Workout a glimpse of what’s to come
First session under new skipper Hyde delayed; Harvey hopes for full season
SARASOTA, FLA. – More than an hour after the Orioles’ pitchers and catchers were supposed to take the field for their first workout of spring training, with the stretch finally underway after a rainy morning in Sarasota, manager Brandon Hyde strode out to the field toward his coaching staff, tilted his head and said simply: “Audibles.”
All there was to do on the rain-soaked fields behind Ed Smith Stadium on Wednesday was stretch, play catch, then throw bullpens, with fielding drills postponed for another day. But for all the adjustment required, Hyde was glad the first en masse Orioles baseball activity of the spring wasn’t delayed more than an hour.
“I think we got fortunate,” Hyde said. “We had all kinds of Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, depending on the weather. We were fortunate to get the bullpens in. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do a whole lot because the fields were so wet. I feel good about getting the bullpens in, and we’ll do it again tomorrow.”
While they didn’t get in their full day’s work, Hyde and his coaching staff — joined by the minor league staff as well — oversaw 15 bullpen sessions. Six, including those of major leaguers Andrew Cashner, Dylan Bundy, Richard Bleier, Nate Karns, Tanner Scott and Jimmy Yacabonis, took place in front of a fleet of high-speed cameras that provide slow-motion videos.
Hyde said it’s “just the start” of the technology that will be introduced to the players during camp, and executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias alternated between watching the in-person pitching before him and peeking at the video feed on the laptop screens.
Many of the scenes remained from what would be a typical prespring workout. Pitching coach Doug Brocail talked shoulder placement and posture with Yacabonis. Right-hander Luis Ortiz got an extended lesson from bullpen coach John Wasdin and new minor league pitching coordinator Chris Holt. And the combination of size and fastball velocity from Cody Carroll caught Hyde’s eye, as any pitcher his height might in such an environment.
All of which fits in with why Hyde was so glad to not lose a valuable early-spring day to weather when the Orioles have so much to accomplish.
“I think in our situation, probably a little bit more in that we’re trying to set the right tone, we’re trying to create an identity, we’re evaluating,” Hyde said. “I think when you have a more experienced team, maybe a playoff-type team from the year before where ... rest is considered, it’s not as important, but in our situation, obviously, we want to be on the field and want to see guys work out. There’s a lot of teaching still to happen. In our case, I think being on the field obviously is important.”
Harvey isn’t in a rush: Long-awaited pitching prospect Hunter Harvey would love to start this season in the major leagues — and he might already be a member of the Orioles’ starting rotation in a perfect world — but he knows success in 2019 will not be a matter of geography.
“That’s the goal,” said Harvey, who’s still just 24. “That’s what we work for. I think if you don’t have that mindset, you probably shouldn’t be here.”
It just doesn’t matter as much as one of the Orioles’ most valued right arms pitching an entire season without feeling a twinge or an ache. He might start the season at Double-ABowie, and that would be OK, too, if he finishes it without another healthrelated interruption.
“Yeah, after everything I’ve been through, I would be happy,’’ he said.
Obviously, there is no reason to rush him. The Orioles are going to spend this spring evaluating a spring roster packed with young players trying to take advantage of an unprecedented amount of opportunity. Harvey, who was the Orioles’ first-round draft pick in 2013, has never pitched a full season in professional baseball.
The closest he came was in 2014, when he made 17 starts and pitched 872⁄ innings for Low-A Delmarva, Since then, he has undergone Tommy John elbow reconstruction and coped with several other significant injuries, including the elbow tendinitis that limited him to just nine starts at Bowie last year.
Hyde is just getting to know Harvey, but he’s well aware of the obstacles that have been thrown in front of him.
“Obviously, we know what he’s dealt with the last handful of years and we’re going to be careful with him,’’ Hyde said. “Our goal is for him to break camp healthy, and we’re going to work together on that, devising the right plan and helping him out as much as possible. It was great to see him out there throwing the ball today. He looks great. Looks great physically. The ball’s coming out. So I think we’re on the right track with that.”
So the organization will play it cool with his mound time this spring and for the foreseeable future. But he’s itching to go after resuming his throwing program in December and progressing to normal bullpen sessions without discomfort.
“Really good,’’ Harvey said. “We started throwing the beginning of December. I had a little bit in my head. I was a little worried. I hadn’t thrown in a while without some pain. Come December, we started throwing and everything felt good … felt normal again … and we just carried on.
“I think I’ve thrown four bullpens. I’ve thrown all my pitches and everything has been good.”
Harvey was in the first group to throw from the bullpen mounds.
Harvey doesn’t know what the club has planned for him, but at this point, he’s open to anything.
“Hopefully, I’ll find out soon, and we’ll get a plan,” Harvey said. “As of right now, we’re cleared and we’re a full go.”
So he can dream of a healthy year, a chance to show off the talent that has never been fully realized and a shot at the big leagues.
“I’m ready if they give me the chance,’’ he said. “Hopefully, this year’s the year.”
Sucre delayed: Catcher Jesús Sucre had a locker in the Orioles’ clubhouse Tuesday as pitchers and catchers reported, but that was gone Wednesday as visa issues to get out of his native Venezuela delayed his arrival at camp, according to a team source.
Sucre, who signed a minor league contract on Feb. 1, will be late to camp and thus a bit behind as a group that includes Chance Sisco, Austin Wynns, Carlos Pérez, Andrew Susac and Martin Cervenka vies to impress the new coaching staff and earn major league roster spots.
“Hopefully, he’s going to be here soon,” Hyde said. “That’s kind of all I know at this point, but I think that’s happened before. We’ve all dealt with guys having trouble coming over here, so we’re looking forward, when he does get here, that he’ll be in the mix.”
Hyde said after the workout that they were in the process of bringing a minor league catcher in from the organization to help out with bullpens and provide an extra body. Later in the afternoon, they added recent minor league free-agent signing Cael Brockmeyer to major league camp.
The team’s two other Venezuelan players, Anthony Santander and Gregory Infante, didn’t deal with such delays because they didn’t sign as late as Sucre.
Joseph signs with Diamondbacks: Catcher Caleb Joseph, whom the Orioles nontendered ahead of the Nov. 30 deadline, signed a major league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the club announced Wednesday.
Joseph, who has two minor league options available, was able to secure a major league contract in a cold market but could get more of an opportunity in Arizona with Carson Kelly, Alex Avila and John Ryan Murphy in camp there.
Around the horn: Other pitchers to throw bullpens included right-handers David Hess, Evan Phillips, Gabriel Ynoa, Dillon Tate and Branden Kline, plus left-hander Sean Gilmartin. … Bleier, who had lat surgery last season, threw more cutters and changeups in this bullpen but said he felt good about where he is for his first mound session of the spring. … Left fielder Trey Mancini arrived at camp Tuesday and worked out with the early-arriving hitters on Wednesday. Rule 5 infielder Drew Jackson was also a new arrival in camp Wednesday.