jays in their run to being one game away from a World Series title, with a 3.60 ERA in 10 appearances. He has allowed two inopportune home runs for Toronto in October. He gave up a grand slam to Eugenio Suarez in the Jays’ 6-2 loss in Game 5 of the ALCS, and the game-tying home run to Shohei Ohtani that led to the Dodgers’ win in the World Series’ 18-inning marathon. The latter of those two homers led Orioles legend Jim Palmer to fire off the following tweet:
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-dnt="true">Ohtani is super human… Seranthony Dominguez has great stuff and no idea of how to pitch.. good guy, a shame nobody taught him how to do that. Hard to watch..— Jim Palmer (@Jim22Palmer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim22Palmer/status/1983006892411756562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
</div></figure>
Domínguez will not be remembered as anything other than another volatile reliever in the Orioles’ pen. And yet, he still stands to be the first player to be an Oriole and win a championship in the same season since Trey Mancini in 2022. Or, if we’re lucky, he’ll be remembered as the player traded to acquire future Orioles star, Juaron Watts-Brown.
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Paul Folkemer</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Friday Bird Droppings: Baseball season could end tonight]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/orioles-news-links/62320/orioles-news-links" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62320</id>
<updated>2025-10-31T07:39:37-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-31T07:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Bird Droppings" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Good morning, Camden Chatters. We’ve arrived at what could be the final day of baseball for the 2025 season. The Toronto Blue Jays are a win away from their first championship since 1993, and they’ll look to seal the deal in front of their home fans at Rogers Centre tonight. Former Oriole Kevin Gausman will […]]]></summary>
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Good morning, Camden Chatters.
We’ve arrived at what could be the final day of baseball for the 2025 season. The Toronto Blue Jays are a win away from their first championship since 1993, and they’ll look to seal the deal in front of their home fans at Rogers Centre tonight. Former Oriole Kevin Gausman will be on the mound for the Jays’ potential clincher. But the Dodgers and Yoshinobu Yamamoto — who has thrown an unheard-of two complete games this postseason — could still have some fight left in them as they attempt to force a Game 7.
It’s still funny to me that this Blue Jays team that’s on the verge of a World Series title started their season by getting blown out by the Orioles on their home turf. Remember that? The Orioles crushed them 12-2 on Opening Day in Toronto, hitting six home runs and looking like a more complete team in every facet of the game. Ah, good times. Never has there been a more obvious example that one game does not define a season. Boy, did the Jays improve their fortunes in a hurry, and boy, did the Orioles go in exactly the opposite direction.
So, Camden Chatters, how are we feeling about the possibility of the Blue Jays winning the World Series? I certainly don’t like it, although this current Jays roster is not as unlikeable as the José Bautista-era club. I suppose I would feel happy for ex-Orioles Gausman and Anthony Santander getting a ring, even though Santander barely contributed in the regular season and has missed the World Series with an injury. The two of them were pretty easy to root for when they played for Baltimore.
Maybe one of these days, we’ll see some popular Orioles players actually win the World Series with the Orioles instead of having to wait until they’re on a different team. A guy can dream, right?
<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">Links</h4>
<a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/entry/orioles-sign-rico-garcia-to-2026-contract">Orioles sign Rico Garcia to 2026 contract (also Luis Vázquez) – School of Roch</a>
The Orioles have made their first two signings of the offseason. 2026 playoffs, here we come!
<a href="https://steveonbaseball.substack.com/p/guardians-broadcaster-talks-about">Guardians broadcaster talks about Craig Albernaz and his impact in Cleveland – Steve Melewski</a>
The more I hear about the new O’s manager, the more I like him. Whether that will mean anything in terms of the Orioles’ win-loss record remains to be seen.
<a href="https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/sports/orioles-mlb/2025/10/30/aggressive-will-orioles-hunt-free-agent-pitchers-mailbag-richdubroff/">How aggressive will Orioles be for free-agent pitchers? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com</a>
I don’t think you’d like my answer to this question.
