The Orioles have signed a big leaguer and announced th

eir minor league coaching staffs."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Commentary & AnalysisOrioles ProspectsOrioles Game RecapsOrioles News and RumorsCamdencastBird DroppingsSaturday’s Bird Droppings: Where we enter the final weekend without baseballNew Yuli Gurriel Jersey ,57commentsThe Orioles have signed a big leaguer and announced their minor league coaching staffs.ESTShareTweetShareShareSaturday’s Bird Droppings: Where we enter the final weekend without baseballKim Klement-USA TODAY SportsMorning, Birdland!It’s been a brutally cold off-season in the Baltimore area, and the threat of snow and below-freezing temperatures will remain in the air for several more weeks at least. But there is an oasis nearing. Orioles pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota, Florida this week, Tuesday to be precise. Our annual, months-long nightmare is nearly over.The first official game of the Orioles spring won’t take place until February 23, there won’t be live radio coverage of any action until the 25th, apparently, and the team is yet to unveil an official TV schedule for the spring. So, we do need to contain our “excitement” for a little while longer.For now, let’s get jazzed about seeing B-roll of the pitchers playing catch and hearing interviews with a bunch of players and coaches we’ve never heard of before. Woo!LinksJoe Angel’s retiring from Orioles broadcasts - Baltimore BaseballNoooooooooooooooooooooo! It’s not official, but this is a supreme bummer if true. Blah.Orioles announce 2019 minor league coaches and development staff - CCI won’t pretend to understand the minutiae of baseball organizations and their minor league coaching decisions Jake Marisnick Jersey , but Buck Britton seems to be highly-regarded by the Orioles brass. He’s gone from Delmarva hitting coach to Delmarva manager to Bowie manager in three successive seasons across two different front offices. Pretty impressive for a 32-year-old.A Uni Watch Look at Frank Robinson - Uni WatchFrank Robinson wore a lot of uniforms during his storied career. He’s been immortalized in three cities, but we will always think of him with the smiling bird on his cap. Why signing Nate Karns is exactly the kind of move the O’s should make - The AthleticIt’s a one-year deal for Karns that could be worth as little as $800,000. The Orioles get the possible added bonus of holding onto the pitcher for an additional year through arbitration if they’re interested. It’s a fine deal for both sides. Karns joins a team that needs veteran pitching, where he will get a fair shot to prove he’s healthy and capable of staying in the bigs. Not flashy, but a logical move by Mike Elias.Can Cadyn Grenier become the next great Orioles shortstop? - The AthleticHis first season of professional baseball was not too kind to O’s second round pick Cadyn Grenier. No matter how you slice it, he struggled. But his bat started to heat up down the stretch, and his glove is highly regarded by every scouting resource. It’s too early to be comparing him to the likes of Cal, Belanger and Machado, but the 22-year-old has tools that everyone should be excited about.Orioles birthdays and historyIs it your birthday? Happy Birthday! The biggest name on the list of former Orioles celebrating a birthday today is Vladimir Guerrero. The strong-armed Hall of Famer turns 44. He spent just one season with the O’s, a 145-game 2011 season in which he hit .290/.317/.416 with 13 home runs as the team’s primary DH. His teenage son is expected to torment the Orioles as a member of the division rival Toronto Blue Jays very soon.Also born on this day was 42-year-old Napoleon Calzado, an infielder for four games on the 2005 O’s. He’s joined by 54-year-old right-handed pitcher Doug Linton, who appeared in 14 games back in ‘99. And we have two posthumous celebrations for Erv Palica (b. 1928 Joe Jimenez Jersey , d. 1982) and Vic Wertz (b. 1925, d. 1983), two players that briefly played on Orioles teams in the mid-1950’s.1982 - A trade! The O’s send infielder Wayne Krenchicki to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitcher Paul Moskau. Krenchicki would play in 332 games for the Reds across four seasons, hitting .283/.350/.393 with a 105 OPS+. Moskau would never play for the Orioles, being plucked off of waivers by the Pirates in early April.2010 - The O’s attempt to fortify their bullpen with the signings of two lefties: Mark Hendrickson and Will Ohman. It didn’t really work as the team finished 66-96. Hyun-Jin Ryu has experienced more success against the San Diego Padres than any other major league team, and the Los Angeles Dodgers hope the left-hander continues that trend Sunday in the series finale at Dodger Stadium.The Dodgers (86-69) have a 1 1/2-game lead over the Colorado Rockies for first place in the National League West.After the Dodgers conclude the series with the Padres (62-93), they’ll play their final six games on the road.Article continues below ...Colorado (84-70) wraps up a nine-game road trip at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday and plays its final seven games at home.Ryu is 6-1 in nine career starts against San Diego with a 2.52 ERA. He won both outings against the Padres this season, mainly because of his pitching, but he also benefited from better-than-average offensive support in those wins.Ryu (5-3, 2.18 ERA) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings and struck out a season-high nine batters on April 16 in a 10-3 win in San Diego.After a groin injury in May sidelined Ryu until August, he faced the Padres again Aug. 26 at Dodger Stadium and allowed two runs (one earned) and scattered 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings of the 7-3 win.Ryu went 0-2 in his next three starts with the losses coming against the New York Mets and Cincinnati Reds, two teams far out of playoff contention.He bounced back to throw seven shutout innings against Colorado on Monday in an 8-2 win that moved the Dodgers ahead of the Rockies for first place.“To start the year http://www.tigersfanproshop.com/authentic-joe-jimenez-jersey , (Ryu) was throwing the ball really well and he just has that ability to control the heartbeat and make pitches,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters after the win over Colorado. “You have a guy who can get lefties and righties out, can really throw a strike when he needs to. There’s a lot of trust there, and Hyun-Jin’s earned it.”Padres third baseman Wil Myers is 4-for-9 in his career against Ryu with a home run.The Padres will send left-hander Joey Lucchesi to the mound for the 25th start of his rookie season.Lucchesi (8-8, 3.74) lost his two starts against the Dodgers in 2018, both in San Diego.He gave up three runs and five hits in five innings on May 4, but four Los Angeles pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter in the 4-0 victory.Lucchesi allowed three runs (two earned) and six hits in four innings of a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers on July 11.Lucchesi will be looking to win back-to-back decisions for the first time since April, when he went 3-1 with a 2.78 ERA. “I’m a competitor, man,” Lucchesi told MLB.com after the win. “I always go out there just to give my team the best chance to win. That’s always how I’ve been as a character and a human being. I always try to fight for my boys.”