Orioles executive VP John Angelos seemingly put an end to any speculation that the team could be moved, as he told a collection of Baltimore business leaders today that the O’s would remain in the city “as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor.” After the panel discussion was over, Angelos reiterated to Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun that “our partnership group is all local, people that are heavily invested now and indefinitely in the city and the future of this city, and that’s just real. The Orioles are a Baltimore institution. The Orioles will be in Baltimore, be in Maryland. That’s the beginning and the end as far as I’m concerned.”
John and Peter Angelos, the sons of Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos, have mostly taken over the regular operations of the franchise as their father is in advanced age and is reportedly dealing with health issues. Rumors swirled that the family could be looking to sell the team to a buyer that could potentially take the Orioles to a new city, with Nashville mentioned as a potential destination. Technically, Angelos’ comments didn’t address the possibility that his family could still sell the Orioles, though even if this avenue was pursued, it seems clear that the club would only be sold to someone committed to remaining in Baltimore.
Some more from the American League…
- Yandy Diaz is hoping to return from the injured list for either the postseason or for the tail end of the Rays’ regular season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link). Diaz hit .270/.343/.480 with 14 homers over 344 plate appearances this year, but he has been out since July 22 due to a hairline fracture in his left foot. Diaz has already suffered one setback in his recovery from the injury, though he worked out at Tropicana Field today. The Rays would have to make a 40-man roster move if they did activate Diaz, as he has been on the 60-day IL.
- The Red Sox are “aiming for the biggest names” in their search for a new general manager/head of baseball operations, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes (subscription required). The major pressure and seemingly very short leash associated with the job, however, could make some executives hesitate about taking one of the sport’s marquee jobs. Both Dave Dombrowski and Ben Cherington were fired after less than four years on the job, despite the fact that both men built World Series-winning rosters. That lack of long-term security (even in the face of on-field success) might not appeal to executives who would have to move their families to, and perhaps from Boston, in short order. There’s also the challenge of having to juggle the team’s big payroll while adding young talent, and also remaining in contention at all times.
- Royals bullpen coach Vance Wilson is expected to be a managerial candidate this offseason, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets. “Some executives believe he absolutely has a future as a manager,” Feinsand writes about the 46-year-old, who may be best known for an eight-year playing career with the Mets and Tigers from 1999-2006. Wilson worked as a manager at three different levels of Kansas City’s farm system for seven seasons before moving into his current role as bullpen coach in November 2017. It stands to reason that the Royals themselves would have interest in speaking to Wilson about their own managerial vacancy, potentially replacing the retiring Ned Yost.
Kind of strange that someone would think the Orioles would move to Nashville, which already has a baseball team, albeit it is a minor-league one…
John Angelos owns a home there.
And?
One of the unappreciated aspects of the Angelos regime is its local roots and the implications that has for keeping the O’s in their longtime home.
The sons of Mr. Angelos are John and Louis.
The Mariners are not mentioned in this article. Forgot to add that piece or type-o on the headline?
It was in invisible ink you have to rub your screen really fast and it will appear for 30 secs never to be seen again. Only the first 100 people could read it and we were swore to a vow of secrecy. Sorry I don’t want to get kicked.
damn. maybe next time then
I really doubt there are many baseball executives that would turn down a chance to run the Red Sox because they fired Cherrington and Dombrowski after less than 4 years. I mean YES it is an extremely stressful/demanding job in this market but the opportunity to run a team with so much payroll $, a commitment to winning and the history of the club all seem like they would be enticing enough to outweigh the potential “risk” of being fired in a few years… also if you do a good job… then worrying about being fired shouldn’t really be the primary concern! haha
You did read the part that said they would have to move to Boston didn’t you?
I kid
This Bosox article is based on an outside exec. from a division rival … yankees or tampa???? That is pretty shabby reporting seems to me… also Cherrington wasn’t fired he turned down the Gm job after Dave was hired as the President of baseball operations, Ben got lucky one year and was a disaster last place finisher the other years. Dombrowski was hired to put fix the Cherrington problems by trading prospects (Ben refused to) to put a winning team on the field. Dave did his job and it seems to me his tenure was good but when the team needed to change direction to find it’s way in the future his skill set wasn’t that good. To compete they have to change course just like all the teams have above them.
