Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias joined a group of players and local media this morning in volunteering at the Warehouse Collaborative, a space for Baltimore-based nonprofit organizations to share resources. Moving from station to station, Elias boxed and bagged donated items and books, assisted in building skateboards, tore tags off Orioles hoodies and shirts to be distributed.

Employees divided everyone into four groups and turned it into a contest, with the winning team posting the fastest times. Elias and Adley Rutschman left the facility with bragging rights.

Elias is eyeing much bigger victories down the road, but this was a nice start on Day 2 of the Birdland Caravan.

A 13-minute interview session followed with Elias, who confirmed that he isn’t done conducting roster business - or at least attempting it.

Asked whether he’s still targeting pitching, Elias said, “I think we’re targeting improvements to the team.”

The weather is warming this week, which whets the appetite for spring training.

Temperatures might touch 40 today. Be sure to lather on the sunscreen.

There might be some deep burns in today’s mailbag. Only one way to find out.

You ask, I answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. And keep in mind that my mailbag catches two-point conversion passes and your mailbag ... well, you know.

Kyle Bradish ETA?
Any relation to Kyle Bradish CPA? The second half of the season. That’s as far as I can narrow it down. Sorry. Maybe in August? We need to keep tracking his recovery and eventual rehab assignment.

The first workout for pitchers and catchers is in three weeks. Players will take their physicals and head outdoors. The newcomers will get acclimated to a different city, camp and group of teammates.

Fortunately for them, it’s always a welcoming bunch. Foes become family in this organization.

The media will begin building a working relationship with backup catcher Gary Sánchez, who signed for $8.5 million on Dec. 10. The guys throwing to him will do the same.

“I loved the move,” major league field coordinator and catching instructor Tim Cossins said on WBAL-Radio’s Hot Stove Show. “I’ve known Gary from across the field for a long time and I’ve always been looking forward to an opportunity to potentially work with him at one point, and that’s going to happen. I’ve talked to him several times and I think he’s a good player and I think he could help this team, and I can’t wait to get to work with him.”

Reliever Andrew Kittredge is signed for a guaranteed $10 million this season. He gives the Orioles a high-leverage reliever for the late innings.

The only news to pass through the Orioles organization yesterday was Livan Soto clearing outright waivers and being assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

The previous times being designated for assignment gave Soto the freedom to refuse it. He also knows about the crowded infield that makes it harder to infiltrate the major league roster. But he stays.

Having Soto in the fold but off the 40-man roster doesn’t qualify as a surprise to me. I thought about five that I’ll post here.

Signing Tomoyuki Sugano.

It makes sense now, finding a veteran starter on a one-year deal in the international free agent market who’s had tremendous success in Japan and is viewed as capable of adapting to major league hitters with a six-pitch mix, strong work ethic and open mind. The cost is reasonable by today’s standards at $13 million. It comes across as a low-risk, high-reward type of situation.

I’ve heard the speculation that Corbin Burnes could sign for less years at a higher annual average value, perhaps going as low as three years.

I’ll believe that when I see it. Not a minute beforehand.

There’s some logic in getting paid big on a shorter term and re-entering free agency at age 33. A sliver of logic. Thinly sliced like garlic with a razor on “Goodfellas.”

The pitching market melted a little more Sunday with the Marlins sending left-hander Jesús Luzardo to the Phillies - an injury risk but one of the most appealing starters on the trade market. Max Fried signed with the Yankees, receiving $218 million over eight seasons. Blake Snell got $182 million over five years from the Dodgers. Nathan Eovaldi exceeded some expectations by receiving $75 million over three years to stay with the Rangers. Garrett Crochet was dealt to the Red Sox.

Japanese right-hander Rōki Sasaki is out there and predicted by many in the industry to sign with a West Coast team if it isn’t one based in New York. Jack Flaherty and Nick Pivetta sit in the next-tier group. Sean Manaea and Walker Buehler just left it.

We're nearing the Christmas holiday with the Orioles still in the market for a top starter but solidifying the back portion of the rotation with Tomoyuki Sugano. How far he's pushed back depends on whether a new pitcher arrives via trade or free agency.

This much is certain: Sugano won’t be intimidated by pitching in the American League East. He welcomes the challenge and believes he’s prepared for it after spending 12 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in the Japan Central League.

“I’m very excited to play in such a competitive division against great teams, great franchise and great history,” he said via VC Sports Group agent Shawn Novak. “I’ve also played for a great franchise with a huge history and successful history with the Tokyo Giants, so it's a great fit for me. I’m really looking forward to competing in that division and in the league in general.”

Sugano is eager to sample the Charleston’s soft shell crabs next summer in Harbor East. By then, he’ll already have bonded with catcher Adley Rutschman. Perhaps they can dine together outside of the clubhouse.

