This month, the Orioles took the clock down from atop the scoreboard so it can undergo a complete refurbishment, which it hasn’t received since it went up more than 30 years ago.
Baltimore’s bullpen depth remains a question mark with less than a week before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, and losing Kade Strowd from the mix doesn’t help.
Two sources said Baltimore has been engaged with Zac Gallen this winter, and Gallen could be a strong bounce-back candidate after posting the worst season of his career.
“And, as we have demonstrated our continued commitment to making sure we’re playing top-tier baseball, our fans have acknowledged that,” said Catie Griggs, the team’s president of business operations. “There is definitely excitement in this market. We are seeing that in ticket sales.”
“For him, everything I know, every conversation with him, the background on him, he’s a competitor and he wants to get better and he’s a team-first guy,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “So, when you have that makeup, he’s going to be just fine.”
At Eebee's in the Shaw neighborhood, the Orioles remain top dog over the hometown Nationals. When the season arrives this year, the Orioles will be on television.
Additionally, because players were scheduled to arrive in Baltimore from around the country, some originally scheduled participants aren’t able to make appearances Friday.
The largest splash is shortstop Jose Luis Acevedo, a 17-year-old from the Dominican Republic who signed for a franchise-record bonus of $2.3 million, a source said.