Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly adding another top prospect to the fold.

According to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the team is promoting 2021 No. 5 overall pick Colton Cowser ahead of the team's final five games before the All-Star Break.

Cowser is rated as the No. 14 prospect by MLB.com and has spent the entire 2023 with the Norfolk Tides, the Orioles' Triple-A affiliate. Cowser hit .330 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 56 games for the Tides this season.

The outfielder is among the next generation of highly touted prospects in the Orioles system. The wave started with 2019 first overall pick Adley Rutschman, and the newest addition is 2022 top pick Jackson Holliday, who is rated as the No. 1 prospect by MLB.com.

Rutschman joined the Orioles in 2022 and was named an All-Star Game starter in just his second year. The next top prospect to join the club was Gunnar Henderson, who joined in late 2022, and the most recent before Cowser is Jordan Westburg, who was called up on June 26.

Cowser joins an outfield that already has All-Star Cedric Mullins, and he joins a team that is taking huge strides in the right direction.

The Orioles are currently second in the gauntlet AL East with a 49-35 record. They are six games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays and currently hold the top wild-card spot.

The rebuild appears to be officially on its last legs as the organization aims for its first playoff appearance since 2016. Cowser joins the team at Yankee Stadium where he will likely make his official debut.

The field for the Home Run Derby is rounding out nicely.

Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman is the latest entry, joining two-time champion Pete Alonso, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts and the trio of Julio Rodríguez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Randy Arozarena.

Rutschman, 25, is having a strong year at the plate in just his second season, hitting .268 with 11 homers, 35 RBI, 38 runs and a .789 OPS. It's strong production from the catcher position, earning him a place in this year's All-Star Game as a reserve selection.

"Being an All-Star is an unbelievable honor," he told reporters Sunday. "The fact that it's in the northwest at [T-Mobile Park], the first big league stadium I ever went to, means a lot as well. It's definitely a blessing to be in this position right now."

He's gunning to become the first catcher in MLB history to win the Home Run Derby.

There's no doubt that Alonso will be the favorite, however, after confirming his place in this year's event.

"You can count me in, guys," he said during this weekend's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. "... I'm super stoked to do it. It's a super-talented field. It's gonna be great competition. I think this one's gonna be one to remember."

The 28-year-old remains one of the game's most consistent sluggers, hitting .221 with 25 homers, 58 RBI, 48 runs and a .835 OPS this season.

He has the most home runs this year among the current participants. Just behind him is Betts (22), followed by Arozarena (16), Rodríguez (13) and Guerrero (12).

Among the current group of Derby entries, Rodríguez is the biggest threat to Alonso. He knocked him out of the competition last year and hit the most total homers (81) in his first participation, though he narrowly lost in the final to Juan Soto (19-18).

"That was so fun. That was so, so fun. I can definitely say that my family enjoyed it the most," Rodríguez told reporters when he announced he'd be joining the Derby for the second straight year. "They've been with me since I was a little kid. Being able to see me back there [at home] taking BP and then seeing me do it in front of 40,000 people, I know they definitely enjoyed it the most."

Rodríguez is the only current participant who hasn't been named to the All-Star team, though it's possible he could named as an injury replacement ahead of the July 11 Midsummer Classic.

It remains unclear if Soto will defend his crown, meanwhile, though he was named to the NL All-Star team as a reserve.

Four days after being released by the New York Yankees, Aaron Hicks has already joined another American League East club.

The Baltimore Orioles officially announced the signing of Hicks to a major-league contract:

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Orioles were showing "serious interest" in the 33-year-old outfielder. Jon Heyman of MLB Network and the New York Post added Hicks is "close to a deal" with the team.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters after Monday's 5-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians that Cedric Mullins, who was removed in the eighth inning, suffered a right abductor/groin strain that would require more testing before determining if he will have to go on the injured list. The team announced Tuesday Mullins would go on the IL.

Hicks was designated for assignment by the Yankees on May 20, giving them seven days to potentially trade him. Any team that attempted to acquire the 11-year veteran would have taken on the remaining two-plus years and roughly $30 million on his contract.

The Yankees cut ties with Hicks as he was in the midst of a third straight disappointing season. His .241 wOBA ranks 168th out of 183 AL players with at least 70 plate appearances in 2023.

Since the start of 2021, Hicks owns a .209/.315/.310 slash line with 13 homers and 159 strikeouts in 561 at-bats. He's still a valuable outfielder who saved eight defensive runs in just 413 innings in left field last year.

An extended absence for Mullins would leave a huge void in center field for the Orioles. He's hitting .263/.356/.479 with eight homers and 13 stolen bases in 53 games. The 28-year-old is tied for 10th among all AL position players with 1.8 FanGraphs wins above replacement.