<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-text-align-none">Orioles birthdays and history</h4>
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! A whopping eight former Orioles were born on Halloween. Spooooky! The most prominent of that octet is the late Orioles Hall of Famer Dave McNally (b. 1942, d. 2002). The three-time All-Star southpaw spent 13 of his 14 MLB seasons in Baltimore, posting a 3.18 ERA in 181 games, and had four consecutive 20+ win campaigns. He helped lead the Birds to championships in 1966 and 1970, and his 184 wins are second only to Jim Palmer in O’s history.
Other ex-Orioles born on this date include infielders Tony Kemp (34) and Yamaico Navarro (38), outfielder David Dellucci (52), left-hander Tim Byrdak (also 52), righty Steve Trachsel (55), catcher Matt Nokes (62), and righty Mike Smith (also 62).
On this date in 1979, Orioles lefty Mike Flanagan was voted the AL Cy Young Award winner, garnering 26 of the 28 first-place votes. Flanagan led the league with 23 wins and five shutouts, allowing him to nearly sweep the balloting. Flanagan’s 3.8 WAR was well below some of the other competitors for the award, but fortunately for him, WAR was not a thing back in those days.
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Tyler Young</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Brandon Young was both mid and magic in his rookie season]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-analysis/62315/brandon-young-season-review-2025" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/62315/grant-wolfram-did-enough-to-stay-in-the-bullpen-mix-moving-forward</id>
<updated>2025-10-30T08:54:39-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-30T09:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Commentary & Analysis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The history of baseball is littered with players that, while not stars, managed to leave an indelible mark on a season, a team, or even the sport at large. While Brandon Young has not yet made it to that level of cult hero, he was certainly responsible for some of the most memorable moments of […]]]></summary>
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The history of baseball is littered with players that, while not stars, managed to leave an indelible mark on a season, a team, or even the sport at large. While Brandon Young has not yet made it to that level of cult hero, he was certainly responsible for some of the most memorable moments of the 2025 Orioles.
Young’s top line stats in his debut season are not going to wow anyone. In fact, they are rather ugly. Over 12 starts and 57.2 innings, he had a 6.24 ERA, struck out 7.34 per nine, and was worth -0.1 fWAR/-0.6 bWAR. The Orioles may have hoped to get a bit more out of their 2024 Jim Palmer Minor League Pitcher of the Year. But at least the 27-year-old got his feet wet on the big league stage and has laid a base for his career moving forward.
What will go down in the history books, however, were two of Young’s performances.
On July 9, the 6-foot-6 hurler was facing the Mets for his fifth career start. In the top of the fifth inning, he did something that only four Orioles pitchers had done before him. <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-young-pitches-immaculate-inning-against-mets" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-young-pitches-immaculate-inning-against-mets">He threw an immaculate inning</a>. The trio of Jesse Winker, Jeff McNeil, and Luis Torrens saw a total of nine pitches, all of them strikes, and the O’s rookie was out of the frame.
That inning showed off some of Young’s upside. He got whiffs from Winker and McNeil on his changeup, and he punched out Torrens with a 96 mph fastball. Clearly, he has the repertoire to get big league hitters out, and this was coming in the fifth inning, the deepest he had ever gone in a game to that point. 
Young showed off that ability again in <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-young-perfect-game-ends-in-8th" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-young-perfect-game-ends-in-8th">an August 15 start in Houston</a>, a park he grew up attending as a fan. On that night, he didn’t just have one perfect inning, he had seven of them. The righty came within four outs of the 25th perfect game in big league history. Instead, he had to settle for eight shutout innings and the first win of his career. Not bad.
The high from that start would not last too long, unfortunately. Young faced the Astros again one week later. This time he allowed seven runs on nine hits, two walks, and only one strikeout. In that game he also strained his left hamstring and was put on the IL. A few days later, he was moved to the 60-day IL and shut down for the season, a tough end to an up-and-down rookie season,
The argument can be made that Young’s debut campaign was a bit better than his numbers may suggest. For example, his 4.41 xERA is nearly two runs better than his actual 6.24 ERA. There’s also a gap between his 5.35 FIP and 4.52 xFIP. The same goes for the difference between his .372 wOBA against and his .333 xwOBA. 
