The Orioles never stray too far away from their plans. Executive vice president Dan Duquette, manager Buck Showalter and the rest of the club’s decision-makers are always looking to add optionable pieces to their 40-man roster. It’s not a secret. Everyone who follows the organization – from fans to the media to...
It’s time to kick off the second year of “The Dean Jones Report” on BaltimoreBaseball.com. The minor league season started Thursday. And it only took one day for the first snowout. Double-A Bowie’s game at Akron on Friday was postponed due to snow showers and strong winds. The two teams made up...
The 2017 season is finally underway. Well, at least at the major league level. The minor leaguers will kick things off Thursday. Three of the Orioles’ four full-season affiliates start on the road this year. Only High-A Frederick – which plays Carolina at 7 p.m. Thursday – will begin at home. Triple-A...
If you’re a fan of the Orioles’ minor-league affiliates, I’m sure you already know that Baseball America released its picks for the organization’s Top 10 prospects last week. Click here if you haven’t seen the list yet. You’ll notice that my rankings don’t have a lot in common with Baseball America’s. To...
It’s clear that the Orioles’ minor league teams collectively had a rough 2016 season. As I mentioned in the final “Dean Jones Report” last week, only Delmarva finished with a winning record this year. The Orioles’ top six affiliates – Norfolk, Bowie, Frederick, Delmarva, Aberdeen and the GCL Orioles – combined...
Another minor league season is in the books. When it comes to wins and losses, the Orioles’ organization had a rough time in 2016. Norfolk (62-82), Bowie (56-86), Frederick (68-72), Aberdeen (32-43) and the Gulf Coast League Orioles (27-32) all had losing records. Only Delmarva (73-66) finished above .500 – and that...
By this time next week, the minor league baseball regular season will be complete. With seven games remaining, believe it or not, Triple-A Norfolk – and its 59-78 record – are still technically alive for a playoff spot. The Tides are in last place in the International League South Division, but all...
Yikes. Maybe I shouldn’t take a vacation again. In the two weeks since the last “Dean Jones Report,” the Orioles are 5-8. They were tied with the Toronto Blue Jays atop the American League East when I left. Now, they’re in third place, two games behind the Blue Jays and the Boston...
There’s a little less than a month remaining in the minor league season. That means we’re nearing the end of the first year of the “Dean Jones Report.” But as any Hall of Fame hitter – or great writer – will tell you, it’s never too late to make adjustments. And that’s...
The “Dean Jones Report” didn’t lose any members this week. As you know by now, the Orioles and executive vice president Dan Duquette made two deals before the nonwaiver trade deadline Monday afternoon. But neither move involved minor leaguers ranked among the club’s top 10 prospects. The organization sent Triple-A Norfolk left-hander...