Spring training mailbag leftovers for breakfast

SARASOTA, Fla. – The internet doesn’t have space limitations except for mailbags. There’s got to be a cutoff. Land the plane at some point. Spirit Airlines is taking volunteers. Live to write another day.

This is the day to share the leftovers, with the same minimal editing and mailbag flexes.

You come at the king, you best not miss.

Do you feel like the Orioles are being ignored as potential division winners? I’ve seen a lot of “the Red Sox have to be favorites with the Yankees injuries” or, “the door is open for the Blue Jays and Rays” or even “the Yankees are still 100 percent making the playoffs” (from Chris Rose) and no one expecting much from the O’s.
If it makes you feel any better, and that’s why I’m here, PECOTA has the Orioles with 88.4 wins – I’d bet heavy on them not hitting that exact total – and only the Rangers are calculated with more at 90.3. There’s your respect. The Yankees dropped to third place in the division behind the Blue Jays after Gerrit Cole’s elbow injury. Maybe this is bad news because PECOTA usually comes in low on the Orioles, but let’s keep it positive. I worry about you.

Fast forward to Sept. 1. Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Cade Povich are all pitching pretty well. Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are healthy. Who’s making regular starts from Sept. 1 to the clinching game of the World Series?
And don’t say “your mom.” Oh wait … I’ll predict that Wells is in the bullpen and given another chance to start in 2026. I’d put Bradish in the rotation but that’s assuming he’s pitching again by September. I don’t see a world where Grayson Rodriguez isn’t in the rotation when he’s healthy. Eflin is a lock. Povich might have to be optioned if he’s just pitching “pretty well.” Morton might retire and be a greeter at Walmart. An age joke! I kid.

How soon from the rib-ease to the ribbies for Gunnar Henderson?
I don’t get it.

How soon …
Henderson is questionable for Opening Day. He hasn’t played since Feb. 27 and he kept saying Saturday that the “plan” was to be ready. He didn’t offer any assurances or exude confidence. Then again, he wasn’t in a good mood, and having the media finally get to him was a major factor. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I’d think he would have been happier if the news was better. The Orioles are afraid to push him and create a much more serious injury and a much longer absence. If that means an early stint on the injured list, so be it. If that means he breaks camp but doesn’t play early on, so be it. Those ribbies are on hold. There’s a lot at stake, so cook a ribeye.

I don’t get it.
Next question.

Nick Gordon's here for a reason? Does he make the team?
There’s always a reason. In these cases it’s Triple-A depth and insurance in case of injury. There would need to be a few of them for Gordon to make it. That’s how it appears, anyway. I hate to hold open a door for a guy. He may have an opt-out in his contract. I don’t know. I’m just a simple caveman. Your roster questions frighten and confuse me. Sometimes, the honking horns of your traffic make me want to get out of my BMW and run off into the hills or wherever. I don’t know. My primitive mind can’t grasp this concept. But there is one thing I do know: You can’t have enough pitching or position depth.

Without a crow bar, how do you fit Jorge Mateo, Grayson Rodriguez and Gunnar Henderson on the 26-man roster without losing someone?
Isn’t it “crowbar?” A crow bar serves alcohol to its customers and has dart leagues. I don’t know how Rodriguez got into this discussion beyond his injury. Pitching is a separate riddle. Seven infielders put Heston Kjerstad in danger. As I’ve written, there’s always the chance that Mateo doesn’t stay.

Have you been to the beaches just north of Sarasota where you can find petrified sharks' teeth and rays' bite plates?
I once found a grouper’s retainer.

It seems clear that Samuel Basallo can hit, but how far does he need to come to be a solid defensive MLB catcher?
Not far at all. Solid is doable and there are scouts who project him as above-average. The arm alone is impressive and he’s gotten much more comfortable behind the plate. He’s a big kid. It ain’t easy back there, but you can see the improvement. It’s good that Basallo also can play first base, but he doesn’t need to change positions.

Is there any truth to the rumor that Brady Anderson wasn't a fan of Kevin Gausman's doughnut routine and did he have any say regarding clubhouse food choices?
Anderson didn’t think popping doughnuts (or donuts if you prefer) in the dugout (or dougout) was a good idea, and he wasn’t the only one. Anderson was a proponent of healthier options for players and offered his input, as I recall, but it’s not like the club was serving bologna smoothies.

What is your favorite in-game snack while watching the game/working in the press box?
Bologna smoothies.

Who among these infield reserves - Livan Soto, Luis Vázquez, Vimael Machín, Emmanuel Rivera - have options?
All of them except Rivera, who signed for $1 million to avoid arbitration, was outrighted and passed through waivers – probably because he was making $1 million. Solid strategy by the Orioles if that’s the reason.

Lots of people seem to assume that Andrew Kittredge's spot will go to Bryan Baker, but is Matt Bowman also a factor? He's out of options just like Baker, has better numbers this spring and brings more MLB experience.
Baker is having a good spring except for that bizzarro, three-homer day. And he’s on the 40-man roster. That’s a Baker biggie. Bowman is a spring invitee and can be reassigned and stay in the organization unless he has an opt-out clause. He's quietly having an outstanding camp. Well, not that quiet cause you noticed. Maybe they both make it. Albert Suárez probably would need to go in the rotation and Cade Povich would need to be optioned. That's a scenario.

Well Roch, here’s a biggie. I’m currently in the hospital waiting for heart surgery Monday morning. What can I expect to feel after surgery?
A lot lighter in the bank account if you don’t have insurance. I wish you the very best in your recovery. These things are so routine now. I was told the surgeon would handle my valve replacement, eat a sandwich and do another. I just hoped it wasn’t at the same time. You’re going to be weaker than usual, of course, and you have to succumb to it. Stand for short periods at first, then gradually work your way to short walks. At some point, and you’ll know when, you’ve got to start working yourself back in shape. The lungs are weak. I thought it was fluid or something that made my breathing labored at times. Nope. Don’t rush it. If the surgeon is going through the chest, you’ll experience the predictable discomfort. A sneeze or cough sent me through the ceiling, which also hurt. The heart pillow helped a little. You’ve got this, pal. Just member that the opening in the gown goes in the back.

If your name was Thaddeus, would you go by Thad?
I don’t see any alternatives except for “Double D,” and I wouldn’t want any misunderstandings.

Seeing that he is Canadian, did Tyler O'Neill play hockey while growing up? Are the Vancouver Canucks his favourite team?
He did play hockey because it’s pretty much the law in Canada. He took skating lessons at age 4 or 5, discovered baseball around 10 and never looked back – except to avoid crashing into the outfield fence. The Canucks were his favorite team, but he’s adopted the Capitals.

Has there been any talk about a Roch Kubatko studio show? Maybe “The Roch and Roll Express Yourself” and it’s a call-in show with us? How about “Can Yell Smell What the Roch is Cooking?” A show about Roch in the kitchen with homemade blue crab recipes.
This is probably a good place to stop.

Did anybody show up to pick up pants this year? And don’t say “your mom.”
Well, now I’m out of material and will zip it. And this is definitely a good place to stop.