Latest news with #Orioles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Orioles' Miserable Year Has Front Office Fielding Tough Questions
BALTIMORE – Nobody in the Baltimore Orioles organization is happy about how the season opened in the second year of David Rubenstein's ownership. 'We just had an incredibly frustrating and disappointing start,' Mike Elias, the team's executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations, said in an interview this week. 'It was a Murphy's Law kind of start.' Advertisement More from Everything went wrong as the O's lost 32 of their first 47 games. Elias cited injuries, underperformance and players pressing for the face-plant that followed last year's 91-win season. 'You name it,' he said. 'It was all a contributing factor.' The perception by fans as the season began was that the Orioles didn't spend enough this offseason to improve the team. However their player payroll increased by $57.5 million. The issue? How they spent that money. Of top 25 free agents, Baltimore signed just one: outfielder Tyler O'Neill. And in an offseason where several high-profile starting pitchers were on the market—like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell and Jack Flaherty—the O's filled their rotation holes with 41-year-old journeyman Charlie Morton and Japanese rookie Tomoyuki Sugano. Of their seven MLB signings, only O'Neill's deal was for more than one year. Advertisement 'Ownership made a lot of payroll investment this past winter,' said Elias. 'Unfortunately, the first few weeks it didn't bear fruit, but in their first offseason they showed a willingness to spend, and we were among the highest payroll escalations.' The team so far hasn't gotten much bang for its buck. Morton, the third-highest paid player on the team this season at $15 million, entered this week with a 6.05 ERA. O'Neill has been limited to two home runs across 24 games because of injury. Local fans have responded. Average attendance is down 4,908 to 23,606 a game at Camden Yards, which ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. The still-beautiful ballpark opened in 1992, leading a revolution of similar baseball stadium construction throughout the U.S., but has never hosted a World Series game. That streak won't end this year, barring a miracle turnaround story. Advertisement Baltimore's dismal start cost incumbent manager Brandon Hyde his job in mid-May. Only two seasons earlier, the O's won 101 games and the American League East title, and Hyde was named AL Manager of the Year. He was replaced on an interim basis by third base coach Tony Mansolino, who had no MLB managing experience. Mansolino is 42, but looks and sounds much younger. There was a lot of nervousness when he took over that first day, he said. 'You prepare, deal with the nerves, but then you settle in,' Mansolino said. 'You try to do things the best you can … in the end it's just having confidence in yourself like the players.' The immediate results were predictable. The Orioles kept losing under Mansolino, hitting their season low of 15-32 on May 20. But what's happened since then has given Elias hope. They've started playing better and winning as key players such as Cedric Mullins and Jordan Westburg have returned from injuries. They are over .500 since that low water mark, including a three-game home sweep last weekend of the Los Angeles Angels. Advertisement Still, the same problems they met out of the gates have popped up and hindered momentum. Baltimore's pitching staff squandered an 8-0 lead to the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night to lose, 12-8. 'We're playing more relaxed,' Elias said. 'We're a healthier team now. We've received some stabilization from our pitching staff. And most importantly our young core of hitters has been improving. We haven't quite dug out of the hole, but the team is very talented. Time is on our side a little bit.' But time is not really on their side this season, playing in one of the toughest divisions historically in MLB. Making the playoffs is going to be a steep uphill climb, and every multi-run collapse like Wednesday night's hammers morale. Everything for the Orioles the rest of the way is going to have to go right, while other AL teams have to fall apart. FanGraphs gives Baltimore a sub-5% chance of making the playoffs. Baseball-Reference has the team at a sub-1% chance. Advertisement 'I hope there is time,' Westburg said. 'I prefer to look at the positives. It's a long season and there's a lot of things that can change between now and then.' That doesn't seem likely with the Rays, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox above them by a solid distance in the division standings. As far as the three Wild Card berths, there are seven teams between the O's and the final spot. The roots of this year's problems go back to last season. The Orioles were 58-38 at the 2024 All-Star break and boasted what many considered the top farm system in baseball. But the team was widely believed to need to bolster its rotation at the trade deadline, and the club hung onto its top five prospects and dealt for Rays starter Zach Eflin and Marlins starter Trevor Rogers. The latter posted a 7.11 ERA in four starts for the O's before getting sent down to Triple-A. 