Every weekday, 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: What are the chances the Orioles dive into their wealth of prospects to shore up their bullpen? From: Timothy Fowler
Answer: Tim, Chuck Voigt also asked a similar question, and I think if the Orioles are going to make a trade or trades, it most likely will be to add to the bullpen. They won’t want to surrender any top-shelf prospects for a bullpen arm that they may use for only a half-season, but that arm or arms could make a difference come October. The guess here is that they’ll make at least one deal, maybe more in July.
Question: I’m curious how the clubhouse chemistry is. I know publicly everyone says the right things but with the young guys coming up and the vets increasingly losing playing time, like Jorge Mateo, Ramón Urías and Austin Hays, is there any resentment or cliques? From: Damon Stout
Answer: Damon, that’s an interesting question. If there’s resentment, I can’t see it. The media is only allowed in the clubhouse for a period of 50 minutes several hours before game time and after games, we may only be in there for 10 or 15 minutes.
The Orioles are a winning team, and while it’s true that Mateo, Urías, and even Hays, who’s on the injured list now, haven’t played as much as they have in the last few years, it’s enjoyable when your team wins. It’s a lot easier covering a winning club than a losing one.