Among the many questions to land in the recent mailbag was one that I put aside to give it a little more thought and provide a more expansive response.

Who will get more starts in center field next season, Cedric Mullins or Colton Cowser?

The immediate response is Mullins because he’s exclusively a center fielder and Cowser is first in line for left. Mullins made 121 starts in the middle this year and Cowser made 36 in center, 91 in left and six in right.

That’s advantage Mullins. It should be sustained next season.

I’d still expect Mullins to be the primary center fielder in 2025 after the Orioles tendered him a contract, with MLBTradeRumors.com projecting his salary at $8.7 million. He is a year away from free agency, with 2023 first-round draft pick Enrique Bradfield Jr. waiting in the wings after climbing to Double-A over the summer.

Rather than let the mailbag fill until it overflows like a clogged sink, I’ve decided to share a few more questions this morning to keep it at a reasonable level.

I sense a little fan impatience because the Orioles haven’t made a big move or one that fits as a medium, but offers reportedly were made for starting pitching and the Winter Meetings could bring news. Stay patient. It's early December.

In the meantime …

Why hasn't the “Hot Stove” been hot?
There it is. Some deals and signings have been announced, but the process slows with the expanded playoff field convincing more teams that they can contend. Agents aren’t in a rush to accept proposals. High-profile free agents like Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes need to come off the board, which makes clubs pivot to Plan B. Stuff like that.

How many Orioles minor leaguers are eligible to be chosen in the Rule 5 draft?
Roster Resource lists 36. Don't worry, all 36 won’t be selected. Some of the more notable names include outfielders Hudson Haskin, John Rhodes and Reed Trimble, catcher Maverick Handley and pitchers Justin Armbruester, Juan Nuñez, Carter Baumler, Kyle Brnovich, Alex Pham, Zach Peek, Jean Pinto, Tyler Burch, Keagan Gillies and Kyle Virbitsky.

The Orioles' 40-man roster went untouched again yesterday. The transactions page didn't require updating. 

At least one starting pitcher, at least one reliever, a right-handed hitting outfielder and a backup catcher are on the much-publicized shopping list. There are only so many ways to present it. And an item or two could be crossed off at next week's Winter Meetings in Dallas. 

The following question won't dictate how executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias proceeds, but it's worth asking.

Can Tyler Wells be available for the bulk of the second half?

Wells underwent his elbow surgery on June 17, a little more than two weeks after the club confirmed his status. Elias provided updates on Wells and John Means on May 31. Means had his surgery three days later, but Wells took longer.

I emptied the mailbag over the weekend, but a question arrived yesterday that I wanted to address and expand on rather than save it for later.

It pertains to one of the most important members of the 2024 team, an unexpected development that can’t be disputed. It’s just fact, and further proof that minor league signings can’t always be downplayed or ignored.

They can bail out a team.

Does A. Suárez have a preference for being a starter or a reliever? One way to add a significant bullpen arm would be to get starter(s) in the rotation and nudge Big Al to the 'pen, but what would he think of that? Would he see it as a demotion?

To be clear, we’re talking about Albert and not Andrew. I can’t imagine that it caused any confusion, but you never know.

I would have an easier time catching a fly ball in left field in a heavy rainstorm while wearing stilettos than catching a break.

I should be coming home today from Sinai Hospital, except the pharmacies contacted don’t have my new AFib prescription and I have to wait until Monday. I can only get it here in-patient.

My response is, why can’t you just slip me a couple to take home?

But enough of my complaining. Let’s dig through more mailbag leftovers while I sit here in my hospital gown and self-pity.

There was talk of David Ross being added as bench coach. Any idea what happened there? Was Ross too expensive?
There aren’t any details available relating to the coaching search. Maybe later. I haven’t seen confirmation that Ross was offered the job. Just that the Orioles were “interested,” according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, who didn’t know whether an offer was made.

As the search for starting pitching goes on throughout MLB, all teams, including the Orioles, might be taking note of free-agent right-hander Nathan Eovaldi.

