SARASOTA, Fla. — Based on events of the last five weeks, there were a few disappointments but no major surprises as the Orioles broke camp here on March 27 after reducing their traveling squad to 31, five over the regular-season limit.
However, one of those disappointments, on both sides, was major. The fact that everyone, no doubt including the player himself, expected Grayson Rodriguez to nail down the No. 5 spot makes this a major development for a team that now expects to contend, rather than pretend.
At the start of spring training, the odds of the Orioles breaking camp without Rodriguez in the starting rotation were slightly north of zero. Barring health issues, the rookie right-hander had been all but guaranteed a spot on the roster, but he was among the casualties either heading to minor league camp or returning to free agency.
An uneven training camp that consisted of 15.1 innings and a 7.04 ERA was the undoing for Rodriguez. The most telling stat of all was only 15.1 innings in five spring training starts, even though there was something to like each time out. He was undone by three of those innings — one in each of his last three outings. His stay in the Triple-A Norfolk rotation should be a brief one, but the fact it wasn’t expected at all presents something of an alarm.
With Rodriguez and DL Hall now together at Norfolk, the Orioles will have two pitchers who project as No. 1 and 2 in the major leagues sooner rather than later working those roles at the Triple-A level. How they respond while trying to build up innings and resumes will have a lot to do with the Orioles’ not-too-distant future.
While the makeup of the Orioles’ pitching staff to start the season is close to finalized after the addition of left-hander Danny Coulombe, the big question mark coming into camp seems to have resolved itself. In an effort to find a left-handed hitter to back up Ryan Mountcastle at first base and/or serve as an occasional designated hitter, the Orioles brought in several candidates, all of whom performed adequately enough under normal circumstances. But Josh Lester, Ryan O’Hearn and Franchy Cordero were the last ones standing until they were trimmed from the camp roster on March 27, meaning that role will be filled internally.
The winner in the competition to back up Mountcastle? It appears that Terrin Vavra has convinced manager Brandon Hyde and general manager Mike Elias that he can not only fill that role, but also be a viable part of the lineup. At least one other American League team had an interest in trading for Vavra, but he has been one of the Orioles’ steadiest performers throughout spring training.
It’s conceivable Vavra could emerge with the job at second base, which had been considered as reserved for veteran Adam Frazier. Regardless, his versatility in the outfield and infield, including first base, projects Vavra as a semi-regular somewhere in the lineup. As more of a backup at first base, Anthony Santander has proven more than adequate to fill what figures to be no more than an occasional role.
Another interesting development late in spring training was the cameo appearance of shortstop Jorge Mateo in center field, a position he has played in the past, even though it is a position the Orioles are well positioned to cover. Cedric Mullins is the incumbent, both Austin Hays and Ryan McKenna are considered A-plus defenders at that spot and most of the Orioles’ minor league outfielders have experience there, making center field and shortstop the positions with the most depth throughout the system.
The fact that Mateo’s time in center field came near the end of spring training, rather than earlier when Mullins was playing with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, may only be coincidental, but curious enough to create some speculation about the possibility of a trade involving an outfielder.
There are still a few t’s to cross, i’s to dot, blanks to fill, but ready or not it’s time to find out if the Orioles’ rebuild is over. Stay tuned.
Jim Henneman can be reached at JimH@pressboxonline.com
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy