Orioles Spring Training Discussion

[WolvesJagsOs]

From Britt:

*Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman, who has been given the nickname “Dunkin” by reliever Darren O’Day found a surprise at his locker this morning from centerfielder Adam Jones and you can see that picture here. The donuts are a tribute to Gausman’s habit of eating powdered donuts in between innings of his college starts.

It took about an hour to get the whole thing set up and Gausman got a text last night telling him to not come to the Ed Smith Stadium Complex until 8 a.m. because the veterans had something to do. How many donuts are there in total? More than 1500, with Gausman taking some good-natured ribbing for it and O’Day proudly holding up his “one-of-a-kind” bag autographed by Hostess.

Discuss what happens in here.

[mikeydady]

How they looking so far? Who has a report? Many guys we need know about: Bundy, Schoop, Gausman, Jair, Roberts

I'm hoping that Schoop turns the page and takes over 2B. Who do you guys think will play himself on to the 40 man?

[WolvesJagsOs]

I've heard Jair and Roberts look good. Jair looked just fine in his first session, B-Rob looks a lot bigger body mass wise. He's going to be a full go this spring.

[WolvesJagsOs]

Roch:

Reliever Luis Ayala apparently has informed pitching coach Rick Adair that he's not going to pitch for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Manager Buck Showalter passed along the news to reporters following today's Orioles workout.

Roch:

"He was a big part of our success last year. He's a guy who's very easy to trust. You put your head on the pillow regardless of what the results are. It's not a purely statistical evaluation, though Darren wouldn't take a back seat to many guys in the role he (was) used. And he did more than one thing for us. Multiple guys pitching well, and Darren would be the first to say, allows you to keep everybody healthy because we were able to spread the load. But he's a guy who cares about doing it right and he's a guy who makes his teammates better and makes the other team not as good. That's a good combination."

Darren O'Day will be paid $2.2 million this season and $3.2 million in 2014. He also could earn $4.25 million in 2015 if the Orioles exercise his option, which includes a $400,000 buyout.
"Very deserving. I'm very proud of Darren. The guy's easy to trust and that's what it's all about," said manager Buck Showalter.

[WolvesJagsOs]

Danny Knobler

The Orioles aren't asking Chris Davis to get on the mound this spring.

But they are paying him to pitch.

Seriously. Or half-seriously.

Davis provided one of the big early moments of the Orioles' surprisingly successful 2012 season, pitching the final two innings of a 17-inning Orioles win in Baltimore. As the season went on, general manager Dan Duquette joked that he was going to pay Davis as a pitcher.

And he did.

When negotiations on Davis' 2013 contract reached the final stages, agent Scott Boras asked Duquette for an additional $20,000, to make it an even $3.3 million.

"I told him, 'I'll give him $15,000, and then you have to tell him that the other $5,000 is for that win in Boston,' " Duquette said Monday.

[WolvesJagsOs]

Come on guys, let's get more active in here. We're coming off a great season, it's time to get talking Orioles baseball. So many stories going on at ST with Gausman and Bundy there.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Last spring, Jim Johnson was slowed to start camp due to a back issue. A year later, the Orioles closer is coming off a team-record 51 saves, and Johnson -- along with Darren O'Day and Luis Ayala -- is again being brought along a little slower.

But this time, Johnson is healthy and the team's cautiousness revolves around keeping the 29-year-old, a vital component of 2012's success, fresh over the course of a 162-game regular season.

"I'm where I need to be," said Johnson, who threw a handful of bullpens before arriving to Sarasota, where he's thrown twice since camp opened Feb. 12. "Now when I take the mound, I'm able to work on something specific instead of trying to build up arm strength and stuff. That's what before Spring Training [is for], to use that time to build up arm strength. And get used to throwing out of your delivery."

Johnson went 2-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 63 appearances last season, making his first All-Star team in the process, in his first full season as the team's closer.

"I think people perceive things differently after last season, but I don't think it changes anything about my work ethic or my expectations on the season and all that," Johnson said. "I'm still going to keep doing the things that I think you have to do to be successful here at this level. It doesn't matter if I'm pitching the ninth or the second."