Hicks is at a point in his career when he probably shouldn't be playing center field regularly anymore. The Yankees stopped using him at that spot on an everyday basis last season.

Ryan McKenna could replace Mullins in center field, but adding Hicks would at least give Hyde another option to take advantage of the depth in Baltimore this season.

The Orioles have been a pleasant surprise so far. Their 34-20 record ranks second in the AL East, four games behind the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Baltimore Orioles apparently weren't very concerned about Grayson Rodriguez's spring training struggles, as the right-handed pitcher is set to make his first MLB start Wednesday.

The team announced Rodriguez will start the series finale against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.

MLB.com ranked Rodriguez as the No. 7 overall prospect coming into this season. The 23-year-old was limited to 17 starts last season due to a lat strain, but he still finished with a 2.62 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 75.2 innings across three levels of the minors.

Rodriguez had a chance to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, but he struggled with a 7.04 ERA, 17 hits allowed and seven walks in 15.1 innings over five starts.

The Orioles optioned their top pitching prospect to Triple-A Norfolk on March 24. He made one start in the minors, allowing two earned runs with four walks and two strikeouts in a rain-soaked game against Durham last Friday.

Baltimore found itself in need of a starter for Wednesday because of an injury suffered by Kyle Bradish in Monday's series opener against the Rangers. He suffered a right-foot contusion when Jonah Heim's liner hit him in the bottom of the second inning.

Tyler Wells, who was set to start Tuesday's game, volunteered to pitch in relief after Bradish left so manager Brandon Hyde didn't have to drain the bullpen early in the season. The right-hander tossed five hitless innings in a 2-0 win.

Since Wells was unavailable to make his scheduled start, Kyle Gibson moved up a day to handle starting duties Tuesday.

Rodriguez was scheduled to start on Wednesday at Triple-A anyway, so the Orioles opted to bring him up for their game in Texas.

He was selected with the No. 11 pick in the 2018 draft and has been dominant in the minors. MLB.com's scouting report cites Rodriguez's fastball and changeup as his best pitches, but he also throws a plus slider that can miss bats.

It's unclear if this will be a permanent call-up for Rodriguez or a spot start to fill an immediate opening the Orioles had. If he looks impressive in this game, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him stick around in the big leagues.

The Baltimore Orioles confirmed Wednesday that they won't trigger a five-year extension to their current lease at Camden Yards.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Orioles chairman John Angelos released statements both affirming their desire for "a long-term, multi-decade, public-private partnership that both develops and revitalizes the Camden Yards complex as a magnet for sports tourism and leverages Maryland taxpayers' investment in the property."

"The Orioles, the Moore administration, and the Maryland Stadium Authority look forward to reimagining Camden Yards to deliver a live, work, play theme that will bring residents, businesses, and tourists to downtown Baltimore year-round," the team said.

This comes amid wider uncertainty surrounding the Orioles ownership.

In September, The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan reported that not only was Goldman Sachs charged with exploring a potential sale but also that Louis Angelos, the son of principal owner Peter Angelos, was suing other members of the family to push through a sale.

That naturally raises other questions, namely whether a new owner would prefer to move the Orioles to a new city.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the franchise won't be going anywhere as long as he's in charge. The statements from Moore and Angelos offer further reassurance.

Still, fans may not rest easy until the Orioles sign a new long-term lease in Baltimore.

Even then, critics might question the utility of spending any public money to renovate a stadium that doesn't seem to need a major facelift. Using stadiums as the center of larger mixed-use business districts isn't much of a transformative solution, either.

JC Bradbury of Global Sports Matters wrote last June how a similar setup with the Atlanta Braves' Truist Park provided limited returns relative to its intended impact:

But The Battery has not been the economic game-changer it was touted to be. The reason is familiar: Stadium-district spending is also local spending. Customers patronizing external development vendors are doing so at the expense of other local businesses, which means no net enrichment of the community or its treasury. Even though The Battery is located in the heart of a business district, its commercial fortunes did not improve more than any other Atlanta business district without a new baseball stadium.

Based on Moore's comments, the Orioles nevertheless may not have trouble getting the kind of help from state and local governments they're seeking to help fund their overall vision.

The New York Mets have traded catcher James McCann to the Baltimore Orioles, per ESPN's Jeff Passan on Wednesday evening.

The Orioles soon announced the deal and broke down the parameters of the trade.

McCann, 32, signed a four-year, $40.6 million deal with the Mets prior to the 2021 season. He's still owed $24 million, and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that New York will be paying $19 million of that remaining money.

Per Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles designated Tyler Nevin for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for McCann.

During the 2021 campaign, McCann hit .232 (.643 OPS) with 10 home runs and 46 RBI in 121 games.

