SARASOTA, Fla. – The most popular figure this morning on the back fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex wasn’t one of the players. It was the man who signs their checks.

Owner and control person David Rubenstein reported to camp, toured the complex and signed autographs for fans behind the fences. The scene usually plays out at Camden Yards during games, at times with Orioles cap tossed to the crowd from the front row.

“In life you have to do what you’re good at,” he said. “I’m not good at certain things, so when I bought the team, I said, ‘What can I help the team with?’ It probably isn’t by trying to second-guess the sabermetrics of some of our experts on things, so I thought I could be engaged with the community and try to make speeches around the community, be philanthropically engaged and show up at the games, engage the fans, sign autographs, selfies or things like that, and I try to do as much of that as I physically can.

“I hope to be able to continue to do that until the fans are tired of me. You never know when they may get tired of me.”

Rubenstein spoke to media for about 18 minutes outside the baseball operations center, making multiple assurances that the franchise is in strong financial condition and that his expectations for the 2025 season are lofty.

More mail got stuck in the bag.

Lucky for me. We’ve got more content this morning.

You asked and I eventually was able to answer. Enjoy your leftovers.

Is there any indication the Orioles are going to add to the bullpen? It's been completely silent on that front.
This is what happens when I wait to share the leftovers. I was gonna write that the Orioles will add at least one reliever to a major league deal, my bold prediction or hot take, but they already did by giving Andrew Kittredge a contract for 2025 that guarantees $10 million and includes a $9 million option. Fans want a reunion with Tanner Scott, but the club might not want to make that kind of commitment. Reports have him capable of securing a four-year deal for at least $15 million per year. Who saw that coming in 2021?

What's the latest on John Means? Are his days with the Orioles really over?
Means remains a free agent, as expected. A fast deal wasn't in the cards because he's recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. The Orioles haven't closed the door on him. There's a lot of positive history there. It would be a mistake to downplay their interest. Re-signing him is a possibility. The industry perception is that he probably won't sign until much later in the offseason.

The Orioles had five pending free agents when the offseason began and only one has signed. Only two seem to have any chance of staying with the organization.

Outfielder Austin Slater received a one-year, $1.75 million deal from the lowly White Sox, improving his odds of getting more regular playing time. He would have remained a backup with the Orioles, providing defense and a right-handed bat off the bench.

Right fielder Anthony Santander doesn’t seem to be in the Orioles’ plans after they signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million contract. Reports have him seeking a five-year deal and with multiple teams in the division interested as an alternative to Juan Soto.

Criticisms are aimed at Santander’s defense, though he was a Gold Glove finalist in the truncated 2020 season, and a career .307 on-base percentage. He had 44 home runs and 102 RBIs this year. There’s a demand for thumpers in the middle of a lineup.

The Orioles get O’Neill’s power but also a higher on-base percentage and improved defense. Also at a much lower cost, of course.

I’m about 2 ½ weeks past my open-heart surgery and progress is slow but steady.

I just typed that sentence without having to lie down.

The heavier lifting comes as we move into December, into a new year and to Sarasota for spring training. The 40-man roster has 39 players and the Orioles have multiple items remaining on their shopping list. They also need to hire a bench coach and major league coach.

Let’s look at four more topics and decisions hovering around the Orioles, with you, the reader, telling me how they’re going to turn out.

John Means is rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery and he’s a first-timer on the free-agent market. He has a second child on the way and the same desire to pitch.

The World Series is over and fans are deprived of an epic Game 7. The Dodgers ruined those hopes by winning in five.

The offseason is underway, with players on the 60-day injured list returning to the 40-man roster and teams having exclusive negotiating rights with their free agents for five days before everyone else jumps into the bidding.

Pitchers Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and Félix Bautista and infielder Jorge Mateo are back on the 40-man. Pitchers Corbin Burnes, John Means and Brooks Kriske, catcher James McCann and outfielders Anthony Santander and Austin Slater are removed from it.  Bradish and Wells will go back onto the 60-day IL in spring training while recovering from elbow surgery.

Outfielder Daniel Johnson and pitcher Burch Smith declined outright assignments to Triple-A Norfolk and elected free agency.

The Orioles will make decisions on players with options for 2025 and which ones are tendered contracts and protected in the Rule 5 draft. The General Managers meetings begin next week. The Winter Meetings are scheduled for next month.

The mailbag is filling up again, like the bases in the bottom of the 10^th inning in Game 1 of the World Series.

Freddie Freeman isn’t here to empty it, so I’ll take over.

You ask, I answer, and we have our latest sequel to the beloved 2008 blockbuster. I thought about editing for clarity, length and style, until I had a moment of clarity and decided against it.

Also, my mailbag clinches pennants and yours clutches pearls.

Can you get more specifics on Colton Cowser's hand surgery? Having broken my hand playing ball back in the day where I just got casted and healed for weeks, I am curious as to what they corrected with his surgery.
Sorry, but the Orioles aren’t sharing any information beyond how he had “successful surgery to repair a fractured left hand, and the procedure “was performed by Dr. Donald Sheridan in Phoenix, AZ,” and that the outfielder “is expected to be ready for spring training.” Anything else must come from Cowser during his next media availability.

