Unpacking some tidbits from the Birdland Caravan

The equipment trucks pulled out of Camden Yards earlier today and began their 1,000-mile trip to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota in preparation for spring training. The haul included 320 uniforms, 300 hats, 200 helmets, 10 pitching machines, 800 dozen baseballs and 300 bats, all of which are expected to arrive at the complex next week.

The Birdland Caravan is wrapping up this evening, cut short due to an impending storm that’s forecast to blanket the region in substantial amounts of snow and ice. Manager Craig Albernaz, first baseman Pete Alonso, shortstop Gunnar Henderson, infielder Jordan Westburg, catcher Samuel Basallo and pitcher Tyler Wells filed onto the sixth floor of the warehouse and volunteered at the “Blessings in a Backpack” event, with fans and media also invited to fill bags with food – including cans of pasta, fruit cups and bowls of cereal - for school-aged children who otherwise might go hungry on weekends.

Today’s event assisted students in need at Beechfield Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore.

After an hour’s worth of packing, Albernaz and some players met separately with the local media on the seventh floor. Westburg had to catch a flight home, but outfielder Dylan Beavers showed up later.

Here are a few nuggets after the food was bagged and boxed.

Wells doesn’t know his role and doesn’t seem concerned.

The roster isn’t set. Another starter could be signed or acquired in a trade. That’s the expectation.

Wells made four starts in September after returning from elbow-reconstructive surgery and most likely will be stretched out in camp, but he already could be bumped from the rotation after the Orioles traded for Shane Baz and re-signed Zach Eflin, and another starter probably would seal his move to the bullpen.

“As of right now, I would say it’s just gonna continue to develop,” he said. “For me, it’s just continuing to prepare to contribute to the team however I can.”

Wells said he’s getting ready for multiple ups in his offseason workouts, which isn’t quite the same as stretching out to start.

“I wouldn’t say that’s directly correlated to solely being a starter,” he said. “Relievers cover multiple innings, too. Right now it’s just kind of on schedule as normal.”

Henderson is past the shoulder impingement from 2025.

Everyone knew about the intercoastal strain in spring training that forced Henderson onto the injured list, but news of the shoulder impingement wasn’t shared until his recent appearance on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show" on WBAL Radio.

Henderson repeated today that he dealt with the discomfort for about three-quarters of the season. His home run total dipped from 37 in 2024 to 17 last season in only five fewer games.

Asked where he is physically right now, Henderson replied, “Feel great, shoulder feels great, so I feel like I’m in a great spot right now. Swing’s been feeling awesome so far.”

Henderson said he injured the shoulder while diving for a ball early in the season and the inflammation impacted his swing plane, causing him to “kind of chop down on the ball.”

“But kind of looking back at it, I was proud of the way it turned out at the end, to be able to kind of put together that season with not feeling 100 percent,” he said. “So looking forward to getting back and feeling 100 percent healthy this year.”

There’s a “New Oriole Way.”

Exactly what that means isn’t totally clear, but it’s real.

Cal Ripken Sr. is credited for creating the original “Oriole Way,” a philosophy that emphasized meticulous fundamentals and professionalism, beginning at the lowest levels of the minors. There was a right way to do things and deviating from it wouldn't be tolerated.

Alonso talked today about a vibe shift with the Orioles.

“It’s just full commitment from the top to bottom,” he said. “Everyone’s on the same page and there’s a way, and I’m starting to feel like there’s a certain brand of baseball, a type of game that we want to play. I guess you could call it like the ‘New Oriole Way,’ and I think that’s gonna be a really huge part of why we’re gonna win games.”

There, he said it. So what does it look like?

“You’ll find out. You guys will find out when you start watching us play,” Alonso said, smiling.

“You can deep-dive all you want, you can go to the reasons why or whatever, but I think when you see the product on the field and you watch it over the course of time over the season, you’ll be able to put your finger on it and explain it pretty well.

“I’ve had so many, I’ll call them ‘ball talks’ with Craig and the guys and I really love their vision. I love the process behind things. And everyone is so … it’s just kind of like an all-encompassing plan on how we’re gonna attack the opponent, and it’s gonna be exciting to be a part of.”

Henderson offered his interpretation after conversations with Albernaz.

“Yeah, I think it’s honestly just letting us go out there and just play freely,” he said. “Obviously, we’ll make mistakes, but still, just keeping that sense of freedom out there and just playing with our instincts, that’s brought us to where we are today.”

Outfielder Heston Kjerstad shouldn’t have any health restrictions in spring training.

Albernaz confirmed that Kjerstad is expected to be “a full participant” in camp. The Orioles shut him down after July 25 with lingering fatigue and an undisclosed medical condition.

Kjerstad’s concussion history might have played a factor. His professional career started late after his 2020 diagnosis of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that weakens its ability to pump blood.

The former second-overall draft pick was supposed to get his first full shot in the majors but appeared in only 54 games and batted .192/.240/.327. Rather than destroy International League pitching, he hit .149/.225/.248 with two doubles and two home runs in 27 games with Triple-A Norfolk.

The outfield corners are more crowded with the Orioles trading for Taylor Ward in November and promoting Beavers last season, and with Tyler O’Neill choosing to stay instead of opting out of his three-year, $49.5 million contract. Colton Cowser could be the regular center fielder but he’s obviously capable of moving back to left.

Albernaz said he had a “great” conversation with Kjerstad, describing the outfielder as “very thoughtful.”

“He’s itching to get back to where he can get back to,” Albernaz said. “Heston’s pedigree, he had to prove how good he was in the minor leagues, and going to the Fall League (in 2022) and winning MVP, like, that’s not an easy league to do that in.

“He knows what he has to do to get back and that’s our job as a coaching staff, to support him in that development.”