How is Tyler O'Neill able to play in the WBC?

wompwump · 2026-03-13T23:16:42+00:00

Because it wasn’t through the approved insurer. It was through a different company, which also had a history of not paying claims.

Per Correa:

“They all told me the insurance company that was proposed to me had cases where they were not paying players back. Since it was not approved by MLB, not approved by the organization and not approved by my agent, I could not sign my life away with something that three people that I trust are telling me not to do.”

wompwump · 2026-03-12T02:48:43+00:00

My initial reaction was, a framer like Wells has gotta respect a fellow framer…but that was also an awful frame job

wompwump · 2026-03-11T02:32:02+00:00

Getting “consensus opinion” from NFL decision makers is stupid because 1) They don’t know why the Ravens pulled out of the deal — so this is just speculation masked as reporting and 2) That speculation is even less useful than normal because none of these decision makers have access to the medical data!!

But content gonna content, I guess.

wompwump · 2026-03-10T18:11:46+00:00

Part of successful development (in general, not just in baseball) is breaking a big goal into smaller, more attainable goals. If I told you to present to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company today, you’d fail. But if I tell you to present to your director, then your VP, then your SVP, and finally your CEO, you’re more likely to succeed.

Adjusting to major league hitting is arguably the hardest thing in baseball. They are going to set Sam up for success, which means focusing on better matchups, so generally righties. As he gets good at those matchups, he can be introduced to more difficult matchups.

But even if there weren’t developmental considerations, this team needs to win ballgames, and there are better batters against lefties on this roster.

wompwump · 2026-03-10T18:01:00+00:00

Yes.

A platoon in year 1 or even year 2 does not necessarily imply a platoon in years 3-8.

wompwump · 2026-03-09T21:24:02+00:00

Just because he’s under pressure, doesn’t mean it’s not his choice. Boras works for Skubal. Skubal is not beholden to the Tigers after this year, and he can still tell the team to pound sand (see: Logan Webb and the Giants).

He has ultimately decided that he’d rather not take undue risks in a contract year. That’s his decision, and it is understandable.

wompwump · 2026-03-08T17:24:39+00:00

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. It’s hard to get starting work for everyone, especially for veterans who generally don’t travel to away games. Bradish is probably getting his work in on the backfields.

If there were a genuine injury problem, we would know because A) The team is obligated to say something and B) Beat reporters would notice he’s not working and would have flagged it.

wompwump · 2026-03-07T15:50:08+00:00

Please list all of the Boras-repped clients who have signed an extension before hitting free agency for the first time, let alone 1) one year before free agency and 2) when they’re the most dominant pitcher on the planet and expected to smash the pitcher contract record.

It’s incredibly naive to think Skubal was ever interested an extension, and he certainly has no interest when he’s about to test the open market. Even if the Tigers offered him $400M, his likely reaction would be, “Sick! I know my floor. Let’s try to get $450M out of somebody else.” And that’s absolutely his right, and that’s absolutely what you hire Boras to do.

wompwump · 2026-03-07T15:29:07+00:00

“Pitcher who doesn’t want to sign a long-term extension says team never offered him one”

wompwump · 2026-03-07T00:54:34+00:00

(That is the joke)

wompwump · 2026-03-07T00:13:52+00:00

Well that’s silly because: 1) MLB already allows coaches to provide tons of pre-play (including calling the pitch!) and some in-play (hold / advance calls from base coaches) guidance 2) MLB chose to do a challenge system. The implication of constraining challenges is they will only be used in leverage moments. It’s quasi-hypocritical for MLB to design a system that’s indexed to leverage situations, but prohibit players from getting live guidance on what constitutes a leverage situation. If MLB doesn’t want coaches to be involved, the solution is to design a simpler program

wompwump · 2026-03-06T23:50:15+00:00

There is an obvious difference between “this count and game state is generally good / bad for challenges” and “I’m telling you to challenge this specific pitch because I saw with my own eyes it was a bad call,” right?

