SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are off today. My mailbag never rests.

This is the spring training edition. You ask and I answer, just like in the summer, fall and winter.

The clarity, length and style are fine. No reason to mess with them - or for anyone to know if I do. Sue me.

Also, my mailbag hits home runs over the scoreboard and yours fouls out to the catcher.

If he plays, say, 145-150 games, do you think Tyler O'Neill will make us forget about Anthony Santander?
Let’s get one thing straight: We shall never forget about Anthony Santander. Never, I tell you! He was too impactful on the field and in the clubhouse. However, O’Neill has the power to make fans worry a lot less about the 44 home runs subtracted from the roster, and he’s a more accomplished outfielder. O’Neill has exceeded 100 games twice in his career and he hit 34 homers in 2021 and 31 last season. You get him in the 145-150 range and he’s going to do some serious damage. And then you hope that he doesn’t decide to opt out.

The Orioles and Red Sox played to a 6-6 tie today at Ed Smith Stadium, which leads into Tuesday’s first off-day.

Here are some nuggets from this afternoon, when the first five innings meant the most to the Orioles:

* Félix Bautista faced three batters in the fifth inning – strikeout, strikeout, ground ball, standing ovation from fans.

This was Bautista’s moment. Everything else that happened was secondary.

Bautista ran the count full to Trayce Thompson and struck him out on a fastball up and away. Nate Eaton swung through a nasty splitter.

Tyler O'Neill would have been in today's Orioles lineup except he's dealing with an illness, according to manager Brandon Hyde, who met with the media in Sarasota for his daily pregame dugout session.

O'Neill hit a ball Thursday against the Blue Jays that cleared the concourse in left field for a three-run homer. He didn't make the trip to Fort Myers yesterday, but he wasn't going to play anyway. It didn't raise any red flags.

Starter Charlie Morton also was out of camp recently due to an illness and he made a quick return.

Dylan Beavers is starting in left field today as a late addition to the lineup.

Hyde also said that Jordan Westburg is feeling better and has been cleared for light baseball activities. He isn't swinging a bat because of the soreness in his lower back that's kept him out of the lineup since last Saturday's exhibition opener, but he's able to play catch.

Ah, the first week of spring training games. 

The perfect time to toss out wild takes about the upcoming season based on an incredibly small sample size of games that hold minimal weight. 

What takeaways are overreactions? Which far-too-early conclusions could actually come to fruition? 

On this week’s edition of “The Bird’s Nest” (which you can watch here), Annie Klaff and I took a deep dive into some early storylines. On the way up, we’ll see which ones hold any water. 

Heston Kjerstad will have a 20-plus home run season

BRADENTON, Fla. – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde offered simple instructions this morning for Tomoyuki Sugano before the Japanese right-hander’s much-anticipated exhibition debut. Just go out, relax and pitch.

Keep it simple, Sugano.

“It’s a first spring training outing, so it doesn’t mean anything,” Hyde explained. “Just want him to get his work in.”

The Orioles hoped that Sugano would throw 35-40 pitches. He needed only six to complete the first, all of them strikes, but was extended to 22 in the second while escaping a two-out jam.

Tommy Pham led off the bottom of the first with a broken-bat infield single, but Bryan Reynolds grounded into a 4-6-3 double play started by Jackson Holliday. Sugano retired the first two batters in the second before former Oriole Adam Frazier singled and Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked. Holliday ranged to his left to field Darick Hall’s bouncer with the count full.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The next wave of Tomoyuki Sugano hysteria crashes on the shore today with his Grapefruit League debut against the Pirates. Protect yourselves at all times.

The first game of catch, first bullpen session and first live batting practice session were recorded and plastered all over social media. The Japanese media that tracks his every movement didn’t miss a single minute of it. The local beat crew fell into step. The anticipation was palpable.

Pitching in Bradenton isn’t the most ideal location from a media standpoint. The press box space is limited, to put it generously. Reporters who cover the Pirates usually set up in the workroom. That leaves a free-for-all to occupy one of the three stools in the back row.

You can’t call it “standing room only” because there’s no room, though standing might improve your view.

Statcast data is available at LECOM Park, which enhances today’s coverage. Sugano throws six different pitches and tracking is made easier. Let’s be able to identify them and attach numbers. And give me exit velocities from the hitters.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tomoyuki Sugano reported to Orioles camp on Saturday, but today felt like the beginning of spring training. Three different hitters stood at the plate against him in live batting practice at Ed Smith Stadium, rotating until he faced eight during his session. A lengthy mound conference followed with catcher Adley Rutschman, pitching coach Drew French, guest instructor and former pitcher Ben McDonald, and interpreter Yuto Sakurai.

Sugano lingered for a little bit longer as the session broke up, sweeping his foot across the dirt and measuring his stride. The mounds in Japan have a softer composition and the rubber sits further back. Just one more adjustment.

The Orioles scheduled only one live BP today and arranged for Sugano to face prospects Enrique Bradfield Jr., Dylan Beavers and Jud Fabian. Beavers flied out and doubled twice on a pair of hard-hit line drives. Fabian struck out twice and singled or doubled into left field – players don’t run the bases – and Bradfield grounded out and lined to left field.

