Baltimore Orioles: Pitchers vie for spot on 25-man roster at minicamp

Baseball is coming and the upcoming Baltimore Orioles pitching minicamp in Sarasota is the first sign.

Because the minicamp is on the horizon, it is highly unlikely that the Baltimore Orioles will sign any free agent pitchers until the camp is completed.

This minicamp is an important event as all arms that want a spot on the 25-man roster should be there.

According to Jon Meoli with the Baltimore Sun, the camp will be filled with “a cross-section of the future of the team’s pitching stocks with an eye toward those who could be in an Orioles uniform this season.”

Meoli shared some of the names of players who will be attending the mini-camp. They include pitchers with Major League experience like Mychal Givens, Jimmy Yacabonis, Miguel Castro, and Richard Bleier. All of the pitchers who were acquired in the Rule-5 draft will be there. And, minor league pitchers who are current on the 40-man roster will also be there.

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The most interesting pitchers at the mini-camp will be Miguel Castro, Tanner Scott, and Jimmy Yacabonis who could be added to the starting rotation or the bullpen. According to FanGraphs, Scott averaged 97.9 MPH with his fastball, but he can reach speeds in the triple digits. According to Paul Sporer with RotoGraphs, Scott is impressive and has been compared to Andrew Miller. It is easy to see why Scott could be added to the bullpen, especially with Zach Britton out for most of the season.

Of the young arms, Castro seems to be the one that the front office is interested in moving to the rotation. However, adding someone with so little starting experience to the rotation is a gamble. Castro is young and his best season was with the Orioles in 2017. With the Rockies, he only pitched in relief and he struggled to the extent of a 7.20 ERA.

The other players who could be interesting to watch are the Rule-5 draft pitchers. Dan Duquette prides himself on finding talent in unusual places, which can include other teams’ castoffs. So, if Duquette can find himself an uber-cheap pitcher, he will gladly use him. And, this could be a good thing, as it could provide money to pay position players (maybe Manny Machado??).

Next: The weather and the stove is cold

Stay tuned to Birds Watcher for commentary on any minicamp news that the O’s share. We’re excited to see who shines in early January baseball.