One of the veterans of a young Orioles pitching staff, Johnson's corner locker isn't far from top prospects Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, who are both projected to arrive in Baltimore at some point this season. The two have also blended in seamlessly to big league camp -- with Bundy also there last year -- and have stayed pretty much under the radar, minus some good-natured rookie ribbing.

"They are good kids," Johnson said of Bundy and Gausman. "This camp is more laid back than it has been in years past. Guys here, our goal here is just to win. But at the same time, enjoy it. There are guys here playing ping pong and bumper pool. It's just a boys club right now. Guys are comfortable with each other and hopefully that translates onto the field."

-Orioles.com

[WolvesJagsOs]

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Kevin Gausman retired all four batters he faced in an inning of intrasquad action Thursday at Ed Smith Stadium, and he continues to impress in his first Major League Spring Training.

"You can see why everybody thinks so highly of him," manager Buck Showalter said of Gausman, the O's first-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

"He's got a great delivery and does a lot of things to make himself successful. The changeup he has should play better at higher levels. He's one of those guys who looks real comfortable on the mound."

Gausman, who is ranked by MLB.com as the O's No. 2 prospect, said he was throwing mostly fastballs. The right-hander struck out Lew Ford and Chris Robinson, and L.J. Hoes -- who praised Gausman's velocity upon returning to the dugout -- grounded out to second base. Gausman stayed out on the mound to collect a fourth out to get his pitch count up to where it needed to be.

"It's definitely good to kind of get that out of the way," Gausman said of his first inning in a game situation this spring. "Now I can focus on not having those jitters. I know I'll have some jitters when there are actual fans out there. That's normal. It was definitely good to get that out of the way and good to have guys behind you and not be throwing so many bullpens."

-Orioles.com

So great to here, so excited about Gausman.

[rkelly7]

Yea, I hope Gasuman can dominate and be up by July, and i hope Bundy does the same and is here in June.

[WolvesJagsOs]

Bundy and Gausman sure sound like they'll be here rather soon, but who do we kick out of the rotation when the time comes is what I wonder, although injuries will probably occur.

[mikeydady]

I certainly hope so. Can you guys imagine a rotation like this in 2013?!!!!

Bundy
Gausman
Tillman
Chen
Johnson

Still with Hammel, Wada, Gonz, Britton to go long or to add SP depth. I see Matusz, Arietta, Hunter, Patton all better suited for the middle bp. Very happy if this comes through sooner than expected. Eduardo Rodriguez on the wings too. Good to be us. Imagine if Brandon Kline or Mike Wright or any of those other guys grow like Britton or Steven Johnson did. Never thought we'd have this type of pitching depth so quickly.

[WolvesJagsOs]

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Trayvon Robinson's two-run homer in the eighth inning gave the O's a 5-3 victory over the Twins in Saturday's Grapefruit League opener at Ed Smith Stadium, which featured a moment of silence and video tribute for Orioles great Earl Weaver, who passed away last month at age 82.

The Orioles' first run of the spring was scored by catcher Matt Wieters, who doubled to open the second inning off Twins starter Kevin Correia. Wieters moved to third on Chris Davis' infield hit and shortstop -- and former Twin -- J.J. Hardy brought him home with a sacrifice fly.

Orioles lefty Zach Britton had a scoreless spring debut, facing five batters in a 19-pitch first inning.

"I haven't pitched in Spring Training in a whole year," said Britton, who started last year on the disabled list with a left shoulder injury. "It's nice to get out there. I felt pretty good. You build off this one and go get 'em the next time."

Correia went two innings, allowing a run on two hits and a walk.

"It was good," Correia said. "I got out there and got my feet wet in a real game. ... I was around the plate, for the most part. I threw every pitch I have, so I got around to it. I had a quick first inning, but I had a little more opportunity in the second inning to throw more pitches."

The Twins took the lead on a two-run homer by Josh Willingham off right-hander Tommy Hunter in the third inning. Hunter gave up a leadoff double to Darin Mastroianni in the 25-pitch frame.

