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Baltimore Orioles: Review of Spring Training 2016

By Randy Buchman

Mar 25, 2016; Sarasota, FL, USA; Dark clouds move over the stadium during the 4th inning of the spring training game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2016; Sarasota, FL, USA; Dark clouds move over the stadium during the 4th inning of the spring training game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Spring training for the Baltimore Orioles this year was the most fantastic Grapefruit League season in several decades, completely preparing the team for a definite championship run.

Say what?  I said that it is April 1st.

So what can we say in review about this spring training as it ends and the team heads north for a game in Philadelphia before beginning the regular season on Monday? I suppose it depends if you are more of a glass half full sort of person or a glass half empty. It truly was and is a mix of good and bad … of questions and answers.

One thing for sure is that, as always, it went by very quickly … at least from the perspective of being a fan in Maryland. Probably for the players and management it seems like a short eternity.

For sure, the Sarasota portion of the season started poorly. It was not long in camp before the reports began to surface of one injury after another. Does every team face the same thing? Are the Orioles unique in this regard, or does it just seem that way to those of us who follow them daily? It is probably the latter, though I don’t think the Orioles are in any way near the top half of teams who are exempt from injuries, particularly to promising young pitchers.

Even though game results and spring records are not the highest value, it would be like putting lipstick on a pig to say that not winning a game until the 13th try was anything but ugly. However, since that 0-10-2 start, the Orioles have been 11-5-3, and that’s pretty good stuff.

Doing nothing to dispel the #1 offseason fear of the O’s fanbase that the starting rotation could kill the team and the season, the starters have been atrocious for most of the spring. Their combined ERA has been the worst of all MLB teams, though there has been a definitive turn over the last week. Yovani Gallardo threw five innings yesterday while giving up but a single hit.

The injuries began with a major wrist problem for Jimmy Paredes. Who knows when that will resolve and what sort of player will return on the other side. Next was Chris Tillman with a hip issue, though that seems to have fully resolved. Of greatest concern was the pain in Matt Wieters’ elbow, and at the time it was beyond hope that he could be ready to start on opening day, which is now planned. Brian Matusz is out with back problems, and hopefully Kevin Gausman’s shoulder will bounce back quickly. On the other hand, Dylan Bundy has most of his velocity back and looks ready to go and contribute. On the plus side also is J.J. Hardy, clearly healthier than at any point in recent memory. How long can this last?

Some veterans have struggled a bit more than you would like to see. This includes Chris Davis. Pedro Alvarez needs to find a groove as well. Nolan Reimold broke out of a slump in the past week. But other than that, most veterans have had a very good spring, most notably Jonathan Schoop, along with Manny Machado, Caleb Joseph and newcomer Mark Trumbo.  

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Perhaps the best story of the spring has been the ascendance of Joey Rickard. This preseason will be long remembered by the Rule 5 guy and Orioles fans alike. It was so good, so good that it has all of the markings of being too good to be true. We are going to find out. Will he be able to make the adjustments as the league learns to pitch against him strategically?

Spring often marks the sad departure of a few players who have travelled with the team for a while, like Miguel Gonzalez; and there could be more in the coming couple of days. It can be a nasty business. And speaking of business, that brings up the current open sore of this situation with Hyun Soo Kim. This is a weird one. Apart from the $7 million issue, it comes down to the Orioles saying that he is not at a point of readiness for a 25-man MLB roster, versus him evaluating himself as being ready. His current defiance on this imperils not only his career opportunity, but that also of other KBO players who might like to make the transition to MLB. It is all very odd, and maybe very expensive.

But a real season begins on Monday. That is better good news than any of the weirdness of a Florida spring.

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