In other words, Young was a little unlucky. No, he wasn’t amazing, but he pitched better than the back of his baseball card might suggest.
Oftentimes the killer for Young was home runs. He gave up 12 of them in just 57.2 innings of work. That works out to a rate of 1.87 homers per nine innings, and a home run per fly ball rate of 17.1%. Neither of those numbers are good! It puts him right next to Tomoyuki Sugano, who had almost identical metrics (1.89 HR/9, 15.6% HR/FB) across a full season, and led MLB in home runs allowed. 
Perhaps Young needs to pare down his offerings? <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/brandon-young-687064?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb" data-type="link" data-id="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/brandon-young-687064?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb">According to Baseball Savant</a>, he threw six different pitches in 2025: four-seam, split, curve, cutter, slider, and changeup. That’s not a crazy amount for a modern starter, but he didn’t have success with many of them. If he could focus on fewer pitches, he may be able to really nail them.
The only two with neutral or positive run values were the four-seam and the slider. Those feel like the building blocks for his arsenal. The curveball has good characteristics as well, but may have tunneling issues to consider. His changeup was rarely used (4.6% of all pitches) and got ripped (87.5% hard hit rate). It gets far less vertical drop than league average, and Young leaves it in the middle of the plate too often. That could explain why left-handed hitters lit him up to the tune of a .315/.392/.543 batting line against. Despite its poor performance, it feels like Young has to improve the change heading into 2026 in order to be a viable starting option.
Young will broadly be considered an option for the Orioles’ Opening Day rotation heading into 2026. But that is more the result of being a starting pitcher on the fringe of the big league roster. The team is expected to pursue more proven starting options this winter to join Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, and a (hopefully healthy) Grayson Rodriguez on the staff. If that happens, Young will be pushed back to Norfolk by default, or maybe a long man role out of the bullpen.
Regardless, Young is likely to become a familiar, if inconsistent, face in Baltimore for a few years to come. He has two option years remaining and won’t be eligible arbitration until the 2028 season at the earliest. As a fringy starter type, that sounds like a guy that should become a fixture on the Norfolk shuttle, capable of making spot starts or even filling in for a brief IL stint for a rotation member. While it may not be the sexiest role, that sort of competent depth is vital to an organization as it withstands the marathon of a 162-game season. It’s also impressive for an undrafted player to get to that point of usability in the first place. Maybe he will keep on exceeding expectations.
Tomorrow: Tyler O’Neill

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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Alex Church</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[The Orioles flipped Bryan Baker for a high-ceiling draft pick]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-analysis/62299/the-orioles-flipped-bryan-baker-for-a-high-ceiling-draft-pick" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62299</id>
<updated>2025-10-29T19:29:24-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-30T08:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Commentary & Analysis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[The Orioles claimed Bryan Baker from the Blue Jays all the way back in November 2021. The move came shortly after the team reinstated Jorge López and DJ Stewart from the 60-day injured list. Baker went on to join fellow relievers Paul Fry, Dillon Tate and Joey Krehbiel on the 2022 Opening Day roster. Baker […]]]></summary>
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The Orioles claimed Bryan Baker from the Blue Jays all the way back in November 2021. The move came shortly after the team reinstated Jorge López and DJ Stewart from the 60-day injured list. Baker went on to join fellow relievers Paul Fry, Dillon Tate and Joey Krehbiel on the 2022 Opening Day roster. 
Baker outlasted all of those guys in Baltimore. He joined the Orioles with only one inning of MLB experience and proceeded to make 173 appearances for the O’s. He posted a 3.49 ERA in his first year with the club and a 3.60 ERA in 2023. He rode the Norfolk shuttle in 2024 as the Orioles took advantage of his last minor league option.
Baker’s lack of options generated some buzz last spring. He eventually beat out Matt Bowman and Roansey Contreras for the final spot in Baltimore’s bullpen. 
