KANSAS CITY – Among the series of pregame drills this afternoon at bitter-cold Kauffman Stadium was outfielder Tyler O’Neill throwing to the bases. The early work is done to sharpen skills and that’s an area where the two-time Gold Glove winner wanted to focus.

The Royals sent nine batters to the plate last night in the eighth inning and scored five times against left-hander Cionel Pérez to expand their lead to 8-2. A sloppy game created its final mess when Vinnie Pasquantino singled down the right field line with the bases loaded and two outs, and all three runners scored.

O’Neill didn’t find a cutoff man, with the first and second basemen also chasing the ball, and fired to second. Bobby Witt Jr., who drew an intentional walk, raced home and dived across the plate.

“Tyler understands,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’ve had similar kind, three times now, where we threw the ball to the wrong base on a ball in the corner situation. And that’s a little bit of not understanding batter runners, runners on base. You’ve got Bobby Witt at first base and a ball drops like that, Tyler understands that ball needs to go to the plate. We threw to the wrong base in the left field corner in Toronto. We did it at home, also.

“(O’Neill) has played well, just a couple mistakes there that he understands. But you have to know the runners on base, you have to know the batter runner speed, etc., to make the right decision.”

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.

The 26 players announced as non-roster invitees to spring training weren’t on a locked list of names. The Orioles had the freedom to expand it, which they did after infielder Luis Vázquez cleared outright waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Reliever Dylan Coleman announced his signing to a minor league deal on Instagram, the Orioles confirmed it and he’s an invite. Infielder Emmanuel Rivera cleared waivers, was outrighted and also received an invitation. And there could be more.

Here’s the updated list:

Pitchers

Raúl Alcantara
Justin Armbruester
Matt Bowman
Dylan Coleman
Jakob Hernandez
Yaramil Hiraldo
Corbin Martin
Robinson Martinez
Levi Stoudt
Carlos Tavera
Thaddeus Ward
Nathan Webb

I’m dumping more mailbag questions into your laps. I'll handle the next batch.

We’ve pondered whether Zach Eflin or Grayson Rodriguez would be the No. 1 starter as the roster’s currently set, who’s the No. 5 starter, the chances that Jackson Holliday platoons, how much Heston Kjerstad plays, whether the Orioles trade for Luis Castillo, and if the Orioles are done making moves for position players.

Here are a few more. Share your answers with the class.

Does Nick Gordon have any shot at making the team in spring training?

On paper, it seems highly unlikely.

The Orioles closed out the year 2024 by signing super-utility player and former first-round draft pick Nick Gordon to a minor league contract on Tuesday. The month featured three major league deals, bringing a right fielder (Tyler O’Neill), backup catcher (Gary Sánchez) and starting pitcher (Tomoyuki Sugano).

Another starter could arrive in January, though it wasn’t until Feb. 1, 2024 that the Corbin Burnes trade became official. The Orioles could arrange a reunion with right-hander Jack Flaherty, with reported interest on both sides. But it might take a five-year commitment. The Orioles could arrange a reunion with reliever Tanner Scott, since they want to strengthen the bullpen. But it might take a four-year commitment.

I could finally get around to sharing more questions from my mailbag. It dropped like the Times Square ball and the contents spilled out.

You ask, I answer, and we have the latest sequel to the beloved 2008 original. Also, my mailbag rings in the new year and your mailbag rings doorbells selling magazine subscriptions.

Who is Nick Gordon?
Gordon is a left-handed hitter who plays everywhere except first base and catcher. He was the fifth-overall pick by the Twins in 2014. The Marlins outrighted him in August. Gordon will come to camp competing for a bench role but likely would need a trade or injury to clear room. Having him in Triple-A would come in handy.