Bullpen competition
Hyde has reiterated all spring that multiple spots in the Orioles’ bullpen are “wideopen” for pitchers who make strong cases for a roster spot in camp. But Hyde and executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias would have a hard time separating any of the candidates if results on the field were the sole determining factor of who makes the team. Spoiler alert: they’re not. Six of the Orioles’ relievers who are on the major league roster have made at least four appearances without allowing a run this spring: Keegan Akin, Bryan Baker, Mike Baumann, Wandisson Charles, Andrew Suárez and Dillon Tate. Baumann, who recorded five outs with two strikeouts Monday, retired the first 13 batters he faced before finally allowing a walk to Yankees second baseman and former Baltimore prospect Jahmai Jones with two outs in the fourth.
“There’s a ton of good arms and I’m just trying to have no regrets at the end of the day, whatever happens,” Baumann said after his outing Monday. “That’s me just doing the best I can to put in 100% each day so, yeah, there’s a ton of good arms and a lot of well-deserving arms, so we’ll see what happens at the end of camp.”
Hyde used Baumann consistently out of the bullpen for much of 2023; his 60 appearances ranked fourth on the team. But he’s had to restate his case as a key pitcher for the Orioles this spring after being left off their postseason roster in October. The same has been true for Tate, who missed last season with multiple arm injuries.
With Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin expected to fill out the Orioles’ rotation to start the season, Baltimore still needs a long reliever. Monday’s starter Julio Teheran is a candidate for that spot, but he struggled in his start against the Yankees, particularly against lefthanded hitters.
Teheran, a two-time All-Star, finished with reverse splits last season, posting a better OPS against lefties than he did righthanded hitters. He expressed confidence in getting hitters from both sides out as he enters his age-33 season.
“Obviously with righties my two-seamer is different but I’m getting comfortable, especially with my new pitches,” Teheran said of working on his pitch mix against lefties. “I have the cutter and the sweeper. I feel comfortable [facing] both sides of the hitters.”