Almost every Orioles player struggled at the beginning of last year, but Baker represented one of the few exceptions. After surviving a roster battle, he pitched to a 3.52 ERA and 1.096 WHIP over 42 games in Black and Orange. 
The Birds put together a decent run in June, but they dug too deep of a hole early in the year. With a fire sale becoming more likely by the day, Mike Elias made his first move on July 10. The Orioles sent Bryan Baker to a division foe in exchange for Tampa Bay’s competitive balance round draft pick. 
Several players entered the month of July surrounded by trade rumors, but Baker had not been one of them. The 30-year-old was an affordable reliever under team control until 2029 and projected as a player that would help the club compete in 2026. With the benefit of hindsight, that’s what made him an attractive target for buying teams. 
It may be premature to call the deal a “win” for either side, but Tampa must have had higher hopes when they sent the 37th pick to Baltimore in exchange for Baker. The righty posted a 4.75 ERA and 1.121 WHIP over 31 games for the Rays. Tampa Bay finished the year 77-85. 
Baker remains under team control and can still help the Rays both next season and beyond. <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/offseason-outlook-tampa-bay-rays-15.html" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/10/offseason-outlook-tampa-bay-rays-15.html">MLB Trade Rumors </a>projects Baker to cost only $1.5 million and does not consider him a non-tender candidate this offseason.
Baker remains out of options as well. The Orioles bullpen lacked flexibility last season with veteran players like Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez. Baltimore’s deadline deals freed up room for optionable pitchers like Kade Strowd. Relievers with options come in handy over the course of a 162 game season—look no further than Baker from 2022-2024. 
The Orioles couldn’t wait until the trade deadline to complete the deal with the Rays. Competitive balance selections are the only tradable draft picks in baseball, and the Birds used the 37th pick later that week to select high school outfielder Slater de Brun out of Summit High School in Bend, Oregon. 
de Brun—aka “<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/draft-prospect-slater-de-brun-is-a-music-producer" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.mlb.com/news/draft-prospect-slater-de-brun-is-a-music-producer">Lily Slayyy</a>”—entered the draft as MLB Pipeline’s 24th best prospect. The Birds nabbed him with an overslot $4 million bonus to stave off his attendance at Vanderbilt. The Birds were immediately celebrated for gaining significant value at the 37th pick. MLB Pipeline currently ranks de Brun as Baltimore’s sixth best prospect.
<a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/orioles-bet-big-on-dynamic-prep-outfielder-slater-de-brun/" data-type="link" data-id="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/orioles-bet-big-on-dynamic-prep-outfielder-slater-de-brun/">Baseball America </a>describes de Brun as a dynamic outfielder with “elite speed, contact skills and center field defense.” The Orioles took high-floor college prospects in Ike Irish, Caden Bodine and Wehiwa Aloy, but de Brun projects as a talented player that will need some time in the minors.
Some expressed frustration with the Orioles dealing a controllable asset in Baker for a player that will not help the team compete in 2026. However, de Brun likely represents the highest long term value that Baltimore could gain in exchange for Baker. Elias wants to win in 2026, but de Brun could make a real difference for the Birds at the end of the decade. In the same vein, he could be used as a tradable asset—or depth to offset the loss of another asset—in a deal that brings MLB talent to Baltimore.
Baker earned the reputation of a grinder during his time at Camden Yards. He showed emotion on the mound and never shied away from high-leverage opportunities. He likely hit his ceiling in Baltimore, and his absence would not have loomed nearly as large if the Orioles did not trade away Soto, Domínguez, and Andrew Kittredge while losing Félix Bautista to injury. 
That being said, Tampa holds a strong reputation for helping pitchers reach their highest potential. The Rays must feel they can maximize Baker’s value moving forward. It will sting anytime that Baker retires the side against Baltimore, but the Orioles can get the last laugh if de Brun reaches his full potential. 

