In the unpredictable world of baseball, it’s been fascinating to watch Jorge Mateo go from bubble non-tender guy to trade bait to integral part of the Orioles’ lineup planning.

He has a role on a first-place team and owners of the best record in the American League that for quite some time appeared to have little use for him. Another good reminder of the dangers of rushing to conclusions.

Mateo was groomed and advertised as more of a super-utility guy, with club promises to test him more regularly in the outfield at spring training. It didn’t happen that much, and he’s settled in as a second baseman.

Jackson Holliday eventually will become the everyday player at the position, but he was platooned during his brief stay in the majors and currently is leading off again for Triple-A Norfolk. He went 1-for-3 yesterday with a double, two walks, two strikeouts and a run scored and is batting .278 with a .928 OPS.

Mateo entered yesterday’s series finale against the Reds with home runs in two of his last three games. Before Thursday, he hadn’t hit a ball over the fence since April 30, 2023 in Detroit. He delivered an inside-the-park homer on Aug. 20 in Oakland.

CINCINNATI – It was April 17^th in Jacksonville, Florida, and one-time O’s ace John Means was pitching in his fourth injury rehab game with Triple-A Norfolk.

He didn’t get out of the first inning, threw just 34 pitches and gave up five runs and two homers.

But things were very different tonight. Very different.

Means, who had his best rehab game last Sunday with seven scoreless on one hit for the Tides, picked up tonight where he left off there as the Orioles beat Cincinnati 2-1 to take the first two in this series in front of 33,202 at Great American Ball Park.

There was much drama in the ninth as the Reds, down 2-0, got a run off Craig Kimbrel and had bases loaded and one out. But Yennier Cano got the save with a strikeout and flyout to end this thriller and make Means a winning pitcher.

John Means makes his 2024 debut tonight as the Orioles continue their series in Cincinnati following last night’s 3-0 win. And after Cole Irvin ran his scoreless streak to 20 2/3 innings.

Means hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since Sept. 29 against the Red Sox, when he allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings. He faced teammates in a simulated game at Camden Yards prior to the Division Series and experienced discomfort in his elbow/forearm area that led to his exclusion from the roster, a delayed off-season throwing program and stint on the injured list.

Tonight marks his latest comeback to the rotation, and he’s with a club that’s 21-11, has won 13 of its last 18 games and is one ahead of the Yankees for first place.

The Reds are a new opponent for Means, who’s posted a career 3.97 ERA in 13 starts against the National League.

Jeimer Candelario is 3-for-8 with a double, triple, RBI and walk against him. Santiago Espinal is 2-for-2 with a double and RBI.

Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish fired a 96.3 mph two-seam fastball to Yankees leadoff hitter Anthony Volpe for a called strike. And not only was Game 4 of this series underway, but so was Bradish’s first big league outing since last October’s American League Division Series.

He was activated today off the 15-day injured list after dealing with a right UCL sprain that led to him getting a platelet-rich plasma injection in January. After three minor league rehab games, he was back on a big league mound for the first time since he faced the Rangers in Game 1 of the ALDS at Oriole Park on Oct. 7.

Bradish’s return was no doubt a lift today for the Orioles and he gave them a solid outing. They used that, a couple of home runs from unexpected places and Jordan Westburg’s two-run triple to beat the Yankees 7-2 in front of 27,299 sun-splashed fans and take three of four in this series.

The Orioles began this series down a game in the AL East, but they leave it at 20-11 and leading the Yankees (20-13) by a game.

The O’s offense had scored just six runs on 16 hits the first three games of this series, but they broke out today versus Yankees lefty Carlos Rodón, who entered with a 2.48 ERA.

If a team wants to chase a division title and maybe chase 100 wins in the process, it needs to find a lot of different ways to win games through the long season.

While the Orioles have gotten a lot of attention for their power display so far this year, the team is not without speed. And the Orioles run the bases well. They often gain an extra 90 feet on their opponent with a runner going from first to third.

Or a runner stealing second base. They do that well and with a very high percentage success rate.

Through Tuesday’s games, the Orioles ranked sixth in the American League with 24 steals, and they ranked second in the AL and MLB with a 88.9 success rate, stealing 24-of-27. That percentage at one time was up at about 95 percent, but they’ve had a couple of caught stealing's recently.

“It’s more individual. We have guys that can run,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We’re going to be aggressive when we feel like it’s necessary and we feel like it’s appropriate to run. We ran a little bit on the road trip (to K.C. and Anaheim) just because it was kind of given to us. So, we were able to, you know kind of identify certain guys we were able to run on more than others. The score dictates it, a lot of things dictate that.”