The Orioles began tackling their offseason workload much earlier than desired. The meetings are starting in the warehouse. Areas are pinpointed that must be addressed in free agency or the trade market. They have at least 15 players eligible for arbitration, the total dependent on whether they exercise reliever Cionel Pérez’s $2.2 million option for 2025, with a Jan. 9 date for the sides to submit figures. They have five players with options and five pending free agents.

When the dust finally settles, and it’s going to take a while, the payroll is expected to climb. How high is to be determined, whether it’s like a step ladder or nose-bleed elevation.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said last week that he’s “pretty confident” that the Orioles will “keep investing in the major league payroll.”

With that in mind, here are a few of the many money-based decisions that are pending.

What to do with Pérez.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Danny Coulombe and John Means are visiting teammates at Globe Life Field this weekend, another reminder of how much they are missed.

Means is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery and has his left elbow in a brace. Coulombe underwent a procedure to remove bone chips from his left elbow.

Coulombe said his recovery is “going along really well.”

“I feel like it’s right on track. We’re pretty optimistic about it,” he said.

“We’re still just working on a little bit of range-of-motion stuff. But it’s coming along really well. And, hopefully, soon we can start some catch and then just get it rolling.”

The baseball industry won’t experience a shortage of theories on why the amount of healthy pitchers is declining. On why elbow pain is on the rise and the injured list is getting more crowded than a Memorial Day beach.

Pitchers are throwing too hard at a young age. The pitch clock is rushing them. Banning sticky substances puts more pressure on arms, whether by tightening grips or forcing spin action.

That’s just a sampling. Other theories are floated, with players and management often shooting them down.

The harder question is, what can be done to minimize the damage?

The Orioles just lost Kyle Bradish again to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. John Means underwent his second Tommy John surgery on June 3, and Tyler Wells is approaching his own reconstructive procedure. Danny Coulombe has inflammation in his left elbow.

Dean Kremer is ready for his rehab assignment.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Kremer will pitch Sunday afternoon for Triple-A Norfolk, which hosts the Memphis Redbirds.

Kremer threw another bullpen session yesterday and has recovered from the strained right triceps that forced him onto the injured list retroactive to May 21.

The length of the rehab isn’t known but Hyde said he’s hoping Kremer can go “four-ish innings.”

“We’ll see how it goes from there. Hopefully it goes well,” Hyde said.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Kyle Bradish threw a light bullpen session this afternoon and he’s starting Saturday afternoon against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Bradish is working on six days’ rest after starting last Saturday against the Rays at Camden Yards and allowing five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. He walked his last three batters.

The rest of the rotation is also confirmed. Grayson Rodriguez starts Sunday afternoon and Corbin Burnes starts Monday night, giving them an extra day with the Orioles in the midst of a brutal stretch that includes only one break in the schedule this month.

The Orioles host the Braves next week in a three-game series at Camden Yards. Albert Suárez and Cade Povich are lined up to start Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. However, the club could choose to move Suárez to the bullpen and give Povich the ball on regular rest following yesterday’s major league debut.

X-rays on Austin Hays’ rib cage came back negative but he’s out of tonight’s lineup.

The mailbag won’t enter Canada unless it’s the postseason, but Florida is fine.

The Orioles begin another four-game series tonight at Tropicana Field and hope to do better than a split. The bar is raised. It wasn’t that long ago that winning twice against the Blue Jays would have been cause for celebration.

Let’s get to the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original, which is always worth celebrating. You know the rules. You send ‘em and I answer ‘em, with little to no editing.

Your level of clarity won’t ruin the hilarity. Your particular style won’t get me riled.

Also, my mailbag is at home beneath the dome and yours is allergic to fake grass.

TORONTO - Orioles prospect Connor Norby got an important phone call on Sunday. On the other end of the line was Orioles assistant general manager Eve Rosenbaum, calling to tell him he was finally headed to the major leagues.

Drafted by the club in the second round of the 2021 draft (No. 41 overall) out of East Carolina University, Norby’s first chance at this level has finally arrived.

Since the 2022 season he has played 198 games and taken 913 plate appearances at Triple-A. He has played in 344 minor league games overall.

“I started shaking,” Norby said of that phone call yesterday. “I think I shook for about an hour. I kind of settled down a little bit. Not much sleep though. But getting here and getting in the stadium, it’s what you dream of.”

Norby said when he got to the ballpark, coach Tim Cossins handed him a lineup card that had his name on it. He was in there batting ninth at second base. He will wear No. 12.

The task at hand can’t change because of an elbow.

Teammates, manager Brandon Hyde and his staff collectively hurt for John Means and Tyler Wells, who will undergo surgery to repair their ulnar collateral ligaments. Two huge contributors to the club are gone, but the process stays the same.