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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Mark Brown</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Orioles news: Enrique Bradfield hot in Arizona]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/orioles-news-links/62294/orioles-news-rumors-coaching-staff-changes" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62294</id>
<updated>2025-10-29T22:23:53-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-30T07:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Bird Droppings" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[Hello, friends. There are now 147 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2026. At most two of these days will have real baseball, depending on whether the World Series finishes in six or seven games. Today is not one of those days, as the teams will travel back to Toronto to settle whatever is left. […]]]></summary>
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Hello, friends.
There are now 147 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2026. At most two of these days will have real baseball, depending on whether the World Series finishes in six or seven games. Today is not one of those days, as the teams will travel back to Toronto to settle whatever is left. The Blue Jays hold a 3-2 edge in the series after winning in Los Angeles last night, starting the game with back-to-back homers off Dodgers starter Blake Snell and never looking back. They are now one win away from their first title since going back-to-back in 1992 and 1993.
As we know, the fact that the World Series is going on hasn’t stopped the Orioles from having some coaching-related news. The big breaking story of the new manager, Craig Albernaz, hit on Sunday night and then hitting coach news – specifically that the two assistants won’t be returning next season – came out during the week. 
It wouldn’t surprise me if some more coaching staff news trickles out between now and next week’s press conference introducing Albernaz. Though the Orioles do like to keep things secret and not ever say anything about it, if they do choose to move on from guys, they can’t stop them from telling people, or other people in other front offices finding out because so-and-so Orioles coach is out looking for a new job. At a minimum, one additional change is that it’s not likely that former interim manager Tony Mansolino will go back to his old job. The “interim” seldom sticks around if they aren’t the person chosen for the big chair.
Even moreso than a manager, who has a lot of invisible aspects of his job but does at least have tactical choices and public statements where you can judge him on that, it’s tough to really know who’s a good coach and who’s not a good coach. All that we can tell is whether a group of players does well or doesn’t do well. 
With the hitting coaches, pretty much everybody underachieved this past season, so at a minimum, those guys didn’t help stop the problem. The team having moved on from the assistants seems good. I won’t lose any sleep if the hitting coach, Cody Asche, also is out. It’s not as clean to judge the pitching coaches because the sheer amount of injuries, and bad offseason decisions by Mike Elias, left them lacking a lot of talent in their area of influence. Albernaz will probably want to bring in some guys where he had some say, so independent of whether the incumbents did a good job or not, that’s why I’m expecting more change. Maybe we’ll get more trickles today.
<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Orioles stuff you might have missed</h4>
<a href="https://www.thebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-new-manager-craig-albernaz-jon-meoli-QK6FJCZDXFDSLP7IY7RUH4RA3E/">Why Craig Albernaz is a good fit for the Orioles</a> (The Baltimore Banner) The Banner’s Jon Meoli is feeling good about this hire. He’s not the only one.
On the subject of the new manager, Albernaz, the team posted a short message from him <a href="http://facebook.com/reel/1872230070048108/">on its Facebook page yesterday.</a> It seems that the jokes about his accent were not selling short the magnitude. I’m particularly fascinated by the way he says “Birdland” with such a strong New England accent that it almost turns into like, Australian.
<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2025/10/29/orioles-enrique-bradfield-eyes-mlb-debut/">Enrique Bradfield Jr., tearing up Arizona Fall League, eyes his debut</a> (The Baltimore Sun) Things are going really well for Bradfield out in Arizona, you guys. He’s more advanced than most of the competition, so it has to be taken with some grains of salt. Still, he could hardly be doing better.
<a href="https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/sports/orioles-mlb/2025/10/29/world-george-zuverink-john-eisenberg/">On George Zuverink, a forgotten early Oriole</a> (Baltimore Baseball) John Eisenberg’s series on Orioles history reaches back for some memories about a relief pitcher who was here from 1955-59, with a last name that will perpetually keep him very far towards the bottom of the alphabetical list for franchise history.
<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries</h4>
Today in 1986, the Orioles traded Storm Davis to the Padres, receiving catcher Terry Kennedy and reliever Mark Williamson. A favorite of mine when I was younger since he had the same first name as me, Williamson’s place in Orioles history was throwing an inning in the combined no-hitter on July 13, 1991.