'We accomplished our goals,' Elias said on MASN after the deadline. But the O's faded down the stretch, going .500 in the second half and giving up first place to the Yankees for good on Sept. 6. Their 91-71 record was 10 games worse than 2023, but good enough for second place in the AL East and a Wild-Card berth. They were knocked out by the Kansas City Royals in two games, scoring just one run. Advertisement Adding their sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers in a 2023 AL Division Series, the Orioles haven't won a postseason game or series since 2014. Following its 2024 exit, Baltimore's ace, Burnes, departed for the desert, signing a six-year, $210 million deal with his top-choice Arizona Diamondbacks. Without Burnes this year, and with Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish on the shelf, the starting rotation is near the bottom of MLB with an ERA above 5.20. For his sake, Burnes just underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and is likely out until the end of the 2026 season at best. Thus, the O's sidestepped that disaster. Now, with the clock ticking, the Orioles face another trade deadline decision. Of their young hitting core—Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser and Westburg—only Rutschman is earning more than $800K in 2025. Those bills will eventually become due through arbitration and/or potential extensions, so the franchise has more than just the upcoming second half to consider in its roster-building. Advertisement In the meantime, the Orioles' player payroll ranks 15th in MLB this year at $184.3 million, up from $126.8 million and a No. 26 ranking in 2024. Eight of the 15 AL teams spend less, but of course their AL East brethren in the Yanks, Jays and Red Sox don't. Only Tampa Bay is way below them with a $101.5 million payroll, but Kevin Cash's group is well above Baltimore in the standings and prevented the Orioles from gaining ground in this week's four-game series. 'If you're a middle-market team in baseball, just throwing money at your payroll over and over is not a particularly sustainable model,' Elias said. 'You have to blend that in with good scouting and player development.' As far as being a mid-market team, the Orioles are valued by Sportico at $1.82 billion with a 2024 revenue of $339 million, 18th in MLB. They must compete with the Yankees, who lead the sport in value at $8.39 billion, and are second in revenue at $799 million. Rubenstein, who per Forbes has a net worth of $3.8 billion, and his group paid $1.725 million to buy the O's from the Angelos family in March 2024. But there is a bright side. Advertisement The Orioles have a jewel of a ballpark in Camden Yards, which is about to undergo up to $600 million in improvements courtesy of state funds, including this offseason new outfield video boards, a ribbon advertising board circling the stadium and a new press box to replace the old one behind home plate—which to the chagrin of many writers is being converted into a luxury suite. The club's office space in the classic warehouse beyond the right field fence is also being renovated. And that's just a start, as the entire facility is under evaluation. It all needs work, Catie Griggs, the club's president of business operations, said in a dugout interview. 'The ballpark is iconic. It's amazing,' she said. 'It's also largely untouched since it was built in 1992, which in some respects is fantastic, but in other places it's starting to show its age.' This offseason as well, the owners are spending $27 million of their own funds to upgrade the player facilities at their Sarasota spring training complex in Florida, much like the $30 million of work the Yankees just completed this year at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Advertisement Unlike the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays, the Orioles neither own nor operate their own ballpark, nor do they pay rent to the Maryland Stadium Authority to play there. They have recently signed a lease that commits them to the facility for the next 30 years. They are a mainstay in the Baltimore area with a huge government subsidy from the state. Elias says ownership has indicated there is 'payroll flexibility,' moving forward. The Orioles may not have the revenue of big-market teams, but they don't have the expenses, either. To keep up with the Yankees and Red Sox, they must develop a symbiosis between business and baseball operations under the new ownership. Advertisement 'I mean, that's the name of the game,' Elias said. 'I wish I could answer that simply. There's an unevenness between franchises and market sizes in MLB that's unique relative to other major league sports. Each franchise has to figure out the right formula.' This season's formula has not been right at all. The Orioles say they're working on it. Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Orioles at Yankees Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 20