The right-hander is a remarkably consistent pitcher in recent seasons, who at his age will not command a long-term deal or the major dollars of the top-tier pitchers.

Eovaldi is also known as a big-game pitcher who had an outstanding postseason run as his Texas Rangers won the 2023 World Series.

He will turn 35 on Feb. 13, but there is still a lot to like here about both his talent and expected price tag.

Since 2020, his ERA has been between 3.63 and 3.87 each year. For the Rangers, he pitched 144 innings during the 2023 season and then another 36 2/3 in six postseason starts. Last year he pitched 170 2/3 innings, going 12-8 with a 3.80 ERA for Texas. He allowed just 147 hits with a 1.107 WHIP, 2.2 walks per nine and 8.8 strikeouts.

Making the qualifying offer to Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander probably was the most predictable act performed by the Orioles since the playoffs. Tendering contracts to the top players on their arbitration list also could be seen from miles.  

Like any offseason, there also have been a fair share of surprises. Here are a batch, in no particular order.

The return of Daz Cameron.

Cameron spent the 2023 season with Triple-A Norfolk, appearing in 110 games and batting .268/.346/.452 with 23 doubles, 16 home runs and 67 RBIs in 446 plate appearances. He didn’t make the club in spring training and didn’t have his contract selected.

That seemed to be the conclusion of a Cameron connection to the Orioles, who had selected him on waivers from the Tigers in November 2022. The son of three-time Gold Glove winner Mike Cameron signed with the Athletics a year later and hit .200 with a .587 OPS in 66 games. The Orioles acquired him for cash considerations on Oct. 31.

The turkey will be the star today in many households, but I’m more of a sides guy. They can make or break a meal.

Trading for or signing a starter the caliber of Corbin Burnes, if not actually him, would be baseball’s turkey. The same goes for a big right-handed bat.

Three more minor league signings on Monday were sides.

The Orioles didn’t make any bold moves last November, their final transaction of the month a minor league contract for left-hander Jakob Hernández. They claimed outfielder Sam Hilliard on waivers from the Braves and gave right-hander Adrian Heredia and left-hander Andy Tena minor league deals.

The most important business this month has involved restructuring the 40-man roster, with relievers Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb unexpectedly entering free agency, and finalizing the coaching staff. Those are the primary sides. We’re talking stuffing, potatoes and casseroles. The minor league stuff, while necessary to build depth, is more like the relish tray.

The Orioles set their coaching staff. They have a ways to go before they can say the same about their roster.

Pitchers and catchers report in February – it’s usually somewhere in the second week – and more storylines will materialize as we plow through the offseason.

I’ve already provided a sampling - how Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo fit on the roster, how Adley Rutschman will hit, anything Félix Bautista, rehab progress made by Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez’s health after being left off the Wild Card roster, anything Jackson Holliday, what a full season of Zach Eflin could do, whether Daz Cameron can make the club as an extra outfielder, whether Dean Kremer can take the next step, reaction to the left field wall, the bullpen, and whether Cade Povich makes the club.

I focused on Danny Coulombe’s removal from the ‘pen, but now we can add Jacob Webb.

Here are a few more.

I had a little more mailbag left and didn’t want it to go to waste.

I’ll be handing out participation trophies by the end of the year. You’re all winners.

I might have missed some of the minor league signings. Any recent ones?
Is yesterday recent enough? The Orioles signed left-hander Raúl Alcantara, infielder/outfielder Franklin Barreto and infielder Jeremiah Jackson to minor league deals. Don't confuse this Alcantara with the right-hander. Different guys. Raúl was in the Mariners organization since 2018 and pitched this year with Double-A Arkansas, where he had a 3.44 ERA in 37 games. Barreto is a right-handed hitter who hasn’t played in the majors since 2020 with the Angels. He spent parts of four seasons with the Athletics and is a career .175 hitter with a .549 OPS. He’s batted .275/.342/.463 with 99 home runs in nine minor league seasons. Jackson, a right-handed hitter, was in the Angels’ system from 2018-23 and the Mets’ system in 2023-24 and batted .239/.307/.459 with 95 homers in six minor league seasons.

