They are three of the Orioles' longest-tenured players. They have been teammates for a long time and are three of the biggest contributors on the team.

Again this year for the Orioles, a lot is expected from their starting outfield of left fielder Austin Hays, center fielder Cedric Mullins and right fielder Anthony Santander.

With Santander a free agent at the end of the 2024 season, it's possible this coming year will be their last together in Baltimore. Hays and Mullins are eligible to be free agents after the 2025 season.

The trio enjoyed helping the Orioles return to the playoffs last year, and now they'd love to get back again and lead the team to a longer October run.

These are three talented players, as Mullins and Hays have been All-Stars while Santander's .797 OPS last year ranked third on the team behind Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman and 23rd-best in the American League.

SARASOTA, Fla. – A finality of a two-run walk-off homer has to begin somewhere. For the Orioles in yesterday’s exhibition opener, Colton Cowser couldn’t send everybody home unless a batter ahead of him reached base.

Errol Robinson, who’s going to be working out at Twin Lakes Park, dumped a single into left field and moved up on a wild pitch before Cowser cleared the left-center field fence in a 4-3 win over the Red Sox.

Cowser was mobbed at home plate. Robinson was thrilled to be counted among the extras and used as a pinch-runner and shortstop replacement for Jorge Mateo in the fifth inning.

(How do you know it’s spring training? When Jorge Mateo is removed for a pinch-runner.)

The Orioles announced 20 non-roster invites and Robinson wasn’t on the list after he signed a minor league deal on Jan. 10. He played in Triple-A for parts of three seasons. He seemed like a slam dunk to enter the infield and utility competitions.

When 29-year-old right-hander Corbin Burnes takes the mound today to start the first spring training game for his new team, the Orioles will get a look at their new ace in action for the first time in the 2024 season.

They hope he is the quality workhorse and clear No. 1 pitcher that the Milwaukee Brewers saw since his rookie season of 2018. He moved into a big league rotation for good in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Burnes is no doubt worthy of being called an ace, and you can make a case that he is the best pitcher in baseball since that 2020 season.

In 2020, he went 4-1 with a 2.11 ERA and was sixth in the National League Cy Young voting. The next season he won the NL Cy Young Award, going 11-5 with a 2.43 ERA. In 2022 he was 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and was seventh in the Cy Young vote, and last season he was 10-8 with a 3.39 ERA, finishing eighth for the top pitching award.

Between them, Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and Gerrit Cole have five Cy Young awards (three by Scherzer himself), but they all trail Burnes in ERA since that 2020 season. So does every other pitcher.

The Orioles today announced the club’s broadcast talent lineup for the 2024 season, headlined by the addition of Major League Baseball radio and television play-by-play announcer BEN WAGNER. The Orioles will continue to welcome guest analysts throughout the season, including Orioles Hall of Famers MIKE DEVEREAUX and BRIAN ROBERTS, as well as former Orioles BRAD BRACH and DAVE JOHNSON.

• GEOFF ARNOLD returns for his fifth season with the Orioles broadcast team, serving as the primary play-by-play announcer for the Orioles Radio Network.

• KEVIN BROWN returns for his sixth season as member of the Orioles broadcast team, and his third as the primary television play-by-play announcer for MASN.

• SCOTT GARCEAU returns to Orioles broadcasts for his fourth-straight season and 18^th year with the club overall. Garceau will appear on both MASN and the Orioles Radio Network in a variety of roles, which will include play-by-play duties and hosting pre- and post-game shows. 

• BRETT HOLLANDER returns as an in-game contributor to both MASN and Orioles Radio Network broadcasts. In his fifth season with the club, Hollander will continue to appear as a play-by-play announcer, in-game reporter, and pre- and post-game show host. 

• ROB LONG will continue to appear on MASN programming as a pre- and post-game show host and in-game reporter. The 2024 season marks his sixth year as a member of the Orioles broadcast team. 

• Former Orioles pitcher BEN McDONALD will again bring his expert analysis to MASN telecasts in 2024. McDonald began making select appearances on MASN and the Orioles Radio Network in 2010 before joining the broadcast team full-time in 2018. 

