How do you evaluate Orioles’ players in spring training? | MAILBAG

Question: Stats can tell whatever story you want so what do you look at when “evaluating” players during spring training games? From: Dan Wolf

Answer: Dan, there are generally only a few jobs up for grabs in the Orioles’ camp this year. Many well-known players will make the team no matter their spring stats.

Teams try to take into account the opponents their players are facing. Are pitchers facing hitters likely to play in Double-A, Triple-A or the majors? Are the hitters facing the same caliber of pitcher they’ll be playing against.

If an established pitcher is getting hit hard late in spring training, that may be a bad sign. However, they could still make the team but be on a short leash when the season begins.

Some of the things they look at aren’t public knowledge, and if they find through analytics that a player appears to have improved, even if the public stats don’t show, that could give a player a boost.

In short, there’s really not a blanket way to evaluate. As you know, many players who hit or pitch well in spring training aren’t able to replicate those stats in the regular season.

Question: It seems like Tyler Wells has been with the Orioles for a long time. When will he become a free agent—-after this season? From: Beth Rowell

Answer: Beth, Tyler Wells has been with the Orioles since 2021, but he spent time in the minor leagues in 2023, so he won’t have enough service time for free agency following this season. Entering the 2026 season, he has 4 years and 132 days of major league service time.

Six years of service time is required for free agency, so Wells will be eligible for free agency after the 2027 season. A player accumulates service time while on the major league injured list, so Wells’ 2024 and 2025 seasons, when he pitched in only seven games, doesn’t affect his service time

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.