A week remains in the month of January and I’m already seeing mock lineups posted online. They’re built upon a foundation of past orders and current assumptions.

I’ve done it with less.

Cedric Mullins is leading off for the Orioles, and that’s the only certainty on the team. He did it in 141 games last season – the club went 73-68 – and he’ll be missing at the top only if on the bench or perhaps on some occasions when he’s facing a tough left-hander.

Mullins batted .209/.265/.313 against southpaws last season, compared to .279/.340/.441 against right-handers.

Deciding on an actual opening day lineup is harder when the Red Sox haven’t announced their starter. Their rotation candidates include left-handers Chris Sale and James Paxson, and right-handers Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Corey Kluber and Brayan Bello.

The first order of business for the Orioles at spring training is finding 26 players to hop on the charter flight to Boston for opening day. Thirteen pitchers and 13 position players. No more questions about the composition of the rotation and bullpen, and which players join backup catcher James McCann and Ramón Urías or Adam Frazier on the bench.

The camp cuts also enable the Orioles to further stock the roster at Triple-A Norfolk. They have work to do down on the farm.

Lewin Díaz and Ryan O’Hearn were acquired to compete for the backup job at first base, with the latter also providing an option in right field. Two of the many left-handed bats brought into the organization.

The Orioles managed to get them through waivers – Díaz was the real challenge – and remove them from the 40-man roster. They’d be an easy fit with the Tides, who don’t have a first base prospect set to make the majority of starts.

Norfolk’s infield is expected to include Jordan Westburg, Joey Ortiz and Connor Norby, though they will try to make the Orioles’ roster for the March 30 opener. Colton Cowser, the fifth-overall pick in the 2021 draft, will be in the outfield and waiting for his inevitable promotion. Robert Neustrom returns, and the Orioles signed Franchy Cordero, Daz Cameron and Nomar Mazara to minor league contracts.

Nothing has changed with the Orioles rotation as we enter a new week. The same group of candidates for five spots, led by … we don’t know.

The thought of an open competition really intrigues. Then again, so does a trade for a legitimate No. 1 starter, but don't leave a candle burning for Miami's Pablo López, because he's headed to the Twins.

Nothing on the free agent market is going to settle the issue. Michael Wacha isn’t the answer, but he’s been successful between stops on the injured list. He’d be a nice insurance policy while the Orioles hope for a continued upward trend with some of their younger arms. And that the road for top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez is a smooth one.

Who really can say until he gets out there, takes the ball every five or six days and pushes himself beyond the number of games he grew accustomed to in the minors?

The Orioles will get back John Means at some point during the summer, perhaps before the All-Star break, certainly after it. They more easily can calculate what they’ll receive from veteran Kyle Gibson based on his 10 seasons in the majors, though they also trust that their studies of video and pitching program will bring out the best in him.

A new top 101 baseball prospects ranking again gives lots of love to the Orioles, with eight players included on the list.

Just not the exact same eight that made Baseball America’s top 100 this week.

Baseball Prospectus also puts infielder Gunnar Henderson at No. 1 while he retains his eligibility. The two publications are in agreement here.

Pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is No. 8, shortstop Jackson Holliday is No. 9, outfielder Colton Cowser is No. 38, third baseman Coby Mayo is No. 69, infielder Jordan Westburg is No. 74, infielder Connor Norby is No. 82, and left-hander DL Hall is No. 95.

Not all lists are created equal, and we have another example of the inexact science.

The revelation this week that the Orioles led the majors with eight players ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects, the most in franchise history, illustrated the massive gains made by a farm system that routinely drew heavy criticism for its light weight.

Only the second team to have two different players, catcher Adley Rutschman and infielder Gunnar Henderson, ranked first in back-to-back years, after the Cardinals’ J.D. Drew in 1999 and Rick Ankiel in 2000. The first to do it in consecutive years with players from the same draft class.  

The appropriate and predictable focus fell upon the Big Eight: Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez (sixth), Jackson Holliday (15^th), Colton Cowser (41^st), DL Hall (75^th), Jordan Westburg (76^th), Connor Norby (93^rd) and Joey Ortiz (95^th).

