Good morning, Camden Chatters.
You wouldn’t know it from the current weather on the East Coast, but baseball season is fast approaching. In just one week, all Orioles pitchers and catchers will have reported
to Sarasota for the start of spring training. The first workout is in eight days. Soon we’ll be inundated with reports of how every Oriole is in the best shape of his life and that it’s a great group of guys and the team is destined for glory. It’s the time of year that optimism abounds and there’s no evidence to the contrary (yet).
Even with the start of camp so close, it doesn’t feel like the Orioles are done tinkering with their roster, nor should they be. The bullpen, in particular, is one unit that doesn’t currently inspire confidence. The O’s did jump early this offseason to fill their closer spot, signing former All-Star Ryan Helsley, and reacquired Andrew Kittredge after dealing him last July. But ever since the Helsley signing, which was more than two months ago, the Birds have yet to add any other notable relievers.
The O’s, at the moment, seem set to rely on many of the journeymen and unproven arms who comprised their bullpen after the trade deadline last season. And that’s a major risk. Can the Orioles rely on the well-traveled Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia to be as effective this season as they were in a two-month sample size last year? Will a guy like Kade Strowd take a step forward or be overexposed in regular duty? What happens if Helsley gets hurt or pitches like he did with the Mets (7.20 ERA)? Who would replace him as the closer? If Kittredge is injured or ineffective, who takes over the eighth-inning role? The Orioles might not be prepared for every contingency, but bringing in another reliable arm or two would go a long way to strengthening the whole bullpen.
The Orioles’ offseason got off to a fast start but has slowed to a halt as spring approaches. There’s still a little bit of time for Mike Elias and his staff to acquire a reliable reliever or starting pitcher. But if they want a new pitcher to be able to have a full spring training of preparation, they’d better act sooner rather than later.
Links
Putting together the Orioles’ 2026 bullpen – BaltimoreBaseball.com
Rich Dubroff maps out a potential Opening Day bullpen, and it reinforces the point I was just making. If Yennier Cano is penciled in for a spot, then I’m sorry, but that’s not a particularly good bullpen.
Orioles position preview: Rutschman, Basallo form high-upside catching duo – The Baltimore Sun
The key word here is “upside.” If either or both of them play like they’re capable of, the O’s could have the best catching situation in the division. But their 2025 performances for the Orioles don’t exactly inspire confidence.
As the Framber Valdez saga drags on, these are alternatives for the Orioles – The Baltimore Banner
Update: Framber Valdez still is not an Oriole. Will the O’s pivot for someone like Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, or Lucas Giolito, or will they roll the dice with the pitchers they’ve already got?
Orioles spring camp is near! Here’s what to know – MLB.com
Are you planning to attend O’s spring training but don’t know where or when the Orioles play or who’s on the team? That’s…a little weird, frankly, but this article will answer your questions.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Seven former Orioles were born on Feb. 3, including second baseman and vibes guy Rougned Odor (32); right-handers Brooks Kriske (also 32) and Don Welchel (69); outfielder Fred Lynn (74); and the late righties Scott Klingenbeck (b. 1971, d. 2025) and Harry Byrd (b. 1925, d. 1985) and outfielder Jim Dyck (b. 1922, d. 1999).
On this date in 1994, the Orioles re-signed reliever Mark Williamson. The righty had spent his first seven years with the Orioles as a workhorse in the bullpen, throwing more than 80 relief innings in six of those seasons, including 100+ each from 1987-89. His career lasted just one more year, with 28 appearances in 1994.
And on this day in 2021, the O’s signed Mariners legend Félix Hernández as a minor league free agent. The former Cy Young winner, who hadn’t played since 2019, was a favorite to break camp in the Orioles’ rotation, but he got injured in his final spring training start and never pitched again. He became Hall of Fame eligible in 2025 and received 20.6% of the vote in his first year followed by 46.1% in his second, so he seems to be making progress toward induction.
