Camdencast: A Baltimore Orioles podcast.

Around the midway point of the season, the Orioles had strong contenders for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and MVP awards. Now we're in November and the top 3 finishers were announced and all the O's have is Colton Cowser as a possible ROY winner. That's the big one, since it awards the Orioles a draft pick if he wins, so Mark hopes it comes through. Also in this episode, breaking down the Roki Sasaki situation in case the O's make a longshot bid to sign the Japanese star, and some further thoughts from the mailbag on what could be a coming free agent bonanza for the O's. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

MLB's offseason isn't even a week old and the Orioles have already made at least one surprise move in deciding not to bring back reliever Danny Coulombe on a modest contract for 2025. Mark runs down the team's routine roster maintenance over the first post-World Series days before turning to the broader question of what the O's need to do to have a successful offseason, with some focus on free agents who are suggested as possible fits for the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 1 when the Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes, we could all imagine an exciting rotation for the season. The injuries to Kyle Bradish and John Means pierced those dreams but things worked out okay after all. Mark looks at the good and the bad from the 2024 starting pitchers in the last of his season review episodes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bullpen was one of the big strengths of the Orioles in the 2023 season. For 2024, a big question was, could they continue that with Félix Bautista out for the year? In this episode, Mark runs through the various ways that this question was answered with a resounding "No," from Craig Kimbrel on down to the midseason trash heap addition of Burch Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The season didn't play out in the Orioles infield quite like fans might have hoped, particularly with Adley Rutschman's second half struggle and Jackson Holliday's flop of a debut. Mark looks at each infield position to see who delivered, who didn't, who should/will be back next year and how to feel about all of that. It's not all Adley angst, I promise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This review of the 2024 Orioles outfield is the first of Mark's four part look at the season. Starting with the outfield, we all assumed that Hays/Mullins/Santander would be the OF, and things didn't turn out that way thanks to Colton Cowser's semi-breakout. With Tony Taters about to become a free agent, things are likely to look different yet again next year, and Mark considers some of the possibilities for that before surveying the minor league system's OF depth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another season, another Orioles postseason appearance, another swift exit. Mark's dream of the Orioles winning the World Series in his lifetime must wait another year. In this raw episode, talking about what went wrong in the short two-game sweep, what needs to go right in the future, and some very early thoughts on what's going to have to change to make it better. This is more fun than 47-115, but also it sucks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a second consecutive postseason, the Orioles have gotten off to a bad start that could end up leading them to a swift exit. Mark breaks down the powerless game 1 Orioles, and on the subject of powerless, goes into an existential rant about baseball fandom and how there's nothing that any of us can do to make our favorite baseball team win, but we all care anyway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles wrapped up their regular season with a 91-71 record, giving consecutive 90+ win seasons for the first time in Mark's life - and yours too if you're 41 or younger. Their reward for this, after other MLB results on Sunday, is a wild card date against the Kansas City Royals. Did you just shudder? Mark did. In this episode, a breakdown of KC that looks favorable for the Orioles... but then again, so did the 2014 ALCS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles clinching a postseason berth in Yankee Stadium was sweet, as was their fighting off the Yankees clinching the AL East until the final game of the just-finished series. Mark reacts after an especially feel-bad loss that wrapped up the series, hoping that less-reliable relievers struggling isn't going to impact much. On the bright side, the injured hitters getting back and Burnes and Eflin lined up for games 1 and 2 feels pretty good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If things had gone better for the Orioles, they could have clinched a wild card spot this past weekend. Instead, they've only let the surging Tigers into a messy picture and the O's just keep sputtering and not sealing up their spot. Mark reacts to the latest ways the Orioles found to lose over the weekend, looks around at the other struggling teams, and tries to talk himself (and you) into believing the O's can still turn it around before they have another season of first round failure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Seranthony Domínguez blew the save on Thursday afternoon, the Orioles could have easily continued careening towards disaster. Thankfully, Anthony Santander saved us all from that dread with a walkoff home run, leaving the O's still in a pretty good postseason positions if they can only win a few more games. A big if! Mark discusses the reprieve that could soon expand if Jordan Westburg and Ramón Urías make it back from their rehab assignments soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time is running out on the 2024 season and the Orioles have still not managed to solve their big problems on offense. Mark laments after the weekend's series loss in Detroit that the O's winning the AL East is a dead dream now, and holding on to the home wild card position is in danger if they can't get this thing figured out too. After breaking down the assorted postseason position stakes, Mark looks ahead to the Giants, where the O's are going to face a couple of tough pitchers. Great! