The Orioles won’t go 162-0. Seemed like a long shot anyway.

Tyler Wells was charged with three earned runs and four total today in the first two innings before plowing through the Angels order, and a red-hot offense cooled in a 4-1 loss to the Angels before an announced crowd of 20,576 at Camden Yards.

A season-opening sweep was denied.

Wells got into a groove and retired the last 14 batters he faced after Zach Neto’s run-scoring single in the second. He struck out the side in the sixth, giving him seven on the day, with five hits and no walks.

A pitch count of 82 over six innings included 60 strikes. His strikeouts in the sixth came on his changeup, cutter and fastball.

The Orioles left their spring training complex but aren’t done conducting business.

They announced today that they’ve signed Tony Kemp to a 2024 major league contract and designated infielder Nick Maton for assignment.

The 40-man roster remains full.

Kemp, 32, signed with the Reds in February and was released less than a month later after exercising the opt-out clause in his contract. He appeared in eight exhibition games and went 7-for-21 with a double, triple, home run and five RBIs.

The Reds’ deal reportedly would have paid Kemp $1.75 million if he made the Opening Day roster, with $750,000 in bonuses available.

SARASOTA, Fla. – In lieu of having a final roster in hand, many of us are reduced to the imperfect science of reading between the lines in media scrums or casual conversations.

The Orioles don’t share the combination to the vault. They don't offer anything that could be construed as a solid clue to their roster plans.

Their last exhibition game was played on a sunny day in Fort Myers, but reporters are largely kept in the dark.

No need for pity or a flashlight. That’s the way teams usually operate.

Colton Cowser has been an assumption for most of spring training, that he’d break camp as the backup at every outfield position. He earned it based on his production at the plate and defense.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Orioles will have at least one rookie on their Opening Day roster.

Outfielder Colton Cowser found out after today’s 8-3 victory over the Twins that he’s going to Baltimore.

Standing outside the clubhouse after showering and putting on his street clothes, Cowser said, “I was just informed that I made the club. I’m excited.”

Cowser stopped, turned to a team official and asked, “Was I supposed to say that?”

“OK, all right,” he said after receiving approval. “I didn’t know.”

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Talent times have changed with the Orioles, and the proof showed again tonight when substitutions in the sixth inning included Coby Mayo at first base, Jackson Holliday at shortstop and Kyle Stowers in center field.

Not the typical replacements in a road exhibition game.

Holliday subbed for Gunnar Henderson, who led off and played the position that now belongs to him in 2024. Sharing is caring, but Henderson can hog it.

Manager Brandon Hyde confirmed it to the media this afternoon. Henderson won’t shift between short and third. Precisely what last year’s American League Rookie of the Year wanted to hear.

“That’s what I was drafted as and what I played my whole life growing up,” Henderson said, “so I’m looking forward to just getting some consistent playing time there.”

DUNEDIN, Fla. – Jackson Holliday keeps pushing to make the Orioles’ Opening Day roster.

Two more hits today, including his second home run, and a walk were the latest arguments for it. He can’t be ignored. He won’t let up.

Blue Jays veteran Chad Green served up the homer with two outs in the fifth inning, with Holliday driving a curveball to the bar area beyond the right-center field fence. The average increased to .326 with a .998 OPS.

There must be something about TD Ballpark. Holliday hit a grand slam here in a March 10 split-squad game.

“I do like hitting here,” he said. “Usually the wind blows out, so it’s pretty favorable.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – The first of two off-days has arrived on the Orioles’ spring training schedule. Golf outings, fishing excursions, time with family, the choice to sleep late.

And that’s just the media.

The Orioles have played 13 games and won 11, a nice little statistic that means very little.

TT Bowens broke a 2-2 tie Sunday with a three-run, ninth-inning homer in Bradenton. Kade Strowd registered the save as the sixth reliever used behind starter Grayson Rodriguez, who was pulled after two-plus innings and 49 pitches.

Cade Povich tossed two scoreless innings to earn the victory.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jackson Holliday flashed the speed tool in his kit during Thursday’s game against the Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium, lining a pitch into the right-field corner and reaching third base without a slide for his first spring triple.

He had no shot at catching the guy in front of him.

Enrique Bradfield Jr., last year’s first-round draft pick with the 80-grade speed, had entered the game as a pinch-runner for Tyler Nevin and scored on the play. Holliday was busting it and couldn’t close ground on his teammate.

Holliday laughed about it later while waiting to speak with the media outside the baseball operations building. Asked whether he thought he might pass Bradfield, baseball’s No. 1 prospect shook his head at the absurd notion that anyone could beat the Vanderbilt blur. The kid who stole 46 bases in 46 attempts as a sophomore. You've got to be kidding.