Here’s what they’re saying about the session:

Sugano (via Sakurai)

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jordyn Adams had a choice to make and he doesn’t regret the outcome.

Adams committed to the University of North Carolina to play baseball and football. He was a four- or five-star recruit as a wide receiver, depending on the source, but Major League Baseball viewed him as one of the top prospects in the 2018 draft.

The first decision for Adams involved picking a college, and the North Carolina native chose the Tar Heels over Alabama, Ohio State, LSU and Clemson. Still to come was whether to immerse himself in campus life or join a team’s farm system.

Adams never stepped foot on campus as a student. The Angels made him the 17^th overall pick, and the common perception was that he’d need to go in the first or maybe the second round to catch fly balls in center field instead of footballs on the gridiron.

The result so far is 28 games with the Angels over the past two seasons and a .176/.205/.216 slash line. He can play everywhere in the outfield and he’s hoping to play for the Orioles in 2025 after signing a minor league contract on Dec. 23.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Because he didn’t play winter ball, Orioles pitcher Albert Suárez is in the best shape of his life.

He really means it.

Suárez didn’t join Caracas in Venezuela after making 32 appearances with the Orioles last season and totaling a career-high 133 2/3 innings in his return to the majors. He rested, he worked out and he earned the first exhibition start Saturday afternoon against the Pirates in Sarasota.

“For me, just how I prepared in the offseason,” he said of receiving the honor. “I think I’m well prepared to be able to start the first game of spring training. So it means a lot.”

Times can change quickly and Suárez is a baseball example. He reported to camp last spring as a non-roster invite and impressed the Orioles to the point that they selected his contract in April. Now he’s practically a lock to be introduced on Opening Day in Toronto.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Gary Sánchez’s experience catching Japanese pitchers won’t necessarily give him regular starts on days that Tomoyuki Sugano is on the mound.

Maybe it evolves that way.

Sánchez was behind the plate yesterday for Sugano’s bullpen session, and he’s caught Masahiro Tanaka with the Yankees and Yu Darvish with the Padres.

“Post-bullpen, Gary and I sat on the mound and kind of talked about his experience with Tanaka and some of the other guys that he’s caught,” said pitching coach Drew French. “The versatility that they have and what their preferences are and how they talk about themselves, and I definitely think there are some parallels from his prior years in the game with what Tomo features.”

So what about becoming Sugano’s personal backstop?

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles pitching coach Drew French was eager to begin working with Tomoyuki Sugano even before the Japanese right-hander agreed to a $13 million contract. The deal became official and French approached interpreter Yuto Sakurai with a favor. Simple in nature but hugely meaningful.

“I said I need to start learning his language a little bit,” French said. “I’ve done some things to try to help myself, but ultimately woke up the next day and forgot them.”

French had a specific translation request. He wanted to know how to say, “good job.” It’s like he anticipated what would happen during the first bullpen session.

“Ultimately, that’s the phrase I went with today,” French said, “and hopefully tomorrow I can learn another one.”

Might I suggest “great job?”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Tomoyuki Sugano can work through a lineup and jet lag with similar ease.

The first bullpen session for Sugano this morning lived up to the tremendous hype. He threw 35 pitches and exhibited his usual pinpoint control. Only the slider was omitted from a repertoire that consisted of a four-seam fastball, cutter, splitter, sinker and curveball.

“It’s everything that was advertised when we started vetting him in free agency,” said pitching coach Drew French. “That’s what our scouts said and our org loves... We think at times it’s going to be 80 command. It’s really, really good. Definitely sides of the plate, he understands horizontal game, and how he mixed his pitches. It was just nice to finally be in person and see him do his work.”

Sugano was late to camp while obtaining his visa in Tokyo, his arrival delayed until Saturday, and he requested that his debut in the 'pen be pushed back from yesterday. He was totally worth the wait.

“I was happy to have good command in today’s session, so that was good,” he said via interpreter Yuto Sakurai.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles are hoping to catch Albert Suárez in a bottle.

They signed pitcher Rodolfo Martinez to a minor league contract on Nov. 1, the magnitude of it pretty much lost on the baseball world. He hadn’t been with an affiliated team since 2019 in the Giants system, with his travels taking him to the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Japan.

Sounds kind of familiar, except Suárez signed with the Orioles in September 2023 after pitching in Japan and Korea, his last affiliated ball was 2018 and he appeared in 40 major league games with the Giants from 2016-17.

“I was in San Francisco before the pandemic and then they sent us home for two weeks while everything was supposed to get cleared out, but as we all know, that didn’t happen,” Martinez said. “The Giants cleared house and they didn’t want me there anymore.”

The most important similarity would be for Martinez to have the same success as Suárez, who made 24 starts and eight relief appearances for the Orioles last season after reporting to camp as a non-roster invitee and registered a 3.70 ERA in 133 2/3 innings. He was in come-to-the-rescue mode as rotation injuries piled up, and he could provide length out of the bullpen.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Kyle Bradish is throwing on flat ground and reported this morning that his surgically repaired right elbow is responding in a positive manner. He just can’t predict his return or look too far ahead.

