The O’s have just six more days to evaluate their on-the-bubble roster contenders before spring training draws to a close.
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
Spring training is nearing its end. After the Orioles’ second and final off day of the spring yesterday, they’ve got just seven games remaining over the next six days (including a Saturday split-squad) before packing their bags and leaving Sarasota. Even with Opening Day so tantalizing close — only nine days away now! — the O’s still have a whopping 47 players remaining at camp.
That’s a ton of roster left to cut down and very little time to do it. I can’t recall another spring in which the O’s had so many players hanging around this late into Grapefruit League play. Normally by this time, the Orioles have a pretty clear idea of who will clearly make their roster and who clearly won’t, with just a handful of battles left to be sorted. But this spring? There seem to be about a hundred candidates with legitimate arguments for cracking the Opening Day squad. The Orioles have an overwhelming amount of talent and not enough room to fit them all in. It’s chaotic, but also pretty great.
The combinations are endless. Will top prospect Jackson Holliday make the team at age 20? Does Coby Mayo have a chance to debut on Opening Day as well? Where does that leave Ramón Urías and/or Jorge Mateo? And if three of those guys make it, how does the outfield competition shake out? Will Colton Cowser’s and Kyle Stowers’s red-hot bats in spring earn both of them spots on the roster, or is there only room for one? Or will the O’s opt for Ryan McKenna’s defense and speed? What about Heston Kjerstad? And then there’s the bullpen, where very few pitchers could truly be considered locks. Is Dillon Tate a sure bet after missing an entire season with injury? Has Cionel Pérez’s shaky spring put him in jeopardy? Does Julio Teherán have a leg up? How many Suarezes will make the team, if any? Is Keegan Akin still a thing?
With so many decisions to make, perhaps it’s no wonder the Orioles are waiting until the very last minute to complete their evaluations. Whichever 26 players they ultimately decide to break camp with, of course, isn’t permanent; their roster will continue to change throughout the season, and we’ll be seeing a lot of the names I just mentioned, along with plenty of others. Still, I don’t envy the Orioles’ brain trust for the choices they’ll need to make in this final week. I’m glad it’s their job and not mine.
Links
Because You Asked – The Last Wish – School of Roch
Roch Kubatko does his best to sort out the roster possibilities, and thinks that Cowser and Stowers have a slight edge on Kjerstad and McKenna right now. That’s rough news for my daughter, who inexplicably is Ryan McKenna’s biggest fan.
Cedric Mullins is motivated and confident he can have another big year – Steve Melewski
I’d like to think we can blame Mullins’s 2023 collapse entirely on his groin injury, and that he’ll be back to his all-around productive self this year. Just be careful with that groin, Cedric.
Orioles’ Coby Mayo, Connor Norby believe their time is coming – The Baltimore Sun
These two will definitely be in the majors soon enough. It’s just hard to see exactly when or how at the moment.
A buzzy Orioles spring training could lead to better crowds at Camden Yards – The Baltimore Banner
Here’s hoping this is true. I understand why weeknight games against some random opponent don’t draw big crowds, but this O’s team should be a lot of fun. And the more fans in the ballpark, the more fun it is.
Buck Showalter returning to MLB Network as analyst: Source – The Athletic
I’m not optimistic that Buck will ever get another managing job, but I’m happy that we’ll get to enjoy his delightful, homespun wisdom on MLB Network again.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! The only O’s player in history born on March 19 is 1996-99 right-hander Rocky Coppinger, who turns 50 today.
On this day in 2017, in a World Baseball Classic matchup in San Diego between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, Adam Jones made a sensational home run-robbing catch against his then-Orioles teammate Manny Machado. The play remains one of the most iconic images in WBC history, helping Team USA survive the elimination game and ultimately go on to win its first WBC title.