Jorge Mateo gets the start at second base tonight for the Orioles and James McCann is behind the plate.

Heston Kjerstad stays on the bench against a left-hander, former Orioles Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes. He’s been in the lineup once since the Orioles recalled him last Tuesday.

Colton Cowser is in left field and batting ninth. Jordan Westburg is the third baseman.

Dean Kremer is making his sixth start. He’s posted a 4.61 ERA and 1.061 WHIP in 27 1/3 innings.

Kremer struck out 10 batters over 5 1/3 innings in his last start in Anaheim. He has a 5.04 ERA and 1.410 WHIP in nine career starts against the Yankees.

The last mailbag felt emptied but actually had more to it. I need an umpire to stop by my house and check the bottom for sticky substances.

As everyone knows, there’s nothing worse than a sticky bottom. But I digress …

Let’s do a morning mashup, combining a mailbag with leftovers. Much safer than the two liquids you poured together in chemistry class.

Complaining about the clarity, lengthy, style, grammar or brevity will get you edited right out of here.

Also, my mailbag makes your mailbag use the homer hose for a good cleansing.  

BOSTON – The Jackson Holliday watch is over, and it’s a relief to fans and media.

Everyone knew it was coming, but when? The waiting is the hardest part. Tom Petty was right.

The Orioles obviously didn’t set an exact date and circulate it in public. Maybe it depended on his at-bats against left-handers and how he performed at second base. A specific number of ground balls or double plays aren’t botched and you get the kid on a plane.

He doesn’t need to be accompanied by an adult. He isn’t that young.

For media, it’s like an anvil hanging overhead. Waiting for it to drop – usually at the most inopportune time.

The Orioles won 23 exhibition games, the most in club history. Their .793 winning percentage also ranked first. And it meant roughly the same as crap.

The real stuff begins Thursday or Friday, depending on the weather.

Winning is always better than losing unless your goal is to tank. However, spring training games don’t feature the best players for nine innings. Bullpen moves aren’t usually strategic except to provide innings and work. And the results include split-squads with some of the opponents in Sarasota bringing unrecognizable names on the travel roster.

At least the Orioles’ minor leaguers were high quality. Some of the road lineups were as good or better than the home version.

Daniel Johnson and “Everyday” Errol Robinson were camp superstars because of their clutch hitting after the seventh inning. They aren’t coming off the bench on Opening Day. They aren’t jogging down that orange carpet.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Orioles set their rotation for the beginning of the season, and they’re ignoring the off-days and going with five starters.

Corbin Burnes is getting the ball for Opening Day against the Angels on March 28, followed by Grayson Rodriguez on March 30, Tyler Wells on March 31, Dean Kremer on April 1 against the Royals and Cole Irvin on April 2. Every game will be played at Camden Yards.

Wells appeared to be a bullpen candidate over the winter, but Kyle Bradish and John Means are headed to the injured list. Trading for Burnes didn’t push Wells back into a relief role.

Results also matter with Wells, who has allowed only two runs in 10 2/3 innings.

“We look at a little bit of everything – opponent, not only opponent first time but in the next few weeks, but also, he’s throwing the ball great,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “One of our best, if not the best starter in the first half last year, and for me he’s throwing the ball like that right now. We want to start him game three.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – A second off-day of the spring provided rest and recreation to a group of players who would rather hit a golf ball than the wall.

What it couldn’t accomplish is the task of figuring out how to pare the camp roster to 26 players. That’s a higher pay grade.

Competition is great. It’s also a pain in the rear because players who should be introduced to a packed house on March 28 will be working out in Sarasota and waiting for the minor league season to begin. Seems unfair but that’s business, the kind from an organization that’s operating at a much higher talent level than in the past.

The rotation is at least close to set with Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin, whatever order beyond the ace. Let’s assume that Rodriguez and Kremer are two and three.

But what the heck is going on with the position players?

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo has made 10 career appearances and three starts in right field, including one with the Orioles in August 2021 against the Braves, when Max Fried pitched a complete-game shutout at Camden Yards.

Mateo was in right field this afternoon against Atlanta, making his first spring appearance at an outfield corner after seven starts at shortstop, three at second base and two in center.

“Just preparing for if it does happen in the season,” said manger Brandon Hyde. “Just want to move guys around a little bit in camp.”

The ball found Mateo with two outs in the first inning, and he made a sliding catch of Marcell Ozuna’s line drive. Starter Tyler Wells applauded by slapping his hand into his glove.

Mateo ran down Austin Riley’s fly ball in shallow right field, calling off second baseman Kolten Wong, to end the third. He moved to left field in the top of the fourth, with Ryan O’Hearn switching to right.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo is playing center field for this afternoon’s game against the Rays at Ed Smith Stadium.

