Which Oriole prospects need to be protected in Rule 5 draft? | MAILBAG

Question: Know it’s still early in the season, but do we know which players will be subject to the Rule 5 draft? Didn’t we lose some pitchers in the minor league phase of the draft last season? From: Chuck in Edgewood

Answer: Chuck, there are many players who’ll be subject to the Rule 5 draft, including 10 of the Orioles’ top 30 prospects. Left-handed starter Luis De Léon (2), infielder Aron Estrada (7), outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. (8), right-handers Nestor German (10) Braxton Bragg (11), Levi Wells (13), Juaron Watts-Brown (14), catcher Creed Willems (17), outfielder Thomas Sosa (18 and right-hander Patrick Reilly (25).

Both Bragg and Reilly had Tommy John surgery last year.

Another interesting prospect. subject to the Rule 5 draft if not placed on the 40-man roster are right-hander Kiefer Lord, who was recently promoted to High-A Frederick. Right-handers Trace Bright and Cameron Weston, like Willems, were eligible for the Rule 5 draft last year but not selected.

Right-handed pitcher Carter Baumler was chosen by Pittsburgh and traded to Texas in last December’s draft. Baumler, who was often injured when he was with the Orioles, is on the injured list.

Right-hander Justin Armbruester was chosen by the New York Mets in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.

Question: Given the recent trends in pitching and particularly Orioles pitching, why isn’t the bullpen built with more relief pitchers who can go long rather than just an inning or two? From: Mark Galla

Answer: Mark, if a reliever pitches three innings or more, they might be unavailable for three or four days. If you have eight relievers, you want relievers who can pitch two days in succession. Managers generally won’t use a reliever three days in a row in the regular season.

If you have multiple long men in the bullpen, that might limit flexibility.

Ideally, I think having one long man is a good idea. For the moment, the Orioles have Trey Gibson, who can be used that way. They’ve also had Albert Suárez, who also can pitch multiple innings.

Balancing a bullpen is one of the most difficult tasks for a manager. Only after an offday are all eight relievers available.

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.