The Orioles lost in 10 innings last night but remained three games back for the last Wild Card, which makes sense when understanding that the Guardians and White Sox keep taking turns leading the American League Central.<\/p>\n
A three-game margin with eight to play. The Orioles are sniffing elimination and gasping for air, but they\u2019re still breathing.<\/p>\n
My mailbag won\u2019t be eliminated. That\u2019s my promise to you.<\/p>\n
You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2009 original.<\/p>\n
My mailbag chases playoff berths and your mailbag has its Chase card compromised.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your read on Michael Arougheti\u2019s involvement in big decisions, like whether to clean house in the front office? We never see or hear from him, but it seems like every time David Rubenstein talks, he mentions Mike Arougheti. He feels like a shadow owner.
This is an interesting question without an easy answer because none of us are privy to every aspect of the inner workings of the ownership group. Rubenstein has the ultimate say as control owner, but Arougheti is on deck for that role and he\u2019s doing more than just sitting back in the shadows \u2026 if that\u2019s a shadow owner. He isn\u2019t a silent partner here. I\u2019ve heard unconfirmed that he had input in the decision to change managers last season. That also would seem to apply to other important tasks, like the one you referenced.<\/p>\n
Has there been an organizational shift in pitching development? Going back to last year\u2019s trade deadline, Mike Elias has stockpiled far more pitching depth in the minors than ever before. Why the sudden emphasis?
It\u2019s more about the imbalance between pitching and position players on various prospect lists. The tilt toward position players was heavy. The Orioles are more likely to consider spending on pitching than under previous ownership, but they still have their limits based on their market size and the risks associated with big contracts. Trading for young arms, and the haul in recent drafts, is a less expensive way to upgrade. And check the latest set of prospect rankings. Lots of pitching.<\/p>\n
Does the Matt Blood firing indicate that Elias will get at least one more year?
You mean \u201cmutual parting.\u201d The terminology usually indicates that the organization moved first, but Blood\u2019s departure didn\u2019t come with an announcement or explanation. Anyway, Elias is expected to stay. He\u2019s always had Rubenstein\u2019s support, which is voiced in every press conference. However, other changes are coming to the front office. Sid Mejdal remains as assistant general manager but with a different set of responsibilities, heading the research of emerging technologies and innovative practices across baseball operations. Missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, if that\u2019s the outcome, and perhaps finishing in last place again is bound to bring action. The question is how much and who\u2019s directly impacted by it.<\/p>\n
Is Luis Robert expected back from the IL this weekend?
No. He might not play again this season. He definitely won\u2019t be ready over the weekend. But he was fun while he lasted.<\/p>\n
Pete Alonso should get some MVP votes, right? Will any other Orioles get national hardware consideration? Colton Cowser for Gold Glove?
Alonso is guaranteed to get MVP votes on a 10-player ballot. I\u2019d give a \u201cmaybe\u201d to Cowser. Alonso has a shot at being a Gold Glove finalist unless reputation comes into play. You never know with these things. Samuel Basallo looked like he might have a case in Rookie of the Year voting, but he isn\u2019t cracking the top five. I have a ROY vote. Not that you asked.<\/p>\n
Do you have any insight into why the O\u2019s organization has passed over Andrew Magno so often? I understand that he has a high BB\/9 and a high WHIP, but his ERA is so low that I would think he is worth a shot in the big leagues. Plus, he leads the entire organization in saves (as of September 18), so he is getting it done in the moments that matter.
Hey, I tried! But seriously, there must be concerns about the walks, as you noted. Thirty-one in 52 innings before last night. Some of the analytical data might be working against him. He isn\u2019t on the 40-man roster, but that hasn\u2019t been a deterrent with other players. The Orioles have bypassed him for other left-handers, and that\u2019s telling. Why? They aren\u2019t telling.<\/p>\n
If the players were allowed to drink during games, would we have a better record?
Probably not. But I\u2019d write more entertaining recaps if I did. Dare me.<\/p>\n
When is the last time there was a unanimous MVO? Anyone you ever felt got snubbed?
Cedric Mullins was a unanimous winner in 2021. That\u2019s impressive, since it\u2019s hard to get everyone to agree on anything. The general consensus in 2015 was that Manny Machado would be MVO. An informal poll showed that a bunch of the beat writers voted for him, but Chris Davis won it. Hard to bash that choice when he finished with 31 doubles, 47 home runs, 117 RBIs and a .923 OPS. It must have been close. Machado certainly rates as one of the most worthy players who, we assume, was runner-up.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s Coby Mayo\u2019s new \u201csecret\u201d recipe or routine for his latest results? And don\u2019t say it\u2019s your mom\u2019s cooking.
I\u2019d never! It\u2019s no secret that the Orioles noted how Mayo is more effective when getting out in front of a ball instead of letting it travel. This recipe isn\u2019t recommended for everyone. He\u2019s more disciplined at the plate against breaking stuff. He\u2019s obviously more confident. He doubled twice last night against right-handers and also walked against lefty DL Hall. And let\u2019s face it, the power has always been there. It needed to be unlocked, and he needed to play more regularly. I\u2019ve said it many times. He isn\u2019t the type of hitter who can sit for stretches, jump off the bench and go on a heater. Yes, you\u2019ve got to earn playing time. It\u2019s like the chicken-and-the-egg argument. Or Buck Showalter\u2019s story about a hitter who claimed that he\u2019d play better if he played more. The response was, \u201cYou\u2019ll play more if you play better.\u201d Sounds like a standoff. Anyway, Jordan Westburg\u2019s injury offered more chances at third base and now Mayo is a regular in the lineup. The shuttle to Triple-A won\u2019t make any more stops at his house.<\/p>\n
Will we see Ryan Helsley again?