• MELANIE NEWMAN returns for her fifth season with the Orioles broadcast team. Newman will continue to appear on both MASN and the Orioles Radio Network in a variety of roles, including as a play-by-play announcer, in-game reporter, and pre- and post-game show host. 

• National Baseball Hall of Famer and Orioles Legend JIM PALMER will return for his 32^nd season as a MASN analyst and his 61^st year as a member of the Orioles organization. 

• BEN WAGNER joins the Orioles broadcast team after spending the previous six seasons as a play-by-play announcer with Sportsnet television and the Toronto Blue Jays Radio Network. Prior to joining the Blue Jays broadcast team, Wagner spent 11 seasons with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons. Wagner will appear on radio and select television broadcasts throughout the year. 

The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will again serve as the exclusive home for all Orioles games for the 18^th-straight season. Every regular season game will be carried on one of the network’s two channels – MASN and MASN2 – with the exception of nationally televised games. The entire regular season TV broadcast schedule can be found at Orioles.com/BroadcastSchedule. 

Hearst Baltimore’s 98 Rock FM and WBAL NewsRadio AM/FM will continue as the flagship stations of the Orioles Radio Network. All 162 regular season games will be carried across the 30-plus station network, in addition to pre- and post-game shows and comprehensive Orioles coverage throughout the station’s programming. 

ABOUT MASN AND THE ORIOLES RADIO NETWORK

MASN has been the exclusive television home for all Baltimore Orioles games since 2007. Every available regular season Orioles game is televised live and in high definition on one of the network’s two channels, MASN and MASN2. MASN’s seven-state territory – one of the largest among all professional sports – reaches households from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, please visit MASNsports.com.

The Orioles Radio Network broadcasts across more than 30 stations in six states. Fans can hear all 162 regular season games, select Spring Training contests, and extensive Orioles programming on Hearst platforms, including 98 Rock (97.9 FM) and WBAL NewsRadio AM 1090 & FM 101.5 (& FM 97.9 HD 2). Games can also be streamed on the Gameday Audio platform on Orioles.com and the MLB At Bat app.

Sarasota County Government’s annual economic report found that the Orioles generated more than $72 million in economic impact and created more than 970 jobs in Sarasota County during the most recent reporting period, which took place from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.

In addition to the Orioles’ local impact, the report found that the organization generated more than $86 million in economic impact in the state of Florida, while also creating more than 1,000 jobs. The analysis measures the total impact created by the Orioles’ year-round operations in Sarasota, highlighted by the team’s Spring Training efforts, minor league training facility, and numerous events at Ed Smith Stadium and the Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex.

Since 2015, the Orioles have generated nearly $584.5 million for the local Sarasota County economy and more than $686 million for the state of Florida. This impact is delivered through the club’s continual efforts to promote tourism in the region, including $1 million annually in marketing opportunities for Visit Sarasota during broadcasts on the Orioles Radio Network and Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. In addition to Spring Training operations, the Orioles bring people to Sarasota County by hosting a myriad of special events at Ed Smith Stadium and the Buck O’Neil Baseball Complex throughout the entire year. Ed Smith Stadium hosted numerous events throughout 2023 including the All-American Women’s Baseball Classic, Sarasota Orchestra’s Outdoor Pops concert, Sarasota County Movie Night, and Orange & Black Gives Back Week of Service youth baseball clinic.

Since the organization made Ed Smith Stadium its Spring Training home, more than 1.3 million people have attended Orioles games in Sarasota. The Sarasota County Government found that attendees of Orioles year-round events spent more than $19.2 million at local hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments during the most recent report period. On average, attendees spend more than $14 million annually at local establishments, another major contributor to the club’s overall impact on the region.

Beyond economic impact, the Orioles have provided more than $3.9 million to local Sarasota organizations through cash donations and in-kind contributions. Over the past 14 years, the organization has made it a priority to combat food insecurity, empower local youth through baseball clinics and the annual Orioles Health & Fitness Challenge, and give back when the community needs them the most. The Orioles partner with All Faiths Food Bank to host food collections throughout the year and Ed Smith Stadium is used for their annual “ThankFULL” Turkey Distribution, providing local families in need with necessary food prior to the holidays. This Spring Training, the Orioles will continue to partner with numerous local non-profits, including All Faiths Food Bank, Mothers Helping Mothers, and SunCoast Blood Centers, encouraging fans to assist them in giving back to their Spring Training home. 