Will this be the year the O's finally free Bruce Zimmermann? Must be some allowance for good behavior.
Zimmermann is a minor league free agent. He’d be good rotation depth in Triple-A but likely prefers a better chance to stick in the majors.

Whatever happened to former Orioles third base coach José Flores?
The Red Sox have promoted Flores to first base coach/infield instructor. He was Triple-A Worcester’s bench coach.

Former catcher Robinson Chirinos is making his coaching debut in 2025. The Orioles are bringing him onto their staff, and they aren’t easing him into the next phase of his professional life.

Chirinos was hired as bench coach, with the club making an announcement this morning. He replaces Fredi González, who wasn’t retained.

Also debuting is Buck Britton, who’s promoted from Triple-A Norfolk manager to major league coach. Britton, older brother of former Orioles closer Zack Britton, replaces José Hernández.

Chirinos, 40, is widely viewed as a future major league manager and he drew heavy praise from manager Brandon Hyde for his knowledge and leadership as the backup catcher in 2022. Chirinos, an 11-year veteran with six clubs, batted .179 with a .552 OPS in 67 games before retiring as a player.

From 2013-19, Chirinos ranked as the sixth-most valuable primary catcher with a 13.0 bWAR.

We’ve entered a fresh week and the Orioles, like so many other teams, are waiting to make that huge strike in free agency or via a trade. The 40-man roster underwent some adjustments. Arbitration-eligible players were tendered contracts. Some minor league depth moves have been completed, with more to come.

Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias appeared yesterday on MLB Network Radio, and he barely heard his introduction before a host playfully asked when he would announce his first big move of the offseason.

“You want to do it right now?” Elias asked, playing along with the bit. “I’ve got to make one first.”

Talks were held at the general managers meetings in San Antonio and will heat up again at next month’s Winter Meetings in Dallas. Elias is talking to other executives and to agents. But the shopping list remains the same.

“We’re working on it,” he said.

The mailbag is stuffed again like a Thanksgiving turkey.

I’ll do my best to provide answers but at times will just have to wing it.

This is the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. Editing rules are trashed like a two-week-old green bean casserole.

Also, my mailbag carves the turkey at the head of the table and your mailbag heats up a Hungry Man dinner.

Which unprotected players are most vulnerable in the Rule 5 draft?
Before I begin, let’s remember that losing a player in the Rule 5 draft doesn’t mean he won’t come back to the organization. It’s hard to carry one throughout a season. OK, pitcher Alex Pham is the No. 25 prospect in the system per MLB Pipeline and he had 138 strikeouts in 119 innings at Double-A Bowie. Reliever Keagan Gillies had a 4.94 ERA with the Baysox, but he fanned 54 in 47 1/3 innings and surrendered only four home runs. He’s averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors. He’s an interesting guy, but again, challenging to stash in a major league ‘pen.

Here we are again, blowing up roster projections in November. Stand back and cover your ears.

I want to cover my eyes every time one of my locks doesn’t pan out.

We learned more about the roster with yesterday's non-tender of right-handed reliever Jacob Webb. We know that Emmanuel Rivera has a $1 million contract that doesn’t guarantee him an Opening Day introduction. He’s out of options and the infield is crowded.

It appears to be the only set position. The Orioles could use a right-handed hitting outfielder and at least one starting pitcher. They need a backup catcher. And they’ve decided to make changes in the bullpen.

They seemed to have their eight relievers before removing Webb and left-hander Danny Coulombe, who combined for a 2.71 ERA and two elbow injuries. Coulombe underwent surgery to remove a bone chip and missed three months.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Orioles current longest-running minor league affiliation is with their Double-A team since 1993, the Bowie Baysox. And as of this morning, the team has a new name, the Chesapeake Baysox.

The team found during the 2024 season, that it welcomed fans from 378 zip codes and all 23 counties across the state of Maryland and from 43 states nationwide.

