The AL East opponent adds a former MVP to its roster

Good morning, Birdland,

There have been two pretty major baseball pieces of news in the last 24 hours.

First, the Yankees acquired 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger from the Cubs in exchange for pitcher Cody Poteet. The deal also includes $5 million in cash payments, which will go to the Yankees in two installments: $2.5 million for Bellinger’s salary in 2025 and $2.5 million for either his 2026 player option or the half of his $5 million buyout. Bellinger’s player option for 2026 is worth $25 million if he exercises it.

Bellinger has had a roller coaster ride over the last few years, finishing with the Dodgers as he posted an OPS+ of 44 in 2021 and an OPS+ of 81 in 2022. The Cubs took a chance on him in 2023 and were rewarded with a 4.4 bWAR campaign. Bellinger made it the bigger deal that he does today. He was okay last year, hitting .266/.325/.426 with 18 home runs, but not good enough for his handsome salary. He’s a better fit for the Yankees, who were looking for both a center fielder and a first baseman. Bellinger is expected to do more of the former, but depending on what happens this offseason, he could also do the latter. Of course, if the Yankees get better, that’s bad for the Orioles.

More significant news overall was the release of a study that sought to explain the recent rise in pitching injuries. This linked ESPN article has lots of good charts and graphs, while Jeff Passan provides a more streamlined analysis.

In general, players throw very, very hard and put a lot of effort into adding spin to the ball. This puts unprecedented pressure on the elbows of players in major leagues, minor leagues and amateurs, as they now have access to technology that can serve as a reinforcement mechanism and encourage them to throw harder and harder.

What is the solution? It’s unclear. Right now, pitchers who throw hard and miss the bat are valuable. You get paid. There would have to be a cultural shift toward pitchers who encourage contact but go deeper into games and stay healthy.

This may require changes to the rules that reward teams for keeping pitchers in the game. This would in turn influence the training of regiments to promote endurance rather than power.

It all makes sense. But it’s not like a switch can be flipped. This report is the first step. We’ll see what happens from here.

Left

Sanchez ready to do ‘whatever helps’ Orioles win in AL East return | MLB.com
This signing is still a bit confusing to me. Gary Sanchez is a good hitter, but his defense is questionable. That’s an atypical profile for a backup, but it’s not like James McCann is any Gold Glove winner. Sánchez should be an upgrade overall. Maybe the O’s can unlock some of the pop from earlier in his career.

O’s Koby Perez on Samuel Basallo and more | Steve Melewski
The Orioles’ renewed interest in Latin America is finally bearing fruit. It’s still a long way from a full harvest, but the early bloomers are just around the corner. Basallo is the crown jewel and should be given all season to refine his defensive game.

Speed, maximum effort can lead to pitching injuries; Rule changes should be considered | The Baltimore Banner
Here’s a nod from Orioles to the pitching injury report mentioned above.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy Birthday!

• Jeremy Accardo turns 43. He appeared in 31 games for the O’s in 2011 and posted a 5.73 ERA.
• The late one Gino Cimoli (born 1929, died 2011) was born on this day. The outfielder played 38 games for the Orioles in 1964. With Baltimore he hit .138/.164/.259.

This day in the history of O

2011 – The Orioles and outfielder Endy Chavez agree to a one-year contract.

2013 — Amid a flurry of moves around the MLB, the O’s are sending infielder Danny Valencia to the Royals in exchange for outfielder David Lough.