Jorge Mateo wouldn’t mind taking a crack at it.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Coby Mayo received a text message about his line drive Wednesday off the left-center field fence in Fort Myers. How he punctured the padding and left a hole.

Only a mild exaggeration given the violence of the collision.

Mayo’s ball was clocked at 109.9 mph off the bat. Manager Brandon Hyde marveled at the topspin on it. But recent Mayo talk seems to shift away from his work at the plate.

The Orioles are interested in his play at third base, which is getting solid reviews. This is their second look at him in major league camp.

“He’s improved his defense, which is great to see. I think he’s come a long way defensively,” Hyde said.

I’ve made some Orioles predictions over the past few weeks, in case you missed or forgot them. I don’t blame you.

To review:

The Orioles will acquire a starting pitcher but he won’t be on the mound for Opening Day, the rotation consists of the newcomer, Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means and Dean Kremer, Colton Cowser begins the season in Triple-A, Gunnar Henderson will lead the team in home runs, Henderson won’t win a Gold Glove, Henderson will reach double digits in triples, Adley Rutschman won't go 5-for-5 with a home run on Opening Day, Coby Mayo will create a huge buzz in camp, Cedric Mullins will be healthier and better, the Orioles will experience some regression but they’re making the playoffs, they won’t get swept in the first round, they will exceed the 87.5 wins set as odds by BetOnline, they will go to an arbitration hearing with at least one unsigned player, the Orioles and Jacob Webb will find a midpoint and avoid a hearing, the Orioles will get swept during the regular season, Henderson will repeat as Most Valuable Oriole, Craig Kimbrel will exceed his 23-saves total from last year, DL Hall will record at least one save, Dillon Tate will make a dramatic comeback.

Let’s keep going.

Cionel Pérez will have better splits because they were bananas last season.

When it comes to scoring runs, the Orioles were slightly below American League average in 2022 – due in large part to a scoring drought late in the year.

The AL average for runs per game last season was 4.22 and the Orioles were at 4.16. They ranked 10^th in the league in runs scored, up from 2021, when the Orioles were 14^th.

And for much of last season they were about league average in runs, or just above. They were scoring 4.20 runs per game at the All-Star break and were at 4.24 per game at the end of August. But when they scored just 3.97 per game in the last month that brought the final season average down.

So there is progress to make here.

And yes, some of it, maybe much of it, can come from full seasons of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson. They combined for 559 plate appearances last year and they could double that this coming season.

I’m finally done with 2022 except for those occasions when I reference it in relation to the upcoming season. Like, can the bullpen be as good or better than it was last summer? Can Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer pick up where they left off? Can Ramón Urías win a Gold Glove at a different position?

Will I break my record set last year for most times eating orange chicken in the press dining room?

The last Orioles transaction before Saturday night’s Tyler Nevin trade to the Tigers was the Dec. 23 trade of first baseman Lewin Díaz to the Braves for cash considerations. The Braves designated him for assignment less than a week later.

I woke up Saturday again wondering what the heck happened to Nevin. The Orioles designated him for assignment on Dec. 22 while acquiring catcher James McCann from the Mets. Still no news on the outcome.

I theorized that the Orioles were trying and struggling to find a trade partner. Otherwise, it’s the waiver process and either a claim or outright. Should have been done.

On Aug. 30, 2020 the Orioles traded reliever Mychal Givens to the Colorado Rockies for three players, including Tyler Nevin. Recently Givens rejoined the Orioles, but now Nevin is officially leaving the organization.

Designated for assignment on Dec. 21 when the club acquired catcher James McCann from the New York Mets, Nevin was traded to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations Saturday night. The New Year’s Eve move beats the end of 2022 by several hours in what is likely the club’s final move of this calendar year.

Nevin, 25, played in 58 games for the Orioles in 2022 and in 184 plate appearances batted .197/.299/.261/.500 with four doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs. He debuted for the Orioles in 2021, going 4-for-14 (.286). In 64 career games he hit .205 with a .604 OPS.

In parts of the last two seasons for the Orioles, Nevin made starts at first base, third base, left and right field. Most of his starts came at third in 2022 when he made 40 starts at the hot corner.

This past season for Triple-A Norfolk, Nevin batted .291/.382/.479/.861 in 44 games for the Tides. Nevin tied Norfolk's franchise record and set a professional career high with eight RBIs on April 15 versus Scranton. He went 3-for-6 and hit his first career grand slam in the second inning.

The Orioles have traded Tyler Nevin to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations.

Nevin was designated for assignment on Dec. 21.