To better reflect its regional drawing power, the Bowie-based team now becomes the Chesapeake Baysox. The club will remain at Prince George’s Stadium where it holds a long-term lease to continue as home base.

Today’s announcement, at The Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, was made by Attain Sports CEO Greg Baroni. The announcement was attended by Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias and director of minor league operations Kent Qualls.

Attain Sports, which purchased the Baysox in January of 2022, also just recently bought a controlling interest in the O’s High-A Aberdeen IronBirds club with the Ripken family maintaining an ownership stake. Attain also owns the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League, the Spire City Ghost Hounds of the Atlantic League and Loudoun of the United Soccer League.

Major League Baseball has reached another important deadline today, with teams required to offer contracts to arbitration-eligible players. It’s known as the “non-tender” date. Good for baseball, bad for steakhouse chefs.

The Orioles went a surprising 17-for-17 last year and they have 13 players to consider this afternoon. As usual, there are the slam dunks and the shaky on the perimeters.

The list stood at 16 before the Orioles did some whittling, including the decision to pick up left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez’s $2.2 million option for 2025. They could have declined it and negotiated a new deal.

Pitchers Matt Bowman and Burch Smith elected free agency rather than outright assignments.

At the risk of being wrong again, which never stops me from trying, I’ll predict that the Orioles go 13-for-13.

I’m about 2 ½ weeks past my open-heart surgery and progress is slow but steady.

I just typed that sentence without having to lie down.

The heavier lifting comes as we move into December, into a new year and to Sarasota for spring training. The 40-man roster has 39 players and the Orioles have multiple items remaining on their shopping list. They also need to hire a bench coach and major league coach.

Let’s look at four more topics and decisions hovering around the Orioles, with you, the reader, telling me how they’re going to turn out.

John Means is rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery and he’s a first-timer on the free-agent market. He has a second child on the way and the same desire to pitch.

We’re in the middle of awards week with the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The Orioles’ last transaction was signing right-hander Robinson Martínez to a minor league contract on Thursday. They remain engaged in talks to add a right-handed bat and more pitching.

It’s going to heat up.

Meanwhile, I’ve written about some anticipated storylines in spring training, like how Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo fit on the roster, how Adley Rutschman will hit, anything Félix Bautista, rehab progress made by Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, Grayson Rodriguez’s health after being left off the Wild Card roster, anything Jackson Holliday, what a full season of Zach Eflin could do, whether Daz Cameron can make the club as an extra outfielder, and whether Dean Kremer can take the next step.

Here are a few more.

More reaction to the left field wall.

A week of key dates brings us later today to players accepting or declining the $21.05 million qualifying offer. Decisions must be made by 4 p.m.

This one is easy to predict.

Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander are expected to decline it and dive into free agency. They have rich long-term deals waiting for them. They aren’t settling for anything less.

Burnes is the top starter on the market and the Orioles are keeping the door open for a return. Santander is coming off a 44-homer season and will attract plenty of suitors. His value has never been higher.

The Orioles will receive a draft pick if Burnes and Santander sign with other clubs. That’s why you make the qualifying offer, which only applied to players who haven’t received one in the past and spent the entire season with the team. No deadline additions.

The Orioles don’t have much of a presence in this week’s Baseball Writers’ Association of America Awards. Tonight is their one chance at a winner.

Colton Cowser is a finalist for American League Rookie of the Year with Yankees pitcher Luis Gil and catcher Austin Wells.

The BBWAA doesn’t provide odds, which would give away the result and kill the drama. However, Cowser feels like the favorite as an everyday player with the offensive and defensive resume. Gil is the stiffest competition.

Cowser, 24, already earned the Players Choice award last month as the league’s Outstanding Rookie after batting .242/.321.447 with 24 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs, 69 RBIs and 52 walks in 153 games. He became the third Oriole in four years to be recognized following Ryan Mountcastle in 2021 and Gunnar Henderson in 2023. Adley Rutschman was a finalist in 2022.

The 172 strikeouts present an area for improvement in camp and during the upcoming season. Colton can get started on it after his left hand heals from surgery to repair a fracture.