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember feeling good about the 2024 Orioles? It's been a while, and their last series against the Red Sox didn't make the good feelings return. Mark again pleads for things to get better over the final 15 games the team has left to play, lest they slip into a worse postseason spot. There are many culprits and the O's just need some of these guys to do better. Mark also updates on injured players who might return and push strugglers out of the picture, which would also help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles have scored four runs in their last four games. They're lucky to have won one of them. Mark vents his frustration with the hitters, especially Adley Rutschman, before pleading to keep things in perspective and not let the disappointment turn into bitterness as this injury-plagued O's team continues an underwhelming multi-month stretch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles are fresh off a disappointing loss to the White Sox, but they still won two out of three and that was good enough to get them into first place in the AL East. Mark surveys what's coming up for the O's fellow postseason contenders and what has to happen for the O's to make each of the different postseason spots. Also, some more thoughts on expectations - what's gone wrong and what's gone right compared to what we thought before the season began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles are STILL playing .500 since June 9 thanks to winning two of three against the Rockies, which they absolutely needed to do. Mark is feeling both relief and anxiety (as usual) thanks to the wins in combination with more O's injuries, including to their best August hitter Ramón Urías. Also in this episode, breaking down the postseason picture, trying to make sense of the rotation after Dean Kremer's injury and Zach Eflin's great return, and a little look ahead to the White Sox series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles have continued on their basic "playing .500 since early June" path by mixing in frustrating losses with fun wins that they just can't manage to string together. Mark is not feeling great about what the flaws they've shown in July and August means for October, particularly the struggle of Corbin Burnes. He tries to make himself (and you) feel better by listing off the flaws of the other AL postseason contenders. Everybody's got problems. The eventual World Series winner will overcome enough of them in October. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you knew after the Orioles trailed 5-2 heading into the eighth inning on Friday that they'd split the four-game set with the Astros, you' be thrilled. Except getting only two hits after Friday and Saturday's dramatic wins isn't too thrilling after all. Mark grapples with the continuing .500 mediocrity before turning to cheerier topics, like Samuel Basallo getting promoted to Triple-A and a variety of very young, interesting prospects having early success in the Dominican Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After losing two of three games to the Mets with both losses coming on walkoff home runs, the Orioles continue to be playing at a .500 pace since June 9. This ongoing pattern combined with the week's injury news about Zach Eflin has got Mark feeling a lot less hopeful about the 2024 team and more like in the bargaining phase of grief. In this episode, more thoughts trying to talk ourselves into an Orioles turnaround that keeps on not happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watching only the Orioles, it feels like they're barely treading water lately - because they have been, playing .500 baseball for over two months. It's still been good enough to have them in first place, thanks to the Yankees losing on Sunday. Mark was mid-recording when that result went final, so enjoy that live reaction. In this episode: Trying to find what's encouraging about the O's lately, the point where the panic would kick in, and a look ahead to the coming Mets series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles lost first place in two different areas this week, dropping a half-game behind the Yankees in the AL East and seeing their farm system fall from the top spot in MLB Pipeline's updated midseason rankings. With the team playing at a .500 pace for over two months now, Mark spends the episode trying to figure out what's not working and what might get better, followed by thoughts on what remains in the farm system and when the O's should count on more help coming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles are fresh off another one of those games where it's hard to be able to feel like they can hold on, or do good things once they get into October. Mark reacts to a frustrating Sunday loss before turning to notice that every other great team has been struggling lately too. Will the guys who are here be enough to get it done? Plus, in the mailbag, thoughts on Colton Cowser's Rookie of the Year chances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles starting rotation suffered another blow on Tuesday with Grayson Rodriguez knocked out due to what the team calls a "mild" lat strain. Mark lets out some of the angst about the rotation in this episode, but not before revisiting a mailbag question about Tony Taters and whether he's deserving of receiving a qualifying offer. Santander has been an exciting player for two months now and that's got Mark feeling differently than he did before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's been a whole lot of Orioles roster turnover in the last week and a half between the trades and the sorta-surprising promotions of Jackson Holliday and Coby Mayo. Mark looks at the results from the four-game set against the Guardians for first impressions (or second, in Holliday's case) from each of the new arrivals. There are a