Henderson will lose his prospect eligibility early this season. Happens to the best of them. Hall made his major league debut before Henderson and has an excellent chance to break camp with the team, so he’s also on the clock.

Norby and Ortiz shot into the top 100 with huge 2022 campaigns. They seemed neglected. Ortiz is rated 17th in MLBPipeline’s top 30 Orioles prospects.

The competition for bullpen spots on the Orioles roster got a little deeper this morning.

The club announced that it signed right-hander Reed Garrett to a minor league contract, which could put him on the list of spring training invites.

Pitchers and catchers report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex on Feb. 15, with the first workout held the following day.

Garrett, 30, made seven relief appearances with the Nationals last season and allowed seven earned runs (eight total) with 13 hits, eight walks and six strikeouts in 9 1/3 innings. The Richmond native had his contract selected on June 14 after a three-year absence from the majors.

The Nationals used Garrett in three June games and three more in July. He served as the 29^th man in an Oct. 4 doubleheader and tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings against the Mets.

How the rotation and bullpens are constructed, with the first influencing the second, are the biggest spring training curiosities for me and many others. The final bench spot must be monitored, with a non-roster, left-handed hitting first baseman hoping to crash the opening day party in Boston.

I’ve already filled this space with some spring training storylines. Here’s a recent story.

What else is worthy of our attention besides the exhilarating pitchers fielding practice and bunt drills?

I’ll take a swing at it with some quick hits.

Every Kyle Gibson side session and appearance is noteworthy because the Orioles gave him $10 million guaranteed, their largest deal since hiring Mike Elias, and he could move near or at the top of the rotation. They expect more out of him than just innings, though they'll gladly take those, as well. He's bound to draw comparisons to Jordan Lyles, the pitcher he basically is replacing.

It was a record-setting day for the Orioles with the release of the new Baseball America national top 100 prospects list today. Not only does Gunnar Henderson continue as the publication’s No. 1-ranked prospect, but the Orioles topped all of Major League Baseball with eight players ranked in the top 100, one more than Cleveland's seven and two more than the Dodgers, Mets and Rays, who had six each. 

This is the second year in a row in which Baseball America has ranked an Oriole as the top prospect in the sport. Adley Rutschman was No. 1 in the poll released last year. The publication has been producing top 100 lists since 1990, and the only other time the same organization had two different players at No. 1 in consecutive years was when the St. Louis Cardinals' J.D. Drew and Rick Ankiel topped the ratings in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

Also, no team had two players from the same draft ranked No. 1 in back-to-back years until today. The O’s selected Rutschman No. 1 overall in 2019 and Henderson was their second pick in that draft, at No. 42.

So Henderson, who was the 2022 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year also, is still No. 1. Pitcher Grayson Rodriguez is now No. 6 and the second-highest rated pitcher behind the Phillies' Andrew Painter at No. 5. Baseball America now ranks Jackson Holliday, the overall No. 1 pick by the Orioles in the 2022 draft, at No. 15. The Orioles also have Colton Cowser at No. 41, pitcher DL Hall No. 75, Jordan Westburg No. 76, Connor Norby No. 93 and Joey Ortiz at No. 95. Norby and Ortiz crack Baseball America's top 100 rankings for the first time this year.

With eight players ranked, the Orioles blew away their previous best in this initial pool release by Baseball America. We say initial as the last several years the publication has tweaked its poll throughout the season. In 2022, the Orioles ended the season with six in the top 100. But in the initial poll release of each year, the Orioles' best previous showings were five players ranked in 2008, 2021 and 2022.

The Orioles found out yesterday that Lewin Díaz would remain in the organization after he cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Díaz was designated for assignment again a week ago. He may or may not have been told.

Who wants to make that phone call?

But seriously …

Getting Díaz through waivers, which has been harder than AP calculus, increased the list of non-roster invites to spring training that hasn’t been finalized.

The Lewin Díaz saga might finally be over.

The Orioles announced today that Díaz cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. He stays in the organization.

The outcome allows the Orioles to bring Díaz and Ryan O’Hearn to spring training as non-roster invites competing for the backup job at first base. O’Hearn passed through waivers last week and accepted his outright.