Unfortunately, injuries kept McCann sidelined for much of 2022, with a broken hamate bone and an oblique strain limiting him to just 61 games. He hit just .195 (.538 OPS) with three home runs and 18 RBI in 2022.

The Mets figure to roll with Omar Narvaez and Tomás Nido at catcher this year, with top prospect Francisco Álvarez waiting in the wings. New York signed Narvaez, a former Milwaukee Brewer, to a one-year deal this offseason. Nido has been with the Mets since 2017.

As for the Orioles, they already have their catcher and franchise cornerstone behind the plate in Adley Rutschman. McCann figures to be his backup and also could moonlight as a designated hitter against left-handed pitching. He's historically done better against southpaws (.777 OPS) as opposed to right-handers (.635 OPS).

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic provided more information on that front.

McCann played for the Detroit Tigers from 2014-18 before joining the Chicago White Sox from 2019-20. He was an All-Star in 2019 en route to 18 home runs, 60 RBI, a .273 batting average and a .789 OPS.

The Baltimore Orioles outperformed preseason predictions in 2022, finishing above .500 with a 83-79 record, and if their approach to this offseason is any indication, the club appears poised to lean heavier on the formula that got them there.

The O's are reportedly listening to trade offers for Jorge Mateo, the talented utility player with an ability to fill in at shortstop, second base or in the outfield, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

His plate discipline was nearly nonexistent in 2022, when he struck out a staggering 147 times. What he does offer potential suitors is the athleticism that allowed him to tally a career-high 35 stolen bases this past season. That the 27-year-old is an above-average defender and really shined in that area only enhances his appeal to clubs.

Mateo is the latest in a long line of players the Orioles have brought on board for little, given a platform to showcase their ability and then entertain offers based on the potential shown in Baltimore.

Elsewhere in Major League Baseball's free-agency period, the Birds have remained fairly quiet. They signed versatile defender Adam Frazier, formerly of the Pirates, Padres and Mariners, and brought Mychal Givens back into the fold two years after trading him to Colorado.

Neither of those acquisitions broke the bank nor filled a hole on the team's roster. The Orioles resisted the urge to jump at any of the top-tier free agents available this offseason, with their only real link being to pitcher Carlos Rodón, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. That connection fell apart when it became clear that the eventual Yankee signee wanted a longer-term contract and would get a monster deal from one of the more prominent free-agency wheeler and dealers.

And why wouldn't they?

The Orioles bounced back from one of their worst seasons ever in 2021 in one year, thanks to the emergence of 2019 draft picks Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson.

Cedric Mullins, a 2015 draft pick by the organization, went on to win the Silver Slugger Award in 2021 and gained a spot on the AL All-Star squad. He finished ninth in MVP voting.

Rougned Odor followed a different path to Baltimore, having played the majority of his career in Texas before a stop with the Yankees. He enjoyed his best batting average (.207) since 2018 last season.

Manager Brandon Hyde has put his players in a position to play winning baseball, and the front office resisted the urge to take a risk on a high-priced free agent and potentially ruin the chemistry that made the O's one of the most intriguing watches of the year.

Whether they can replicate the magic of last season in a division with a Yankees team that appears much improved and a dangerous Toronto Blue Jays squad remains to be seen.

The team knows what it is, understands what it wants to be and does not appear to be interested in jeopardizing that, even with "big fish" free agents available. If 2022 taught Hyde and general manager Mike Elias anything, they are heading in the right direction.

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly among the teams pursuing free-agent pitcher Carlos Rodón.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the Orioles have joined the New York Yankees, New York Mets and San Francisco Giants in the mix for the lefty.

Rodón, who turns 30 on December 10, spent the 2022 season with the Giants. He went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while striking out 237 batters in 178 innings pitched.

The Mets are expected to be active in the free-agent pitching market after losing Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers. Heyman reported the Mets' top focus at the moment is Justin Verlander, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see them get more aggressive with Rodón in the aftermath of deGrom's departure.

The Yankees have been more intently focused on Rodón as they attempt to shore up their rotation behind Gerrit Cole. It's likely they will lose Jameson Taillon to the open market this winter, and Rodón would be a significant upgrade in that rotation slot. The Yankees also remain intently focused on retaining AL MVP Aaron Judge.

The Orioles are coming off a solid 83-79 season and could see the playoffs on their horizon if they find consistency in the rotation. Baltimore finished 21st in starter ERA last season, and Jordan Lyles was the only starter who topped 150 innings pitched.

Rodón has some major injury concerns—the 2022 season was the first time since 2016 he'd topped 150 innings—but his top-of-the-rotation stuff is undeniable. Landing him would be a major coup for the Orioles and would strike a blow to the rival Yankees' offseason plans.