phatty

I agree we will likely see the same number the Nationals have scheduled, 11, for this season. Hopefully, Roch or someone else will have some updates at least from Sarasota during the broadcast, as they’ll be remote again this year. Wonder how much they really save by not sending the crew to Sarasota. You’d like to think they could rent a few Airbnbs for a month and do this right.

“For 2024, the Florida and Arizona Complex Leagues will begin and finish their seasons a month earlier than before.” While I don’t have access to the article it sounds like weather / heat played a factor in the decision to move the schedule. “All 30 MLB teams discussed changes to the complex leagues with MLB all last season. Farm Directors voted to move the season up after considering multiple proposals for different tweaks. In the end, the decision changes the leagues from ones heavily populated by new draftees to ones that will largely be filled with players making the jump from the Dominican Summer League.” Baseball America Article Link

Two experiences linked together: Must have been back in 1996 (give or take a year). My step brother and I purchased a couple jester (clown type) orange and black hats. As always, we arrived early for a batting practice with these new hats on and almost immediately Alan Mills comes over to us with a baseball and says, “I’ll trade you each a baseball for a hat.” After laughing, my 15 year old brain says, I bet we can each get two baseballs. Sure enough he comes back with 4 baseballs and we make the trade. Fast forward to Spring Training March 2023. My buddy and I are in Sarasota and decide to go the minor league complex to watch Jason Hammel and Tommy Hunter pitch. We ran into the pitching coach Rick Adair and many others that day. Pretty cool experience, as we actually got to talk to both pitchers too. If memory serves me right, Hammel was announced the opening day starter that day or the day before. In that same day, I ran into Alan Mills observing the minor league guys from afar. Stand next to him for a bit and of course said “I have to ask, any chance you remember trading me two jester hats back in 1996?” He immediately talked about how much his kids loved them. Long story, short, we talked for a good 20 minutes. He gave me his cell phone number (as he was the pitching coach at Aberdeen and I live right down the street) to stop up once the ironbirds headed up to short season to check out practice / game day (as I was a pitching coach for a local high school). By the way, he never answered when I called him.

I agree - Love to travel to the away games. Just got back from Toronto last week. Having 3 kids on the road the players interact so much more with them out of town. Hoping to maybe figure out a way to hit two or 3 sites and possibly include Hawaii in the mix.

Elite Pipeline are the words Elias uses frequently. To me that suggests that if someone is not going to be elite, they may be packaged in a trade. For me there is only 2 guys on the farm that currently give me the “elite” vibe: Rodriguez and Henderson. The player development and scouting staffs will need to understand our system best to determine if anyone else would fall into that category. Kjerstad, Hall, Ortiz, and the 2022 seem to me to be too early to tell, but I’m open to trading anyone else who could not turn out to be “elite”. Bautista types to me are also “elite” even though they are bullpen only options. I’d be open to moving any other bullpen arm except him for Pablo Lopez types. I also have full trust in Elias to make or pass on these trades.

Since we are finally diving into this market as an organization I think this benefits the Orioles more than I would have thought in the off-season. I believe mlb clubs would have spent a ton more with either of the proposals drafted by mlb and mlbpa. Not too mention we are just now building out the facility in the DR.

Looks like he’s signed but haven’t seen reported bonus…