Around the Beat: Ken Rosenthal talks Britton, Machado, trade market and O’s second-half chances

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCASTS ON ITUNES

When it comes to baseball reporting — the combination of institutional knowledge, mining sources, ability to write and doing it all with integrity – for my money, no one beats Fox Sports’ and MLB Network’s Ken Rosenthal.

Fresh off conducting dugout interviews at the All Star Game in San Diego, Rosenthal joins me on this week’s “Around the Beat” podcast to talk baseball as the second half begins Friday night.

Rosenthal looks at the available starting pitching market (this was recorded hours before Boston acquired Drew Pomeranz) and what some of the contenders need to make a pennant push. He breaks down which teams in the AL can make a run and how the races may shake out.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

As a former Baltimore Sun baseball writer and columnist, Rosenthal knows plenty about the Orioles organization. He refers to what’s going on now in Baltimore as “quite refreshing.” And so most of the podcast is spent talking about the Orioles, their strengths and their weaknesses.

We talk Zach Britton’s emergence, Ubaldo Jimenez’s disaster, the offense’s fear-inducing lineup and the need for rotation help.

He also takes a look at the strengths of Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter, gives his pick to win the AL and whom he’d select as his first-half AL MVP (it’s not Manny Machado, though Rosenthal said he’d be close).

As always with Ken, it’s fascinating stuff. So check it out.

CONTINUE READING BELOW

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCASTS ON ITUNES

Scroll Down to LEAVE A COMMENT

Dan Connolly

Dan Connolly has spent more than two decades as a print journalist in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The Baltimore native and Calvert Hall graduate first covered the Orioles as a beat writer for the York (Pennsylvania) Daily Record in 2001 before becoming The Baltimore Sun’s national baseball writer/Orioles reporter in 2005. He has won multiple state and national writing awards, including several from the Associated Press Sports Editors. In 2013 he was named Maryland Co-Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. And in 2015, he authored his first book, "100 Things Orioles Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die." He lives in York, with his wife, Karen, and three children, Alex, Annie, and Grace.

View Comments

  • That was a good podcast. Ken made some good points. I like the idea of throwing Bundy's name out there at the trade deadline. Package him with Mancini and Reyes and ask Atlanta for Teheren. Would that get it done? Probably not, Braves GM said he would not trade Teheran.

    • I doubt that would be enough. Atlanta is supposedly looking for a package even better than what they received for Shelby Miller. I can't see the O's trading Bundy anyway, so it's probably moot.

  • Hey Steve,
    Got to trust Buck and let's see if Bundy can stay healthy. If so, next year looks promising. He can heave it! Go from 98 and in the vicinity to 96 on the black and he's lights out!

Share
Published by
Dan Connolly

Recent Posts

  • Rich Dubroff

Rogers holds Dodgers to 1 hit in 7 innings, bullpen hangs on in Orioles’ 3-2 win

LOS ANGELES--What happened? In his previous five starts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto allowed just four and two…

June 21, 2026
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles’ Rutschman placed on 7-day concussion injured list; Outfielder Michael Siani recalled

LOS ANGELES—After getting hit in the head running to first base in the ninth inning…

June 20, 2026
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles, Helsley collapse in 9th after stirring comeback in crushing 6-5 loss to Dodgers

LOS ANGELES--What happened? The Orioles looked as if they were going to pull off an…

June 20, 2026
  • Orioles

Rutschman out after getting hit in head; Ohtani on paternity leave; Orioles-Dodgers lineups

LOS ANGELES—Catcher Adley Rutschman is out of the Orioles' lineup for Friday night’s game against…

June 19, 2026
  • Rich Dubroff

Orioles will get to see Ohtani hit but not pitch this weekend

The Orioles will begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night,…

June 19, 2026
  • Mailbag

Is Enrique Bradfield Jr. on track to join the Orioles soon? | MAILBAG

Question: Is Enrique Bradfield Jr. on track to make the majors any time soon? From:…

June 19, 2026