Who will Orioles protect from Rule 5 draft? / MAILBAG

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: This may be a “too early” question but what are your thoughts on who the Orioles will need to protect in the next Rule 5 draft? From: Kevin Gish

Answer: Kevin, I would guess that the Orioles will protect only one or two players. The most obvious addition would be right-handed pitcher Brandon Young, whom Mike Elias recently mentioned as being on their radar screen. Young is at Norfolk.

The Orioles could also consider Alex Pham, a right-hander currently at Bowie who’s struck out more than a batter per inning. A long-shot possibility is outfielder Reed Trimble, who was a second-round pick in 2021 and has recently been promoted to Bowie.

Question: When we see Brandon Hyde or Fredi González on the phone deciding whether to appeal an umpire’s decision, who exactly are they talking to? Is it a coach or someone else? Where are they located (press box, etc.) and do they travel with the team? And exactly how long do they have to make a decision? From: Brent Burkhardt

Answer: Brent, they’re talking to a club official who’s located in a room off the dugout at home and in varying locations on the road, and they do travel. If a manager is considering a replay they must hold their hand up to the umpires. They must decide whether to challenge within 15 seconds.