40 Man Roster Moves Coming in Baltimore

My beloved Baltimore Orioles are holding strong on that second wild card spot right now. These guys are holding off some tough competition in the AL currently and don't have much cushion. They also have withstood an injury to their most patient and perhaps best hitter Nick Markakis. Unlike many other hitters on this team, Markakis is consistent and can find ways to produce when he is struggling. We were in 1st place until he went out with a broken hamate bone. Well guess what?...

He's back! Markakis was activated from the disabled list a couple of days ago and Joe Mahoney was optioned to AAA Norfolk. It sure is going to be good to see this guy back in the lineup. During a game this past week on his rehab assignment, Markakis hit 2 home runs! We sorely need Markakis back in the lineup if we want to make a playoff push.

He will not be the only person returning tomorrow when the Orioles return to action though. We also have Taylor Teagarden and Endy Chavez possibly returning to the lineup. Now, Teagarden I am excited about. He is a catch and throw guy and a good defensive catcher. Teagarden should call a good game and help the pitching staff. That is something that Ronny Paulino couldn't do to save his life. Paulino was so bad, that Wieters caught a lot of day/night double headers which is not good for him. If we are going to make a run, we need a fresh Wieters, which means we need a catcher that can be solid behind the plate. Paulino was swinging a decent stick though, so maybe we can get something in a trade.

Chavez is a different story. He was supposed to bring us a great glove in the outfield, but he wasn't much better than Reimold in the field and he was awful at the plate. What should we do with this guy? Is it time to cut bait? I would hate for Chavez to get Avery's at bats, and don't see any advantage he brings over the X-Man. The only thing I can think of is that it gives the X-Man more time to develop. I actually like bringing up Hoes for left and platooning him and X. That could be just what we need out there. Of course we may have to get rid of Reynolds and/or Betemit to pull that off, but I am ok with that. If we want to make a run, then lets put an actual baseball team on the field. No more worthless fielders in the field. Fix the defense, stop giving up easy runs and see what happens. I think the pitching staff will be happy if that move is made.

As for the trade deadline, I will have more on that soon. As much as I want to see a big deal like Grienke, I don't want to give up the farm. I would be more impressed if Duquette found a taker for Reynolds, Chavez, Betemit, Gregg, and Paulino. Unlikely, but possible.

-Noland

Roster Moves and Mascot Analysis

The Orioles made several roster moves today following the 17 inning marathon yesterday. As expected, Stu Pomeranz came up north, but he wasn't alone. One of my favorites, Jason Berken, also came up north. An expected move happened in Wada being placed on the 60 day DL to make room for Pomeranz on the 40. However, that was the only expected move. Hunter was sent down to Norfolk to give Berken a shot at coming up. Berken will likely get the start Friday if he is not needed before then. If he is needed, than another roster move will need to be made by Friday. Additionally, Exposito was not sent out for Pomeranz, but Ronny Paulino. I don't think anyone saw Paulino getting sent down. This is wild.

If you wanted a look at the mascot analysis for the Baltimore Orioles, my cousin Adam found this picture featuring it. This is interesting stuff.

That is pure craziness. In another wild story, Brandon Snyder is starting at 3rd base for the Rangers and has 2 RBIs tonight. Would you rather have this guy than Nick Johnson? Mark Reynolds? Crazy game this baseball.

-Noland

Showalter Ejected, but O's Win

Buck Showalter was ejected in the 6th inning and the Orioles responded with a win. The birds won in the 10th inning following the ejection. Guess why Showalter was ejected? He was ejected protecting Nick Markakis who was upset with a strike call. How does Markakis respond? The right fielder ended his RBI drought and got all three Oriole RBIs for the game. That'll do, that'll do. Nick Markakis is up to 8 RBIs on the young season.

Wei Yei Chen was brillant on the bump today for the O's, but ended up with a no decision. Chen gave up 1 run in 6 1/3 innings. Only giving up one run in six innings to that lineup is a job well done. Darren O'Day had another great outing and is looking like a better pickup by the day. O'Day lowered his ERA to 1.17 today, not bad for a guy we got for free.

The amazing pitching didn't end with Chen and O'Day either. After Strop gave up a run, Jim Johnson came in and did what Jim Johnson does. Johnson saved his seventh game. He is now 7 for 7 on save attempts. If he keeps this up the O's will have multiple all-stars for the first time in a long time.

There are a few more interesting notes from this game. Nolan Reimold had to sit out again with neck spasms. Endy Chavez had his best game of the young season today and scored a key run while playing fantastic defense in Reimold's place. Check out Roch's piece on Chavez. Ronny Paulino got the start for Wieters as the best catcher in baseball got the day off, or so we thought. Wieters pinch hit for Paulino and got a key hit at a crucial time in the game. Robert Andino also had another fantastic game, going 2 for 3 and scoring 2 runs. One of the runs Andino scored was the winning run and he is now hitting .316. Time to smile O's fans.

-Noland