With the acquisition of right-hander Corbin Burnes, the Orioles ended up with two starting pitchers and five players ranked on the list of MLB Network’s Top 100 players right now.

The list was completed this week with Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. ranked No. 1 after a season with 41 homers and 73 steals – becoming the first 40/70 player in baseball history.

Mookie Betts of the Dodgers was rated No. 2 with Aaron Judge of the Yankees No. 3 and Dodgers ranking No. 4 and No. 5 with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. Three of the first five are Dodgers and two of the top nine are Yankees with right-hander Gerrit Cole at No. 9.

Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman, who was No. 41 on this list last year, moves up to No. 19. He was one spot ahead of Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr., just as he was one spot ahead of him atop the 2019 MLB Draft.

Rutschman finished 2023 with an .809 OPS along with 20 homers, 84 runs, 92 walks and 80 RBIs. He finished tied for third in the AL in walks and fifth in OBP. He was ninth in voting for AL MVP.

With spring training games beginning this week – Saturday for the Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium versus Boston – some big-name free agents remain unsigned.

We have seen big names sign big dollar deals before with the season only weeks away. The Phillies signed Bryce Harper to a 13-year deal worth $330 million on March 2, 2019.

This can’t be good for the game or the players, wondering where they will be playing this year as teams are already in camp and games are about to begin.

The management of the sport would like a signing deadline of some sort – a time when free agent signings come to an end. Much like the mid-summer trade deadline. The players association is against this and really against anything that they believe limits the players free market in any way. This would not limit their earning power, but it would limit the time they would have to sign a deal.

As of last night, outfielder Cody Bellinger, infielder Matt Chapman and pitchers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, some of the biggest names in this free agent class, were unsigned.

The Orioles would certainly love to duplicate a few things this season from last season. They’d love to win 101 games again. They would love to win the AL East and make the playoffs again.

And, to that end, they would love to do another thing the 2023 Orioles did – get off to a fast start that set a great tone for the 162-game grind.

The Tampa Bay Rays got off to an even better start, but the Orioles could have been buried but by starting 22-10 they held their own early on.

At that point on May 5, 2023, they were playing .688 ball with the second-best record in the majors. Behind only the 27-6 (.818) Rays. Tampa Bay’s amazing start put them eight games ahead of Toronto and 10 games up on New York on May 5. But just 4.5 games up on Baltimore.

The Orioles took advantage of a schedule that was less challenging early on to establish they could be very good, and they went on to be very good for the full season.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Cole Irvin wants to eat more innings this season.

They’re on his new diet.

Irvin said he’s shed at least a dozen pounds after weighing 223 in his first year with the Orioles. He wants to pitch better in the early weeks of the season. He wants to feel better.

He's already got proof of the second one.

“I think it was a lot of eating habits, but I also did a lot of core work, which is where a lot of my problems were,” said Irvin, who was optioned in 2023 after only three starts. “I felt like I had a weak core last year. I was throwing harder, but I think it was a lot of upper body. I just made some adjustments to the arm path and all that and focused on my eating this offseason, and it just came off naturally with my training.”

The Orioles have made the following roster move:

• INF/OF Diego Castillo has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Cedric Mullins is healthy. Let’s start there. And he’s putting the barrel on the baseball, which figures to keep happening if he isn’t put on the injured list again.

Mullins was the standout in today’s live batting practice on the Ed Smith Stadium field. He lined a Cole Irvin pitch up the middle in his first trip, nailing the bottom of the screen, squared up another Irvin offering and lined to the shortstop area, and introduced himself to prospect Justin Armbruester with a shot off the top of the scoreboard in right-center field.

That one was epic. He almost cleared it.

Teammates roared in the dugout as Mullins made contact. Mullins began walking toward the bench but turned to check out the flight of the ball and get confirmation on its landing spot.

“I knew that one was gone off the bat,” he said. “Threw me some good pitches, left one hanging, I was able to take advantage of it.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo is ready for anything that the Orioles throw at him.

He’s also prepared to catch it.

