5 Orioles players who could begin the year on the roster but be gone by May

The time has finally come. The clocks sprung forward, the weather is warming up and the days are getting longer. Spring is finally here which means regular season baseball is upon us. Opening Day is here and the Orioles are ready to make another run at the World Series.

Injuries have again taken their toll but the O's roster is full of very talented players that all deserve to be there. The Orioles’ farm system has been depleted in recent years but there are several players lying in wait for their turn. The name at the top of that list is Samuel Basallo. Following a brilliant spring training Basallo was sent back down to Norfolk to fine tune his skillset. Even though Basallo performed well, the move was expected. But it is also expected for Basallo to be in Baltimore this season.

It's not clear what position Basallo will play when he does reach the major leagues. The Orioles aren't moving Adley Rutschman anywhere and Gary Sanchez was brought in to add some right handed pop to a previously lopsided lineup. In order to make room for Basallo the O's could move either Heston Kjerstad or Ryan O'Hearn.

This group of Orioles players could start the year in the majors but find themselves out of a job by the end of April

O'Hearn made 55 starts at first base for the O's in 2024 and 54 starts at DH. He also made 27 starts in the outfield for the Birds. Used almost exclusively against right handed pitching, O'Hearn has been rather productive in his role, but his ceiling is limited and this is the final year of his contract. Basallo has become a solid first baseman defensively and we’ve all seen what he can do at the plate.

Kjerstad has displayed flashes of the offensive potential that made him one of the O's top prospects but hasn't found his way into consistent playing time. He's a below average defender on a team with great outfield defense. Almost half of his career appearances have come as a DH while several of his defensive appearances came in blowouts. As great as he may be as a hitter, the O's just don't seem to trust him in the field. The Birds farm system is still heavy with outfielders that are more well rounded.

Speaking of the outfield depth, Ramon Laureano may not have a lot of wiggle room in his spot on the roster. He slashed .305/.343/.526 last season against left handed pitching but hit far worse in the previous two years. With guys like Dylan Beavers, Jud Fabian and Dylan Carlson just a step away, Laureano will need to get off to a hot start if he wants to stick around.

The low hanging fruit here is reliever Matt Bowman. A surprise addition to the Opening Day roster, Bowman was less than impressive this spring. After being completely out of major league baseball from 2020-2022, Bowman resurfaced with the Yankees in 2023 pitching in three games. He appeared in 25 total games for the Diamondbacks, Twins, Mariners and Orioles in 2024. The Orioles have several pitchers in Norfolk with major league experience, others who should debut this season and still more expected to return from injuries. Bowman is the last pitcher on the roster and likely the first to go.

Several of those pitchers that will bump someone from the roster are starters. In order to make room for guys like Kyle Bradish and maybe even Kyle Gibson, the Birds could part ways with Dean Kremer. In what could be a make or break season, Kremer got off to a bad start this spring posting a 7.27 ERA. He's had some great outings in his career but has been unable to find the consistency needed to contribute to a team competing for the World Series. Kremer is just 29 years old and under team control through the 2028 season, which will up his trade value. Entering his sixth major league season it appears Kremer is a solid back end starter but he's on a team that needs more than that.