The road traveled after a ligament-reconstructive procedure keeps him in the slow lane.

“Arm feels really good,” Bradish said this morning at his locker in his first interview since his final start on June 14. “No setbacks. Throwing program is going good.

“Right now I’m just focused on day-to-day throwing. Not really focused on mound or stuff like that.”

Bradish described his sessions as “standard catch.” No spin on the ball. Nothing that might tax the elbow.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Heston Kjerstad sat quietly at his locker yesterday morning, staring at his phone with legs stretched out and empty chairs on both sides of him. An isolated figure. Pretty much how he likes it.

Kjerstad isn’t anti-social. He just doesn’t command a lot of attention in a clubhouse with some extremely high-profile young players.

The bat, however, can get loud.

The Orioles want to hear it a lot this season. No more breakdowns in his quest to become a regular contributor at the major league level. No injuries or illnesses. No interruptions and options. It’s time to find out what they have in Kjerstad beyond sick power and potential.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias told the media last week that this is a “big opportunity” for Kjerstad and the second-overall pick in the 2020 draft “earned the right to get a lot of at-bats in the corner outfield and in the DH spot, specifically against right-handed pitching.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – Samuel Basallo swung at the first pitch thrown today by starter Charlie Morton and sent a chopper to a vacated second base area in a live batting practice session. The 20-year-old kid was beaten by the savvy 41-year-old veteran, and it happened in the blink of an eye or the tearing of an imaginary ticket stub.

Basallo faced Morton again on the Ed Smith Stadium field, worked the count deeper and bounced again to the right side.

It was an unofficial 0-for-2 day against Morton, who was the only Oriole to take the mound. And it represented the only weak contact from Basallo so far in camp.

“It was really good, really competitive,” Basallo said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “Obviously, someone who’s been in the big leagues for a long time. Lots of experience. But I felt really good being out there facing him.”

The top prospect in the system and 13^th overall per MLB Pipeline is entertaining observers in BP – coaches, teammates, media and fans who attend the workouts. He barrels everything with a smooth but powerful left-handed swing. His size and the sounds coming off his bat are imposing.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The decision to sign with the Orioles came easily to outfielder Tyler O’Neill. It wasn’t just the money, though the idea of being paid $49.5 million over three seasons with an opt-out clause after the first year enticed him.

“It was always chasing Baltimore last year,” he said.

O’Neill caught them via contract negotiations.

He spent last summer with the Red Sox after six with the Cardinals, enabling him to form his opinion of the Orioles.

“Playing in the AL East, I’m familiar with the division,” he said. "Baltimore’s the team to beat. Obviously, when they have interest in me early in the offseason, I was really excited about that. Just really excited to join these guys and get going.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Opening Day roster for the Orioles isn’t going to include infielder Jorge Mateo. The fastest player in camp made a speedy exit from it.

On the first workout day, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias confirmed that Mateo is making progress but probably won’t get enough at-bats to be ready on March 27 in Toronto.

“He’s doing a hitting progression, hitting buildup,” Elias said. “He’s playing catch. Everything’s going well, but he’s likely to be held back in camp. Probably not somebody we’re going to see in Grapefruit League until very, very late in camp and that will probably put him in a position where he’s unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but we anticipate him being a huge part of this team. He’s gonna be back in the early part of the season, hopefully not too long after Opening Day. But he’s in a very good spot.”

Mateo underwent ligament-repair surgery on his left elbow on Aug. 28 after suffering a severe dislocation in a collision with shortstop Gunnar Henderson. He could have given the team a seventh infielder and right-handed hitting backup in the outfield.

The Orioles signed Mateo to a $3.55 million contract with a $5.5 million club option for 2026 to avoid an arbitration hearing. They missed his speed and defense last summer, but he hit .229/.267/.401 in 68 games.

The opportunities to empty the offseason mailbag are dwindling. Spring training is right around the corner. Who’s excited?

That’s my only question. The rest must come from the readers.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

I don’t tamper with length, style, clarity or brevity. I usually don’t bother to shower. This is a very casual mailbag.

Also, my mailbag reports early and yours has visa problems and a maxed-out AMEX card.

Unlike your neighbor’s golden retriever, Zach Eflin despises walks. 

“I hate giving people a free pass … It really comes down to… I don’t like giving in to guys and just letting them take first base,” Eflin said with a smile in his first interaction with Baltimore reporters after being traded to the O’s back in July.

The right-hander went on to toss over 55 innings for the Orioles in the second half of last season. In that stretch, Eflin only walked 11 batters. The veteran’s aptitude for limiting free passes helped him allow just 16 total earned runs in his nine starts in Orioles orange. 

Nearly 100 pitchers in baseball had a fastball of at least 95 mph last season, but Eflin doesn’t pitch that way. The righty boasts a six-pitch arsenal, but none exceed an average of 93 mph. He won’t rack up the strikeout numbers, nor tout a huge whiff rate. 

Eflin excels at commanding the strike zone. His 3.5% walk rate put him in the 98th percentile in the majors in 2024. And when he did move out of the zone, he did so intentionally, to the tune of a 32.6% chase rate according to Statcast, good for the 88th percentile in baseball.