A look at the Orioles' Florida Complex League roster

Vavra batting white

CINCINNATI - A new season is beginning today for the Orioles' rookie-level Florida Complex League team. Listed below is the roster for this year’s O’s FCL squad.

This roster features a heavy international flavor with 18 players from the Dominican Republic, 16 born in Venezuela and one from Cuba.

The roster includes infielder Luis Almeyda who was signed to the largest bonus for an international amateur in team history at $2.3 million on Jan. 15, 2023.

Almeyda, now 18, was limited to 19 games in the Dominican Summer League last year by first an ankle sprain and then by a left shoulder issue which required surgery in August.

The roster features three players with this club on minor league injury rehab assignments. They are infielders Terrin Vavra and Max Wagner, and pitcher Jake Cunningham.

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Round 5 pick showed big tools, plus All-Star, first-half notes and quotes

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Orioles director of draft operations Brad Ciolek was excited to nab each of the 12 picks the club has made during the first two days of the MLB Draft. The Orioles selected seven pitchers and five outfielders through 10 rounds.

But one player that showed the club especially loud tools and did so in a pre-draft workout at Camden Yards was round five selection, UNC-Charlotte outfielder Jake Cunningham. The right-handed batter and thrower hit .267/.359/.519 this past season with 14 doubles, 11 homers and 41 RBIs. Ranked as the No. 140 draft prospect by Baseball America and No. 147 by MLBPipeline.com, he has hit 29 homers in 146 career college games.

"I think the one name that we were excited about getting him where we did - we're actually ecstatic about all these guys - is Jake Cunningham," said Ciolek. "He was on our radar last year at UNC-Charlotte. He is a tool shed. He has double plus raw power in BP. He is a plus runner and one of those guys that has instincts for center field.

"In a workout at Camden Yards leading up to the draft, he was up to 111 (exit velocity mph) with wood. So, we are very excited to get all these guys, but to get Jake where we got him, coming into the year he did battle some injuries, but we were excited to get Jake where we did."

You can take a look at this story posted yesterday for write ups on all the draft picks from Day 2 with a few more Ciolek quotes there as well.

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O's select University of Washington pitcher in round three (updated with quotes)

Mike Elias OPACY suit

As the MLB Draft resumed today the Orioles selected University of Washington right-handed pitcher Kiefer Lord in the third round at No. 86 overall. He is the second pitcher the Orioles have taken among their first four picks to start this draft. 

The O’s have nine picks today in rounds three through 10. Their No. 100 overall pick is a compensation pick for not signing a third-round pick last year in pitcher Nolan McLean from Oklahoma State. He was today selected No. 91 overall by the Mets. 

Last night the Orioles selected Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. with their No. 17 overall pick. They added North Carolina third baseman/outfielder Mac Horvath in round two with pick No. 53. They drafted Florida State pitcher Jackson Baumeister with a competitive balance pick that was No. 63 overall. He becomes the highest-drafted pitcher by overall selection in the now five drafts under executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias.

Click here for more on the Day One picks.

Here are the O’s picks for today with listed slot amount for each.

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