SARASOTA, Fla. – Heston Kjerstad arrived early at Orioles spring training, well ahead of the report date for position players. He’s fighting for a roster spot in a crowded outfield, and if he doesn’t make the club, it won’t be for lack of an opportunity.

Kjerstad had his 2024 season ruined by a concussion, a Clay Holmes 96.8 mph sinker to the helmet on July 13 causing benches and bullpens to empty. He was limited to 39 games, with momentum destroyed from a .314/.417/.529 first half. He went 9-for-48 after the break.

Spring training stats are important in some cases, but they apparently won’t apply to Kjerstad.

“I don’t know that he needs to tear the cover off the ball in the Grapefruit League,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said earlier today. “We’ve seen him do that already. He’s played pretty well in a limited opportunity at the major league level. He’s played really well in the minors, and he’s going on 26 and this is a big opportunity for him.

“I think he’s kind of earned the right to get a lot of at-bats in the corner outfield and in the DH spot, specifically against right-handed pitching. But long term, this guy when we took him, one of the best hitters in college baseball and he can hit left-handed pitching. But the big leagues are tough and that’s why we’re putting together a team that has some right-handed options, as well.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Opening Day roster for the Orioles isn’t going to include infielder Jorge Mateo. The fastest player in camp made a speedy exit from it.

On the first workout day, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias confirmed that Mateo is making progress but probably won’t get enough at-bats to be ready on March 27 in Toronto.

“He’s doing a hitting progression, hitting buildup,” Elias said. “He’s playing catch. Everything’s going well, but he’s likely to be held back in camp. Probably not somebody we’re going to see in Grapefruit League until very, very late in camp and that will probably put him in a position where he’s unlikely to make the Opening Day roster, but we anticipate him being a huge part of this team. He’s gonna be back in the early part of the season, hopefully not too long after Opening Day. But he’s in a very good spot.”

Mateo underwent ligament-repair surgery on his left elbow on Aug. 28 after suffering a severe dislocation in a collision with shortstop Gunnar Henderson. He could have given the team a seventh infielder and right-handed hitting backup in the outfield.

The Orioles signed Mateo to a $3.55 million contract with a $5.5 million club option for 2026 to avoid an arbitration hearing. They missed his speed and defense last summer, but he hit .229/.267/.401 in 68 games.

SARASOTA, Fla. – I took a long walk around the outside of the Ed Smith Stadium facility yesterday to get in some steps – my Fitbit kept checking whether I was dead – and to snap a few photos. The sun periodically would duck behind the clouds and the wind picked up in intensity, but escaping the latest snow storm back home made it more than tolerable.

I also went into the team store and bought a 4T shirt. I’ve gone down a few sizes since my heart surgery and orders to shelve workouts for a while, but it also should fit my granddaughter.

The sounds of batting practice could be heard in the distance, likely one hitter in the cage on a back field. Media access begins today, enabling us to put faces with the swings.

During a recent radio hit, I was asked about the most difficult part of covering spring training. I chose the inability to be in more than one place at a time. Watch a bullpen session and risk missing BP. Wander over to Field 3 and miss something important on the main stadium field. Return to the press box to write and risk missing everything.

You’ve just got to make your choices and live with them, which also is good relationship advice.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Eight of the Orioles’ spring training games will air on MASN, exceeding last year’s total by one.

The eight games are an even split between the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota and road trips. Two of the eight will be played at night. The broadcasts will be done remotely from Baltimore.

The first televised game is the opener against the Pirates on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium. The last broadcast in Florida is March 22 against the Pirates in Bradenton, the team’s shortest drive of the spring.

Here’s the complete list:

Feb 22 (1 p.m.) - Pirates at Orioles
March 1 (1 p.m.) - Pirates at Orioles
March 3 (1 p.m.) - Red Sox at Orioles
March 10 (6 p.m.) - Orioles at Pirates
March 11 (1 p.m.) - Orioles at Yankees
March 17 (1 p.m.) - Orioles at Red Sox
March 20 (6 p.m.) - Yankees at Orioles
March 22 (1 p.m.) - Orioles at Pirates

SARASOTA, Fla. - Nick Markakis and Zack Britton have returned to the Orioles – to serve as spring training guest coaches.