It's Friday, June 20 and the Orioles (32-42) are in Bronx to take on the Yankees (43-31). Tomoyuki Sugano is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Max Fried for New York. Baltimore is coming off a split of a series against Tampa Bay where 39 combined runs were scored. The Orioles are 16-6 over the last 22 games after going 16-36 through the first 52 games. New York lost six straight, which was a season-long losing streak, before ending a four-game series against the Los Angeles with a 7-3 win. The Yankees were swept by the Red Sox and lost three of four against the Angels mainly because of the offense. New York scored five runs total over their six-game losing streak, but bounced back with seven yesterday in a game that featured two rain delays. Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Orioles at Yankees Date: Friday, June 20, 2025 Time: 7:05PM EST Site: Yankee Stadium City: Bronx, NY Network/Streaming: MASN, YES, MLBN Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Orioles at the Yankees The latest odds as of Friday: Moneyline: Orioles (+188), Yankees (-229) Spread: Yankees -1.5 Total: 9.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Yankees Pitching matchup for June 20, 2025: Tomoyuki Sugano vs. Max Fried Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano, (5-4, 3.38 ERA) Last outing: 4.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 StrikeoutsYankees: Max Fried, (9-2, 1.90 ERA) Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano, (5-4, 3.38 ERA) Last outing: 4.2 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts Yankees: Max Fried, (9-2, 1.90 ERA) Last outing: 7.0 Innings Pitched, 2 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Orioles and the Yankees 'Aaron Judge has been cold lately with two hits and three walks (two intentional) since that game-tying homer in the 9th against Boston (six game span). His odds of hitting .400 before the All-Star break are barely worth a sprinkle now as he's at a .366 batting average. However, he is still -110 to +110 to lead the MLB in homers and with 26 on the season, he ranks second. I don't expect Cal Raleigh (27) to lead the MLB and Shohei Ohtani (25) is pitching now, so the wear and tear could affect the NL MVP favorite, so I think Judge is still a good bet to lead the MLB in homers.' Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday's game between the Orioles and the Yankees: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Yankees on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC. Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Yankees The Yankees have won 13 of their last 20 home games against teams with losing records The Under is 41-30-3 in Yankees' games this season New York is 12-3 on the ML when Max Fried pitches this season Baltimore is 8-6 on the ML when Yomoyuki Sugano pitches this season If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay Rays' Hunter Bigge hit in face with 105-mph foul ball
June 20 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was hit in the face with a 105.1-mph foul ball and hospitalized, but was coherent and remained conscious, manager Kevin Cash told reporters after a loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Bigge was hit in the top of the seventh inning of the 4-1 setback Thursday night in Tampa, Fla. The 27-year-old reliever, who is on the injured list because of a lat strain, was sitting on a bench near the front railing of the Rays dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field when the ball struck him. Advertisement "He's coherent," Cash said Thursday. "He's talking to the physician. He's going to have a lot of tests. ... I don't have a ton to add other than that." The Rays are expected to provide an update on Bigge later Friday. The relief pitcher gave a thumbs-up sign to the crowd as he was taken away on a stretcher. Orioles All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman was at the plate during the incident. Rays pitcher Connor Seabold threw in a 3-2 slider for the eighth pitch of his exchange with the Orioles catcher. Rutschman slapped the high-and-inside offering to his right, sending the ball flying toward the dugout and hitting Bigge. Advertisement Players from both teams winced in reaction and stopped to watch Bigge taken out of the stadium on a stretcher. "I saw it off my bat and it's really, really scar," Rutschman said. "I'm praying for him and his recovery. I hope he is doing OK. It's scary. I haven't really been a part of something like that. "You never want to see that. I think everyone wishes for the best health for everyone in this game. You hate to see that. I hope he's doing OK." Seabold walked Rutschman when the game resumed. Neither team scored over the final three innings. Rutschman went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and a walk in the win. Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser went 2 for 4 with a three-run home run and a double. Orioles starter Charlie Morton allowed six hits and one run over six innings to earn his fourth win of the season. Advertisement Bigge, a 12th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 MLB Draft, joined the Rays in a July 28 trade. The former Harvard pitcher logged a 2.40 ERA over his first 13 appearances this season. He posted a 2.60 ERA over 19 appearances last season, which he split with the Cubs and Rays. "It's terrifying," Orioles manager Tony Mansolino said. "We sit in these dugouts every night and, in a lot of ways, you kinda feel like a sitting duck. It's just terrifying. We wish the best for the player that got hit." The Rays (41-34) will host the MLB-best Detroit Tigers (48-28) at 7:05 p.m. EDT Friday in Tampa. The Orioles (32-42) will take on the New York Yankees (43-31) at 7:05 p.m. Friday in New York.
