Good morning, Camden Chatters.<\/p>\n
You wouldn\u2019t know it from the current weather on the East Coast, but baseball season is fast approaching. In just one week, all Orioles pitchers and catchers will have reported to Sarasota for the start of spring training. The first workout is in eight days. Soon we\u2019ll be inundated with reports of how every Oriole is in the best shape of his life and that it\u2019s a great group of guys and the team is destined for glory. It\u2019s the time of year that optimism abounds and there\u2019s no evidence to the contrary (yet).<\/p>\n
Even with the start of camp so close, it doesn\u2019t feel like the Orioles are done tinkering with their roster, nor should they be. The bullpen, in particular, is one unit that doesn\u2019t currently inspire confidence. The O\u2019s did jump early this offseason to fill their closer spot, signing former All-Star Ryan Helsley, and reacquired Andrew Kittredge after dealing him last July. But ever since the Helsley signing, which was more than two months ago, the Birds have yet to add any other notable relievers.<\/p>\n
The O\u2019s, at the moment, seem set to rely on many of the journeymen and unproven arms who comprised their bullpen after the trade deadline last season. And that\u2019s a major risk. Can the Orioles rely on the well-traveled Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia to be as effective this season as they were in a two-month sample size last year? Will a guy like Kade Strowd take a step forward or be overexposed in regular duty? What happens if Helsley gets hurt or pitches like he did with the Mets (7.20 ERA)? Who would replace him as the closer? If Kittredge is injured or ineffective, who takes over the eighth-inning role? The Orioles might not be prepared for every contingency, but bringing in another reliable arm or two would go a long way to strengthening the whole bullpen.<\/p>\n
The Orioles\u2019 offseason got off to a fast start but has slowed to a halt as spring approaches. There\u2019s still a little bit of time for Mike Elias and his staff to acquire a reliable reliever or starting pitcher. But if they want a new pitcher to be able to have a full spring training of preparation, they\u2019d better act sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n
Putting together the Orioles\u2019 2026 bullpen – BaltimoreBaseball.com<\/a><\/p>\n Rich Dubroff maps out a potential Opening Day bullpen, and it reinforces the point I was just making. If Yennier Cano is penciled in for a spot, then I\u2019m sorry, but that\u2019s not a particularly good bullpen.<\/p>\n Orioles position preview: Rutschman, Basallo form high-upside catching duo – The Baltimore Sun<\/a><\/p>\n The key word here is \u201cupside.\u201d If either or both of them play like they\u2019re capable of, the O\u2019s could have the best catching situation in the division. But their 2025 performances for the Orioles don\u2019t exactly inspire confidence.<\/p>\n