“I’m looking forward to competing, looking forward to working with Adley Rutschman, a fantastic catcher,” Sugano said.

The 11-month mark arrived Monday since the opening ceremony of the Orioles’ new, state-of-the-art training academy in Guerra, Dominican Republic.

The 22.5-acre complex is home to the organization’s regional facility for Caribbean, Central and South American player development operations, with three full fields, a sports turf agility field, batting and pitching tunnels, dormitories, administrative buildings, entertainment spaces, a dining room with nutritious meals, and three classrooms with a computer lab. The expectation was that more than 100 players, coaches and staff would be housed there.

“It’s an incredibly impressive facility,” manager Brandon Hyde said that day. “I just think it’s so well done and it means a ton for the organization because this is part of the lifeblood of our team and lifeblood of our organization is signing players and giving them a great facility to train in. And this is the step one for a lot of our young players that we signed that are going to be Baltimore Orioles, and to have them be in this sort of facility is incredible.

“Everything is done extremely well, just from the fields to the artificial surface for the agility field, to what the clubhouse and the classrooms look like. Just a really, really well designed facility, and looking forward to our young players using it. I didn’t really know what to expect. I’ve been to a couple of facilities down here before. Every one is a little bit different, but this is like modern and this is a really, really, new-age type of facility.”

More young players will be arriving with the international signing period beginning on Jan. 15.

The role isn’t defined for Gary Sánchez, the new Orioles backup catcher. He isn’t sure how many innings he’ll get behind the plate or whether he’ll do more hitting than squatting. He’s just eager to be part of a contending team, which he’s used to doing, and try to push it further through the postseason.

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias reached agreement with Sánchez on an $8.5 million contract for 2025, with the deal becoming official at the Winter Meetings in Dallas. Sánchez is replacing veteran backup James McCann, who remains on the free-agent market.

McCann was a popular figure in the clubhouse and particularly with the pitching staff, but the Orioles didn’t try to bring him back. Sánchez will be the first primary backup since Robinson Chirinos, who’s now the bench coach, in 2022.

“I think they have really good chemistry, and for me it’s an honor to be part of this team now,” Sánchez said during today’s video call via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “They have a lot of great, young talent, a real exciting group, and I’m just looking forward to going out there and helping any way that I can to support this team and help this team win.”

The Brewers were Sánchez’s fifth team and he appeared in 89 games this year, batting .220/.307/.392 with seven doubles and 11 home runs. He started at catcher in 27 of those games and at first base once, with the majority of his work as the designated hitter.

The Orioles announced the signings in free agency of outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez earlier today. Physicals were passed and contracts inked.

O’Neill received a three-year deal for $49.5 million and Sánchez received a one-year deal for $8 million.

The 40-man roster has 39 players, leaving room if the Orioles want to make a selection in Wednesday afternoon’s Rule 5 draft that wraps up the Winter Meetings.

“Pretty clearly two profiles we had been seeking going into the offseason,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said during his media scrum at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. “They both bring tremendous amounts of right-handed power. They’re good against both sides, righty and lefty pitching, but extremely productive, Tyler in particular, against left-handed pitching. That's something that you look at the composition of the rest of our team was a relative weakness. We have a lot of left-handed hitters, particularly in the outfield.”

O’Neill replaces Anthony Santander, who remains on the free-agent market and reportedly is attracting interest from other teams in the division.

The Orioles haven’t announced their agreements with outfielder Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sánchez, whose contracts become official after they pass their physicals. Two important items will crossed off the shopping list, with O’Neill replacing Anthony Santander in right and Sánchez replacing James McCann as the backup.

The position side appears to be completed unless there’s some late tinkering. It’s the pitching that remains a priority.

The rotation and bullpen are areas that lead to discussions with rival executives and agents. The Winter Meetings in Dallas are the latest setting for them.

“The whole offseason, what we’re trying to do is just improve our team anyway we can,” said assistant general manager Eve Rosenbaum. “We set out wanting to improve our offense, particularly with guys who can mash against left-handed pitchers, so that’s going to be a continued priority for us, bringing in some righty bats. And pitching I think is the other big area. We’ve been talking to a ton of pitchers so far this offseason — some who have signed already with other teams, some who haven’t signed yet. Looking at both starters and relievers.

“We expect Félix (Bautista) to be back, but he’s coming off Tommy John surgery, of course, so we want to make sure he has plenty of support in that bullpen if he can’t pitch as frequently as maybe we’re used to him pitching in the past. So definitely looking to do whatever we can to shore that up, whether that’s with internal options or externally. And then starting. I think it’s no secret that we have some guys who are down with Tommy John. Corbin Burnes has left. So we’re looking for at least one solid starter to bring in, because you can never have too much pitching, especially in this day and age.”