Mailbag leftovers for breakfast

Four NFL playoffs games this weekend and a forecast calling for a wintry mix turning to snow. This is football weather. This is one reason why so many baseball fans count down the days until pitchers and catchers report.

The Orioles keep checking the pitching market with the possibility of making another move. I keep checking the mailbag and deciding when to share.

Let’s dig out a dozen questions before shoveling snow. Thanks for your participation and your patience.

Any clarity on five- or six-man starting rotation?
The Orioles don’t seem interested in breaking camp with six starters but won’t completely dismiss it. Here’s what executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias told me recently: “We’ve had kind of, I’d say, low-intensity discussions about that possibility. Right now, that is not the plan, but it could turn into the plan. We’re not in a hurry to make that decision. We’ll see where we’re at as camp’s going. I think our schedule has a lot of off-days in April and May, and that might make it a little less beneficial to do the six-man, but we want to hold off on that decision until we just get a better sense of how everyone’s throwing and the kind of things that don’t reveal themselves until much later in camp.”

Do you think Brandon Young will make his MLB debut as a starter or reliever?
The easy pick is starter because that’s what he is, but there’s always the possibility that he fills an emergency-type need in the bullpen. Maybe the Orioles suddenly need a long man and want to introduce him to the majors. Always be prepared to pivot from a development plan. But I’ll still guess starter. For instance, if a 27^th man is needed to start in a doubleheader. Yeah, let’s go there.

Is Elias just counting on Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo, Jackson Holliday and Grayson Rodriguez to be better, and they win 100 games that way?
Well, he didn’t stand pat and he tried to keep Corbin Burnes from leaving. The Orioles aren’t just relying on returning players. But yes, they expect the players that you mentioned to be major contributors. They certainly believe that Rutschman will avoid another second-half slump and that Holliday will be much more productive and Rodriguez will stay healthy and pitch like an ace. They know that Mayo is better than his 2024 numbers.

What’s Tom Davis up to? And don’t say “your mom.”
I’d never! I haven’t weighed Tom in a while, so I’ll have to get back to you. I can confirm that he still hosts “Wall to Wall Baseball,” “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Touchdown Baltimore” on MASN. We taped a show that ran in November. The man is an ideal point guard, as I’ve often told him. He’s capable of shooting but prefers to dish the ball and set up his guests to score. More John Stockton than Kyrie Irving. And he doesn’t keep asking to be traded. He’s perfected the art of hosting.

I just read that Vladimir Guerrero turned down a $340 million extension offer from the Blue Jays. Are there any updates on signing Gunnar Henderson to a long-term extension? Are both sides open to it? We may need you to call Scott Boras.
I, too, turned down a $340 million extension but no one is talking about it. Long-term deals for guys like Henderson and Rutschman are popular subjects among fans. I’d go as far as to say “obsessions.” The Orioles don’t talk about it, but Elias has indicated that the Orioles would like to hold onto their young stars if possible. He talks plenty with agent Scott Boras, though not only about clients already on the roster. None of them are itching to get out of Baltimore. But that’s it for updates.

What happened to former Orioles player and coach Howie Clark?
Clark is the hitting coach for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in the Cardinals system. He’s had the job since January 2023. He was a White Sox assistant hitting coach after leaving the Orioles. A good guy. An overachiever.

Do you know of anything specific that the Orioles have done to address their hitting woes this offseason besides hiring the new hitting coaches? Are they just hoping they have better luck?
Better luck and health would be game-changers, but there’s more going on, with different offseason plans set up for different hitters. Plans that are tailored to the individual. I don’t think that qualifies as “specific,” but I can do a deeper dive when having access to these players.

Did I see that former Orioles catcher Chance Sisco is back in affiliated baseball?
Your eyes weren’t deceiving you. I don’t know about your wife (I kid, I kid). Sisco is a Cardinals non-roster invitee. He played for the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks in 2023 and 2024 before the Cardinals signed him last August. He hasn’t played in the majors since 2021 with the Mets.

As the resident Vikings expert, Sam Darnold: Yes or no?
Only to mow my lawn. OK, that’s a little harsh. He also can prune the trees. He was money until the last two games, when he was miserable. The offensive line was constructed out of crepe batter, which seemed like a poor idea, but he held the ball too long and had nervous feet. I knew that they’d lose to the Lions and Rams, which eased some of my disappointment. I bailed at halftime in both games. I’d consider bringing him back if having an expensive backup fits in the payroll. Make him win the job from J.J McCarthy. He might prefer to be handed a job somewhere else, but he can’t take Kevin O’Connell, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison with him.

Roch, here's another mailbag question. At what point does the offseason become the preseason? Are we there, their, they're yet? Do we have to wait until pitchers and catchers report?
I don’t know that there’s a firm rule. I go against a lot of people by saying “this season” until we reach a new year. Then it becomes “last season.” I suppose the offseason runs until spring training begins. Others might insist that it’s the offseason until Opening Day. We could compromise and kill it after the exhibition games start.

I saw that Spirit Airlines will soon start non-stop flights between BWI and the Dominican Republic. Do the Orioles run their Dominican academy year-round or only during baseball season?
It’s 365 days out of the year. The international signings already are gathering. It’s like a college campus there - housing, cafeteria, etc. Spirit Airlines is non-stop except for those times when the pilot has to pull over and let the engine cool or roll up the windows.

Would you rather take a vacation or grow a mustache to take a vacation from yourself?
My mustache days are over and no one is asking for the mullet. And this is a good place to stop.