There is one lone former Oriole who was born on this day. Happy 47th birthday to outfielder Luis Matos, who accumulated 4.4 bWAR for the team from 2000-06.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: architect Christopher Wren (1632), first vice president and second president John Adams (1735), five-star admiral William Halsey Jr. (1882), actor Henry Winkler (1945), and gold medal gymnast Nastia Liukin (1989).
<h4 class="wp-block-heading">On this day in history…</h4>
In 1831, the leader of the deadliest slave rebellion in US history, Nat Turner, was arrested in Virginia. Turner had led a four-day revolt in August that killed more than 50 whites in the area. He was tried and hanged within two weeks of the arrest.
In 1905, in response to an ongoing revolution, Russian tsar Nicholas II issued the October Manifesto, which if he adhered to it (he didn’t) would have provided some basic civil liberties for the Russian people. The manifesto also called for the creation of the Duma, an elected parliament.
In 1938, the infamous radio broadcast where Orson Welles adapted H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds took place, in which some people who turned on their radios mistakenly believed it was a narration of an actual invasion.
In 1945, Jackie Robinson, then a member of the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs, signed a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers, with whom he eventually debuted, breaking baseball’s color barrier, in 1947.
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on October 30. Have a safe Thursday.
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</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Andrea SK</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[World Series Game 5 open thread]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-game-chat/62303/world-series-game-5-open-thread" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62303</id>
<updated>2025-10-29T19:21:28-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-29T19:30:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Gamethreads" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[World Series, Game 5: 8:00 PM ET, FOX (The series is tied, 2-2) RHP Trey Yesavage (TOR) (2-1, 4.26 ERA, 27 K) vs. LHP Blake Snell (LAD) (3-1, 2.42 ERA, 32 K) “Good lord,” asked Paul Folkemer, after Monday night’s ridiculous, 6-hour, 39-minute, 18-inning marathon. “How do you follow that?” Well, Toronto’s bats did by […]]]></summary>
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World Series, Game 5: 8:00 PM ET, FOX (The series is tied, 2-2)
RHP Trey Yesavage (TOR) (2-1, 4.26 ERA, 27 K) vs. LHP Blake Snell (LAD) (3-1, 2.42 ERA, 32 K)
“Good lord,” asked Paul Folkemer, after Monday night’s ridiculous, 6-hour, 39-minute, 18-inning marathon. “How do you follow that?”
Well, Toronto’s bats did by recovering in lightning-fast fashion to deliver LA starter Shohei Ohtani an unexpected pummeling, saddling him with four runs in six innings and an L in Game 4. Ohtani had given up just three runs in 12 innings of postseason ball before that, including his ridiculous 10-strikeout dispatching of the Brewers in the NLCS.
Everyone is mortal, it turns out. Hey, he was up really late the night before.
Game 4’s 6-2 result was, it goes without saying, a gigantic win for the Blue Jays, who flipped the series momentum and ensured a return to home field north of the border. Trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber was solid, working into the sixth inning while allowing just one earned run. Regular starter Chris Bassitt helped out with two shutout innings in the seventh and eighth, allowing his team to rest their best relief arms (Jeff Hoffman, Eric Lauer and Seranthony Domínguez). It’s all hands on deck in the World Series, people!
Tonight we get a repeat of Game 1, a 11-4 beatdown for Toronto in which neither starter pitched particularly well. That night, Toronto rookie Trey Yesavage went four innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks, while the Dodgers’ Blake Snell was uncharacteristically hittable, getting hit up for five runs on eight hits and three walks over five innings. It was an unexpected dud for the lefty Snell, who is something of a postseason gamer, with a 2.42 ERA this season plus a 7-4 record and a 3.01 ERA in 16 playoff games in his career.
Tonight’s matchup features a pretty big experience gap: the 22-year-old Yesavage will be making just his fifth career playoff start. You’ve heard by now that he started the year in High-A ball. So far, he’s been pretty good under immense pressure, with a 2-1 record and 4.26 ERA in the postseason.
This is, on paper, an advantageous matchup for Los Angeles, but Toronto has outscored them 23-17 in this series so far.