Mateo won a Fielding Bible Award at shortstop in 2022 and was a notable snub in Gold Glove Award voting. He made 95 starts at the position last season compared to 142 the previous summer, a prolonged slump and the emergence of Gunnar Henderson cutting deep into his time.

Jackson Holliday will break camp with the team or debut shortly after, giving Mateo another shove. But the at-bats should be available to him.

The Orioles gave Mateo two starts in center field last season and will give him plenty of work in camp. He wants it.

Time for more Orioles facts and opinions as we get closer to their spring training opener on Saturday at Ed Smith Stadium versus Boston. 

Fact: The Orioles acquired Craig Kimbrel in December with the intent that he serves as the club’s closer in the 2024 season.

Opinion: Despite the fact that Kimbrel is a 9-time All-Star and ranks eighth all-time with 417 saves, there is some concern about him around Birdland.

And while yes, he did struggle last year in the NL Championship Series, there are reasons to believe Kimbrel will do a good enough job for the Orioles. Experience for one – few have as much as a closer and he may blow some games, but it won’t be because he is not up to the moment.

But after a slow start last year, he pitched very, very well, going 7-5 with a 2.21 ERA from May 9 on. In that time, batters hit just .162 off him and his OPS against was .538. By the way that is still not up to Bautista dominance as last year he held batters to a .144 average and .460 OPS. But no one said they were getting another Bautista.

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired right-handed pitcher KALEB ORT from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations.

Ort, 32, pitched to a 1-2 record with a 6.26 ERA (16 ER/23.0 IP), 19 total runs, 27 hits, six home runs, nine walks, 24 strikeouts, and one hit batter in 21 games (two starts) across four stints with the Red Sox in 2023, including making his first career Opening Day roster. He threw the two fastest pitches of the season by a Boston hurler with 99.4 mph fastballs on April 11 at Tampa Bay and June 30 at Toronto, and ranked in the 80^th percentile of MLB pitchers in average fastball velocity (95.8 mph), per Statcast. The right-hander posted a 4.76 ERA (9 ER/17.0 IP) in 13 home games compared to a 10.50 ERA (7 ER/6.0 IP) in eight road games. He also made 13 appearances for Triple-A Worcester, going 1-2 with a 1.54 ERA (2 ER/11.2 IP) with four total runs, eight hits, one home run, eight walks, 16 strikeouts, and one hit batter. Ort was placed on the 15-day Injured List with right elbow inflammation on July 7, retroactive to July 5, before being transferred to the 60-day IL on July 26 and missing the remainder of the season.

Ort was originally signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks as a non-drafted free agent out of Aquinas College (MI) on September 23, 2016. He is a graduate of Lowell (MI) High School. He has appeared in 47 MLB games across parts of three seasons (2021-23) with the Red Sox.

To make room on the 40-man roster, outfielder PEYTON BURDICK has been designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

The first day of O’s spring training led to some shuffling of the Baltimore pitching staff. It was quite the day as we found out right-hander Kyle Bradish would begin the year on the injured list and likely be joined at that point by lefty John Means.

So, Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin, come on down.

Two pitchers we figured to have bullpen roles on Opening Day, now likely need to move to the rotation.

This is not bad news for the Orioles, as Wells was one of the American League’s best pitchers in the first half of 2023 and Irvin had an ERA of 3.22 from June 10 on last year. The ability to hold their own and then some in this rotation is there.

Ironically, both pitchers had three-start runs that marred their seasons in 2023. Irvin’s run came as the year began and his ERA was 10.66 on April 13 and he was sent to the minors. Wells was pitching so well in the first half and had an ERA of 3.18 at the All-Star break. But when the second half started, he was suddenly struggling. Three starts later, he had allowed four homers and 11 runs over nine innings and on July 30 he was optioned to Double-A Bowie. Wells would pitch well late in the year for the club out of the bullpen and made the Orioles' AL Division Series roster in the ‘pen. Irvin was not on that roster.

The Orioles today announced that they have acquired left-handed pitcher MATT KROOK from the New York Yankees in exchange for cash considerations.

