The Super Bowl is over, and spring training is here. Oriole pitchers and catchers report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Tuesday. Their first workout is Wednesday.
Before we look ahead, let’s review the offseason and what could happen during the nearly six weeks of workouts and games in Sarasota.
There are 39 players on the 40-man roster. Ten are new — pitchers Shane Baz, Cameron Foster, Anthony Nunez, Ryan Helsley, and Andrew Kittredge, first baseman Pete Alonso, utility infielder Blaze Alexander, and outfielders Leody Taveras, Reed Trimble and Taylor Ward.
Kittredge was on the roster a year ago but was sent to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline and traded back in early November.
Foster, Nunez and Trimble were promoted from the minor leagues. Baz was traded from Tampa Bay in exchange for four prospects and a draft pick. Ward was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels for starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
Arizona dealt Alexander to the Orioles last week for reliever Kade Strowd and two prospects.
Alonso, Helsley and Taveras were signed as free agents.
Since the start of free agency, Maverick Handley, Pedro Léon, Marco Luciano, Ryan Noda, Jhonkensy Noel, Carter Ragsdale, Bryan Ramos, Will Robertson, Drew Romo, George Soriano, Albert Suárez, José Suarez, Luis Vázquez, Josh Walker, Weston Wilson were removed from the 40-man roster.
Albert Suárez, Handley, Noda, Noel, Robertson, Vázquez, Walker and Wilson are among the 31 non-roster players invited to spring training.
Félix Bautista, who’s on the 40-man roster, will be transferred to the 60-day injured list since he’ll miss most, if not all, of the season after labrum and rotator cuff surgery. Helsley was signed to replace him.
It’s likely there will be more roster moves as president of baseball operations Mike Elias continues to look for starters and relievers.
Because of the World Baseball Classic, some players will miss part of spring training — Gunnar Henderson (USA), Dean Kremer (Israel), Tyler O’Neill (Canada), Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Panama), Vázquez, Jose Espada and Rico Garcia (Puerto Rico).
Some of the non-roster players will get additional looks before the innings begin to go away.
The most lingering question of the winter has been the status of Ryan Mountcastle and how it affects the future of Coby Mayo since both play first base, where Alonso will be stationed.
It seems unlikely that Mayo and Mountcastle will both be on the Opening Day roster, especially with the surprising acquisition of Alexander.
There obvious questions about the rotation: Who will the Orioles add to it? Will Tyler Wells be in it or in the bullpen? Questions remain about the bullpen.
Until the trade of Strowd last week, he seemed a good bet to make the Opening Day roster. Now, there may be another opening.
Helsley, Kittredge, Keegan Akin and Dietrich Enns, are the top four relievers—unless Wells is in the ‘pen. Yennier Cano, who is one of the few with options, could start the season in the bullpen, or at Triple-A Norfolk.
If Team Puerto Rico advances in the WBC, does the lack of exposure hurt Garcia’s chance to begin with the Orioles? Or if he pitches well in the tournament, does it help him?
Enns, Garcia and Colin Selby are among those who have no options left.
What about Suárez? He could fill a variety of roles — bulk relief, short relief, emergency starter.
Bradfield, another player the Orioles were interested in looking at, could profit from the pressurized WBC environment. If he’s healthy and productive, Bradfield could help the Orioles later in the season.
It will be an interesting spring for pitchers who spent significant time with the Orioles last season — Cade Povich, Brandon Young, relievers Yaramil Hiraldo and Grant Wolfram. Do they have a chance to make the team?
The Orioles tried to convert Chayce McDermott into a reliever late last season. We’ll check on his progress.
Is Taveras, who was signed for $2 million and has no options remaining, a lock to stick with the team?
How about Jeremiah Jackson, who played well in the last two months? His chances seemed to be hurt with the addition of Alexander. Jackson has options left, so he’s a valuable piece.
Will Sam Huff see significant time with the team? Huff was signed last month, and can be the third catcher, if the Orioles want one in addition to Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo.
Alexander, Alonso, Baz, Helsley and Ward all come with good reputations, and that should help the Orioles’ clubhouse.
We’ll get a look at the Orioles’ new additions to their spring training facility on Monday, something else that could help.
Position players are scheduled to report by February 15th, with the first official workout the next day. Most position players report before then, and the team’s first Grapefruit League game is on February 20th against the New York Yankees.
Twenty spring training games will be shown on MASN, the most in club history.
The Orioles’ new manager, Craig Albernaz, and seven new coaches — Donnie Ecker (bench), Dustin Lind (hitting), Brady North (assistant hitting), Craig Bourgeois (first base), Miguel Cairo (infield), Hank Conger (bullpen) and Joe Singley (catching) — will greet the team this week, and an intriguing spring awaits us all.
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