couple to make you wince but a few where you can be happy so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a wild week in Birdland between all of the Orioles trade deadline activity, Jackson Holliday getting called up again in the aftermath of that, and Jordan Westburg suffering a serious injury in the aftermath of THAT. In this episode, Mark breaks down the trades individually and as a big picture group, tries to figure out what the Orioles should and will do without Westburg, and closes with a last note about draft picks signing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one was more surprised than Mark to see the Orioles ship Austin Hays off to the Phillies for a couple of MLB players who maybe don't even improve the roster all that much. In this episode, Mark offers thoughts on the Hays deal plus the one that brings Zach Eflin here from the Rays. The key is that they need to be good for the O's. That's really it. Mark also surveys the remaining possible trade landscape with one wary eye and one interested eye on SF's Blake Snell. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles are 61-41 on the season but after the series they just played against the Marlins, it sure doesn't feel like this is a 97-win team. In this episode, Mark recaps the exasperating late innings of the one game the O's did win, runs through all of the guys who are seriously slumping in July, and then looks ahead to the trade deadline. Now just four days away, the Orioles seem to need a starter and bullpen help. Mark talks about who's come off the market lately before digging in to some hypothetical trades proposed by local media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles came out of the All-Star break looking like four days of rest is exactly what they needed, with two good offensive performances (and one not so good) in their first series. In this episode, Mark digs in on where things seem to stand for the trade deadline, tackles the "clutch" of the 2024 Orioles with the stat Win Probability Added, and looks ahead to the next opponent, the Marlins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles have had the All-Star break to rest up and Mark really hopes that is the cure for what was ailing the offense. In this episode, looking back at the strengths and the weaknesses over the first half of the season, before turning to what the O's need to get by the trade deadline. For Mark, that's a #2 (or maybe 3) starting pitcher and a setup man who can fill in the 9th inning. Mark surveys some of the interesting trade options and also some of the underwhelming ones. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First off: Thank goodness for that walkoff Orioles win before the All-Star break because Mark knows he's not the only one who would have been miserable. Let's not think about those guys for a few days and turn to draft picks, who we can all dream on because they've done nothing to disappoint us yet. Mark breaks down the O's picks from rounds 1-10, with thoughts on the importance of this draft to the future success of the organization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles just got swept by another up-til-now-mediocre NL Central team, the Cubs. In the process, they matched a feat last done by the 2021 Orioles. Mark is not excited to hear those guys invoked. In this episode, a little celebration of the fixing of All-Star snubs, thoughts on the struggle bus players and what to do about them, and a whole lot of nervousness about the coming Yankees series. At least they're struggling (for now) too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark went on vacation and in the time he was gone, the Orioles gained three games on the Yankees. It's fun! It's also fun that there are three Orioles All-Stars this year, even if at the same time it's a grievous insult to have ONLY three players named as All-Stars. Seriously, not even a single position player reserve? Rude. Mark salutes guys who had a case to make it. In the mailbag, a listener asks about a potential reunion with a really short-time former Oriole who's having some success in 2024. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark is away on vacation this week, so this second of two parts about former Orioles who are all across MLB this season is the Orioles chat that you're going to get. From Mike Yastrzemski to Manny Machado to Jonah Heim, everybody gets a little discussion. Let's Remember Some Guys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are the Orioles doing right now? Mark doesn't know, because he's on vacation, so he recorded this podcast ahead of time in which he shows what a sicko he is by talking about every former Oriole (or prospect) who's appeared with an MLB team this season. How sicko? It's thorough enough to discuss Tobias Myers. This is part 1 of 2, covering Angels through Dodgers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles snapped their five-game skid with a win on Wednesday and Mark is mighty glad for that because it wouldn't have been pretty to think about the team after being swept twice. There are things to worry about with the team, but then again, the Yankees have their problems too. Also in this episode, a look ahead to the Rangers, and a final check-in on some lower-ranked and unranked prospects in the system and how they've done so far this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Orioles fans know from last year, you can have a great team that finishes with a great record and it still has rough patches. Mark laments the swerve from feeling confident after the Yankees series to the dampened hopes after the Astros sweep - though it's not like he's not used to it. Also in this episode, a look ahead to the O's next opponent, the Guardians, and a mailbag question about Anthony Santander being on a 40-home run pace and what the O's should do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It doesn't get much better than the Orioles blowing out the Yankees by shelling their AL ERA leader (he's not any more), so Mark is basking in the glow of that victory with this