Does Adam Jones want to reunite with Nick Markakis?

No matter whether it is professional or personal, breaking up is hard to do. When Nick Markakis left the Baltimore Orioles via free agency in favor of the Atlanta Braves in 2014, the Birdland faithful struggled with the move. Adam Jones, it seems, also had a tough time saying "goodbye" to the man that played next to him in the Camden Yards outfield for so many years.

When the Orioles traveled to take on the Braves this weekend, it was a reunion of sorts for Markakis and his former teammates. It's not the first time the two teams have met since Markakis signed on the dotted line for Atlanta, but with everything crumbing in Baltimore, this felt like a significant moment nonetheless.

Jones is one of the few Orioles hitters with decent numbers, and he is also one of the big four that is expected to be on the trading block this July, as his contract expires after this year. However, he has 10-and-5 rights, which give him full no-trade protection. Even still, there will likely be offers for the 32-year-old's services, but he is ultimately in control on where he lands.

Markakis is in the midst of one of the finest seasons of his career. He is on the way to his first All-Star Game and leading an unexpectedly good Braves team to a potential pennant push. However, the 34-year-old is a free agent at year's end as well, and could find himself on the move soon enough.

A vague Instagram post by Jones over the weekend further fueled speculation about where the veteran outfielder may end up this summer. Could he be headed to Atlanta? Will both he and Markakis re-sign with the O's in the winter? Are there plans to meet up somewhere else in the league? We discuss that, and more, on this week's episode of The Warehouse Podcast!

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David Hess Was Fine, And That's A Good Thing

With a mysterious trip to the disabled list because of a "lower back strain," Chris Tillman has justifiably lost his spot in the Orioles' starting rotation. I don't know if the book can be closed on Tillman just yet, but it seems like he'll be out of the picture for a while.

For now, that means other pitchers in the O's farm system will get the chance to take Tillman's place. The first chance went to right-hander David Hess, and in his major league debut, the 24-year-old held his own. Pitching the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday (in front of his large cheering section), Hess allowed three runs in six innings before handing the ball of to Tanner Scott and Mychal Givens, who closed the door on the Rays. Hess, who allowed a three-run home run in the first inning, struck out three and walked none.



It wasn't a pitching line that will really wow anyone, but a performance like Hess's is something the Orioles need more of from their back-end rotation candidates. He threw strikes, mixed his pitches well, and allowed the O's defense to help him (even if it's not very good).

Mixing a 92-93 mph fastball mainly with a slider but also the occasional curveball and change-up, Hess was around the plate all game. He started nearly two-thirds of opposing hitters off with strikes, and when he was able to get a strikeout, it came on an offspeed pitch. This strikeout of Denard Span on a change-up was the best of them:

Nice looking changeup from David Hess who's been flashing some solid offspeed stuff in his first major league start pic.twitter.com/UsXizRSMnf

— Ben Palmer (@benjpalmer) May 12, 2018

In his debut, Hess was good enough. The Orioles have had trouble in recent years getting No. 5-type starters to stick on the roster, and perhaps Hess will be someone who stays in the rotation for a while. It's easy to get carried away, but he showed that he deserves at least a few more starts. It would be a pleasant surprise for Hess to stick as a starter instead of needing to transition to a relief role.

At the end of the day on Saturday, Hess was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. But because he was summoned as the 26th man for the doubleheader, he does not have to stay down for the full 10 days. That means he could return very soon, and obviously the O's will need a starter in the next few days to fill Tillman's spot.

Despite yesterday's off day, the Orioles have pushed Kevin Gausman back a day to Thursday. Andrew Cashner will start tonight, but there's still a need for a starter for Wednesday's matinee against the Phillies. Miguel Castro is an option to start that game, and Yefry Ramirez, Tim Melville, or someone else from Norfolk or Double-A Bowie could be selected to start.

Hess will seemingly get the first crack at replacing Tillman, but scheduling quirks, injuries, and getting extra rest for starters mean there are chances for others. The O's depth of starting pitching that's close to the majors doesn't seem very good, but it's going to be tested anyway. That's how things work.