I’ve been a DD supporter and Cherington brasher on this cite. It appears both got fired due to stupid big contracts that ownership had to have signed off on. Big payroll doesn’t guarantee anything but big taxes. Both prior GMs deserve credit in hindsight as each won a championship during a period when the Yankees didn’t win one.
Site before the spelling police riddle me.
My spelling was horrible. Cherington Basher. Miss Brown would not be happy (my second grade teacher and first crush…).
Why would you take a position where you get fired even when you succeed, where the fan base expects the team to go 162-0, and you know you will get hammered by the media on a daily basis?
Cherington wasn’t fired. He quit as GM when Dombrowski was hired as President. He was asked to stay by ownership.
So that’s a mischaracterization.
Dombrowski and his poor management caused issues up and down the organization. He deserved to be fired regardless of the fact that they won in 18’ dispite his bumbling.
Cherington had been with the Red Sox since 1997 so we’re only really talking about Dombrowski having to leave and frankly, that’s on his poor management.
No one would turn down that job because of what happened to Dombrowski.
Mariners?
Mariners?
Mariners?
Angelos please sell the team. Tired of going nowhere. Your whole family doesn’t have any idea on what you have been trying to accomplish. Enough already. Sell!
Your comment doesn’t seem to make much sense. What does it mean, “[y]our whole family doesn’t have any idea on what you have been trying to accomplish”?
Idk what you’re going on about, but the team mow has a clearer direction than they’ve had in the last 20+ years. There’s plenty to be excited about right now.
“The lack of long-term security, the challenge of having to juggle the team’s big payroll while adding young talent, and also remaining in contention at all times.”
This is a strange comment about the Boston GM job.
What GM’s out there have long term job security, don’t have to juggle payroll, don’t have to add good young talent while remaining in contention?
And all with a team that had the highest payroll in the MLB in 2018 and 2019.
But yet Boston is one of the sport’s marquee jobs? Right or so the author says?
Why would anyone expect to come here, or anywhere else, and expect to fail and continue to be allowed to fail?
Why wouldn’t a smart GM see that the team has nowhere to go but up with the talent, fan base and resources Boston has?
Why wouldn’t a smart GM realize we have money to spend here in Boston? That isn’t true of many other teams. Just watch Moneyball and ask Billy Beane.
Why wouldn’t a smart GM be able to evaluate good young less expensive talent and bring it to Boston?
Tampa and Oakland have a payroll ranging between 25-40% of Boston’s and yet both team are ahead of Boston in the standings in 2019 and they don’t have any inflated expensive aging injured ballplayers making over $30M per year.
Why would’t a smart GM see the opportunity to make a name in Boston.
Why does Oakland get to be a Moneyball team and not Boston?.
We have Bill James here in Boston who wrote the bible on Sabermetrics.
Boston could be a Moneyball team with Money.
How can a smart GM lose?
I read this because of the Mariners…..NOTHING ABOUT MARINERS, what’s up with that?
Moneyball was made by Hollywood. Its BASED on a true story. But the book and the movie were written to excite and keep audiences interested. You can say 82% was Hollywood written.
Boston tried to lure Beane and failed. Boston won 2 WS after the movie. Beane is STILL trying to win the last game of the season.
My point is what John Henry said to Billy Beane.
He was impressed with:
“HOW MLB TEAMS PERFORM RELATIVE TO THEIR PAYROLL”
I’m saying use the model Billy Beane used in the movie originated by Bill James (Sabermetrics).
Select your team in the off season on a return on investment valuation.
Just as Billy Beane did in Moneyball.
You may recall Billy Beane was on a budget.
He had to compete at 25% of the payroll of the NYY.
Bring in the best values that get you the stats you want for out of favor prices.
Save money and increase your farm system with these inexpensive bargain aging or released players and bring them up to the majors as needed.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that you’re diversified and have a lower risk due to your lower payroll costs.
You lose a $30M guy you’re in trouble.
You lose a $1M guy your in a position to add more talent because you have more money to spend.
At the trade deadline pick up the players from teams out of it who will want to unload payroll.
Then let those players go after the season ends unless you think they are worth keeping beyond that season and if you can get a good price on their services.
That’s what every successful business does.