Orioles have alternatives for Opening Day roster

Looking at the Orioles’ 40-man roster, it’s not hard to predict which 26 players will make the Opening Day roster.

There’s not a rookie who’s likely to crack the lineup and unless there are trades or injuries, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde could name the 26 players who’ll be in Toronto for the March 27^th opener.

The starters would be Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton. The relievers would be Keegan Akin, Félix Bautista, Yennier Cano, Seranthony Domínguez, Andrew Kittredge, Cionel Pérez, Gregory Soto and Albert Suárez.

Adley Rutschman and Gary Sánchez would be the catchers. Gunnar Henderson, Jackson Holliday, Jorge Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn. Ramón Urías and Jordan Westburg would be the infielders. Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Cedric Mullins and Tyler O’Neill would be the outfielders.

There would be little debate about those 26, assuming there are no trades or injuries. But there’s likely to be transactions and injuries before the opener.

Let’s look at each position and see who could fit in if there’s an opening:

Starting pitchers: Albert Suárez could move back into the rotation, as he did a year ago, if he’s not there at the start. The Orioles also could use left-hander Cade Povich because all the others are right-handers.

They could take a look at another left-hander, Trevor Rogers, who had a 7.11 ERA in four starts in August and was sent to Norfolk after being acquired at the trade deadline.

Rookies Chayce McDermott and Brandon Young are promising right-handers. It seems likely that McDermott, who got one start in July. and Young, who was named the team’s best minor league pitcher, will work their way into the rotation later in the season.

So could Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, both of whom had season-ending elbow surgeries in June.

Relievers: Bryan Baker, who’s appeared in 131 games over the last three seasons, remains on the 40-man roster. In November, the Orioles added left-hander Luis González, who turns 33 Friday, to the roster. González has never pitched in the major leagues in a career that began in 2010. He’s spent nine years in two stints in the organization, and is on a 40-man roster for the first time.

Colin Selby threw four scoreless innings in three relief appearances and was on the Wild Card Series roster.

Kade Strowd was also added to the 40-man roster. Strowd struck out 71 batters in 51 1/3 innings at Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk last season.

The Orioles also re-signed Matt Bowman, who was in 15 games in August and September. Bowman pitched for four major league teams last year and declared for free agency after the Orioles tried to outright him to Norfolk.

Catchers: In the last week, the Orioles removed two catchers from their roster. René Pinto, who was claimed off waivers last November from Tampa Bay, was claimed by Tampa Bay. Blake Hunt, whom the Orioles acquired in the deal that sent right-hander Mike Baumann to Seattle, was traded to the Mariners for cash considerations after he was designated for assignment.

It seems possible the Orioles will sign another catcher to a minor league contract or claim one off waivers. If there’s an injury to a catcher, they probably don’t want to elevate their No. 2 prospect, 20-year-old Samauel Basallo, to the big leagues prematurely. Basallo, David Bañuelos, who had one at-bat with the Orioles last year, and Maverick Handley were Norfolk’s catchers last year.

Infielders: On Thursday, the Orioles claimed Jacob Amaya off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Amaya plays second base and shortstop. Nick Gordon, who was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft, was signed as a minor league free agent on December 31^st after four seasons with Minnesota and Miami.

Vimael Machin, who played the infield for Oakland from 2020-2022, also signed as a minor league free agent on November 13^th.

The most likely player to make the Orioles if there’s an opening at first or third base is Coby Mayo, who was just 4-for-41 (.098) with 22 strikeouts in two late-season stints with the team.

Emmanuel Rivera is back, too. In the last six weeks of the season, when Mateo, Mountcastle, Urías and Westburg were hurt, hit .313 with a .948 OPS,  four home runs and 14 RBIs in 27 games.

Outfielders: Daz Cameron was purchased from Oakland on October 31^st, and he’s the most likely outfielder to make the team if there’s an injury.

The Orioles also have Jordyn Adams and Franklin Barreto. Adams hit .229 in 11 games for the Los Angeles Angels last year while Barreto, who played 101 games from 2017-2020 with the Angels and Athletics, hit .343 with a 1.006 in 76 games in the Mexican League last season.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.