Orioles roster prediction: Which 26 players will head north for opening day?

SARASOTA, Fla. — The Orioles have a problem: They have too many good players vying for a spot on their Opening Day roster.

Players will be cut who could easily make another major league team. It’s a good problem to have, but still a tough puzzle to put together.

“Bottom line is, there are going to be guys going back to Triple-A that had really good years in Triple-A,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “For us, as organizational depth, it’s enormous. Those are going to be hard conversations, but that’s the way our roster looks right now.”

Hyde, general manager Mike Elias and his staff will get to decide how the pieces fit together. But after covering the team daily, we took a crack at picking the 26 players who will take the field at Camden Yards on March 28.

Catchers: Adley Rutschman and James McCann

This one is easy, so let’s get it out of the way. Rutschman and McCann will be the catching duo again this year.

Other options: Samuel Basallo, the Orioles No. 2 prospect, is rising quickly, but if he makes his debut this year it will likely come as a designated hitter. His catching skills are a bit behind his bat, and a stress fracture in his elbow has limited him this spring.

Infielders: Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jorge Mateo, Jackson Holliday, Ramon Urías

Other options: Coby Mayo, Connor Norby, Kolten Wong, Nick Maton, Tyler Nevin

The infield, even after trading Joey Ortiz, is stacked. Mountcastle and O’Hearn will share time at first, with O’Hearn as the designated hitter often, too.

At second, it’ll be hard to deny Holliday a spot with the way he’s hitting. He’s been primarily a shortstop during his short professional career, but he’s played 40 of his 57 spring innings there, in addition to his daily work on the backfields. That will put Henderson at shortstop and Westburg or Urías at third. Mateo can play shortstop or second and is also getting time this spring in center field.

That means Mayo and Norby will be the two guys just on the outside. Having options may be what hurts them; Mateo and Urías are out of them, and to get those players off the 40-man roster the Orioles would have to trade them, designate them for assignment or release them.

Still, both Mayo and Norby have impressed this spring. Mayo has made defensive improvements at third, while Norby continues to raise eyes at the plate. Norby, who plays second and a little corner outfield, will get to the majors because of his bat — he hit .290 with 21 home runs in Triple-A last year.

Outfielders: Cedric Mullins, Austin Hays, Anthony Santander, Colton Cowser

Other options: Heston Kjerstad, Ryan McKenna, Kyle Stowers

Santander in right field, Mullins in center and Hays in left. Check, check and check.

Cowser, who has always been solid defensively, has made great strides with the bat and seems to have the fourth spot locked down. And with Mateo learning center, the Orioles do not necessarily need to carry five outfielders. Kjerstad was on the playoff roster, but he’s known for his power and has yet to hit a home run this spring. Stowers has shown well this spring, hitting .269 with three home runs, but there doesn’t seem to be space for him to make this team.

Starters: Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, Cole Irvin

Other options: Julio Teheran, Bruce Zimmermann

The Orioles seem pretty set with these five. John Means is healthy, but he is about a month behind the other starters and will not start the season on time. Kyle Bradish has a sprained UCL and had a platelet-rich plasma shot. He’s throwing again and is playing catch from 140 feet out. There is no timeline for his return.

Teheran, who was signed to a minor league deal two weeks into camp, and Zimmermann are also being stretched out as starters, but if either makes the team it’ll likely come as a long reliever.

Relievers: Craig Kimbrel, Yennier Cano, Danny Coulombe, Cionel Pérez, Dillon Tate, Jacob Webb, Mike Baumann, Keegan Akin

Other options: Bryan Baker, Kaleb Ort, Nick Vespi, Jonathan Heasley, Matt Krook, Zimmermann, Teheran

The first few spots are secure — Kimbrel, Cano and Coulombe will make this team. Tate seems likely now that he is fully healthy again after missing all of last season.

After that is where it gets a little trickier. The bullpen is always under construction, and a lack of options will impact this group as well. Of this group, only Tate, Akin and Cano have options.

Danielle Allentuck

danielle.allentuck@thebaltimorebanner.com

Danielle Allentuck covers the Orioles for The Baltimore Banner. She previously reported on the Rockies for the Denver Gazette and general sports assignments for The New York Times as part of its fellowship program. A Maryland native, Danielle grew up in Montgomery County and graduated from Ithaca College.

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