They aren’t making a comeback.

Nine former Orioles will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota to instruct the current players:

Scott McGregor – Feb. 12-22
Ben McDonald – Feb. 18-22
Zack Britton – Feb. 18-20
Brian Roberts – Feb. 24-28
J.J. Hardy – Feb. 20-26
Adam Jones – Feb. 24-March 7
Al Bumbry – March 1-5
John Shelby – March 6-10
Nick Markakis – March 6-10

Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. isn’t on the list, but he’s expected to make an appearance in camp. Ripken joined the ownership group headed by David Rubinstein.

SARASOTA, Fla. - The due date has arrived for Orioles pitchers and catchers. They’re required to report today unless they have visa issues. There’s usually one in every crowd.

Not that the complex has been empty. Players arrive early, including the ones rehabbing from surgery. Physicals are taken and the back fields are occupied. Tossing a baseball back and forth in the morning feeds the senses.

The media gains access early Thursday. It isn’t like those Fort Lauderdale days when beat writers and columnists stood inside the clubhouse and waited for someone to show up with their bags. They’d usually just phone the manager and say, “I’m here.”

They meant the state of Florida. Guys weren’t in a big hurry to check into the outdated and dilapidated facility.

Beyond some roster competitions this spring, and there don’t appear to be many, is the battle for the Opening Day start. This is assuming that a decision isn’t already made and spring performances could factor into it.

The 26 players announced as non-roster invitees to spring training weren’t on a locked list of names. The Orioles had the freedom to expand it, which they did after infielder Luis Vázquez cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Reliever Dylan Coleman announced his signing to a minor league deal on Instagram, the Orioles confirmed it and he’s an invite. Infielder Emmanuel Rivera cleared waivers, was outrighted and also received an invitation. And there could be more.

Here’s the updated list:

Pitchers

Raúl Alcantara
Justin Armbruester
Matt Bowman
Dylan Coleman
Jakob Hernandez
Yaramil Hiraldo
Corbin Martin
Robinson Martinez
Levi Stoudt
Carlos Tavera
Thaddeus Ward
Nathan Webb

This wintery weather – snow, freezing rain, ice that’s closing schools and turning backyard decks into hazardous rinks – heats up the interest in pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training.

The wait is almost over, with the official arrival date Wednesday and the first workout set for Thursday. Gentlemen, start your bullpen sessions and PFPs.

The first day will bring a media scrum with executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and possible injury news. Last spring’s session confirmed Kyle Bradish’s sprained elbow ligament and platelet-rich plasma injection, John Means being about a month behind the other starters, Gunnar Henderson’s sore oblique and Samuel Basallo’s elbow stress fracture.

Elias reminded reporters at the Birdland Caravan that he traditionally kind of forecasts “anybody who’s off or on an abnormal schedule when we get down to Sarasota, so I’ll probably do that in a couple of weeks.”

We already learned that Jorge Mateo and Félix Bautista will be on a lighter schedule early in camp. Bradish and Tyler Wells won’t be activated until the second half, with their move to the 60-day injured list approaching. The media finally will have access to them.

The restructuring of the Orioles’ hitting staff begins at the top with Cody Asche’s bump from offensive strategy coach. A familiar face and voice are put in a new role within a new design.

No more co-hitting coaches in Baltimore. Asche is the lead guy, with Tommy Joseph and Sherman Johnson serving as assistants. Joseph had the same job with the Mariners last summer and Johnson was given additional responsibilities beyond upper-level hitting coordinator.

Asche is entering his third season in the organization. Ryan Fuller left the Orioles to become the White Sox’s director of hitting, and Matt Borgschulte went back to the Twins as their hitting coach.

“I expect it to work similarly (to last year),” Asche said in December on WBAL-Radio. “Tommy and Sherman are both people that I hold a very high amount of respect for. I trust them very, very much. Sherman obviously has a ton of familiarity with the organization and our players, so that transition will be smooth. Bringing in Tommy, he’s got the personality to fit right in with our crew. The players are going to love him.

“But I think at the end of the day we all have this mindset: that our No. 1 goal and the people that we are accountable to is the players and their careers. So with that mindset, it just helps everything transition very smoothly.”

