Orioles have many candidates for starting rotation

The Orioles added two starting pitchers in January — Charlie Morton, a 41-year-old with 17 years of major league experience, and Tomoyuki Sugano, a 35-year-old from Japan with no major league experience.

They’re set to join Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer in the Orioles’ rotation.

Despite having a veteran like Morton and a pitcher accustomed to throwing in a six-man rotation in Japan, the Orioles aren’t planning on a six-man rotation, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said on Friday.

“The plan right now is to do five, and they’re ready for that,” Elias said.  “Everybody is ready for that and on board with it. I think I said earlier, as we get into camp, if things start presenting themselves where it makes more sense to do a six, then we’ll be open to that.

“It’s not a decision we need to make until really close to Opening Day, like last couple of weeks of spring training I would think. But if you look at our schedule in April and May, there’s a lot of offdays, so I don’t know if it would be sensible to do a six-man if you don’t have to, and right now we feel like we don’t have to. We’d rather have the extra bullpen guy.”

Last season, Albert Suárez started 24 times, tied with Kremer for second-most on the staff behind Corbin Burnes, and it’s possible for Suárez—or another starter to move to the bullpen, Elias said.

“Right now, I think we have — I think health is going to determine a lot in camp — but if you just count up all the guys we project to be healthy right now, it’s a pretty full bullpen,” he said. “So, probably won’t happen, but there’s a lot of unknowns coming up.”

A year ago, Suárez was one of many pitching hopefuls getting set to report to Sarasota on a minor league contract. He had quietly signed in September 2023 after five seasons in Japan and South Korea.

After a 3.70 ERA and a 9-7 record, the 35-year-old Suárez is ready for any role.

“It’s like the year before. I go and try to make the team,” he said on Friday night at PBR Baltimore during the Orioles’ Birdland Caravan.

“That’s my mentality. This offseason, I’ve been working on a lot of stuff like mobility, things like that with the strength and conditioning guys. I think I’ll be prepared. Last year, it didn’t matter, either. I was just staying ready for any time. This year, it will be the same mentality.

“It might be about the same situation as last year where I can be in the bullpen, the starting rotation. It all depends on where they need me.”

Cade Povich, who started 16 times, and had a 3-9 record and 5.20 ERA, will also try to make the rotation. He and Trevor Rogers, who had a 7.11 ERA in four starts after he was obtained from Miami at the trade deadline, are the only two left-handers among the starting candidates.

“I think my mindset really is similar to how it was at the end of the year, going into the postseason,” Povich said.

A strong September helped him, and over the winter he communicated with pitching coach Drew French and his assistant, Mitch Plassmeyer, on what he could do better.

“I’ll take spring training as an opportunity,” he said. “I think the big thing was really carrying over that last month of the season, looking at that so we can continue to build on it.”

Chayce McDermott is another starting candidate. He had his first major league start last July in Miami, and was returned to Triple-A Norfolk after that. A scapula injury cost him much of the rest of the season. He’s hoping to squeeze into the rotation.

“I think that’s everyone’s goal that gets to go to spring training,” McDermott said. “Getting that one day last year kind of amplifies it for me a little bit last year. I don’t really know where we stand. We have a lot of guys this year, a lot of really good pitchers. I’m just going to try my best and hopefully prove that I deserve a spot.”

McDermott could always be moved to the bullpen, but for now, he’s looking to start.

“They haven’t talked to me about it, but for me, I’ll throw wherever needed,” he said. “I’ll play first base if they need me to. I know they don’t. I’ll do what’s ever needed. I’m just here to try to help the team win.”

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.