It goes without saying that Game 5 is a big one for both teams. For Toronto, hanging tough at Dodger Stadium to return home with a 3-2 lead would be a massive morale boost. For the Dodgers, a win tonight means the difference between pulling to within one win of their second straight championship and having to head all the way to Canada needing to win back-to-back elimination games, in front of a hostile crowd of … <a href="https://www.blogto.com/city/2014/08/the_top_10_cliches_about_toronto/">exceedingly polite hockey fans</a>? (OK, that is only partly true.)
Blue Jays lineup
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Davis Schneider LF (R)</li>
<li>Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. 1B (R)</li>
<li>Bo Bichette DH (R)</li>
<li>Alejandro Kirk C (R)</li>
<li>Daulton Varsho CF (L)</li>
<li>Ernie Clement 3B (R)</li>
<li>Addison Barger RF (L)</li>
<li>Isiah Kiner-Falefa 2B (R)</li>
<li>Andrés Giménez SS (L)</li>
</ol>
Dodgers lineup
<ol class="wp-block-list">
<li>Shohei Ohtani DH (L)</li>
<li>Will Smith C (R)</li>
<li>Mookie Betts SS (R)</li>
<li>Freddie Freeman 1B (L)</li>
<li>Teoscar Hernández RF (R)</li>
<li>Tommy Edman 2B (S)</li>
<li>Max Muncy 3B (L)</li>
<li>Kike Hernández CF (R)</li>
<li>Alex Call LF (R)</li>
</ol>
]]>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<author>
<name>Andrea SK</name>
</author>
<title type="html"><![CDATA[Charlie Morton’s up-and-down 2025 capped off a distinguished career]]></title>
<link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.camdenchat.com/baltimore-orioles-analysis/62279/orioles-charlie-morton-season-review-2025" />
<id>https://www.camdenchat.com/?p=62279</id>
<updated>2025-10-29T09:05:52-04:00</updated>
<published>2025-10-29T10:00:00-04:00</published>
<category scheme="https://www.camdenchat.com" term="Baltimore Orioles Commentary & Analysis" />
<summary type="html"><![CDATA[When Charlie Morton first debuted in MLB, the first Iron Man movie had just come out, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were getting hitched, Heath Ledger was winning acclaim as the Joker in The Dark Knight, and Phillies were on their way to being crowned World Series champions. Eighteen years is a long time, especially in baseball. […]]]></summary>
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When Charlie Morton first debuted in MLB, the first Iron Man movie had just come out, Beyoncé and Jay-Z were getting hitched, Heath Ledger was winning acclaim as the Joker in The Dark Knight, and Phillies were on their way to being crowned World Series champions.
Eighteen years is a long time, especially in baseball. And while we can’t quite say that Charlie Morton was sharp in his last season, this was a baseball career worth saluting. As interim manager <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-trade-charlie-morton-detroit-tigers-KRRXMQDWWFEQPOLWQVUPALTDTM/">Tony Mansolino said</a> when Morton was traded at the break (Manso may not have won the permanent manager role, but he did give great postgame quotes!), “Guys like Charlie, they stay in the big leagues for 20 years because they’re really good, they’re great players, but they also stay in the big leagues for 20 years because of their character.”
In retrospect, Morton and Baltimore wasn’t the best fit for either side. This team needed to spend on a true front-of-the-rotation ace; the 41-year-old Morton, who’d considered retirement in 2024, wanted to pitch on a contender. Instead, the Orioles cheapoed out on their rotation, and Morton got dealt, midway through the season, to the contending Detroit Tigers. That didn’t go so well, either, more on which in a second.
Like the Orioles as a team, who made a terrible first impression this season, going 4-8 in April and 6-13 in May, the veteran Morton was dreadful in his first weeks in the orange-and-black. In nine starts, he went 0-7 with a 9.38 ERA, and a lousy 3.7 strikeouts per game. That included the infamous 24-2 Cincinnati game in which he allowed seven runs in just four innings, the Orioles’ worst loss since, well, before Charlie Morton was even in the league.