Krook, 29, did not have a decision in four appearances for the Yankees last season, posting a 24.75 ERA (11 ER/4.0 IP) with eight hits, one home run, six walks, and three strikeouts. He made his MLB debut in relief on June 16 at Boston. The lefty was 1-1 with a 1.32 ERA (5 ER/34.0 IP) with 10 hits, eight total runs, two hit batters, 26 walks, and 55 strikeouts in 27 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Krook’s .090 batting average against was the best in the minors for pitchers with at least 30.0 innings. He opened the season with the RailRiders and was recalled by New York four times during the year. He also had two stints on the Injured List at Triple-A from April 27 to May 13 and June 22 to August 22.

Krook was originally selected by the San Francisco Giants in the fourth round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Oregon. He was also picked by the Miami Marlins in the Competitive Balance Round A (No. 35 overall) during the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of St. Ignatius College Preparatory School (CA), but did not sign. The southpaw was traded along with outfielder Denard Span, infielder Christian Arroyo, and right-handed pitcher Stephen Woods by San Francisco to Tampa Bay for infielder Evan Longoria and cash considerations on December 20, 2017. The Yankees selected him from the Rays with the 16^th pick in the Triple-A phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. Krook was an MiLB.com Organizational All-Star in 2022 after ranking second in the International League in strikeouts (155) and third in wins (10) with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

To make room on the 40-man roster, infielder/outfielder DIEGO CASTILLO has been designated for assignment. The Orioles’ 40-man roster currently has 40 players.

Additionally, infielder LIVAN SOTO has been claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Rain is in the Sarasota forecast beginning later this afternoon and continuing through Sunday. The Orioles’ workout schedule is going to be impacted.

Head indoors and shorten the day.

Corbin Burnes threw live batting practice this morning, with Adley Rutschman, Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn among the batters he faced. Rutschman lined a loud single up the middle against reliever Bryan Baker.

Jackson Holliday finished his workouts and stopped by a group of fans to sign autographs. He could have stood there all day. No one is more popular among players.

No one else is currently the No. 1 prospect in baseball.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jackson Holliday isn’t in Orioles camp to soak in the atmosphere, get acclimated to the coaching staff and wait to be summoned into manager Brandon Hyde’s office with news that he’s reassigned to the minor league side.

Holliday could sit down again with Hyde and executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias, but this time to be congratulated for making the team.

Only a few months past his 20^th birthday.

As the No. 1 prospect in baseball.

“It’s a little bit more exciting, right?” Holliday said this morning in his first media scrum at his locker. “You get a chance to make the team. But just trying to take it day by day and enjoy these guys and enjoy getting better.”

When a baseball player is said to have an 80-grade tool by a scout that is as good as it gets. That is like getting a 100 on a test. There is no better score.

On the 20-80 scouting scale, Baseball America recently described 80-grade this way: “ Top of the scale. Some scouts consider only one player’s tool in all of the major leagues to be an 80. Think of Shohei Ohtani's power, Corbin Carroll's speed or Devin Williams' changeup.”

In the Orioles' farm system, they have a center fielder that Baseball America provides not one, two 80-grade tools. He was their first-round draft pick last July, taken No. 17 out of Vanderbilt and Enrique Bradfield Jr. gets 80-grades for both his defense and speed.

Both were on display last season when, after the draft, he played three games in the rookie-level Florida Complex League, 17 at Low-A Delmarva and five at High-A Aberdeen where he will likely begin this season.

In a loaded O’s farm, he was ranked as the club’s No. 7 prospect by Baseball America and he missed their top 100. But he was ranked No. 64 by The Athletic and No. 94 by ESPN, making those top 100 lists.

SARASOTA – Kyle Stowers got married in November. He’s back to full health after a shoulder injury and fractured nose messed with his 2023 season. He’s surrounded by friends inside the Orioles spring clubhouse.

Life is good.

To make it better, he’d need to again break camp with the team. But it’s hard to kill his positive vibe.

Stowers went 2-for-30 with the Orioles but posted a .364 on-base percentage and .511 slugging percentage with 17 home runs in 68 games with the Norfolk Tides and won a Triple-A championship. He went 5-for-7 with a home run on a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League and 9-for-18 with a double and three home runs with High-A Aberdeen.

The shoulder injury cost the 26-year-old Stowers two months of Norfolk’s season. He was down again after a fastball crashed into his face in an Aug. 29 game against Worcester.