Reviewing Orioles' 40-man roster

The Orioles have a full 40-man roster that’s going to experience a significant shuffling of players.

A typical offseason.  

Pitchers Félix Bautista, Grayson Rodriguez and Brandon Young will come off the 60-day injured list. Pitcher Zach Eflin and catcher Gary Sánchez also are on the 60-day but will become free agents after the World Series.

Pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano also is a pending free agent. Infielder Jorge Mateo ($5.5 million) and reliever Dietrich Enns ($3 million) have team options in their contracts that could be declined. Fourteen players are eligible for arbitration and a few are candidates to be non-tendered, including first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, outfielder Dylan Carlson and reliever José Castillo.

Here’s the current 40-man:

Pitchers
Keegan Akin
Kyle Bradish
Yennier Cano
José Castillo
Shawn Dubin
Dietrich Enns
Jose Espada
Rico Garcia
Yaramil Hiraldo
Dean Kremer
Chayce McDermott
Cade Povich
Carson Ragsdale
Trevor Rogers
Colin Selby
Kade Strowd
Albert Suárez
Tomoyuki Sugano
Josh Walker
Tyler Wells
Grant Wolfram

Catchers
Samuel Basallo
Maverick Handley
Alex Jackson
Adley Rutschman

Infielders
Gunnar Henderson
Jackson Holliday
Jeremiah Jackson
Jorge Mateo
Coby Mayo
Ryan Mountcastle
Ryan Noda
Luis Vázquez
Jordan Westburg

Outfielders
Dylan Beavers
Dylan Carlson
Colton Cowser
Daniel Johnson
Heston Kjerstad
Tyler O’Neill

Ragsdale was designated for assignment last month and claimed on waivers 10 days later. He’s in the vulnerable category and he’s got plenty of company.

Vázquez and Johnson are in it, especially if the Orioles bring in a utility infielder to replace Ramón Urías and another outfielder after trading Cedric Mullins, Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn.

Handley made his major league debut this season and appeared in 16 games before suffering a concussion and wrist injury on June 22 in a collision with the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. He was 3-for-41, and his status might be dependent on whether the Orioles are willing to keep four catchers on the 40-man.

The roster also will need to accommodate minor leaguers who must be protected in the Rule 5 draft. Those decisions are coming next month.

I’ve received a few mailbag questions about players who would be exposed to the Rule 5 draft. The list includes pitchers Anthony Nuñez, Cameron Foster, Keagan Gillies, Cameron Weston, Trace Bright, Alex Pham, Carter Baumler, Juan Rojas, Ramon Gómez, Sayer Diederich and Peter Van Loon, infielders Frederick Bencosme, Max Wagner, Carter Young and Anderson De Los Santos, first baseman TT Bowens, outfielders Jud Fabian, Reed Trimble, Hudson Haskin and Douglas Hodo III, and catchers Creed Willems and Silas Ardoin.

Nuñez and Gómez were acquired from the Mets for Mullins. Foster was acquired from the Mets for Gregory Soto.

Pitcher Juan Nuñez was selected by the Padres in last year’s draft and returned to the Orioles in March. He’s eligible again, of course.

Nuñez was the No. 8 prospect in the organization, per MLB Pipeline. He fell out of the Top 30.

The Orioles protected Young and Strowd last year. Young was the obvious choice. Strowd rewarded the Orioles by posting a 1.71 ERA in 25 relief appearances.

Pham was unprotected as the No. 25 prospect and teams passed on him. Gillies also stayed in the organization.