Díaz has been a man on the move since the season ended. It's become his unintended claim to fame.

The Marlins designated Díaz for assignment on Nov. 15 and the Pirates claimed him off waivers on the 22^nd. He was designated again on Nov. 30 and the Orioles claimed him two days later.

The importance of the Orioles to the city of Baltimore, how tightly the orange and black threads are woven into its fabric, shouldn’t need to be proven or reiterated. It’s as plain as the brick building behind the right field flag court at Camden Yards.

Still, it’s nice to hear.

It’s also vital for the folks who carry deep scars from the Colts burning them with the move to Indianapolis 39 years ago.

Mayor Brandon Scott didn’t mention the Colts by name at yesterday’s press conference to announce the Orioles’ $5 million donation to the non-profit CollegeBound Foundation, but the baseball team’s commitment to the city stood as a stark contrast to Robert Irsay’s slurred promises to stay that were built on lies.

Scott called chairman and CEO John Angelos and the Orioles “a true partner to the city of Baltimore.”

The long-term commitment to the city of Baltimore that Orioles ownership has preached and promised throughout rumors of a potential sale or relocation was reiterated this morning via a sizeable financial donation to a local nonprofit organization.

The point was driven home in tones ranging from mostly celebratory to somewhat heated during a 25-minute news conference.

Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos, in a rare public appearance, and Mayor Brandon Scott gathered on the sixth floor of the B&O warehouse to announce a $5 million commitment to CollegeBound Foundation in support of “the next Baltimore renaissance.”

The CollegeBound Foundation, in existence for 35 years, is a multi-year support network dedicated to leading Baltimore City public school graduates through college by offering academic and personal guidance, empowering these students to successfully pursue and complete a college degree or other post-secondary options.

The Orioles also are providing paid internships to former city students and current College Completion Program scholars.

The Orioles completed most of their arbitration business on Friday and made another sizeable splash two days later in the international market.

There isn’t much left to do besides get the camp roster ready for spring training.

Austin Voth is the only player among the six arbitration eligibles who didn’t agree to terms. He’s seeking $2 million and the Orioles countered at $1.7 million.

A hearing could be held in late January or February, with a three-person panel determining the salary. There are no compromises if it reaches this stage.

Voth would be an interesting case given the splits in his season between the Nationals and Orioles. The 10.13 ERA and 2.143 WHIP in 19 relief appearances versus the 3.04 ERA and 1.229 WHIP in 22 games (17 starts) for a team that contended until the final week.

The Orioles have announced a large international amateur signing class today of 27 players headed by shortstop Luis Ayden Almeda, age 16, from the Dominican Republic. Almeyda’s signing bonus is $2.3 million, per MLB.com, the largest ever given an international amateur by the Orioles. He becomes the club’s first international signee with a bonus exceeding $2 million.

Last year’s top signee, outfielder Braylin Tavera, did have that distinction until today, signing for a $1.7 million bonus to head up the class announced last January.

Almeyda sets an O’s record and becomes the fourth player to sign for $1 million or more under the regime of executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and senior director of international scouting Koby Perez. In the 2021 class, they signed catcher Samuel Basallo for $1.3 million and shortstop Maikol Hernandez for $1.2 million.

“I’m very excited and blessed,” Almeyda told MASNsports.com in his first one-on-one interview as an Oriole. “I am ecstatic to start out with this organization and develop as a ballplayer and a man as well.

“It really wasn’t a tough decision. I had my mindset on this team from the start since they started with me. I know that they have one of best farm systems in the minor leagues or maybe the best farm system in the minor leagues. You know, I’m just excited to get on this journey.”

The offseason is melting away like Frosty. Not quite a puddle, but it’s getting mushier.

(I’m still wondering why Santa Claus left Karen on the roof of her house rather than dropping her off at the front door. She should have demanded to speak with his manager. But I digress …)

The report date for Orioles pitchers and catchers is exactly one month away. A few days earlier for Dillon Tate (Team USA) and Dean Kremer (Team Israel) as they ready for the World Baseball Classic and are marked as absent in camp.