Baltimore struck back in the fifth. Manny Machado led off with a single and took second on Chris Dickerson's sacrifice bunt. After Jonathan Schoop walked, Nate McLouth doubled to right to plate Machado. Schoop was thrown out at the plate trying to score on the play, leaving the game deadlocked at 2.

Minnesota regained the lead in the sixth. Eddie Rosario started things off with a single to left off T.J. McFarland. After advancing to second on Chris Herrmann's walk, Rosario moved to third on James Beresford's double-play groundout. Clete Thomas followed with an infield single to score Rosario, and advanced to second on a throwing error by Schoop.

Schoop drew the O's even in the seventh with an RBI single to left that drove in Yamaico Navarro, who reached on a one-out double.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts, coming off of season-ending hip surgery, grounded out in each of his two at-bats. Jake Arrieta followed Britton and threw 11 pitches, including seven strikes, finishing up in the bullpen to get his pitch count around 30. Arrieta issued a two-out walk to Drew Butera for the lone runner in his frame, with Steve Johnson allowing a two-out free pass in a scoreless fourth. Britton, Arrieta, Hunter and Johnson are all vying for rotation spots in a tough camp competition that has a dozen candidates.

Twins Rule 5 Draft pick Ryan Pressly looked sharp in his debut with a 1-2-3 third against Roberts, McLouth and Nick Markakis.

Orioles top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning in his spring debut. Bundy struck out Mastroianni on three pitches to start things off, and allowed a broken-bat single to Eduardo Escobar and a single to right by Brandon Boggs. After Ryan Doumit popped out, pinch-hitter Brian Dinkleman worked a two-out, full-count walk, before Bundy fanned Chris Colabello on a called strike three. Bundy's fastball was routinely in the 93-94-mph range according to the stadium's radar gun.

Up next for the Orioles: Rotation candidate Jair Jurrjens will make his Baltimore debut on Sunday afternoon in Dunedin against the Toronto Blue Jays. The 1:05 p.m. ET contest will feature new Blue Jay Mark Buehrle getting the start opposite Jurrjens, with Mike Belfiore, Troy Patton, Daniel Schlereth and Kevin Gausman -- the Orioles' top draft pick last year -- also slated to throw.

-Orioles.com

[mikeydady]

Read this too. Looked good. Maybe Robinson can reach some of that potential.

[WolvesJagsOs]

Yeah, I hope he at the very least makes the team. Young guy with some potential, hope he finds it here in Baltimore.

[WolvesJagsOs]

Jair Jurrjens isn't like most pitchers this spring, and he didn't downplay the 93-mph fastball he threw in the second inning. In fact, he was ready to celebrate it.
"It shows how hard I worked this offseason," Jurrjens said after allowing one run and two hits, and walking a batter, in two innings. "I think last year, I can count how many times I hit 93 in the whole season. For the first game in spring training, to go out and throw 93 the first game, for me it was a really big accomplishment."
Asked if the radar gun reading surprised him, Jurrjens replied, "I was more happy than surprised. It just shows that when you really dedicate and put some time into your work in the offseason, it pays off. And it's paying off so far.
"I felt good. My timing's coming back. I still need to work on the slider. The timing's a little bit off on that. But I felt really good. The ball's coming out like I want it to. I'm keeping the ball down. That's the main thing."
Jurrjens, whose fastball mostly sat at 89-90 mph, was the first Orioles pitcher to throw two innings in two exhibition games. Pitching coach Rick Adair alerted him to the possibility.
"I was mentally prepared for that," Jurrjens said.
Jurrjens retired the first five batters before a single, walk and Mark DeRosa's RBI single produced a run.
"I just think I started rushing a little bit," he said. "Like I said, sometimes my timing comes and goes in the second inning after two hitters. I tried to work on my pitches and got myself into some trouble, and then after that when I got in the stretch, I lost my timing and started messing up a little bit.
"I'm going to keep working, building strength and just building strength not only for spring training but for the whole season. I'm going to keep doing the program we've been doing, and I hope it keeps working and I keep getting stronger.

-Roch Kubatko

[mikeydady]

Are you kidding me? If he ends up being 80% of what he was at his best, it will be like Christmas in July or maybe, October...!!! Yep I said it, all this depth. Let's just keep it going.