Carlos Narváez Reveals Message Behind Orioles' Players-Only Meeting

A few days after the trade deadline in early August, the Baltimore Orioles filed into the clubhouse at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and closed the door for a players-only meeting.

The player who asked for it was catcher Carlos Narváez, who had only joined the organization a few days earlier.

Narváez came over from Boston on Aug. 3 in the trade that sent catcher Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox, and he was the only major leaguer in the five-player package Baltimore got back.

He cleared the meeting with manager Craig Albernaz and first baseman Pete Alonso before he spoke, and he brought a message he had already seen work in Boston.

Narváez had been in a similar meeting with the Red Sox in June, after a series loss to the Colorado Rockies.

Boston went on to win 20 of its next 22 games and made the postseason.

He wanted the Orioles to hear the same thing.

"I said, 'I care about my stats, of course, but if you care about your stats, you forget about winning, you get frustrated, you won't figure out things. Play for the guy next to you. Play to win,'" Narváez told The Baltimore Banner.

He finished by telling his new teammates that winning fixes everything.

It was a bold thing to do for a player who had barely unpacked, and it showed leadership this team was missing.

The problem is that the message never fully took hold.

Narváez's meeting was one of four or five players-only meetings the Orioles held this season, and none of them turned the year around.

Baltimore finished 79-82 and fourth in the American League East, and the club gave up the most unearned runs in the majors while striking out at the third-highest rate in baseball.

Those look more like focus problems than talent problems, which is what makes Narváez's words worth remembering.

Albernaz has spent the season trusting his players to speak up, and the next step is getting the whole roster to hold each other to that standard every day.

Other players see it the same way.

Pitcher Chris Bassitt, a pending free agent who has talked about his own uncertain future, met with Albernaz and president of baseball operations Mike Elias to share his thoughts on the season.

He wants core players like pitchers Shane Baz and Kyle Bradish, Alonso and shortstop Gunnar Henderson to set clear rules for the whole organization, including the minor leagues.

Bradish will have time to heal before then, as he had core muscle repair surgery on Tuesday.

Alonso has also spoken about the disappointing season, and he told The Banner that the players need to do a better job.

Narváez still has to earn his spot after a rough year at the plate, but his voice in that room deserves to be heard.

If the Orioles want to avoid another losing season, the change has to come from the players first, and it has to start the moment they report to camp next spring.