The opportunities to empty the offseason mailbag are dwindling. Spring training is right around the corner. Who’s excited?

That’s my only question. The rest must come from the readers.

You ask, I try to answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original.

I don’t tamper with length, style, clarity or brevity. I usually don’t bother to shower. This is a very casual mailbag.

Also, my mailbag reports early and yours has visa problems and a maxed-out AMEX card.

The Orioles have constructed a full 40-man roster with a revolving door at the end of it.

They began January by signing veteran starter Charlie Morton and designating catcher René Pinto for assignment. The Diamondbacks claimed Pinto on waivers. The Orioles claimed pitcher Roansy Contreras and designated infielder Liván Soto, who was outrighted after clearing waivers. They signed reliever Andrew Kittredge and designated catcher Blake Hunt before trading him to the Mariners. They claimed infielder Jacob Amaya and designated Contreras, who was claimed by the Yankees. They signed outfielder Dylan Carlson and designated Amaya, and they acquired infielder Luis Vazquez in a trade with the Cubs and designated infielder Emmanuel Rivera.

This brings us to February.

The White Sox claimed Amaya, and Vazquez was designated when the Orioles signed outfielder Ramón Laureano. We aren’t even a week into the month.

Let’s take the latest look at the 40-man roster, which used to contain four catchers but now holds seven outfielders.

Outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr., the Orioles’ first-round draft pick in 2023, highlights their list of spring training invites.

Twenty-six non-roster players will report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota – 10 right-handers, two left-handers, four catchers, five infielders and five outfielders. Other players could be added later if the Orioles finalize another minor league contract.

Infielder Terrin Vavra is the most recent example, agreeing to terms yesterday on a minor league deal with a spring invitation.

Bradfield is the No. 6 prospect in the organization, according to Baseball America. MLB Pipeline’s final 2024 ranks placed Bradfield fourth.

The Orioles summoned Bradfield from the Twin Lakes side last spring, and he played in the Spring Breakout game.

Let Albert Suárez be clear about this again. Practice for the next time that he’s asked.

Would he rather start or relieve? Relieve or start?

Does it matter to him?

“Not really,” Suárez replied at Friday night’s Birdland Caravan stop at PBR Baltimore. “Like last year, it didn’t matter, either. I was just ready for anytime. So this year will be the same mentality.”

Bets could be won by challenging fans to name the Oriole who made the second-most starts last season behind Corbin Burnes’ 32. Súarez tied with Dean Kremer at 24, and his 32 appearances tied Burnes for first among pitchers who didn’t work exclusively in relief.

The pain has faded, but it took a while. The postseason silence in a clubhouse can ring in a player’s ears.

The Orioles won the American League East in 2023 and were swept by the Rangers in the best-of-five Division Series. They earned the top Wild Card in 2024 and were swept by the Royals in the best-of-three series.

Winning 192 games in the past two seasons doesn’t lessen the disappointment of those abrupt finishes. Making the playoffs three straight years for the first time since 1969-71 won’t mean much if eyes are filled with tears again and hugs are given to console rather than celebrate.

“That’s my No. 1 goal and it’s been my No. 1 goal since I’ve been up in the big leagues is to make a strong playoff push, and it stinks that we haven’t really done that,” shortstop Gunnar Henderson said at last week’s Birdland Caravan. “That’s something that I’m really looking forward to going through this year is getting over that hump and making a strong push.”

That hump has looked 50 feet tall, with the streak of playoff game defeats reaching 10 in a row dating back to the 2014 Championship Series. The Orioles had their roster battered by injuries last year but competed into October before their championship dreams died again.

As speculation and rumors keep swirling about the Orioles’ quest to add another starting pitcher, contract agreements are finalized to deepen the outfield and raise more questions about possible future moves.

A crowded outfield is going to need extra space. The team announced today that it signed Ramón Laureano to a one-year deal with a club option for 2026. He can earn $4 million this season and the option is worth $6.5 million, per a source.

A corresponding 40-man roster move involved infielder Luis Vázquez, who was designated for assignment after the Orioles acquired him from the Cubs Friday for cash considerations.

Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Tyler O’Neill are the projected starters, with Heston Kjerstad viewed as the favorite to make the club as a fourth outfielder. Dylan Carlson signed last month for $975,000, but he holds three minor league options. Daz Cameron also is on the 40-man.

Carrying a fifth outfielder would whittle the infield group to six. Jorge Mateo is questionable for Opening Day after undergoing elbow surgery in late August. He’s going to be slow-played in camp.

The play still haunts Jordan Westburg and serves as a hard lesson.

Bobby Witt Jr., the Royals’ young star, reached on a tie-breaking infield single with two outs in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the Wild Card series. Westburg’s throw to first base was late as Kyle Isbel crossed the plate in a 2-1 loss that completed the sweep at Camden Yards.

Westburg keeps replaying it in his head, with the same result. He made a diving stop on a ground ball up the middle with runners on the corners, and Gunnar Henderson raced to second base in case Westburg tried for the force.

“Witt is fast,” Westburg told the media while standing at his locker inside a quiet clubhouse. “I got to the ball and made a stop. It’s kind of sandwiched in between dirt and my glove. Didn’t pick it clean right away. Probably took an extra half second to kind of get my feet underneath me and try and get off a throw and he was too fast. Yeah, I want to make that play. It’s a tough play. I’m trying not to beat myself up over that.”

"I was in the hole a little bit, so I was doing my best over there to get it," Henderson said. "Felt like whatever way he decided to go. Obviously the guy at first (Michael Massey) can run and Bobby obviously can run really well. Just tough play."

The latest health updates on Orioles recovering from injuries or surgeries will be shared on the first day of spring training. Media access begins Feb. 13.

Nothing passed along at this point has sounded the alarms.

Jorge Mateo seems to be the largest question mark regarding Opening Day availability as he recovers from Aug. 28 surgery to correct a dislocated left elbow. Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Mateo’s “not going to be a hundred percent citizen of spring training, but he’ll be ramping up and we’ll be able to address whether or not he’s going to break for exact Opening Day a little bit later.”

That crowded infield might have found its solution. Too soon to know.

Closer Félix Bautista also needs to ramp up after reporting and is going to be on a slower spring pace than his teammates, but he’s expected to be ready for March 27 in Toronto.

The maturity of Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday can reveal itself in many ways.

On Friday night, it happened behind a bar at PBR Baltimore during a Birdland Caravan stop. Holliday is old enough to drink alcohol – and certainly to pour, which he was busy doing.

The kid turned 21 in December. He won’t be relegated to sipping “Bird Bath” water, unless he chooses it, if another clinching celebration erupts in the clubhouse.

Holliday will report to spring training as the favorite to win the second base job, but it’s a competition. He probably can’t afford to have a terrible camp with the team well-stocked in infielders, even after designating Emmanuel Rivera for assignment.

It would get a little trickier if Jorge Mateo isn’t ready for Opening Day, but still manageable. And there’s always the waiver wire.

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias joined a group of players and local media this morning in volunteering at the Warehouse Collaborative, a space for Baltimore-based nonprofit organizations to share resources. Moving from station to station, Elias boxed and bagged donated items and books, assisted in building skateboards, tore tags off Orioles hoodies and shirts to be distributed.

Employees divided everyone into four groups and turned it into a contest, with the winning team posting the fastest times. Elias and Adley Rutschman left the facility with bragging rights.

Elias is eyeing much bigger victories down the road, but this was a nice start on Day 2 of the Birdland Caravan.

A 13-minute interview session followed with Elias, who confirmed that he isn’t done conducting roster business - or at least attempting it.

Asked whether he’s still targeting pitching, Elias said, “I think we’re targeting improvements to the team.”

The smiles appear before the response.

Ask a few Orioles hitters for their immediate reactions to news that the club is moving in the left field wall, and their approval can be seen on their faces.

“I mean, I’m not disappointed,” catcher Adley Rutschman said yesterday evening after the Birdland Caravan made a stop at PBR Baltimore.

“It’s definitely nice as a righty, and maybe as a lefty. I think everyone’s excited.”

No one more than first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who was robbed of 11 home runs over three seasons, per Statcast data, after the Orioles pushed back the wall and raised its height. The new dimensions bring it up at varying distances between nine and 20 feet.