Big Al remains in the Orioles organization after being non-tendered.
Hello, friends.
There are now 98 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2026. We’ve made it down below the triple digits!
After a flurry of activity around the winter meetings, the pace of big baseball news has slowed somewhat. Signings are still happening, particularly teams that are looking for relievers who didn’t jump early in the way that the Orioles did. As for the O’s, the biggest news of the last day is that the Orioles brought back Albert Suárez, who they non-tendered, on a minor league contract.
That seems to suggest that no team wanted Suárez on an MLB deal, so he just decided to try the minors with a familiar organization to get his way back. If Suárez is healthy, he shouldn’t have a problem pitching his way into some kind of relief role with the team. His early-season injury wiping him out from possibly being a long reliever or even pressed into service as a starting pitcher was one of the many problems of the 2025 Orioles. Suárez only pitched in five games this season, so it’s no surprise that guaranteeing him any money at all wasn’t much interest to the O’s front office or anybody else.
A bit more than a month and a half stands between now and the start of WBC participants reporting to begin spring training. The only rush on getting the necessary help for the starting rotation is that the Orioles need to make their moves before all of the good players available, be they free agents or trade targets, have signed or been traded.
Up to this point, the pieces are not coming off the board. Dylan Cease is the only big signing. Fans are still waiting to see what remaining higher-end names like Ranger Suárez, Framber Valdez, and Tatsuya Imai are going to do. Optimists include the likes of Michael King and Zac Gallen as being worth mentioning along with those other guys. Longtime readers of this site are aware of my relationship to optimism.
In news completely unrelated to the Orioles, the Nationals hired a general manager yesterday. This is going to be a “subordinate to a president of baseball operations” kind of GM role, of the kind that the O’s were supposedly looking to hire beneath Elias but have not done so yet
I mention this because this person apparently used to post on the Giants website on SB Nation, McCovey Chronicles. Old heads over there, a couple of whom I follow on Bluesky and others who are reposted into my feed, immediately lit up with excitement at this news. Sadly for all of us, comments from the old days remain inaccessible. I have been around these parts for 16 years now and there aren’t very many people who have ever commented here who I could imagine ending up as general managers.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
What else can David Rubenstein’s money do? (The Dishwasher)
There were jokes between agent Scott Boras, POBO Mike Elias, and owner David Rubenstein at the Pete Alonso press conference about the next big signing. The Dishwasher is interested in exploring contract extension candidates here, starting with Trevor Rogers.
Free agent starting pitching options for the Orioles (Baltimore Baseball)
Reiterating that the only big- or semi-big-name guy to sign so far is Cease.
Mike Shildt joining the Orioles should benefit both farm players and staff (Steve on Baseball)
Steve Melewski looks into what the former Cardinals and Padres manager should be able to bring to the Orioles minors.
Why the 2026 Orioles Rule 5 draft class could bring chaos (Orioles On the Verge)
If you’re the right kind of sicko (I am), it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s Rule 5 draft 40-man roster decisions.
One breakout hitting prospect for every team that’s hiding behind ordinary stat lines (Baseball America)
Subscription required for full access. Listed for the Orioles is catcher/first baseman Yasmil Bucce, part of the same signing class that produced Samuel Basallo. Bucce, moving at a much more modest pace, reached full-season ball this year and had some interesting things going on.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 2013, the Orioles traded Danny Valencia for David Lough. A thing that I remember about Lough is that his favorite food is kale. People who are attracted to men may primarily remember a different thing.
There are a pair of former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2011 pitcher Jeremy Accardo, and 1964 outfielder Gino Cimoli.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (1878), baseball Hall of Famer Ty Cobb (1886), FM radio inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong (1890), actress Betty Grable (1916), Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards (1943), producer/director Steven Spielberg (1946), actor Brad Pitt (1963), wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin (1964), rapper DMX (1970), and singer-songwriter Billie Eilish (2001).
On this day in history…
In 1865, the official ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment was proclaimed publicly by Secretary of State William Seward, formally abolishing slavery in the United States.
In 1892, Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker had its debut in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1944, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Korematsu v. United States, which allowed internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. It’s generally listed today as one of the most shameful decisions in the history of the Court.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on December 18. Have a safe Thursday.
Category: General Sports
