Baseball’s Winter Meetings are being held in Orlando, about 5 miles from Disney World. It’s the first time they’ll be held in Orlando since 2017. They were scheduled to return to Orlando in 2021 but were canceled because of the lockout.
Sometimes, the unexpected happens at the meetings. In 2018, shortly after Mike Elias was hired by the Orioles, he greeted the local media in the team’s suite in Las Vegas and behind him, the ticker on MLB Network reported that the team was close to hiring Brandon Hyde as its manager.
None of us would have recognized Hyde, who had reportedly met with Elias to discuss the job.
It was an awkward moment for Elias, who made sure to have Craig Albernaz hired well ahead of time this year.
Albernaz visited the Ravens’ practice facility in Owings Mills on Friday and had a meet-and-greet with coach John Harbaugh.
In 2014, Elias’ predecessor, Dan Duquette, was rumored to be talking with the Toronto Blue Jays about an executive position. The news broke while Duquette and a few reporters were on a flight.
There was another awkward moment when the plane landed in San Diego, but Duquette ended up staying with the Orioles for four more years.
There has been Oriole news at the Winter Meetings. The club announced the signings of Kyle Gibson in 2022, and Tyler O’Neill and Gary Sánchez last year but the news had already leaked out.
In 2023, they signed Craig Kimbrel to be their closer at the meetings, which wasn’t expected. This year, the signing of closer Ryan Helsey was completed the week before the meetings.
There will be plenty of talk about starting pitching the Orioles can sign or trade for, and some sessions with Elias.
Reporters who cover the Orioles will be ushered up to the team’s suite, generally late in the afternoon and wait in darkened hallways to be escorted in.
It seems that no matter the location of the Winter Meetings, the hallways always seem dark.
The Orioles haven’t made a trade during the Winter Meetings during Elias’s time. Perhaps that changes this year.
I’m looking forward to Monday when we we’ll get to spend time Albernaz. He’ll have a scheduled 20-minute press availability, and it will be interesting to hear what he thinks about his new team.
Beyond starting pitchers, Elias is likely to be asked about additional bullpen reinforcements, a utility infielder and possibly more outfielders.
The Orioles’ two waiver claims on Friday — outfielder Will Robertson and catcher Drew Romo — could come in handy because they both have two options remaining. Though Dylan Carlson underperformed as a reserve outfielder, he was valuable because he had options and often shuttled between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk.
Leody Taveras, whom the Orioles signed as a free agent, doesn’t have any options left.
Super agent Scott Boras will have his annual press availability and will be asked about extensions for his Oriole clients, Jackson Holliday, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg.
Players and executives looking for jobs will be seen in the lobby, and gossip will be exchanged.
The meetings will conclude after Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft, which the Orioles, now with a full 40-man roster, can’t participate in unless they drop a player.
Era committee Hall of Fame vote
The Winter Meetings begin on Sunday with the results of the Hall of Fame’s Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela will be on the ballot.
To be elected, a player must receive 75 percent (12 of 16) of the vote.
Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount, major league executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan, statistician Steve Hirdt, and writers Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark are on the committee.
Note: The Orioles designated first baseman/outfielder Ryan Noda for assignment to make room for Robertson and Romo. Noda was 2-for-13 (.154) with an RBI in seven games.
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