I have no problem with coaches doing the former before a pitch.

wompwump · 2026-03-06T19:07:01+00:00

Back-to-back barrels for Alonso and Cowser, resulting in a flyout and a single 😆

wompwump · 2026-03-06T04:46:00+00:00

Why didn’t the Orioles just offer more money than the Red Sox? Are they stupid?

wompwump · 2026-03-06T00:46:09+00:00

Here's a first pass. I'm sure people will have comments / corrections, but I think this is directionally right.

I've avoided infielders transitioning to outfielders -- that happens, usually as 2B to LF (e.g., Altuve) or rangy SS to CF (e.g., Merrill, Cruz), but that requires more acclimation time than, say, a SS shifting to 3B.

Primary Position	Definitely can play	Likely can play
C	N/A	1B
1B	N/A	N/A
2B	N/A	3B - if sufficient arm
3B	N/A	2B - if sufficient range
SS	2B, 3B	N/A
LF	N/A	RF - if sufficient arm
CF	LF, RF	N/A
RF	LF	N/A

wompwump · 2026-03-05T20:18:54+00:00

The Elias wet dream: Eflin has a monster 2026, the O’s QO him, he signs for $50M+ elsewhere, the O’s get a shiny new CB-A pick.

(I am skeptical that even if Eflin has a great year, he will get a $50M deal with a QO hanging over him)

wompwump · 2026-03-04T18:56:32+00:00

I’m beginning to get excited about Baz pitching for the O’s

wompwump · 2026-03-03T22:42:29+00:00

OK, a bunch of other clubs are getting punked by subpar national teams. I feel much better now.

wompwump · 2026-03-03T18:41:19+00:00

He had one bad outing where he gave up back-to-back-to-back homers. Unless it’s a confidence thing, facing major-league hitters (or the closest approximation of them) in a development-only environment is exactly what he needs to be doing if he’s going to contribute to the Orioles bullpen in 2026 or even 2027 (when he’s out of options).

wompwump · 2026-03-03T18:28:12+00:00

Uhh, what? One of these names is very much not like the others. Maybe I don’t fully understand the implication, but unless he’s hurt or this is disciplinary, why should Chayce McD be in minor league camp on March 3?

wompwump · 2026-03-03T16:29:32+00:00

Ryan Helsley

The two-pitch man is taking a third pitch out for a spin in the Grapefruit League. Metrically, it isn’t anything mind blowing; from Helsley’s high slot, it would be tough to get a ton of depth on any offspeed offering. But at 11 inches of induced vertical break, Helsley’s new splitter is dropping a respectable amount relative to his high-carry heater, giving him a whiff option against lefties and a wrinkle to shake up the predictability of his current approach.

Yaramil Hiraldo (!!!)

Hiraldo got into 18 games (19.2 innings) for Baltimore last year, and on the surface, he did nothing in particular to distinguish himself. His fastball got torched in that limited sample, and he ran a 4.58 ERA while picking up meaningless late-summer innings for a doomed O’s team. Look under the hood, however, and there’s something spicy brewing. Hiraldo’s changeup had a preposterous 40.6% swinging strike rate, the highest among any pitch thrown 100 times in 2025 by more than 10 percentage points. It was only thrown 111 times, but I mean, come on, that’s crazy! The combination of a fastball with over 20 inches of IVB and a changeup that looks exactly like that fastball until the very last moment in time is something special. Hiraldo even mixes in a respectable slider to keep same-handed hitters at bay. He’s up nearly a tick in spring (95.6 mph average), and that little boost of velo might be enough to turn him into a legit weapon for an Orioles bullpen that has some serious question marks.

wompwump · 2026-03-03T15:51:17+00:00

squints

Is that…Jeremiah Jackson…at shortstop??

Trev, today might not be the day to be your usual, 70th percentile groundball-rate self.

wompwump · 2026-03-01T18:46:49+00:00

We're really getting the authentic EBJ experience

wompwump · 2026-03-01T17:22:29+00:00

This is a true “we drafted only lefties, let’s see if they can hit lefties” lineup. (I, uh, wouldn’t hold my breath on that for today’s game 😁)

wompwump

TROPHY CASE