Early Bird Droppings: Another starting pitcher is off the board with shock departure
Happy Monday, Camden Chatters! Hope you stayed warm this weekend and are ready for the holiday week ahead. If you celebrate Christmas, maybe you were busy with last-minute preparations—or perhaps you got into the festive spirit early by watching the Ravens dominate the Steelers. Always satisfying!
Meanwhile, the Orioles stayed quiet through another weekend, as expected. There’s still time for them to add that much-needed starting pitcher and maybe bolster the bullpen, but the options are dwindling with less than two months until the first spring training game.
The Phillies made headlines Sunday morning by acquiring lefty starter Jesús Luzardo from the Marlins, along with minor league catcher Paul McIntosh, in exchange for two prospects. Luzardo, a talented but injury-prone pitcher, is under team control through 2027 and had a tough 2024 season.
The Marlins received 19-year-old shortstop Starlyn Caba, a top prospect ranked #81 by MLB Pipeline and #56 by Baseball America, as well as outfielder Emaarion Boyd, ranked 23rd in the Phillies’ system but unranked in the Marlins’ top 30. Caba slots in as the Marlins’ #3 prospect.
Should the Orioles have pursued Luzardo? It’s debatable. His talent and age (27) are appealing, but his durability and recent performance raise concerns. Plus, the Orioles lack a prospect of Caba’s caliber to offer without digging deeper into their system. Thankfully, their top prospects, like Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo, would likely have remained off-limits.
Still, it’s hard not to want the Orioles to make a splash. Just sign Corbin Burnes already, please!
Birthdays and History
Is today your birthday? If so, happy birthday! You share the day with just one Orioles birthday buddy: Dave May (b. 1943, d. 2012). May played 223 games with the Orioles from 1967 to 1970 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers midway through the 1970 season. Over his 12-year MLB career, May also played for the Braves, Rangers, and Pirates. Notably, he was part of the trade that brought Hank Aaron to the Brewers for the final two seasons of Aaron’s legendary career.
Some notable Orioles history also happened on this day:
- 1980: The Orioles signed free agent Jim Dwyer, who spent eight seasons with the team. Dwyer compiled a strong 119 OPS+ across 637 games during his Orioles tenure and played 18 seasons in the majors overall.
- 1995: The Orioles brought back Billy Ripken, who had been away from the team for three seasons. Ripken played 57 games for Baltimore in 1996.
- 2013: The Orioles claimed Liam Hendriks off waivers from the Cubs but lost him to the Blue Jays a few months later. Hendriks has since become a standout pitcher and a fan favorite. It’s a little bittersweet imagining what might have been had he stayed with the Orioles.
Here’s to celebrating your day with some Orioles nostalgia! 🎉