SARASOTA – The Orioles are carrying 68 players on their camp roster, which includes two from the injured list. So really it’s 66, which really is a lot with fewer than three full weeks left before Opening Day.

Some meatier cuts are coming.

The mailbag holds as many questions as the roster. I’ll do my version of cuts this morning in an attempt to get at a more manageable amount.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2009 original.

Also, you should know that my mailbag is ramping up quickly and your mailbag is stuck in traffic on the ramp to I-75.

How has Ryen Helsley looked? Is he a lock for closer or will they play matchups late in games?
He’s looked like a lock. Helsley has tossed three scoreless innings in three appearances and the stuff also impressed earlier in camp. The only way that the Orioles might play matchup is if he’s unavailable. They’re paying him $14 million this season and he holds a player option for the same price in 2027. He’s the guy. That’s why he’s here, to replace Félix Bautista. For further proof, here’s manager Craig Albernaz when asked yesterday about Helsley’s usage: “He’s gonna be an opener.” Hold on, he was kidding. “No, in the ninth. He’ll be our ninth inning guy for sure.” Could he pitch multiple innings? Yes … in the postseason. “Over 162 it’s really tough to stretch closers and back end guys out for six outs, just because now the sheer volume of innings and pitches total on that arm is tough to navigate,” Albernaz said. “So for me, I just view him as a one-inning guy.”

You think Cameron Foster will have any shot of sticking and coming north with the team,  pitching out of the bullpen?
Foster is a candidate, especially with Andrew Kittredge headed to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Foster is having a good camp with four scoreless innings in four games. He’s allowed only two hits and he’s got a mid-to-upper 90s fastball, though it seemed to be a tick down Thursday in Port Charlotte. He can be optioned, which might work against him compared to a reliever with no options who is at risk of a waiver claim. I think he pitches in the majors this season, whether in March/April or later. He’s gotten noticed in a good way and that’s pretty much all that he can ask for at this point.

You think Jackson Kowar will have any shot at sticking and coming north with the team, pitching out of the bullpen?
Thanks for saying “shot at” instead of “shot of.” Bonus points for you. Kowar also is in the running and he’s out of options. The velo is really good – he hit 99 mph Thursday – but he’s got to cut down on the walks and stay healthy. Both are challenges. “Just like all of our guys, they’re all potential fits with the way they’ve been throwing,” Albernaz said yesterday. “With Jackson in particular, it’s been fun to watch.” Kowar has pitched only twice because he left camp for the birth of his baby. “It was good to see him get out there and touch the mound,” Albernaz said. “I was joking around with him. ‘I think I saw a 99 there yesterday. Was that new added dad strength?’ He’s been looking great, looking sharp. It’s kind of like the same story for a lot of our relievers. Yeah, the stuff is there and it jumps out at you.”

Jackson Kowar is on the 40-man roster and has no minor league options. Do you think the
Orioles can get him through waivers?
Part II of Kowar. I think it’s going to be hard if he’s getting outs and pumping 99 mph fastballs. But he also has an 8.21 ERA and 1.934 WHIP in 54 major league games and has averaged 5.7 walks per nine innings. Scouts are everywhere and it could depend on their reports and a particular team’s needs. And like everything in life, timing is everything. How’s that for saying I don’t know?

Where do you think Vance Honeycutt will start the season in the minors? A/AA/AAA?
Definitely not Triple-A. He isn’t making that jump after spending 2025 in High-A and struggling so badly at the plate. Let’s avoid rehashing those numbers again. Let the kid move on from them. My guess is High-A again, with Frederick becoming the new affiliate. I don’t think his four home runs in five at-bats late in spring training games earn him a bump to Double-A Chesapeake. He’s only 22 and still has a lot to prove in the South Atlantic League.

There are still a crapton (scientific term) of players in camp with only 18 days until the last spring training game in D.C. Do you have any idea when we should expect more cuts to be announced?
I’d go with “crap-ton,” but your way also is acceptable. Cuts are done randomly. The Orioles have dropped them on us before first pitch a couple times this spring. It could be happening as I type this response. Let me check. … Nope. We rarely know ahead of time.

Why was Hyder wearing a uniform if he works in the front office?
Brandon Hyde also is available for on-field work with the Rays. He’s capable of filling many tasks in his new role. I was told that he doesn’t always wear the full uniform, but he did Thursday.

Is Hans Crouse busy playing air hockey, ping pong or is he getting ready for his spring training debut?
I finally have an answer for you! Crouse is recovering from a torn lat muscle that he suffered last year while pitching for the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate. The Orioles have him on a slow progression. He’s in the clubhouse pretty much every day. An unrelated note: He looks a little like Zach Eflin.

