Latest Mike Elias comments provide insight into Orioles spring strategy

We've assumed all winter that outfielder Heston Kjerstad is going to play a role for the 2025 Orioles. It hasn't been clear what that role will be, especially after the additions of Tyler O'Neill and Ramon Laureano. However, Mike Elias shed some light on the Orioles' plans for Kjerstad earlier this afternoon and it's an encouraging sign for those of us who want to see the young lefty in the lineup more often.

"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", Elias told reporters down at Baltimore's spring training complex on Thursday morning.

Trying to read between the lines a bit, it seems evident that Kjerstad won't be locked into an every day role with the Orioles out of camp, barring an injury. With an outfield of Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, and O'Neill, the Orioles will more likely than not enter 2025 with the mindset that Kjerstad will primarily play against right handed pitchers, and could occasionally get starts against lefties.

For what it's worth, Kjerstad was excellent against righties last year but he was plenty effective against lefties as well. In total, his performance amounted to a .253/.351/.394 slash line in 114 plate appearances. One of his biggest issues was swinging and missing at pitches outside the zone but that's something that can be addressed with more reps, and it's fair to expect him to make improvements as he gets more opportunities.

The Orioles are intent on getting Heston Kjerstad more opportunities during spring training

Another thing that could affect Kjerstad's chances is how the Orioles plan to handle first base duties. At present, Ryan Mountcastle is shaping up to be the everyday first baseman in Baltimore. However, if Kjerstad is going to get more opportunities at DH, that'll push fellow lefty Ryan O'Hearn out of the lineup. That is, unless the O's want to use O'Hearn and Mountcastle in tandem at first.

The two did share time there last year, though O'Hearn also got a good number of starts at DH and in the outfield. With Kjerstad and Laureano looking like they'll be up and running from Opening Day, that will limit the need for the Orioles to play O'Hearn in the outfield. Both Kjerstad and Laureano are better defenders than O'Hearn is, so the O's might as well shift O'Hearn primarily to first base and DH.

There's still a lot of time left to figure this all out. The Orioles just opened camp for pitchers and catchers today. But as this is one of the biggest question marks for this team entering the spring, it'll be interesting to see how it plays out.