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After a 20-month absence, minor league baseball returns on Tuesday, and each of the four Orioles’ full-season affiliates have some of the system’s top prospects.
In the “break camp” rosters announced on Friday, the Orioles’ top prospect, catcher Adley Rutschman, the overall top pick in the 2019 draft, will be heading to Double-A Bowie.
Rutschman will be joined by some other noted prospects, including left-handed pitcher DL Hall, the top pick in the 2017 draft; infielder Terrin Vavra, acquired from Colorado in last August’s trade for Mychal Givens; left-hander Kevin Smith, who came from the New York Mets as part of the Miguel Castro deal; and right-hander Cody Sedlock, who was the Orioles’ top draft pick in 2016.
Infielder Cadyn Grenier, who was the 37th overall pick in the 2018 draft, and right-handers Kyle Bradish and Gray Fenter will also be on the Baysox roster.
Bradish was one of the four right-handers the Orioles received in the December 2019 trade with the Los Angeles Angels, and Fenter was taken by the Chicago Cubs in December’s Rule 5 draft but returned during spring training.
Triple-A Norfolk’s roster has lots of familiar names, including left-handed starters Keegan Akin, Zac Lowther and Alexander Wells, right-handers Thomas Eshelman and Jay Flaa. Lowther and Flaa made their major league debuts this week with the Orioles. ‘
Catcher Austin Wynns and infielders Rylan Bannon, Jahmai Jones, Richie Martin, Tyler Nevin, Ryan Ripken and outfielders Yusniel Diaz, Ryan McKenna and Stevie Wilkerson are also on the Tides’ roster. McKenna also made his major league debut with the Orioles this month.
Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, the Orioles’ No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, goes to High-A Aberdeen, which begins its first year as a full-season affiliate.
Right-hander Garrett Stallings, who came from the Angels in the José Iglesias deal, infielder Adam Hall and outfielders Kyle Stowers and Zach Watson will be on the IronBirds’ roster.
Infielders Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Servideo and Jordan Westburg, and outfielder Hudson Haskin are the most noted prospects at Low-A Delmarva.
Henderson was the Orioles’ second-round pick in 2019, Westburg, the 30th overall pick in 2020, and Haskin the second-round pick in 2020. Servideo was the Orioles’ third-round plck last year.
Notes: Shortstop Freddy Galvis, who left Monday’s game because of a groin injury, was scheduled to take batting practice before Friday’s game in Oakland and should be available off the bench, manager Brandon Hyde said. … Third baseman Maikel Franco was resting because of a sore lower back. He is also available off the bench. … The taxi squad for the trip to Oakland and Seattle is Eshelman, Lowther, McKenna, Wynns and right-handed pitcher Isaac Mattson. … The Orioles released left-handed pitcher Zach Muckenhirn, who was their 16th-round draft choice in 2016. … Outfielder T.J. Nichting announced on his Twitter page that he had been released. Nichting was the Orioles’ ninth-round pick in 2017.
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Where is Cumberland beginning?
Norfolk!
You answer your own questions. Nice. Saves us the effort. Please continue
I wonder how many prospects we’ll get for the Chris Davis trade?
A tidbit Mason Williams remember him. Signed a minor league deal with the Mets.
Means looking awesome. I'm starting to believe in this guy. Is it too early to talk Cy?
Good W Birds. Valdez is not making it look easy.
Does anyone else think Big Ben looks like he could step out of the booth and onto the bump again? I’ve always loved listening to Palmer announce but I gotta say McDonald just gets better and better. His point about Urias not extending like a first baseman to catch the ball on what would’ve been a DP in the bottom of the 9th was so illustrative, and the way he said it was not as a jab at Urias but simply making a point. That’s fantastic announcing.
Dave, Ben is a professional broadcaster. He does many SEC and college games as well as Orioles. In 2019, he did 130 games, and he's feeling more and more comfortable in the booth.
Grayson Rodriguez to Aberdeen. Thought he'd be a little more developed than that. Was there an injury? Was looking at him for 2022-2023. Guess not.
My thoughts exactly. I saw him pitch lights out two years ago in Salisbury, why is he still in low A ball
Aberdeen is high A ball this year, so he was promoted. In normal times, he would have started last year at Frederick ( who Aberdeen replaced) and if all went well, would have ended last year or started this year at Bowie. But since he didn’t get to pitch last year, guess they are trying to monitor his workload. He’s only 3 years removed from high school, so if he pitches well at Aberdeen, could finish the year at AA Bowie. Which isn’t bad for a 21 year old.
Ah, a 21-year-old pitcher with talent! How can we keep him down on the farm until he's 26?
Where is our #1 pick from last year playing. Forgot his name. Haven’t heard it mentioned lately. He had some sort of heart valve inflammation?
Roch Kubatko (MASN) reported yesterday that Kjerstadt is resuming his recovery workouts in Sarasota after leaving the alternative site.
My guess is when he's ready, he'll report to either Aberdeen or Bowie.