Just in case you have a crystal ball or a time machine, could you tell us if the PRP injection and PT for Westburg is going to work? Barring that, are there any particular goalposts we should be looking for in his progression back to the roster?
Goalposts? Well, he’s upright. I don’t have a crystal ball. I lost it years ago in the divorce. However, I’ll predict that Westburg is able to return in 2026, whether to the infield or mainly as the designated hitter. He’s running to keep his legs in shape. We’ll need to see him hit and throw, of course, before we try to establish a timeline for his return.

What are the issues with left-handed pitcher Danny Coulombe?
My entire body would lock up if I didn’t get at least one Coulombe question per mailbag. It’s just speculation why he remains on the market. Asking price? Concerns over age and health? Just one of those quirky things that happens in free agency? A team is going to sign Coulombe and most likely be happy with the results – which also is speculation.

What’s your over/under on optionable pieces in the bullpen to start the season?
There’s speculation here, too, if we’re weaving a thread through these mailbag questions. The final eight, if that’s the total, isn’t determined. However, Ryan Helsley, Andrew Kittredge (when healthy), Albert Suárez and left-handers Keegan Akin and Dietrich Enns can’t be optioned. We can remove Kittredge because he’s headed to the injured list and you said “to start the season.” I was paying attention. Suárez can’t have a repeat of yesterday’s disaster, when he allowed seven runs and nine hits in 2 2/3 innings. That’ll leave a mark. Rico Garcia and Jackson Kowar are candidates to head north and they, too, are out of options. Now, about those optionable pieces, as you called them. Yennier Cano, Tyler Wells and Grant Wolfram can be sent down. My mock rosters, as worthless as Beanie Babies and a Dilson Herrera rookie card, have them in the ‘pen. I always include the caveat that I’m expecting president of baseball operations Mike Elias to bring in another reliever late in camp. Anthony Nunez, Cameron Foster, José Espada and Yaramil Hiraldo also have options if one of them is kept. I’ll set the over/under at three, which is done for entertainment purposes only.

The bullpen doesn’t have big names entering Opening Day. What’s the inside skinny from the front office?
Big names? You mean like Craig Kimbrel? Helsley led the majors in saves in 2024, is a two-time All-Star and has received Cy Young votes. He could earn $28 million with the Orioles if exercising his player option. Guess I’m not clear on your definition.

Any update on how the stadium renovations are going?
They’re going. Construction crews are on the scene seven days a week. I can verify it from my week back home. The new scoreboard looks huge compared to the old model, but that’s because it’s a big ol’ dark screen at this point. Everyone who’s taken the tour is impressed with the premium club behind home plate, the new press box and what’s being done on the club level. Lots of excitement over the changes. But they’re still a work in progress.

Can you put to rest some of the doom and gloom about the new scoreboard? People seem to think it’s so obnoxiously big that it blocks the view of the warehouse and the rest of the cityscape. The pictures don’t look that way to me, but hey, you’ve seen it in person.
Part II of stadium renovations. I haven’t stood in front of the scoreboard, but I think the perception is more about the size of the screen than the footprint of the entire board, as Pat829 so eloquently put it. There’s no comparison between this and the Hilton hotel that blocks the Bromo Seltzer tower and skyline.

Would you be interested in doing a reader-answered mailbag, where we answer your burning questions?
With some of my past transgressions, I’m just glad that my questions are the only thing burning. But seriously, folks … I’ll take it under consideration.

Why did the O’s brass decide that Dean Kremer would be in the rotation over Tyler Wells instead of letting their spring dictate who would get the No. 5 spot? Wells’ injury was 2 years ago.
You might have answered your own question. But also, Kremer led the team in innings in 2025 and was second in 2023. His durability is part of his appeal. (I could break out my workhorse/mane joke again, in case you missed it.) Wells can start, of course, but he also profiles as a weapon in the back end of the bullpen, and that’s especially important with Kittredge out. Wells has set up and closed, and this role makes it easier to control his innings after a second elbow surgery.

If Taylor Ward and Tyler O’Neill both have very good years, do you think Ward could be re-signed and O’Neill would stay with the club or be traded? Especially if the team makes the playoffs and a possible World Series appearance in 2026.
I’ll borrow one of manager Craig Albernaz’s favorite lines: Everything is on the table. (I could break out my Sidney Ponson at mealtime joke again, in case you missed it.) The Orioles could use Ward’s spot for, say, Heston Kjerstad. Or, say, Colton Cowser if Enrique Bradfield Jr. is the full-time center fielder. They could keep O’Neill for the final year of his contract or check the trade market. Let’s see what he does this season. And let’s see what Ward does and what kind of contract might await him in free agency.

