Orioles News: Projecting Grayson Rodriguez’s Debut and Other MLB News

It’s Thursday, Birdland! The week is almost over, but our work here at Birds Watcher is just getting started and we have another Orioles news roundup for you to enjoy. Less pleasantries, more news. Let’s get into it!

Orioles News 12/15/22 – Projecting GrayRod’s debut date and other MLB News

Grayson Rodriguez: Opening Day Starter?!

As if the expectations placed upon GrayRod weren’t already high, imagine if he made his long-awaited debut MLB debut on Opening Day.

Rodriguez was almost certainly robbed of a debut last year when he was shut down for months due to a lat muscle injury. His stat line indicates he has nothing left to learn in the minor leagues and a promotion should be imminent. Starting the season opener may be a bit of a stretch, but Rodriguez has a very real chance to make the Opening Day roster if no further additions are made to the pitching staff.

MLB News

Carlos Correa to the 13th power

Baseball Twitter received a midnight maelstrom of notifications early Wednesday when news broke that All Star free agent shortstop Carlos Correa and the San Francisco Giants agreed to a gargantuan13 year, $350 million contract that will likely see the 28 year old end his career down by the bay. Where the watermelons grow.

Correa, while much maligned for his involvement in the Houston Astros cheating scandal, remains an elite offensive shortstop. There were a few warning signs that his defense at shortstop has begun to decline, but a move to second or third later in his career could allow a more graceful aging process for his glove.

Thor to Los Angeles

Noah Syndergaard isn’t quite the pitcher he was five or six years ago, but the big guy still throws heat and was a sought after free agent that some Orioles fans wanted in orange and black.

That won’t be happening, as the 30 year old signed a one year contract to join the Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation. The Dodgers have been rumored as players for several marquee free agents but have been surprisingly quiet this offseason. Clayton Kershaw was retained and Shelby Miller was brought in as a reclamation project, but the club lost Trea Turner, Andrew Heaney, and Tyler Anderson in addition to non-tendering Cody Bellinger. Could the purse strings be tightening up a bit to avoid a massive luxury tax hit?

That’s it for today. Enjoy the rest of your day – we hope to see you back here at the same time tomorrow!