Orioles fall short in Bronx on active trading day
Baltimore reshapes roster to embrace rebuilding phase
NEW YORK -- Those left in the visitors' clubhouse at Yankee Stadium spent the afternoon saying goodbye, with hugs and handshakes to Kevin Gausman and Jonathan Schoop, with texts to Darren O'Day, the last in a wave of veterans traded over the past two weeks. Then the Orioles had a game to play, with both eyes set squarely on the future.
"All of a sudden, we're putting another lineup up there," manager Buck Showalter said. "A lot of things had changed."
It was with this as a backdrop that Baltimore embarked on the next phase of its full-on rebuild, which figures to feature games like Tuesday night's 6-3 loss to the Yankees. The Orioles hope that the fruits of their flurry of July sendoffs -- the prospects acquired for Gausman, Schoop, O'Day, Manny Machado and Zach Britton -- soon comprise the type of winning core those players did in the not-so-distant past.
"When you start the teardown," said executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette. "You have to reinvest your resources to build it back up."
The Orioles know many of those recently acquired assets will take time to reach the big leagues, which is why Duquette has often referenced a three-year plan to return to contention. In the meantime, they'll rely heavily on pieces already in place, like relievers Jhan Marinez and Tanner Scott, who provided scoreless innings in relief of Yefry Ramirez on Tuesday. The same applies to Ramirez, who fell to 1-4 in his sixth MLB start. Ramirez allowed six runs in five innings, departing soon after Miguel Andujar's three-run home run in the fifth put the game out of reach.
"They're going to get opportunities here that [they] may not have, and all the people we've acquired are people that could fill their shoes," Showalter said.
That applies less to the Orioles' lineup, which remains anchored by veterans on significant contracts. A day removed from scoring 37 runs over a four-game span against the Rays over the weekend, Baltimore was held scoreless for six innings by winning pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Jace Peterson finally broke through with a two-run double off A.J. Cole in the eighth and put the Orioles within striking distance by scoring on an Andujar error later. But Dellin Betances and Albertin Chapman recorded the final five outs (all via strikeout), snapping Baltimore's three-game win streak and sealing what Adam Jones called their "fire sale" with a loss.
Jones did not run from the reality that more would be on the way.
"I'm a professional, so I'm going to show up every day, play the game as hard as I can and live with the results," said Jones, who is one of the few mainstays left after exercising his 10-and-5 rights to veto trades the club had in place. "I believe the team will follow suit. Might not look pretty some days, might look pretty some days. It's not going to be all grandeur and all that stuff. We are going to struggle the next two months. But you can go out there and control how you play the game, control your attitude, control your energy, control your effort. Just because you don't get the necessary results doesn't mean you are not trying."
ROSTER MOVES
After Tuesday's trades, the Orioles made a pair of roster moves prior to the game and are expected to add another player on Wednesday. The club selected the contract of righty Cody Carroll from Triple-A Norfolk. Carroll, a former Yankees prospect, was acquired in the Britton trade. They also recalled infielder Breyvic Valera from Norfolk. Valera was acquired in the Machado trade.
INJURY REPORT
Lefty reliever Richard Bleier was in the clubhouse after having his sling removed six weeks after lat surgery. Bleier is out for the season and aiming to return in Spring Training.
HE SAID IT
"When players walked out years ago, walked the picket lines, they did all that for reasons like right now. I earned this. It's my decision. I don't have to explain it to nobody. It's my decision. ... Here's the thing about society: Everyone thinks they know what's best for the next person. If somebody wants to pay all my bills, they can tell me what to do. Until then? Shut the hell up." -- Jones, on his decision to invoke his 10-and-5 rights
UP NEXT
The Orioles complete this two-game series at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday with a 1:05 p.m. ET tilt. Alex Cobb (2-14, 6.08 ERA) takes the ball for Baltimore, eying his first win since June 5. He'll be opposed by right-hander Sonny Gray (8-7, 5.08), who is 3-0 in three starts vs. the Orioles this season. This will be Cobb's first start against the Yankees in 2018.