Have you been able to see Vance Honeycutt playing in the outfield? Are his speed and defense as outstanding as reported?
Honeycutt is an outstanding defensive player. That part of his game seems major league ready. He can field and run. He just needs to cut down on the swing-and-miss and let the other tools play. He’s got ‘em. The belt is full. His power is showing in Sarasota, though we’ve questioned whether his last home run ball really traveled 471 feet. Whatever the actual distance, he obliterated it. But back to your questions. Yes, and yes.

How has Coby Mayo looked at third base? Be honest.
Why would I lie? I think he’s shown improvement in range and throwing accuracy. That doesn’t mean he’s played a flawless third. I saw him mishandle a bouncer that he charged. He fielded a grounder yesterday, stepped on the bag for the force but skipped his throw past first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. But I’ve also watched him range into foul territory to backhand a ball and record the out. I’ve seen him make a diving stop along the line. He followed yesterday’s error with back-to-back plays for outs. There are reasons to be encouraged. I’m not an expert, but it may help that he’s able to focus on one position, and one that he’s more familiar with than first base. “The thing with Coby is, when his posture gets too upright when he throws, that’s usually when he kind of goes awry,” Albernaz said. “It’s where he’s athletic, that’s where his best throws come, so we just kind of gather with him and talk to him about sustained being athletic and letting athleticism take over instead of being so mechanical.”

What’s your favorite Pink Floyd song, “Another Brick in the Wall” or “See Emily Play?”
“Wish You Were Here.” But don’t take that as an invitation to meet up with me.

The Orioles have a home game on Sept 6, which will mark the 30th anniversary of Eddie Murray’s 500th home run. Have you heard of any plans to commemorate the achievement?
The club will celebrate the milestone, but details are TBD. Hearing the crowd chant “Ed-die, Ed-die” will absolutely, positively, never get old. And the way he encouraged it last year after walking onto the field for the Cal Ripken Jr. “2,131” celebration was so cool. I like animated Eddie.  

Have you ever been to the circus museum in Sarasota or do clowns freak you out?
Two things can be true. In this case, I haven’t visited the museum but I’m told it’s an enjoyable experience. Clowns don’t freak me out unless they’re murdering people. That’s where I draw the line. But that’s also true of jugglers and tightrope walkers.

Any creative thoughts on how to use six starters without burning out the bullpen?
They could skip different starters and basically rotate six into five spots. But that still requires six starters. OK, I’m out of ideas.

How has Albernaz’s first spring training been different from years past? I’ve heard talk about more accountability, more focus on fundamentals, etc. Have you seen anything substantively different?
Honestly, not much. There was the Slip ‘N Slide. But you’re going to find many of the same drills. The same live batting practice and PFPs and pickoff plays and bunts. The faces and voices change. Keep in mind that we don’t see everything that’s happening. It’s also important to note that the Orioles didn’t just begin to take accountability and fundamentals seriously. You don’t make the playoffs in back-to-back years by ignoring the important stuff. They just needed to get better in some areas.

Why is spring training so long? Seems like they have practiced enough and they should be ready to play ball. Back in Little League we only had two practice games and were in game shape.
You also drank from a garden hose and ate Pixy Stix like they were one of the basic food groups. Times change. Most players would agree about the length of spring training, but pitchers need to ramp up. It’s more about them.

At what point do players become bored with spring training, or can’t you tell because they’re so good at hiding it?
I saw a couple guys break out a Scrabble board in the dugout. That seemed like a clue. Or maybe they were playing Clue. The boredom isn’t as common anymore because there’s so much to do at the complex and in Sarasota, and because this is a close-knit group. Guys are eager for Opening Day and for the games to count, but they don’t seem miserable.

Of the thousands of Orioles’ regular season and postseason games that you have attended, if you could pick just one to re-live and go to again, which one would it be? Why?
Game 2 of the 1971 World Series. I’d get to be 8 years old again and have my Dad back.

There were two orange seats that commemorated home runs by Eddie and Cal and I believe both have been removed. Do you know where they are now? Do you think the one that was where the splash zone extension is now could be replaced? Maybe for Mr. Splash to sit?
Eddie’s seat wasn’t moved. It remained in its usual spot last season. Cal’s seat is now in storage, which is what I tell the police every time they come to my house looking for it.

What’s the deal with airline food? Uh, I mean Danny Coulombe. Seems like he would be a good fit and I’m surprised he’s still available.
This seems like a good place to stop.

What’s the value of one iota? What’s a dozen iotas or a gross of iotas worth? I know, you don’t give one iota.
You beat me to it. And this is definitely a good place to stop.