observation: The Yankees are shook by the O's. That was obvious in the series in Baltimore and it's continued. New York is ahead in the standings for now, but the O's are in their head and it's fun. May we all deliver such stoic, swift vengeance as Gunnar Henderson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After winning two of three from the Braves, the Orioles had another test looming against the Phillies this past weekend. Mark runs through the good stuff from the weekend series with some in person impressions from Sunday, then frets about the probably pending bad news about Kyle Bradish. Guess what's next? Another test against the Yankees, with first place potentially at stake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles started off their nine games against contenders by going 2-1 against the Braves - fun except for everyone who went to the one loss, including Mark. It showed how the O's could probably use some bullpen help, which is the subject of speculation as we start with trade rumor season. Mark discusses a Ken Rosenthal rumor that the O's are checking in for righty-batting outfield help and monitoring the starter market too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles have spent the last week and a half bouncing between a couple of not-as-good AL East teams in the Rays and Jays, with the tougher stretch of Braves, Phillies, Yankees. Mark is pleased with how things are going so far, especially with positive signs for Kyle Bradish's health with his outing. In the mailbag, a reader wonders what the O's can or should do with an obviously-struggling Cedric Mullins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles are on pace for a 104-win season and they are two games better than they were at this point a year ago. Mark is trying to keep this perspective in mind, but the last two before this episode were losses and those are never fun. In this episode, talk about the debuts of Connor Norby and Cade Povich, and the fact that the TBA stuff makes everything FEEL incredibly chaotic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles took two out of three in their series against the Rays, which is good, even though the most recent game before this episode was a dumb loss and that's bad. Mark answers a reader comment about when and how much to blame Brandon Hyde for things before moving on to being sad about Friday's John Means news. Means deserved to be a bigger part of fun Orioles teams but his left elbow had another fate in mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles have played 33% of their games and they're on pace for 105 wins, Gunnar Henderson is on pace for 10+ WAR and 54 home runs, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman are playing like stars, Corbin Burnes is pitching like an ace... the team has some problems, but a whole lot is going well, too. Mark is excited. In the mailbag, thoughts on sights to see and things to eat at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since the last episode, the Orioles played five games against Sox teams and won them all. Pretty good! Mark discusses what's working out so well this year and also why it almost feels like constantly on the verge of slipping into something less fun. In the mailbag, a longtime listener notes that there's a changing of the guard coming for the outfield and wonders how soon the Orioles will make a permanent roster move to show that's happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're already tired about hearing about how the Orioles sweepless streak coming to an end, don't worry, so is Mark. No bemoaning (well, not too much) in this episode - just a last salute to a cool and fun curiosity that is another way to show how great the O's have been. What really matters is what comes next: Can the slumping hitters break out of it? From the mailbag, Mark tackles what the rotation and bullpen might have to do to make it feel like the Orioles don't need to make Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The slumping Orioles offense came through enough for two wins in three games against a great Mariners staff. It's hard to complain too much about that - though, if like Mark, you had to wait out the Saturday rain delay to watch Saturday's loss, you might have that stuck in your craw a bit. In this episode, Mark goes over the good from the series along with some concerns about how often a number of relievers have had to be used so far. Plus, thoughts on the next opponent, the Cardinals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles have fallen out of first place thanks to the Yankees beating up on the Twins, but Mark is still happy that the O's pulled off the walkoff win to salvage a game against Toronto. Other than Adley and Westburg, not much going on for the offense so far in May. Mark wonders who the O's can afford to wait for and what kind of moves they could make if they move on from someone. Plus, a look ahead at the strong pitching and not-so-strong hitting of this weekend's opponent, the Mariners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles played a stinker in failing to sweep the Diamondbacks on Sunday, but another series with two wins out of three is hard to complain about - especially for Mark, who was busy over the weekend and watching less than usual. In this episode, Mark revisits Craig Kimbrel in light of his new usage, considers the case of some struggling outfielders, and looks ahead to the next opponent, the Blue Jays. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Orioles managed to not lose to the Natoinals on Wednesday even as Craig Kimbrel blew another save and failed to complete the ninth inning. After the game, manager Brandon Hyde said the O's are sticking with Kimbrel and they need to get him right. Mark has seen about enough of Kimbrel and is not excited to hear this. Maybe it will work out. Also in this episode, a look ahead to the Diamondbacks series, where the O's have favorable pitching matchups but need to actually have the offense capitalize. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices