SARASOTA, Fla. – The transition is in such a young phase that some players don’t know whether changes are forthcoming in the way that the Orioles teach hitting or to what extent. Whether the general philosophy will be tweaked. If the approach will be scrambled a bit from the past.

The full squad didn’t have its first workout until Tuesday. Meetings are on the docket. But the early impressions are that the key attributes will go untouched.

Co-hitting coaches Ryan Fuller and Matt Borgschulte are gone. Fuller is the White Sox’s director of hitting and Borgschulte returned to the Twins as hitting coach. The entire setup is scrambled with Cody Asche promoted to offensive strategy coach and the Orioles employing Tommy Joseph and Sherman Johnson as co-coaches. Johnson also remains in his role as upper-level hitting coordinator. Joseph is the lone outsider after spending last summer with the Mariners.

“I think we’ve got a good lineup, so I think they’re just gonna let us do most of our own thing but give us some feedback here and there and whatever information they can to help us succeed,” said first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. “I think last year they did a really good job of it and I’m sure this group will, too.”

“Obviously, one new face,” said shortstop Gunnar Henderson. “Asche and Sherm, they’ve been here It’s familiar to us. We still have kind of a core of the same teachings, but just other things we’re going to try out and continue to work at.”

The pain has faded, but it took a while. The postseason silence in a clubhouse can ring in a player’s ears.

The Orioles won the American League East in 2023 and were swept by the Rangers in the best-of-five Division Series. They earned the top Wild Card in 2024 and were swept by the Royals in the best-of-three series.

Winning 192 games in the past two seasons doesn’t lessen the disappointment of those abrupt finishes. Making the playoffs three straight years for the first time since 1969-71 won’t mean much if eyes are filled with tears again and hugs are given to console rather than celebrate.

“That’s my No. 1 goal and it’s been my No. 1 goal since I’ve been up in the big leagues is to make a strong playoff push, and it stinks that we haven’t really done that,” shortstop Gunnar Henderson said at last week’s Birdland Caravan. “That’s something that I’m really looking forward to going through this year is getting over that hump and making a strong push.”

That hump has looked 50 feet tall, with the streak of playoff game defeats reaching 10 in a row dating back to the 2014 Championship Series. The Orioles had their roster battered by injuries last year but competed into October before their championship dreams died again.

The second day of the Birdland Caravan brings 10 players to PBR Baltimore at Power Plant Live! Perhaps a few of them will be convinced to sing Karaoke. Riding the mechanical bull might not be included among permissible activities in their contracts.

That’s a difficult injury story to write. It might throw me.

Colton Cowser, Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Jordan Westburg, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott will make appearances between 6-8 p.m. Seven of them seem like locks to occupy the Opening Day roster, an eighth remains a favorite but becomes more vulnerable if another pitcher arrives, and two probably need some breaks to avoid Triple-A.

Cowser

The runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year should get heavy usage again after appearing in 153 games last season.

Before I crank out another mailbag, let’s turn the tables again with me supplying a couple of questions. Give me your feedback.

We’ve pondered whether Zach Eflin or Grayson Rodriguez would be the No. 1 starter as the roster’s currently set, who’s the No. 5 starter, the chances that Jackson Holliday platoons, how much Heston Kjerstad plays, whether the Orioles trade for Luis Castillo, if the Orioles are done making moves for position players, whether Nick Gordon make the team, should Albert Suárez start or relieve, who’s a dark horse candidate, how Tomoyuki Sugano will adapt, which starters go to the bullpen, and whether the Orioles can count on Jorge Mateo on Opening Day.

Here are two more for you to ponder.

Would the Orioles trade Ryan Mountcastle?

Pretty much anything is possible, and here’s one reason why the Orioles could be motivated to do it: They don’t have room for another infielder.

Let’s say, for example, that the Orioles want to carry Coby Mayo or Emmanuel Rivera on Opening Day, or a position player is available who intrigues them. I’d expect Heston Kjerstad to make the club as a fourth outfielder and designated hitter. They’d need to tackle the infield.

Mateo has to prove that he can be ready for Opening Day after his elbow reconstructive surgery. A move to the injured list would solve the problem. Otherwise, Ramón Urías could get bumped, but he’s a valuable utility player and he’s out of options. Perhaps he’s the trade candidate if Mateo is fully recovered and gets sufficient at-bats.

Holliday has two options, but he’s supposed to be a regular presence at second base, with Jordan Westburg the primary starter at third. Holliday would have to play his way off the roster in spring training. I don’t see the Orioles trading him.

Teams inquired about Mountcastle at the trade deadline and the Orioles were willing to listen, but they’d have to trust Mayo to share first with Ryan O’Hearn or give Rivera, who signed for $1 million to avoid arbitration and is out of options, a more regular role. Mountcastle received a $6.787 million contract last Thursday in his second year of arbitration eligibility.

Now, here are a few reasons why the Orioles might not be motivated to trade him:

They slanted too far left offensively, which led to the signings of right-handed hitting outfielder Tyler O’Neill and backup catcher Gary Sánchez. Mountcastle provides power from the right side and the wall is moving in, which should increase his home run total. He was robbed 11 times after the Orioles pushed it back, the most in the majors.

Also, Mountcastle is a back-to-back Gold Glove finalist and the Orioles put a lot of emphasis on their defense. This isn’t a minor consideration.

To get a No. 1 starter in a trade could require peeling a player off the major league roster rather than just moving a few prospects. The Mariners look like a match. They have the pitching and could use a corner infielder.

Outfielder Anthony Santander reportedly would be willing to accept a shorter-term free-agent contract after initially wanting five years, but the Orioles intend to play O’Neill on a regular basis, they want to give Kjerstad more consistent at-bats, and roster space currently is lacking. The Orioles would need to switch to five outfielders and six infielders.

How good is this bullpen?

It may not be finished, but the current group looks impressive.

Andrew Kittredge signed a one-year deal that guarantees $10 million and really strengthens the bridge to Félix Bautista. He also gives the Orioles another reliever with some closing experience, which is important with Bautista returning from Tommy John surgery and missing the 2024 season.

Kittredge made a career-high 74 appearances last season with the Cardinals and posted a 2.80 ERA. His 1.5 bWAR was the second-best of his career. He’s a swing-and-miss guy – an example is his 41.3 percent whiff rate with his slider – and he doesn’t walk many hitters. He has extensive experience pitching in the division. And the Orioles hold a $9 million option on his contract if they want to keep him.

This signing covers for Jacob Webb being non-tendered. The ‘pen also is without left-hander Danny Coulombe, and the Orioles could make another move before Opening Day. Otherwise, Bautista and Kittredge could be joined by Yennier Cano, Seranthony Domínguez, Cionel Pérez, Gregory Soto, Keegan Akin and Suárez, who looks like he will be squeezed from the rotation.

Suárez is out of options. What happens to him if another reliever receives a major league deal with every intention of breaking camp with the team and the Orioles resist a six-man rotation?

The questions just don't stop.

Orioles' relievers ranked 23rd in the majors last season with a 4.22 ERA after being fifth in 2023 at 3.55. Adding Bautista and Kittredge, along with full seasons from Domínguez and Soto, could get them closer to

The important dates in the offseason are dwindling, a notable exception being the international signing period for amateur free agents that begins today. Arbitration hearings start on Jan. 27. Spring training is right around the corner, with Orioles pitchers and catchers reporting Feb. 12 and the first full-squad workout held on the 18^th.

Wedged within these milestones is the three-day Birdland Caravan that replaced the annual FanFest event in 2020 and was canceled the next two winters by the pandemic and baseball’s lockout.

Ten players have committed to the tour: Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle, Colton Cowser. Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, Ryan O’Hearn, Albert Suárez, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and manager Brandon Hyde also will attend.

Elias, Hyde and Cowser have granted past media access this offseason, with the young outfielder holding a media scrum at the Winter Meetings after announcing the draft lottery results. He’s a confirmed participant with his nine teammates at the Jan. 31 Karaoke Happy Hour at PBR Baltimore in Power Plant Live!, and to appear at Bowlero Columbia, the Kids Rally in Severn and the PLAY Ball Rookie Clinic at Meadowbrook Athletic Complex on Feb. 1.

Cowser will have another chance to field questions about finishing as runner-up to Yankees pitcher Luis Gil for American League Rookie of the Year. Gil totaled 106 points and Cowser 101. He also can discuss the hand that was fractured in Game 2 of the Wild Card series and the exact nature of his surgery, his offseason workouts and attempts to become more consistent at the plate, playing left field with the wall moved in, and sharing an outfield with Tyler O’Neill.

The Orioles must reach agreements with their unsigned arbitration-eligible players later today or exchange salary figures. Hearings will be held between Jan. 27 and Feb. 14.

A panel will choose one of the two figures. There are no compromises.

We’ve learned that there are exceptions to the club’s file-and-go philosophy.

Corner infielder Emmanuel Rivera settled at $1 million to leave the Orioles with 11 unsigned players. Here’s a reminder:

Dean Kremer

In this space yesterday I noted that Ryan Mountcastle would be expected to hit more home runs in 2025 as the Orioles are moving the left field fence closer to home plate at Camden Yards. This is after three years after they had moved the wall back nearly 30 feet from its original position.

Mountcastle hit 22 home runs in Baltimore during the 2021 season, the last one with the previous dimensions. He averaged a homer at Camden Yards every 12.77 at-bats that year. But then he hit just 28 total home homers from 2022 through 2024, hitting one every 24.86 at-bats.

I wondered how the entire team was impacted by the year-to-year home homer numbers.

Here are the stats on that from 2021 on:

Actually, the O’s got closer to their 2021 home stats each year, almost equaling them last season when the team hit 235 homers for the season, second-most in the major leagues to the Yankees' 237.

Today a look at a few more notes and items we can expect to see during the 2025 season.

The return of this pitcher: The No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez should return as a full-time member of the Baltimore rotation.

In 2024, he made what turned out to be his last start on July 31. He was scheduled to pitch Aug. 6 in the series opener at Rogers Centre in Toronto but was scratched just minutes before first pitch with what was later described as right lat/teres discomfort.

Getting this now 25-year-old right-hander back is a big lift for the rotation, which loses ace righty Corbin Burnes. Rodriguez went 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA over 20 starts and the Orioles went 14-6 in those games.

He gave up two earned runs or less 14 times. And if you could take away his two worst starts last year, where he allowed seven runs each time, he would have finished the season with an ERA of 3.02.

SEATTLE – By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the fact that the Orioles have secured their first winning month since Aug. 2017. That’s a really long time. 

What’s been behind that winning month? 

The O’s have gone 14-10 in June, outscoring their opponents 121-96, good for a +25 run differential. The offense has averaged 5.03 runs per game over that stretch, which is third-best in the American League.

Last night’s nine runs showcased just how potent this offense can be. 

“Excited with how we swung the bat last night,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We did a great job of grinding out a starter, spoiling a bunch of pitches. Even our outs were loud at times.”

I collected some mailbag questions this week but decided to hold onto them. The tables are turning again this morning.

Here are three more of mine. Tell me what you think.

How much does Heston Kjerstad play in 2025?

A path isn’t completely cleared for Kjerstad but he’s got room.

The Orioles let Anthony Santander walk in free agency but they signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal with an opt-out after the upcoming season. O’Neill isn’t here to sit. He won’t play 162 games but he’ll be a regular presence in the lineup, whether in right field or left.

The mailbag is stuffed again like a Thanksgiving turkey.

I’ll do my best to provide answers but at times will just have to wing it.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. Editing rules are trashed like a two-week-old green bean casserole.

Also, my mailbag carves the turkey at the head of the table and your mailbag heats up a Hungry Man dinner.

Which unprotected players are most vulnerable in the Rule 5 draft?
Before I begin, let’s remember that losing a player in the Rule 5 draft doesn’t mean he won’t come back to the organization. It’s hard to carry one throughout a season. OK, pitcher Alex Pham is the No. 25 prospect in the system per MLB Pipeline and he had 138 strikeouts in 119 innings at Double-A Bowie. Reliever Keagan Gillies had a 4.94 ERA with the Baysox, but he fanned 54 in 47 1/3 innings and surrendered only four home runs. He’s averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors. He’s an interesting guy, but again, challenging to stash in a major league ‘pen.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Tendered 2025 contracts to LHP Keegan Akin, RHP Kyle Bradish, RHP Dean Kremer, INF/OF Jorge Mateo, INF Ryan Mountcastle, OF Cedric Mullins, LHP Trevor Rogers, C Adley Rutschman, LHP Gregory Soto, INF Ramón Urías, and RHP Tyler Wells, as well as all pre-arbitration 40-man players.
• Agreed to terms with INF Emmanuel Rivera on a one-year contract for the 2025 season, avoiding arbitration.
• Declined to tender a contract to RHP Jacob Webb, allowing him to become a free agent.

The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 38 players.

Major League Baseball has reached another important deadline today, with teams required to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players. It’s known as the “non-tender” date. Good for baseball, bad for steakhouse chefs.

The Orioles went a surprising 17-for-17 last year and they have 13 players to consider this afternoon. As usual, there are the slam dunks and the shaky on the perimeters.

The list stood at 16 before the Orioles did some whittling, including the decision to pick up left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez’s $2.2 million option for 2025. They could have declined it and negotiated a new deal.

Pitchers Matt Bowman and Burch Smith elected free agency rather than outright assignments.

At the risk of being wrong again, which never stops me from trying, I’ll predict that the Orioles go 13-for-13.

We’re in the middle of awards week with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The Orioles’ last transaction was signing right-hander Robinson Martínez to a minor league contract on Thursday. They remain engaged in talks to add a right-handed bat and more pitching.

It’s going to heat up.

Meanwhile, I’ve written about some anticipated storylines in spring training, like how Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo fit on the roster, how Adley Rutschman will hit, anything Félix Bautista, rehab progress made by Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez’s health after being left off the Wild Card roster, anything Jackson Holliday, what a full season of Zach Eflin could do, whether Daz Cameron can make the club as an extra outfielder, and whether Dean Kremer can take the next step.

Here are a few more.

More reaction to the left field wall.

Questions are flowing into the mailbag. It’s like a valve is open.

Major League Baseball hosts its quarterly owners meetings next week in New York. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will begin announcing winners of its four major awards Monday with Rookie of the Year in both leagues.

Colton Cowser is a finalist and will try to give the Orioles back-to-back winners for the first time in club history and eight winners overall.

The offseason is pretty tame at the moment beyond the usual roster deadlines. The Nov. 4 waiver claims of catcher René Pinto and pitcher Thaddeus Ward didn’t move the needle. Lots of work is done behind closed doors with the Orioles putting together their major league and minor league coaching staffs and filling other positions.

Let’s fill this space with the mailbag, which is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

It’s another slow day for me. At least that’s what I’m told. Or “ordered” is more like it.

(This would be funny if I didn’t survive the surgery but the story ran anyway. Now that’s a slow day.)

Here are some topics and decisions hovering around the Orioles. You can do the heavy lifting today and tell me what’s going to happen.

Apologies in advance if any of them became outdated earlier this week because I still didn’t have access to my laptop. Or because I died.

Coby Mayo had a few stops in the majors this year and went 4-for-41 in 17 games. He’s waiting for his first extra-base hit.

When I wrote this blog last week, it was a blog that, as I said then, where I was just thinking out loud about ways the Orioles could make small improvements in 2025 in how they do business.

This is not about the makeup of the roster so much, about adding or subtracting players, but about how the Orioles employ the players they do have.

That earlier blog made suggestions that the Orioles could potentially do themselves some good in being less aggressive in two-strike counts. More balls in play may be needed, even at the expensive of slugging pitches in such counts.

It is just one man’s opinion.

Same guy with a new opinion today.

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 notebook is cleaned out, but my mind remains cluttered.

You’ve been warned.

* Anyone with an obsession over splits is going to be drawn to Adley Rutschman.

He’s a conversation starter.

Rutschman batted .219 with a .631 OPS from the left side of the plate. However, he hit .280 with an .889 OPS from the left side as a rookie, compared to .174 with a .552 OPS from the right.