The most recent Orioles transaction remains the outright of catcher Mark Kolozsvary to Triple-A Norfolk on Nov. 17, two days after they selected the contracts of pitchers Grayson Rodriguez, Drew Rom, Seth Johnson and Noah Denoyer and infielder Joey Ortiz to protect them in the Rule 5 draft. The 40-man roster remains frozen at 38 players, but probably not for much longer.

The Winter Meetings begin next week in San Diego, where the Orioles could land the starting pitcher or hitter that they’re targeting, if it doesn’t happen before their contingent boards its flights. At least one selection is anticipated in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft, which also will impact the 40-man.

A trade could be made that doesn’t touch it, with rival teams expressing interest in prospects who aren’t eligible for the Rule 5. Those talks are among the many happening behind the scenes.

Over the last few days, I’ve written about additional front office decisions that are pending and questions pertaining to a bullpen that could undergo some tweaking.

I've moved on to nuggets, and here are a couple worth tucking away:

Players arranged flights home, hopped in their cars or weighed their options.

Reliever Keegan Akin normally drives straight through to Michigan, but didn’t know if he’d need to stop somewhere overnight with the Orioles playing a doubleheader on Wednesday. Center fielder Cedric Mullins was heading down to Georgia, with planned visits along the way as if checking them off his list.

Infielder Tyler Nevin needed to repack and get back into baseball mode this week. One season was over, but he committed for the first time to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic.

Nevin wanted to get more at-bats and try to gain an edge before spring training, hoping that the Orioles give him another shot at making the roster while infield prospects keep infiltrating it.

An uneven season for Nevin, with stops in the minors and stretches on the major league bench, left him with a .197 average and .560 OPS in 58 games and 184 plate appearance in his second full season in the organization.

BOSTON – Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has described it as “about as meteoric of a season as you’ll see.” The rise of now 21-year-old Gunnar Henderson from Baseball America’s No. 57 overall prospect to No. 1 as the summer months crept toward fall. From minor league stud to major league contributor in a wild card chase.

Henderson keeps leaving an impression on every field and at every level, and Baseball America rewarded him today with his selection as its Minor League Player of the Year.

The youngest position player to make his Orioles debut since Manny Machado in 2012 and the youngest to debut in the majors this season, Henderson hit a combined .297/.416/.531 with 24 doubles, seven triples, 19 home runs and 76 RBIs in 112 games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk – drawing 41 walks and striking out 38 times with the Baysox.

“It’s just a great honor and I can’t thank God enough for blessing me with the ability to be in this situation and to bless me with these awards that come with this stuff,” Henderson said this afternoon.

“Looking forward to keeping it going after this.”

BOSTON – The regular season is down to eight games for the Orioles, and they’re still 3 ½ behind the Mariners for the last wild card.

It’s more like 4 ½ because Seattle owns the tiebreaker.

The Orioles made a flurry of roster moves. They placed infielder Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain, which ends his season, optioned relievers Joey Krehbiel and Jake Reed to Triple-A Norfolk, and recalled infielder Tyler Nevin, left-hander Keegan Akin and right-hander Beau Sulser.

Akin is replacing Urías, which enables him to be recalled this early after the Orioles optioned him on Monday.

Nevin is starting at third base tonight.

CLEVELAND – The Orioles didn’t wait until Thursdays’ roster expansion to select infielder Gunnar Henderson’s contract from Triple-A Norfolk.

They did it early this afternoon, bringing up Henderson and optioning infielder Tyler Nevin to Norfolk.

Pitcher Denyi Reyes was designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man roster.

Henderson, who’s wearing No. 2, could be in tonight’s lineup against Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie. We’ll find out later.

The first appearance will allow Henderson, 21, to become the youngest Oriole to make his major league debut since infielder Manny Machado in 2012. Machado was a first-round shortstop who switched to third base. Henderson is a second-round shortstop in 2019 who’s played all four infield positions in the minors, gaining experience on the right side this month.

Terrin Vavra didn’t work out at first base yesterday, his early reps coming in right field before playing his first major league game on that side. Infield instructor Tony Mansolino might get his pupil back on Friday. Other lessons waiting for the rookie.

The Orioles came to Vavra last week with the idea of shifting some of his work to first base. The initial set of ground balls were hit Sunday morning at Tropicana Field, and the club has integrated cutoffs, relays, double plays, bunt plays, pickoffs and short hops.  

“Just trying to familiarize me with it in the event that there’s an opportunity and be ready for it,” Vavra said.

“The game’s the game. It’s just where you’re standing out there. There’s little things that come with time and experience playing each position, but I like to think that I can handle the situation pretty good and give my best effort and do a pretty good job anywhere.”

Trey Mancini’s trade to the Astros has caused the Orioles to sort through their options, and creating new ones, in case of injury.