What was wrong with Morton early on? Well, seemingly everything but the obvious culprits: age and injury. In an age where professional pitchers regularly undergo two or more surgical procedures on elbow and shoulders, we must admit that the veteran Morton had remarkable longevity.
No, Morton’s terrible start as an Oriole appears to have been about mechanics and control. Back in April, Morton himself blamed <a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/o-s/">a lack of command</a> for his woeful start to the year, especially of <a href="https://www.masnsports.com/blog/morton-s-curveball-key-to-turnaround-in-arizona">his curveball</a>, a go-to pitch for much of his long career. For whatever reason, Morton didn’t have it this spring (not for a lack of trying, <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/orioles-trade-charlie-morton-detroit-tigers-KRRXMQDWWFEQPOLWQVUPALTDTM/">he said</a>).
Then, suddenly he did: according to Morton himself, his season turned around while he <a href="https://www.thebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/charlie-morton-orioles-curveball-trade-deadline-E5F5GWCUDFHOZBXVJROTR45YB4/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warmed up in the bullpen at Angel Stadium on May 10</a> ahead of a relief appearance. The curveball suddenly zipped out of his hand just as he hoped it would. “I can hear my finger when my finger catches the seam,” Morton said. “And then I saw it in the bullpen and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, that was it.’”
Then, somehow, it was it. Over his last 14 starts for the Orioles, Morton went 7-1 with a 3.62 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 69.2 innings. That included a dazzling six-game stretch where he posted a 2.37 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per game. During that time Morton said, “For the better part of a month now, I’ve been locating well, I’ve been throwing strikes. I think I made some adjustments a while back with my delivery and my pitch arsenal and found some consistency.”
This was enough to make the veteran of interest to contending teams, and lo and behold, just before the trade deadline on July 31, the Orioles dealt Morton to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for lefty relief prospect Micah Ashman.
Let’s talk Ashman before I get back to Morton in a second.
Drafted in the 11th round by Detroit a year ago, the 23-year-old Utah product had struck out 46 batters over 39.1 innings at High-A while holding hitters to just a .164 average and .433 OPS. He also walked just eight hitters in 39.1 innings.
After coming to the Orioles organization, Ashman was slotted into Double-A Chesapeake, where he made 13 relief appearances. The 4.80 ERA wasn’t beautiful: nine runs (eight earned) in 15 innings, but he did keep up the strikeouts (23) and reduce walks (4). Figure to see the lefty back with the Baysox to start next season, with a chance to end up in Norfolk’s bullpen soon thereafter.
As for Morton and the Tigers, it wasn’t a pretty romance. The Tigers were sitting pretty with a 12.5-game AL Central lead, and they hoped Morton’s postseason experience – two World Series rings and all – would bolster their rotation behind ace Tarik Skubal. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had even won a championship with Morton back in 2017 with the Astros when Morton pitched the final four innings in Game 7 of the World Series against the Dodgers.
Unfortunately, the magic ran out for both sides. Morton registered a 7.09 ERA with 23 walks and 47 strikeouts across 39.1 innings in nine starts after the July 31 trade deadline. He struggled so badly that on September 21, the Tigers designated Morton for assignment, right as they were desperately trying to hold onto a playoff spot while Cleveland charged from behind.
As for the Tigers, they did manage to squeak into the playoffs despite their September collapse, defeating Cleveland in the Wild Card Series before falling to Seattle in five games in the ALDS. That Game 5 went 15 innings – the longest winner-take-all game in MLB history – but Morton could only watch from home.
Then, in a fitting coda to his strange season, Morton signed with Atlanta after his release, the team that originally drafted him back in 2002, for one last farewell appearance.
For Orioles fans, Morton will be remembered as the expensive signing that helped tank their season early, then provided just enough of a rebound to net them a useful prospect in return. Despite his terrible start and end to the season, it was kind of a marvel what Morton was still doing out there at age 41. Every now and then, Uncle Charlie made his curveball dance, even if he couldn’t always hear his finger catch the seam anymore.
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