Colton Cowser is in right field and Austin Hays is in left.

Gunnar Henderson is leading off and playing shortstop, with Jordan Westburg at second base.

Jackson Holliday finally gets a break.

Adley Rutschman is catching Tyler Wells, who’s making his second Grapefruit League start. Wells tossed two scoreless innings with one hit allowed on March 1 against the Braves in North Port.

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. – The fan excitement over spring training has spilled over to the mailbag, which also is spilling.

Time for some mailbag leftovers for breakfast, a mash-up for this side of the site.

Same editing rules – little to none – and same appreciation of your participation.

What did catcher Maverick Handley do to make the Orioles mad at him and not place him on the 40-man roster?
The Orioles didn’t protect anyone in the Rule 5 draft and got away unscathed. They like Handley. He’s in camp. But they rolled the dice that he’d remain in the organization.

What's the early consensus regarding Jackson Holliday? Has it changed from the previous proclamation that he may break camp?
Holliday isn’t promised a spot on the Opening Day roster. He’s competing for it. Nothing has changed. He may break camp.

SARASOTA, Fla. – An Orioles minor leaguer since the 2020 season, TT Bowens has shown some pop in his time in Birdland with 33 farm homers.

Yesterday he hit one that helped the Orioles win yet another spring training game. Bowens’ three-run homer to left in the top of the ninth in Bradenton broke a 2-2 as the O’s beat the Pirates 5-2 to get to 9-1 in the Grapefruit League.

The Orioles are rolling in Florida and Sunday it was Bowens, 25, with a real big swing and a feel-good moment.

The 2020 MLB Draft was shortened to five rounds and the O’s signed Bowens as a free agent out of Central Connecticut State after that draft. His 33 homers have come in 908 career at-bats. Last year in 59 games, 47 at Double-A Bowie, he produced a .697 OPS with eight longballs. He had an OPS of .724 last fall hitting four homers in 21 games in the Arizona Fall League.

He doesn’t make top 30 lists and can easily get overshadowed amidst the No. 1 farm system in the sport. But yesterday fans in Delmarva, Aberdeen and Bowie could say, “hey our guy helped the Orioles win a game.”

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. – Jorge Mateo is ready for anything that the Orioles throw at him.

He’s also prepared to catch it.

Mateo won a Fielding Bible Award at shortstop in 2022 and was a notable snub in Gold Glove Award voting. He made 95 starts at the position last season compared to 142 the previous summer, a prolonged slump and the emergence of Gunnar Henderson cutting deep into his time.

Jackson Holliday will break camp with the team or debut shortly after, giving Mateo another shove. But the at-bats should be available to him.

The Orioles gave Mateo two starts in center field last season and will give him plenty of work in camp. He wants it.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles whittled their daily workout today, the fifth since pitchers and catchers reported, mostly to live batting practice sessions on the main and back fields.

Tyler Wells stood out among the chosen arms inside Ed Smith Stadium.

He induced a ground ball to the right side from Anthony Santander, who jokingly warned against throwing that many fastballs in a row after leaning back to avoid inside heat. Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo struck out, Jordan Westburg hit a sharp grounder to the left side and Ryan Mountcastle lined a “double” down the left field line.

Mountcastle was having himself a day. Nothing for Wells to take personally.

The Orioles’ first baseman drove a Mike Baumann pitch off the scoreboard in right-center, sending the ball back onto the field. Hard to tell initially whether it hit the fence or the bottom of the board, which led me to his locker for confirmation.

Winning the American League East and reaching the Division Series, where they were swept by the Rangers, earned the Orioles a playoff share of $43,942.

A decent haul but a pittance compared to the $506,263 earned by the Rangers for winning the World Series. The Diamondbacks won the National League pennant and were rewarded with $313,634.

The general managers and owners meetings are over and the major awards are passed out. The Winter Meetings don’t start until Dec. 3 in Nashville. The deadlines to protect players in the Rule 5 draft and tender contracts to the ones eligible for arbitration arrived last week.

The Orioles didn’t add any of their Rule 5 eligibles to the 40-man roster, which has four openings for future business. They also had zero non-tenders, a surprise considering the 17 players on their list. At least a few seemed reasonable, if not assured.

Four reached agreements on new deals: shortstop Jorge Mateo for $2.7 million, reliever Keegan Akin for $825,000 and outfielders Ryan McKenna and Sam Hilliard for $800,000. The remaining 13 have agents negotiating with the Orioles until the Jan. 12 deadline to submit salary figures for the upcoming season.