Spring training is less than six weeks away, and there are still questions to be answered between mid-February and the March 27th opener in Toronto.
Let’s look at some questions:
How often will Félix Bautista pitch in Grapefruit League games?
Manager Brandon Hyde said during the Winter Meetings that he would be conservative with Bautista, who had Tommy John surgery in October 2023.
The Orioles would love to see a return to dominance by Bautista, who was the best reliever in baseball in 2023, but it’s not certain that he’ll even begin the season as the team’s closer.
Closers generally don’t need many innings during spring training, but Bautista’s first Grapefruit League game will be closely watched.
If Bautista doesn’t close, who might?
The obvious answer is Seranthony Domínguez, who supplanted Craig Kimbrel as the closer last season and picked up 10 saves in the last two months.
Yennier Cano, who’s better suited as a setup man, had five saves last season, and it’s possible the Orioles will sign another late-inning reliever between now and the opening of spring training.
Will Coby Mayo make the team?
Assuming there are no trades involving first or third basemen and all the position players are healthy, it seems unlikely that Mayo would be on the Opening Day roster. However, there always seem to be injuries in spring training.
While Mayo was just 4-for-41 with 22 strikeouts with the Orioles, he hit .287 with 22 home runs and 67 RBIs with a .926 OPS in 89 games at Triple-A Norfolk. It doesn’t seem as if there’s much to prove there.
Will Jorge Mateo be ready to start the season?
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has spoken highly of Mateo, who had Tommy John surgery in August after a freak collision with Gunnar Henderson a month earlier.
Elias loves that Mateo can play second base, shortstop and perhaps a reserve outfield spot, and thinks his absence in the second half of the season was an overlooked one.
The surgery was on Mateo’s left elbow, his non-throwing hand, but it would seem optimistic that he’d be ready for the beginning of Grapefruit League play on February 22nd, fewer than six months after surgery.
What position will Tyler O’Neill play?
O’Neill is essentially the replacement for Anthony Santander, who played right field and hit 44 home runs. He’s played much more left field than right in the major leagues, and he said on his introductory Zoom call he was eager to play wherever the Orioles wanted.
Colton Cowser was a Gold Glove finalist in left field, and Cedric Mullins is outstanding in center.
O’Neill probably will play right and left field in Florida, but Cowser is a capable centerfielder, too.
How many starting pitchers will get a look?
Maybe as many as 10. There’s newly signed Charlie Morton, Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich, Tomoyuki Sugano, Albert Suárez, Trevor Rogers, Chayce McDermott and Brandon Young.
Does Jackson Holliday start the season at second base?
I think it’s his job to lose. The Orioles need Holliday to have a big season, and as long as he doesn’t look overmatched in spring training, it’s a good bet he’ll come north with the team.
Is there a lot of pressure on Adley Rutschman?
Yes, after Rutschman’s rough second half, the Orioles are expecting a bounce-back season. They signed Gary Sánchez to be his backup, but he’s known more for his bat than his glove, and 20-year-old Samuel Basallo needs more time in Triple-A before he’s ready to play in the majors.
Spring won’t tell much about Rutschman, but he’ll be watched closely.
If you had to pick an outlier to make the team, who would it be?
I’ll go with a bullpen arm here. How about Luis González, who will turn 33 on January 17th? The Orioles put him on the 40-man roster in early November just before he would have become a minor league free agent.
He’s a left-hander and hasn’t pitched in the majors, but he’s pitched eight seasons in the minors for the Orioles in two stints. I don’t think they’d take a player with this profile and put him on the major league roster without thinking he could help the team.
Another outlier could be Matt Bowman, who was re-signed to a minor legue contract last month. Bowman had a 3.45 ERA in 15 games. Twelve of those 15 games were scoreless.
Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.
Note: Don Rovak has been named as the Orioles’ chief revenue officer. Rovak spent 17 years in Atlanta working for AMB Sports and Entertainment, a firm run by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.