4 deserving Orioles players who'll be squeezed off 2024 Opening Day roster

The Baltimore Orioles have a problem that isn't actually a problem down at spring training. Between the guys they are returning from their division-winning roster from 2023, as well as their new acquisitions and prospects they have in camp, the Orioles have way more good players than they have roster spots at the moment.

Again, this is the best kind of problem to have, and some solutions will be pretty straightforward. There are going to be guys that are clearly a tier below the other options and many of the young guys, especially those who aren't on the 40-man roster, can be sent back to the minor leagues so the team can kick the decision down the road.

4 Orioles players that deserve an Opening Day roster spot, but won't get one

Even after those "easy" moves, Baltimore still is going to have to make some much tougher choices between worthy roster candidates. Looking at recent Orioles Opening Day roster projections, as well as the general scuttlebutt out there right now, here is a look at some of the more deserving Orioles players that appear to be set to miss out on a roster spot.

Bruce Zimmermann

The circumstances coming into camp seemed to bode well for Zimmermann's roster chances. John Means is still recovering from a throwing elbow flare up, and and Kyle Bradish is dealing with a UCL sprain. Even with the addition of Corbin Burnes, it feels like multiple rotation spots are unsettled. Given Zimmermann's swing and miss stuff, he should be firmly in the conversation.

However, that is not how things have played out. Zimmermann has had an okay spring training (3.52 ERA with seven strikeouts), but Cole Irvin still appears to be the preference over him despite having a strictly worse camp this year. As usual, it appears that Baltimore will use Zimmermann's last minor league option and fill him in as needed during the season instead of giving him a day one opportunity.