Orioles Offseason Update - Delmon Young Returns, A Healthy Manny Machado At Minicamp, Duquette Rumors, And More

1/16/2015 4:05 PM

With football season in Baltimore over with, all focus is now on the O’s. The club still hasn’t made a splash in free agency and fans are growing frustrated with that. These fans have to realize that there is still plenty of time for this team to make moves, whether it’s a trade or a free agent. This will not be the roster that takes the field on Opening Day. Moves will be made, this organization has showed it will do anything and everything to repeat as A.L. East champs this year.

Delmon Young Returns

A move that was celebrated by most O’s fans, DH/OF Delmon Young signed a one-year deal worth $2.25 million with incentives can get the deal up to $3 million. Young was a stud off the bench for the Orioles last year, hitting 7 homers, knocking in 30, and batting .302 during the regular season. Can’t forget his monster double in the ALDS, just as clutch as they come.

Big fan of bringing him back, and barring any major move to go out and get an established hitter, it looks like he’ll be the Orioles primary DH. I’m excited to see the numbers Young can put up in Camden Yards with a full year of at-bats. Not sure if I expect him to be over .300 again this year, but you can count on him for some timely hits, he’ll continue to mash off lefties, and he’ll probably embarrass himself in the field a few times, but you can’t win em all.

Hey Delmon, how does it feel to be back?

Minicamp Notes

- Chris Tillman showed up looking… tubby? I’m all in favor of adding some extra muscle, maybe adding some velocity to his fastball, but the guy looks like he’s been partying with David Wells. Could be the angle, could be the grainy cellphone picture, could be me overreacting to a picture, or it could be him being 100 pounds overweight. Good news out of camp was that he said he is open to signing a long-term extension. Let’s get this thing done, lock him up. I don’t care how fat he gets, if he can win 15-18 games for the next 6 years, he can eat whatever he wants.

– The Birds welcomed a grandfather to minicamp as former Orioles reliever and NBA player Mark Hendrickson is attempting a comeback as a sidearmed thrower now. Why the hell not? Dude’s got nothing to lose, “YOLO” as the kids say. Microscopic chance he makes it, but how often do you get a 40-year-old, 6’9 former power forward in camp? Don’t break a hip grandpa.

Photo courtesy of Eduardo Encina

– Manny Machado showed up to camp, and according to reports, he feels great. Machado told MASN reporter Roch Kubatko, “I’ve got 2 new knees.” Huge news if true, pray for the rest of the A.L. East. Machado tested his repaired knees by running from home to second with no discomfort. Manny also told Kubatko that except for his wedding and honeymoon, he’s been working out and rehabbing- you can tell, he looks more muscular, gotta love a beefy Manny.

A GOD!!! Gotta love this Kanye personality Machado has now. He’s itching to get back on the field and prove that he can stay healthy and play a full season. I can’t wait to watch him this year, a healthy Machado, plus an adderalled up Davis, and a healthy Wieters easily replaces the production of Cruz and Markakis. Machado will meet with his doctors one more time before Spring Training starts to see if he’s fully cleared to participate.

Dan Duquette Situation

This is such a strange story to me. This story originally popped up in December, saying that Toronto wanted the O’s current executive vice president Dan Duquette to be their President and CEO. It was quickly debunked and seemed to be over. It resurfaced this week when Ken Rosenthal reported that the two teams were discussing a compensation package that would send Duquette up north. Rosenthal then reported that the team’s were not close to a deal, and some members of the O’s want Duquette to go because of the uncomfortable situation it may create. Peter Angelos came out and pulled his lawyer lines saying Duquette is under contract until 2018 and can’t leave until then.

My thoughts on this is that if DD wants to go, which he does, they have to let him go. Can’t hate on the guy for wanting a promotion, and why keep the guy around who doesn’t want to be here. I have no doubt he will still be professional in the workplace if he stays, but who knows how it’ll affect the team this year. Get whatever you can for him, Joey Bats, Marcus Stroman, whoever. Just thank him for what he did here, and the O’s can whoop the Blow Jays asses 19 times a year. If he leaves there are rumors of Brady Anderson or even Buck taking over the position.

Who knows how this ends up. I hope Angelos and company do everything they can to keep him here, if not, enjoy your maple syrup and Canadian bacon Dan. I trust Buck and the rest of the guys in the clubhouse to make the right moves.