00:00Welcome back to Newswire. As we continue looking at spring training all across Florida and Arizona, we check in with
00:06Rock Kubatko, who works for Mass in Sports, writes for them, does a lot of broadcast appearances as well. He
00:11covers the Baltimore Orioles, so he is stationed for the month in Sarasota, Florida. Rock, always great to catch up
00:19with you. I feel like we've been doing this together, you and I. I mean, is it 30 years? Is
00:25it 25 years for sure, right? It's got to be.
00:28Yeah, my first full year in the beat was 97, so it has been a while.
00:33They went wire to wire, and I said, it's going to be like this every year, and then they had
00:3714 straight losing seasons, so you really, you never know.
00:41No, you don't, but I think, you know, look, it's always fun to cover a good team. I mean, we
00:46get a lot of crap in media for saying good things, but the truth is that when things are going
00:50well, it's just a lot more fun.
00:51And last year, we'll start there, was not a fun season, and I think that it was really not fun
00:57because it was surprisingly not fun, Rock.
01:00And that's when things can get a little dicey is when you're expected to go 87 and 75, and you
01:05end up going 75 and 87.
01:07And they kind of, the Orioles kind of buried themselves early on in the season, and that's what sort of
01:11led to a lot of the changes in the offseason.
01:13Yeah, I mean, this wasn't like with the start of the rebuild when Mike Elias took over, you know, 2019
01:20season on.
01:21You know, they were supposed to be losing, and they were very transparent about the on-field product.
01:26That's not where we're focused right now.
01:28Well, you know, they were coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, and they had the best record in the
01:32American League in 23, and they were the top wild card in 24, so what happened was pretty shocking.
01:38You know, the rotation didn't hold up its end of the deal.
01:42Injuries just decimated them.
01:43I know every team's got them.
01:45They used 70 players.
01:46That was like eight more than the franchise record.
01:48They used seven catchers last year.
01:50That's how ridiculous it got.
01:52Just key guys going down left and right.
01:54They never able to get any momentum going.
01:56Brandon Hyde, two-time Sporting News Manager of the Year, once with a BBWA.
02:01He's fired in May, and it just spiraled, and they end up in last place.
02:06So, you know, that was a tough one, and, you know, they'd make a little bit of a run, you'd
02:11think, and then you'd start doing the math and say, look, they won three in a row.
02:14They've got seven or eight teams ahead of them for that last wild card.
02:17So it was just a disaster of a year.
02:19Yeah, and it's funny that, you know, people say that you can't bury yourself in baseball in April and May.
02:24I disagree.
02:25Like, you look at the Orioles last season.
02:26Look at the Braves last season.
02:28I mean, it is really hard to come back when you're that far under .500, even with 162 games.
02:33So, what did the Orioles do?
02:36I mean, they never seem to push the full pedal down, but this is as close as it's going to
02:40be, I think, for the Orioles in an offseason.
02:42So they signed Pete Alonzo, which is one of the more popular moves of the offseason.
02:47Five years, $155 million.
02:50Then they make a trade to get Shane Bass, who they have to be in love with.
02:53I definitely want your thoughts on that because they gave a lot up to get him.
02:56They settle on Chris Bassett to a one-year deal, and they also add Taylor Ward from the Angels, who's
03:01going to help in the outfield as well.
03:03So, four of the bigger moves, Alonzo, the marquee one, but it feels like the organization must love Baz from
03:11Tampa Bay to make the kind of move that they did for him.
03:13Yeah, but also Ryan Helsley is our new closer, so that was a pretty big one.
03:18They brought back Andrew Kittredge.
03:19But with Baz, I mean, I was a little surprised.
03:22I think a lot of people in the industry were like, wow, that's, you know, what, four prospects?
03:26I think there's a competitive balance pick thrown in there.
03:28But he's recovered from Tommy John.
03:31He made over 30 starts this past year.
03:33They love his stuff.
03:34I mean, his stuff is ace caliber.
03:38It's just putting it all together, which shows a lot of faith in their pitching program that they have here.
03:43And they just needed somebody like that they feel like they can depend on who's going to go out.
03:48The same with Chris Bassett.
03:50He's just going to keep giving you starts.
03:51You know, they traded Grayson Rodriguez to get Taylor Ward.