UPI
3 hours ago
- Sport
- UPI
Tampa Bay Rays' Hunter Bigge hit in face with 105-mph foul ball
June 20 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was hit in the face with a 105.1-mph foul ball and hospitalized, but was coherent and remained conscious, manager Kevin Cash told reporters after a loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Bigge was hit in the top of the seventh inning of the 4-1 setback Thursday night in Tampa, Fla. The 27-year-old reliever, who is on the injured list because of a lat strain, was sitting on a bench near the front railing of the Rays dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field when the ball struck him. "He's coherent," Cash said Thursday. "He's talking to the physician. He's going to have a lot of tests. ... I don't have a ton to add other than that." The Rays are expected to provide an update on Bigge later Friday. The relief pitcher gave a thumbs-up sign to the crowd as he was taken away on a stretcher. Orioles All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman was at the plate during the incident. Rays pitcher Connor Seabold threw in a 3-2 slider for the eighth pitch of his exchange with the Orioles catcher. Rutschman slapped the high-and-inside offering to his right, sending the ball flying toward the dugout and hitting Bigge. Players from both teams winced in reaction and stopped to watch Bigge taken out of the stadium on a stretcher. "I saw it off my bat and it's really, really scar," Rutschman said. "I'm praying for him and his recovery. I hope he is doing OK. It's scary. I haven't really been a part of something like that. "You never want to see that. I think everyone wishes for the best health for everyone in this game. You hate to see that. I hope he's doing OK." Seabold walked Rutschman when the game resumed. Neither team scored over the final three innings. Rutschman went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and a walk in the win. Orioles left fielder Colton Cowser went 2 for 4 with a three-run home run and a double. Orioles starter Charlie Morton allowed six hits and one run over six innings to earn his fourth win of the season. Bigge, a 12th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 2019 MLB Draft, joined the Rays in a July 28 trade. The former Harvard pitcher logged a 2.40 ERA over his first 13 appearances this season. He posted a 2.60 ERA over 19 appearances last season, which he split with the Cubs and Rays. "It's terrifying," Orioles manager Tony Mansolino said. "We sit in these dugouts every night and, in a lot of ways, you kinda feel like a sitting duck. It's just terrifying. We wish the best for the player that got hit." The Rays (41-34) will host the MLB-best Detroit Tigers (48-28) at 7:05 p.m. EDT Friday in Tampa. The Orioles (32-42) will take on the New York Yankees (43-31) at 7:05 p.m. Friday in New York.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Orioles minor-league player dies after jet skis collide head-on near Lido Key
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA)— A minor-league player for the Orioles who was involved in a head-on collision with jet skis has died. Luis Guevara, 19, was signed by the Orioles as an international free agent out of Tinaco, Venezuela, the Baltimore Orioles said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. 'Luis was a beloved member of our organization, and we are devastated following his tragic passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates and we ask for their continued privacy during this difficult time,' Orioles Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Elias said. Docs, 911 calls reveal more details about deadly jet ski crash near Lido Key LIST: Where to see Fourth of July fireworks in Tampa Bay Ex-Siesta Key resort manager accused of stealing $110K from hotel Guevara appeared in 30 games this year, his first season in the United States, the Baltimore Orioles said. The Sarasota County Fire Department responded to Lido Beach around 8:03 p.m. on Sunday regarding two jet skis that were involved in a head-on collision. SCFR transported two patients to the hospital as trauma alerts, and two other victims suffered minor injuries. 'On behalf of all members of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, we would like to express our sincere sympathies to the family and friends of the victim,' FWC said in a press release. This remains an active investigation with the FWC as the lead agency. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
