The Baltimore Orioles have historically struggled to attract effective free agents, but pitcher Kyle Gibson has been an exception. He loves Vaccaro’s, Little Italy and the Inner Harbor, but what really sold him on Baltimore is something more profound.
Current Orioles remember well the lessons they learned playing at Aberdeen. But Jackson Holliday, the No. 1 pick in last year’s MLB draft, is uninterested in contemplating the adjustments he’ll have to make at this level. And in his first game, a soaring home run showed why he’s so confident.
As other teams and agents tried unsuccessfully to crack Lamar Jackson, Raven GM Eric DeCosta’s familiarity and patience with the mercurial QB helped keep him in Baltimore.
There's still work to do, but general manager Eric DeCosta addressed the biggest question marks and prevented a drag-out scenario with Lamar Jackson that would have hung over the franchise and bled into the fall.
Zay Flowers’ press conference offered deeper insight into his personality and the character traits that have helped pave an unlikely path to a top prospect.
The Ravens and Lamar Jackson wounded each other in a tortured negotiation process that was full of drama. But in carving out a historic deal, both sides showed how necessary it was to reconcile.