03:55And you can't trust that he's going to be able to ever reach the ceiling, that he has a first
04:01-round pick and the injuries.
04:02And he hasn't pitched since July of previous year, didn't pitch at all last year.
04:07So they needed some guys that they thought would be able to stay in the rotation, stay on the field.
04:14Kyle Braddish coming back from Tommy John.
04:17And Trevor Rogers began last year.
04:19And he only made 18 starts.
04:20And he was really, really good.
04:22But that wasn't a full season.
04:23And Tyler Wells back from his elbow procedure.
04:25He's probably in the bullpen.
04:28So, you know, they had some questions.
04:30They needed some guys that felt like they could keep sending out there.
04:33And he got his elbow injury and surgery out of the way.
04:36And, again, they loved the stuff and watched him.
04:38I know it's only live BP.
04:39But you watch him throw and you kind of shake your head and say, yeah, that is what it looks
04:43like.
04:44And what's it going to look like once the lights come on and the season starts?
04:48Yeah, always interesting when you make a trade with the Rays.
04:50It's not to say that the Rays always win because they don't.
04:53But when they are willing to trade a player, you always have to wonder, okay, why did they decide to
04:57do that?
04:57Sometimes they win.
04:58Sometimes they lose.
04:59A little bit overrated.
05:00All right.
05:01The lineup itself for the Orioles is, you know, clearly fantastic here.
05:04It's supposed to be, at least on paper.
05:06I think it probably will be.
05:08Henderson, Ward, Rutschman, Alonzo, Westberg at third.
05:12Masalo, clearly this is a projection for a big year for him.
05:15And then a little dicey at the end.
05:17And maybe some competition with Tyler O'Neal.
05:19O'Neal went healthy.
05:20Always good.
05:21Went healthy.
05:22Not a lot.
05:23Kouser at center field.
05:25And then Blaise Alexander, I guess, at second base.
05:28Guessing maybe that's not.
05:29Is that in stone?
05:30Or maybe some shifting around 7-8-9 there?
05:33I think there's some shifting.
05:34And also, you know, Jordan Westberg, who right now has an oblique injury, but that happened about four weeks ago.
05:40And obliques linger.
05:41They feel like he's only going to miss a few exhibition games.
05:44He could move over to second.
05:45We could be seeing Blaise at third.
05:47We could see Kobe Mayo at third.
05:49He's working out at third every day now.
05:50Never at first base, which is where they moved him last year.
05:53We weren't even sure if there was room on the roster for him.
05:56And now there could be Jackson Holliday's watching the infield drills today, standing out there at second base.
06:01But he can't participate with that Hammond Boat surgery.
06:04So, like, you know, you're going to see Dylan Beavers a lot in the outfield, splitting time with O'Neal.
06:09They're going to try and keep O'Neal healthy three times on the aisle this past season with three different
06:14injuries.
06:14I think that's 17 in his career with 14 different body parts.
06:18But that's a 30 home run guy when he's healthy.
06:20And Alonzo, of course, and Warren, those are two huge right-handed sluggers.
06:26They kept Ryan Mountcastle, at least for now.
06:29They need the core to come through.
06:32They need Gunnar to have a big year.
06:33They need Kauser to be much better.
06:35And I think he is.
06:36They need Adley.
06:37He hasn't hit in a year and a half.
06:38They need him to get on track.
06:40And so far, he's looked good.
06:41Again, live BP.
06:42And when Holiday's healthy.
06:44All these guys have to contribute, or Alonzo and Warren aren't going to be enough.
06:48Those core returners have to be big for them.
06:52Rock, 30 seconds to go.
06:53Do you think fans are more satisfied with this offseason than the Orioles have had?
06:57I know they've been complaining the last couple of years.
06:5920 seconds.
07:00Yeah.
07:00I think they're disappointed there wasn't a Frambo or Valdez or a Ranger Suarez.
07:04They were looking for that big Alonzo-type strike for the rotation.
07:07It didn't happen.
07:08But the rotation is deeper.
07:10I think overall, you have to be happy with it, especially because of Alonzo.
07:13Yeah, I agree.
07:14Huge signing.
07:16All right, Rock.
07:16Enjoy sprint training.
07:17Hope to catch up with you soon.
07:18Thanks again.
07:19ие Jaffray and Larry McBride.
07:19We'll be back next.
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