Orioles manager Buck Showalter took a moment before Sunday's series finale with the Chicago White Sox to reflect on the announcement that Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez's time in New York would end Friday.
Showalter managed Rodriguez for a season in Texas in 2003, when Rodriguez led the American League in home runs and won his first MVP award, and said even more than a dozen years later, teams knew Rodriguez was capable of that.
"I know there are a lot of teams and pitchers who are glad that he's not going to be a thorn, having to get him out anymore," Showalter said. "He was always a threat. You never really looked at stats this year. You always knew he was a swing away.
"It was an honor to manage him. He had an MVP year with me that year that we weren't very good. Everybody knew he was one of the few guys — we had some good young hitters in that lineup, but he was always focused, always engaged in the game and the competition. You could always talk baseball to him in situations, the intricacies of the game. A very curious player. Always curious, always asking questions."
Rodriguez is being released from his player contract Friday and joining the Yankees' front office immediately, going into an advisory role in the player development department beginning next spring.
"Alex loves baseball," Showalter said. "It's going to be tough. I think he's got a wealth of experience to take to the next level. I think he's been on both sides of the mountain. You've got to have a feel for it. I think he's going to be really good at what he's going to do."
Rest for the weary: Outfielder/designated hitter Mark Trumbo was out of the Orioles lineup for the first time this season Sunday, and Showalter said this 10-game road trip that will take the team to Oakland and San Francisco following Chicago will be an opportunity to give all of his veterans a day off.
"I want to get him, [Chris Davis], J.J. [Hardy], Adam [Jones] if I can," Showalter said. "I'm trying to get everybody a day on this trip if I can. A lot of guys, I talked to three or four guys today and I decided [him]. He's had some challenges against Shields before, so it kind of worked out. I want to get Stevie [Pearce] two or three days in a row if I could. I don't want him to think we brought him over here just to hit off left-handed pitching. He had three good at-bats last night and nothing to show for it."
Braves claim Roe: The Orioles lost reliever Chaz Roe on waivers to the Atlanta Braves, the team announced Sunday.
Roe, who made nine appearances in July after he was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk, was designated for assignment July 29 when the Orioles added reliever Logan Ondrusek from Japan.
Roe had a 5.72 ERA with 11 walks and seven strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings for the Orioles, failing to replicate the strong first half he had for the Orioles in 2014.
Around the horn: Showalter said he hasn't gotten an explanation on whether the league had definitive proof that third baseman Manny Machado touched the game-deciding pop-up down the third base line while in fair territory Saturday, which was what the replay would have been required to show for the play to be overturned.