Hello, friends.<\/p>\n
There are now 39 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. It\u2019s only one day more until all position players are required to report to camp, and on Friday, the Grapefruit League schedule will begin for the O\u2019s. We have made it to the week that has something resembling Major League Baseball, even if the real thing must wait a while longer.<\/p>\n
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The main thing I don\u2019t like about spring training is that nothing good can happen. There can pretty much only be bad news. It doesn\u2019t matter how good such-and-such guy looks or who is looking forward to doing what. The only thing that matters is that nobody important gets hurt between now and March 26. But all the guys are down in Sarasota and all of the beat writers are down there too, so assorted daily narratives come along anyway, like yesterday with Trevor Rogers looking good in simulated game throwing:<\/p>\n
Sometimes guys look good in spring training and it doesn\u2019t mean anything in the regular season. Sometimes guys look bad in spring training and it doesn\u2019t mean anything in the regular season. Depending on how things go, sometimes it does feel like it means something, but on the outside, we have no way of knowing what really could connect to what will happen in 39 days and what won\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Still, for this kind of thing, my philosophy is that it\u2019s better to have things that don\u2019t matter where you need to remind yourself to pump the brakes on excitement rather than have it be where you have to make excuses for why it will be better when it matters. So, Rogers? Looking great. And since position players aren\u2019t even required to have reported yet, we will just not worry about how hitters looked on Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
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In fringe of the roster news, the Orioles yesterday sent cash considerations to the Twins to acquire reliever Jackson Kowar. The 29-year-old Kowar had been in \u201cDFA limbo\u201d after the Twins cast him off; Kowar had already been waived by the Mariners early this offseason. He is out of minor league options after a 2025 season where he posted a 4.24 ERA in 15 games. Over four major league seasons, he\u2019s appeared in 54 games and has an 8.21 ERA. He might just stink enough to be an O\u2019s bullpen candidate.<\/p>\n
The team transferred Colin Selby to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster. Selby was reported to have shoulder inflammation, so the team must think he\u2019ll be out for a while for him to go on the 60-day.<\/p>\n
Orioles stuff you might have missed<\/p>\n
Chris Bassitt just missed out on a title in Toronto. He wants to win it in Baltimore.<\/a> (The Baltimore Banner) Advertisement<\/p>\n Bassitt says Alonso \u2018one of the big reasons why I came here\u2019<\/a> (The Baltimore Sun)
One thing can always pierce right through my jaded defenses: Guys showing up and immediately talking about wanting to win a World Series here. I still remember Brett Phillips arriving and doing that. Why do I even remember that Brett Phillips existed, let alone that he was an Oriole for a short time? It\u2019s a sickness. Anyway, let\u2019s hope this goes better for Bassitt than with Tomoyuki Sugano saying similar stuff (minus the just missing out on a title) last spring.<\/p>\n
I dream of the day when top-end starting pitchers are saying things like this as they sign with the Orioles. This offseason was not the one.<\/p>\n