A few camp observations

SARASOTA, Fla. - In keeping with a spring training tradition, I woke up this morning and had to search for my rental car and the hour of sleep that I lost.

My keys only enable me to find one of them.

The Orioles are on the road again today, making the bus ride to Fort Myers for a 1:05 p.m. game against the Twins at newly renovated Hammond Stadium. I'm not sure what they did with the money, but I'll soon find out.

Upgrading the media dining room would be one heck of a start. I'd be willing to pitch in to get it done.

Ubaldo Jimenez gets another start after allowing six runs (five earned) in 1 1/3 innings against the Tigers in Lakeland. Results don't always matter in spring training - managers warn against falling in love or making harsh judgments based on Grapefruit League and September stats - but I get the sense that Jimenez needs to dazzle statistically.

Call it a hunch.

The Twins are starting Ervin Santana, which I find interesting only because the Orioles wanted to sign him last spring after reaching agreement with Jimenez on a four-year, $50 million deal. There was room on their lap for a second pitcher to fall into it, but he ended up with the Braves.

Maybe I'm easily entertained, but I'm intrigued by today's matchup.

I'm also intrigued by cooking competitions and half-off sales at Kohl's, but I digress ...

As usual, most of the regulars will stay back in Sarasota. This is good for players like Jimmy Paredes, who's 3-for-7 and continually impressing manager Buck Showalter, and former Rule 5 pick Michael Almanzar, who's 2-for-4 with a home run.

Almanzar hasn't made much of an impression on Showalter and others in the organization at this point, and why he's been the last player to report to camp the past two springs is beyond me, but he's off to a good start.

To be fair, he may have been the next-to-last player to report the last two springs. Delmon Young might have walked through the door at the exact same time this year - it was a photo finish - but he's not competing for a job. He's got security after re-signing over the winter.

Dariel Alvarez is 3-for-8 with a home run, four RBIs, a walk, three runs scored and an arm that can throw a baseball from the center field fence to home plate on the fly - and I'm referring to center field here and the plate at Camden Yards.

He might have been a little too demonstrative after yesterday's three-run shot in the ninth, and I respect how Showalter reeled him in without killing his spirit, but I'd rather have a player show that kind of enthusiasm than not show a pulse.

Alvarez really needs to break through the language barrier, for his own good. I'm not saying it's easy - I took Spanish in middle school and high school and for a semester in college and all I can do is order a beer and ask for the location of the bathroom, which really do go together - but he's got to become more comfortable with the English language. Showalter has said so and that should be enough for Alvarez.

Steve Clevenger is 1-for-7 and finding it hard to get into the catching competition. He traveled to Port Charlotte on Thursday without playing and started yesterday only because Caleb Joseph was with his wife at a Sarasota hospital and awaiting the birth of his son. He's got to be frustrated, and I wonder if the Orioles are going to trade him before breaking camp.

Just thinking out loud here. I'm not basing it on anything I've heard from the club.

Everth Cabrera is 1-for-10 with four strikeouts, a caught stealing and two baserunning mistakes. He made a terrific backhanded stop and throw in Dunedin, but he hasn't done enough so far to warrant a roster spot over Jonathan Schoop or Ryan Flaherty.

It's way early and I'm not dismissing him after three starts. Just giving my early impressions of him. We haven't seen what he's capable of doing.

Matt Wieters is 0-for-10 and nobody cares. It's all about getting him ready to catch on opening day. He hasn't experienced any setbacks. He's still scheduled to catch on March 17. That's what matters.

Zach Britton has hitters beating the ball into the ground. His stuff has been nasty. Jason Garcia looks like a beast - a very young and inexperienced beast, which would make for an interesting Disney character. I've got dibs!

Hunter Harvey has no shot at making the team out of spring training, but don't think for a second that the Orioles plan on keeping him in the minors all year. This kid could move quickly through the system and get to Baltimore late in the season. They're open to the idea the way I'm open to dating Salma Hayek.

Showalter keeps saying how much he likes Jon Keller, a 22nd-round pick in 2013 out of the University of Tampa. More people need to be talking about him. He went 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 24 relief appearances at Single-A Delmarva, with 39 hits allowed and 66 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. He's got the manager's attention. Time to get on board.

Left-hander Wesley Wright got Showalter's attention yesterday by beating speedster Jemile Weeks to the bag to record the out on a ground ball to first baseman Chris Davis. Wright was a tad late getting off the mound, but he kicked it into another gear, as Showalter noted.

I plan on doing the same during my drive to Fort Myers.