Go out and do your job. Stay within yourself. Don’t feel pressure to replace the missing and make it worse.

“I just want them to do what they do,” manager Brandon Hyde said yesterday afternoon. “Give us the best starts that they can. I don’t want them to try to do anything extra. We’ve thrown the ball really well so far this year. Hopefully, we continue to do that.

“I want our guys to do what Albert Suárez did (Friday) night. Just give us as much as they can every time out.”

The Orioles are losing two projected starting pitchers for the rest of the 2024 season, presenting more challenges for the rotation and perhaps altering trade plans near or at the deadline.

John Means and Tyler Wells will undergo season-ending elbow surgery within the next few days, according to executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, who met with the media earlier today in the dugout. Both procedures are to repair the ulnar collateral ligament, and whether it’s Tommy John will be determined later.

The surgeries also will sideline them at the beginning of 2025.

"Both pitchers, after a lot of medical attention and diagnoses, were determined that they're going to require a revision repair to their ulnar collateral ligaments," Elias said. "It's a very unfortunate situation for us, for them. Tough news for everybody. But we'll take great care of them and get them back to their skill level in due time."

The ultimate solution to the injuries isn't discovered until the surgeries begin, which could lead to differing time frames.

Kyle Bradish was supposed to be the biggest worry in the Orioles’ rotation.

Bradish was the pitcher diagnosed with the sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. He was the pitcher receiving the platelet-rich plasma injection in January, with the possibility of surgery that would end his 2024 season.

We’re a few days away from moving into June and Bradish is still standing. He’s still performing like an ace, mimicking the 2023 version that finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.

The seven no-hit innings in Chicago came in only his fifth start after the Orioles reinstated him from the injured list. His ERA is 1.75 and his WHIP 1.052, with an average of 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings. And he outlasted Tyler Wells and John Means, who didn’t figure to bow out in April and May, respectively.

Put it high on the list of unexpected developments, maybe No. 1.

CHICAGO - The Orioles aren’t listing a starter for Saturday afternoon’s game against the White Sox. They can go in a few directions. Calling upon Dean Kremer isn't among them.

Kremer was supposed to get the ball on his normal turn, but he’s on the 15-day injured list with a strained right triceps. Manager Brandon Hyde said he could make the announcement after tonight’s game.

“This is still pretty fresh so we’re still talking about it,” Hyde said.

Albert Suárez is the in-house candidate. He can provide some length.

Meanwhile, left-hander Cade Povich is scheduled to start Saturday for Triple-A Norfolk in Worcester. The No. 9 prospect in the system per MLB Pipeline is 5-1 with a 2.08 ERA and 1.049 WHIP in nine games and is averaging 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings. His walk rate is down to 3.2, compared to 5.8 last year in 10 starts with the Tides.

Teammates felt sharp pangs of sympathy for Orioles pitcher John Means, experiencing their own discomfort after he packed up his belongings Wednesday and flew back to Baltimore.

They don’t know when they’ll see him again, though early next week at Camden Yards is most likely. They don’t know how long he’ll be on the injured list or when he’ll start again. No one had answers yesterday.

None of it seemed fair.

Means returns from ligament-reconstructive surgery in his elbow and a strained muscle in his upper back, only to be shelved by a strained left forearm that keeps him off the Division Series roster. He accepts that he’ll begin the 2024 season on the injured list, is reinstated, and returns to it after only four starts and with his ERA at 2.61 and WHIP at 0.871.

“It’s so hard to hear,” said reliever Danny Coulombe. “John just worked his tail off to get back. Nobody can ever question his work ethic. But his body didn’t cooperate and we’re just hoping and praying for the best.

CHICAGO – John Means has returned to Baltimore and is undergoing further examinations and testing on his sore left elbow.

Means went on the 15-day injured list today with a left forearm strain after tossing three scoreless innings yesterday in St. Louis but experiencing discomfort that caused him to occasionally flex his arm. He obviously was uncomfortable on the mound.

“He’s meeting with the doctors in Baltimore and just haven’t gotten the results back yet,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He’s meeting with them this afternoon and we’re hoping for the best.

“It was disappointing because he’s worked so hard to get back and was a huge boost for us in September last year after the long road back. Was throwing the ball well. You could tell something was a little bit off yesterday, but hopefully we get good news today.”

Means couldn’t pitch in the 2023 Division Series due to a forearm strain, and he went on the injured list Opening Day to get built up after a late start to his winter throwing program.

CHICAGO – John Means is returning to the 15-day injured list.

The Orioles announced today that Means has been diagnosed with a left forearm strain, the same ailment that delayed his 2024 debut.

Reliever Jonathan Heasley was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to replace Means on the roster.

Means tossed three scoreless innings yesterday in St. Louis but was flexing his arm and experiencing a noticeable decline in velocity across the board. The game was interrupted by rain but Means wasn’t returning for the fourth.

This is the latest setback for Means, who returned from Tommy John surgery last September, made four starts and missed the Division Series due to the forearm strain.