Paredes, who turned 30 in September, is no stranger to Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias. He originally signed with the Astros as an amateur back in 2016, when Elias was the scouting director in Houston. Elias had already jumped to Baltimore by the time Paredes had emerged as one of Houston's more notable pitching prospects and then made his subsequent MLB debut, however.
That's obviously a tiny sample of work but his minor league track record also isn't great. From 2021 to 2023, he hit .233/.350/.419 on the farm. That offense translates to a 104 wRC+, indicating he was above average but barely. He struck out in 29% of his plate appearances in that time. In 2024, he had a monster .299/.372/.514 showing in Triple-A.
Fans may recall that the Toronto Blue Jays signed Walker in mid-December last winter, adding another name to the bullpen mix heading into the new season. He didn't crack the big league roster out of Spring Training and was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Walker would be recalled on April 21st, making three appearances. The New York product would allow eight hits, four earned runs, and two walks across five innings of work, striking out eight hitters.
The Orioles will not retain bench coach Robinson Chirinos for the 2026 season, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. Kostka writes that Chirinos technically remains under contract but is pursuing opportunities elsewhere. That's common practice when teams make managerial changes. Chirinos was hired just last offseason to replace Fredi González as Brandon Hyde's top lieutenant. That lasted all of six weeks into the regular season. Baltimore fired Hyde after starting the season with a 15-28 record.
The O's just finished up a disappointing 2025 season. After making the playoffs in the prior two campaigns, they fell to the basement of the American League East this year, finishing 75-87. Their lack of rotation depth was a big part of that but the lineup also wasn't great. The team hit a collective .235/.305/.394. The resultant 96 wRC+ was better than just nine clubs in the majors.
The Braves visited the Detroit Tigers for their final road series of the year, with Atlanta's season moribund and Detroit desperately trying to hang on to a playoff spot. The first game of the series was a Friday night game and Atlanta absolutely rocked Detroit's starting pitcher - whom they acquired in a Trade Deadline deal. That set off a chain of events that led to one of the emotional high points of Atlanta's 2025 campaign,
Mike Elias quietly received a promotion in the offseason, per reporting from Ken Rosenthal and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. His previous title with the Orioles was general manager but he was promoted to president of baseball operations before the 2025 campaign began. Today's report adds that the O's plan to hire a GM to work under Elias. The title change is largely ceremonial.
Miller went to the Charm City to be a part of the 30th anniversary celebration of Cal Ripken Jr.'s record-breaking "Iron Man" streak, as Ripken passed Lou Gehrig with his 2,131st consecutive game on Sept. 6, 1995. Miller was the Orioles' primary radio broadcaster from 1983 to 1996, which covered the vast majority of Ripken's streak, and was on the radio call for the record-breaking night.
Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning to lift the Boston Red Sox to a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. After Keegan Akin (4-4) worked out of a jam in the eighth to preserve a one-run lead, the left-hander couldn't contain Boston in the ninth. Jarren Duran led off with a single and Rafaela followed with a towering fly that cleared the wall in left-center.
The Orioles have claimed left-hander Josh Walker off waivers from the Phillies, according to announcements from both clubs. The O's have optioned the southpaw to Triple-A Norfolk. They already had a 40-man vacancy from outrighting outfielder Jordyn Adams a few days ago, so no corresponding move was required. The Phils designated Walker for assignment earlier this week. More to come.
