36 pitchers are due to report to O's ST today

[wildcard]

36 pitchers for 13 spots.   It would be 38 pitchers but Kremer and Darwinzon Hernandez are reporting to their WBC teams.    Hernandez had the chance to work with Holt for 5 weeks to challenge Akins for the 2nd left spot in the pen.  That would have been a good career move for Hernandez but he would rather have a good time with his friends from Venezuela.   Seems short sighted to me.

Of course, Kremer is projected to make the team.  I'd rather have him in camp.

Most if not all of the  12 Non Rostered Invitee pitchers have little to no chance of breaking camp with he O's major leaguers on Opening Day.  So now we are down to 26 for 13 spots.   

John Means and Seth Johnson will be in camp but will begin the season on the 60 day IL.  We are down to 24 pitchers.  That opens two spots on the 40 man roster.

Rule 5 pick Politi has his work cut out for him this spring.  He either makes the team or is sent back to Boston.  He will get a look but the smart money is that will not make the team and another roster spot will open.  That's three.   And 23 pitchers for  13 spots.  Much harder to make a playoff bound team than O's Rule 5 guys of past.

Elias likes to be opportunistic so he will look for waiver wire players to improve the team.  Maybe a trade.  But a spot or two may be reserved for in-house players that could join the team in the first month or two.  Injuries may provide openings for Westburg  who is not on 40 man roster.  Or if a speed guy goes down maybe Cameron  could be promoted.

26 pitchers for 13 spots but only 14 position players for 13 spots.   Interesting contrast.   This makeup is probably because there are lot of interesting position players in the high minors but fewer pitching prospects.

So the excitement begins today.  We will be searching for all the eye witness reports we can find.

Edited February 15, 2023 by wildcard

[eddie83]

So the only 40 man position player who isn’t projected to make team is Ortiz. 
 

I had not looked that close at the 40 man. 

[eddie83]

Barring injuries I think the 13 man staff is 

Gibson 

Kremer

Irvin 

GRod 

Bradish 

—————-

Bautista 

Perez

Tate

Baker

Givens 

Voth

Wells

Akin 

 

Voth is out of options. He will be somewhere on team. Akin may be most vulnerable but makes sense to have a lefty long man. 
 

Unless injury I think this is team. Biggest question will be who is last position player. 

[Moose Milligan]

*yawns*
 

Spring Training is boring. Only good thing about it is the baseball season is on the horizon. 

[Can_of_corn]

I get not liking the WBC but calling participation in it "having a good time with your friends" is just an incredibly bad take.

[Moose Milligan]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I get not liking the WBC but calling participation in it "having a good time with your friends" is just an incredibly bad take.

Imagine being butthurt about a roster bubble guy opting to play in the WBC and then saying it's "having a good time with your friends."

[sportsfan8703]

It’s been a long offseason. So I’m pretty excited about this. It’ll be interesting to see what Elias does with the two open 40 man spots, although the quality of the waiver wire will die down till the end of ST. 

[Jagwar]

After Akin's so-so 2nd half in 2022, I'm wondering if Hall can beat him out for the multi-inning role. 

[sportsfan8703]

3 minutes ago, Jagwar said:

After Akin's so-so 2nd half in 2022, I'm wondering if Hall can beat him out for the multi-inning role. 

Akin has an option. I think that saves him. I think we’ll see a lot of Khreibel, Vespi, and “fresh arm”, cycle through. 

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Akin has an option. I think that saves him. I think we’ll see a lot of Khreibel, Vespi, and “fresh arm”, cycle through. 

Plus they will want Hall to be a starter still. Can’t see them putting him in pen at start of season.

[Jagwar]

2 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Akin has an option. I think that saves him. I think we’ll see a lot of Khreibel, Vespi, and “fresh arm”, cycle through. 

Maybe Wells could also fill the role of multi-inning reliever?

[eddie83]

 

I think there are 3 tiers. Taking off Means, Johnson and Politi. 

Top tier - major league experience/depth

Hall

Watkins 

Krehbiel

Vespi

Gillaspie

————

Middle tier- major league experience but vulnerable 

Baumann

Zimmerman

Cano

———

Unproven/no MLB experience  

Rom

Denoyer

[jamalshw]

Not that it matters, but I thought the report date was tomorrow, not today. 

[UMDTerrapins]

I’m excited to see things ramping up, but unless I hear “player x is pitching with a noticeable uptick in velocity” there’s really not much that happens early in spring training that’s interesting to me. Maybe when games start and a prospect starts mashing will I get excited. At least our local writers will finally have something to work with. 

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, Jagwar said:

After Akin's so-so 2nd half in 2022, I'm wondering if Hall can beat him out for the multi-inning role. 

I think Hall would have a good chance of beating out Akin except for Elias wanting him to be a starter.  I think him beginning the season at AAA is a priority for his development if he is not ready to  be a starter in the majors.