I\u2019d suggest a trip to Norfolk, but I can\u2019t make that promise. He threw an inning for the Tides on Saturday and that\u2019s it. Manager Craig Albernaz said it went well, but why hasn\u2019t he gotten into another game. I\u2019ll run back Albernaz\u2019s quote from yesterday: \u201cWe\u2019re taking it day-to-day with Hels. We\u2019re just trying to figure out the next steps and what that looks like for him and for us.\u201d If reading between the lines, it doesn\u2019t seem like a return is imminent.<\/p>\n
Have you integrated any AI-powered tools into your current research or proofreading workflow? As automated language models continue to evolve, many professionals are adopting them to streamline document editing, summarize lengthy source materials, and refine draft content to improve overall efficiency. Follow up question. Can you tell this was written by AI?
Is \u201cAI\u201d one of those crime shows that my mother records every week? I don\u2019t use it. The closest I come is in Google searches, when an AI explanation is the first thing that appears. It\u2019s accurate about 50 percent of the time. Much like myself.<\/p>\n
Are there any ex-players that you would consider friends that keep in touch?
\u201cFriends\u201d is a tricky term. I don\u2019t routinely exchange text messages, call or meet up with them. But I\u2019ve got great relationships with a bunch of former players that definitely feel like friendships. I\u2019d happily see them more often. That word was used after a lengthy phone call with Brady Anderson to talk about Brian Matusz, but also to catch up on our lives. I\u2019d say the same about guys like Caleb Joseph, Trey Mancini, Ryan Flaherty, Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Mike Bordick, Jeff Reboulet, Brian Bass, Chris Hoiles, Nolan Reimold, Alan Mills, Jim Miller, Scott McGregor, Brad Brach, Brian Roberts, Rick Dempsey, Dave Johnson, Ben McDonald and, of course, Hall of Famer Jim Palmer. And there are others. (I scrolled through my phone to pull up some names and wondered how I lost touch with Jemile Weeks and whether, in quiet moments, he thinks about me.)<\/p>\n
Do the O\u2019s finish with a winning record for 2026?
This is an old one and I still don\u2019t know. The toughest strength of schedule in the majors says \u201cno.\u201d But how many times has this team been pronounced dead and crawled back within range of the last Wild Card? So \u2026 check back with me on Sept. 27. I want off this rollercoaster of emotions.<\/p>\n
Might the Orioles shut down Kyle Bradish?
Also an old one. Sorry. Yes, because he\u2019s on the 15-day injured list with a sports hernia. Otherwise, they were willing to keep handing him the ball unless they sensed that the workload became too much for him. Bradish kept insisting that his arm felt great. He isn\u2019t on the IL because of his arm.<\/p>\n
Are you going to stay at the same workload in 2027, i.e., no or minimal travel? Or will you travel more? Or will you ratchet, or get ratcheted, down more? Any thoughts about moving, or having to move, beyond MASN? Completely retiring? Or what? Or is it just too soon to know?
You sure ask a lot of questions for someone from New Jersey (RIP Gilda). I\u2019m just trying to get through the 2026 season and whatever happens over the winter, like a possible lockout. I\u2019m just trying to figure out how to come up with copy on a regular basis. I\u2019m just trying to stay out of trouble. I\u2019m just here so I don\u2019t get fined. Yeah, it\u2019s too soon to know. Or say.<\/p>\n
Heston Kjerstad has a silent \u201cj\u201d in his name. Why is his name entirely silent when the lineups are announced?
Good one! He didn\u2019t start again last night against right-hander Dustin May. My read on the situation is that he\u2019d probably play more if the Orioles were eliminated. Albernaz is going with lineups that he believes will give them the best chance to win, and Leody Taveras\u2019 defense in right field apparently is a factor. And the designated hitter spot is usually filled by Coby Mayo or Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Last night it was the latter.<\/p>\n
If the Orioles do not make the playoffs, what\u2019s the timeline for us to hear about personnel changes (or not)? Or would we not hear anything until after the CBA stuff is over?
Haven\u2019t your heard? They don\u2019t do timelines here. They\u2019ve already been pretty busy with Blood and Mejdal news. I\u2019ve been working under the assumption that teams probably would wait until they reopen for business if there\u2019s a lockout. The Athletic\u2019s Ken Rosenthal wrote the following this week about possible managerial hires: \u201cSome teams might want to save money by waiting to hire a manager, knowing that during the work stoppage the new skipper could not communicate with players, only front-office personnel and coaches.\u201d It\u2019s a mistake to put every team in the same box. The Orioles aren\u2019t delaying their business until a new CBA is in place.<\/p>\n
Since Blaze Alexander has an .873 OPS versus right handed pitching and Jackson Holliday is at .657, do you expect the bulk of the second base starts to go to Alexander down the stretch?
Man, I\u2019ve really neglected this mailbag. Alexander and Holliday are in the IL. Holliday still has inflammation and soreness in his left wrist, which makes it feel like Alexander will beat him back to the active roster. But Jeremiah Jackson is the second baseman in their absences, which makes him the down-the-stretch guy at the moment.<\/p>\n
Which player on the O\u2019s would lose a fight against a goose?
This seems like a good place to stop.<\/p>\n
Is it OK to tap your nose on my iPhone to get the list of your blog posts, or do you prefer chin? Something else?
This is definitely a good place to stop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Orioles lost in 10 innings last night but remained three games back for the last Wild Card,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":809134,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[5,583,1125,44,999,1509,4,125,578],"class_list":["post-809133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mlb","tag-baseball","tag-coby-mayo","tag-colton-cowser","tag-featured","tag-luis-robert-jr","tag-mike-elias","tag-mlb","tag-orioles","tag-roch-kubatko"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/117298865334052551","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/809133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=809133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/809133\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/809134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=809133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=809133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=809133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}