The Orioles already have them pegged for the 26-man roster on opening day. The only concern is how they’ll ramp up earlier than normal, which in theory could make them more vulnerable to an injury. Manager Brandon Hyde will wave goodbye with fingers crossed.

Knowing how close we are to a Sarasota dateline creates another round of camp curiosities, which I’m formulating this weekend between NFL playoff games.

The depth in the Orioles rotation stacks up “pretty well,” one talent evaluator phrased it recently, when tracking starter candidates fourth through seventh. The back end and overflow.

Potential exists for higher grades. And to be in good hands from top to bottom if small sample sizes prove accurate in the longer term.

The Orioles are hoping that there really is strength in numbers.

They don’t have an established No. 1, 2 or 3 starter, but they want to further explore the group that includes Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall. This can be done with or without another veteran acquisition to go with Kyle Gibson, who’s normally a fourth or fifth.

The club is maintaining its quest for someone with previous experience as a 1, 2 or even a 3, judging by the range of its search. Michael Wacha is the most appealing of the remaining free agents and the Orioles have kept their interest in him. He’s coming off an 11-2 season with a 3.32 ERA and 1.115 WHIP in 23 starts for the Red Sox, but maintaining good health and staying on the mound has been an issue.

The Orioles completed last month’s trade for backup catcher James McCann by sending minor league infielder/outfielder Luis De La Cruz to the Mets today as the player to be named later.

De La Cruz, 20, spent the past two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. He appeared in 33 games in 2022 and batted .291/.396/.349 with five doubles and 12 RBIs in 101 plate appearances.

De La Cruz was part of the July 2019 international signing class at age 16, the first under Mike Elias and Koby Perez.

McCann was acquired on Dec. 21, with the Mets picking up $19 million of the $24 million remaining on his contract over the next two seasons.

Adley Rutschman was the only catcher on the 40-man roster before McCann’s arrival.

The Orioles have reached the point today where they must agree to contract terms with six arbitration-eligible players or risk hearings to determine 2023 salaries.

Outfielders Cedric Mullins, Anthony Santander and Austin Hays, infielder Jorge Mateo and pitchers Austin Voth and Dillon Tate were tendered contracts at the deadline. They remain under team control, the most important order of business.

It’s unlikely that the Orioles sign all six players before exchanging figures, but they’re expected to announce some agreements later today. I’m placing the over/under at three.

Make it rain.

Hearings typically are set during spring training. The Orioles have joined other teams operating under the file-and-go approach, but they make exceptions, with Trey Mancini and John Means serving as examples last year.

Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Orioles pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Sarasota on Feb. 15, with the first workout held the following day.

Position players are due on Feb. 20. The first full-squad workout will begin the morning of the 21^st.

The first exhibition game is Feb. 25 against the Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. The Orioles finish with a March 27 home game against the Cardinals, a late addition to the schedule.

The Orioles will face nine different opponents, with 11 of 31 games against American League East rivals.

Six games will be played against the Pirates, three in Sarasota and three in Bradenton. The Orioles also will host the Braves, Tigers, Phillies and Twins.

Lewin Díaz is on the move again, with the Orioles again removing a left-handed hitting first baseman from their 40-man roster but also increasing their bullpen depth with the corresponding move.

Left-handed reliever Darwinzon Hernandez was acquired from the Red Sox this afternoon for cash considerations. Díaz was designated for assignment again – his fifth time since the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Hernandez, 26, appeared in 91 games with the Red Sox over parts of four seasons and compiled a 5.06 ERA and 1.734 WHIP in 85 1/3 innings. He’s walked 73 batters but also struck out 133.

The 2021 season was encouraging for Hernandez despite an oblique strain that cost him more than a month, with the Venezuelan native posting a 3.38 ERA in 48 games, but he pitched in only seven last year and allowed 16 earned runs (17 total) with eight walks in 6 2/3 innings. He had a 5.73 ERA  and 1.485 WHIP in 23 games at Triple-A Worcester.

Hernandez was the Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect in 2019 and made his major league debut in May. He was optioned to begin the 2022 season, underwent knee surgery and didn’t rejoin Boston until July. His last appearance was Aug. 10, and the Red Sox designated him for assignment on Friday after signing free-agent infielder Justin Turner.