The mailbag collected questions in Boston and refused to board a flight to Arlington. Bought a seat for it and everything. Still, no.

That’s fine. I’ll share what I’ve got this morning, in the latest sequel to our beloved 2008 original mailbag.

Because I don’t want to be accused of tampering, I will continue to keep the editing to the bare minimum. Also, the bear minimum, which I guess belongs on a Cubs blog.

And finally, my mailbag runs the bases for free and yours must pay to get thrown out at second.

Do you think it's possible they kept too many players in camp for too long, which made it hard to give the actual regulars sufficient reps? Just trying to find a reason for the complete defensive flop we saw.
I feel like the regulars played a sufficient amount, and Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander got some reps in the World Baseball Classic. I don’t want to blame the conditions in Boston, but the cold, rain and wind presented some challenges. As if the outfield at Fenway Park needs more of them. But there were some botched plays in the infield, too. Maybe just write it off to a bad series.

BOSTON – The Orioles came within a pitch, an out, a fly ball, of guaranteeing a series win at Fenway Park and wound up losing two of three games.

Baseball isn’t boring. It’s just so darn unpredictable and doesn’t care about your feelings.

The 2022 season began with three losses at Tropicana Field, and the Orioles contended for the wild card until the final week. In that sense, they’re further ahead in 2023.

Here are some leftover topics and observations as they get ready for the Rangers, who already won their opening series against the defending National League champion Phillies before the teams played again last night.

Impact of bigger bases blown out of proportion.
At least so far.

BOSTON – With his starters churning out a combined eight innings in the first two games and his calls to the bullpen exceeding any level of comfort, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said it would be “huge” today for Cole Irvin’s debut to carry deep in the series finale.

“We’ve used a lot of people the first couple games,” he said.

The wheels already were turning. Who would provide length if Irvin had an early exit? How many times could the baton reasonably be passed from hand to hand, with the bullpen covering the last six innings on Saturday?

“We’re in the third game of the year and we’re already talking about (this),” Hyde said, laughing.

And then Irvin took the mound in the bottom of first inning and threw 32 pitches.

BOSTON – The Orioles used six leadoff hitters over the course of last season, with Cedric Mullins getting the vast majority of the starts.

Manager Brandon Hyde already has used two this year and the Orioles are two games into their schedule.

Mullins moves down to eighth today against Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale, and Ramón Urías rises to the top of the order for the first time in his major league career.

“We’re facing a really tough starting pitcher in Chris Sale, so we try to get as many right-handers in there as possible, give yourself the best opportunity,” Hyde said. “It’s a very unique arm angle the way he throws, his delivery, and he’s really good, with great stuff.

“We just saw him a couple weeks ago, thought we took pretty good at-bats against him in spring training, and hope we can do that again today.”

BOSTON – Ramón Urías is batting leadoff today for the first time in 215 major league games. He's starting at second base.

Manager Brandon Hyde adjusted his lineup with left-hander Chris Sale starting for the Red Sox. Cedric Mullins moves down to eighth.

Anthony Santander goes from left field on Opening Day to designated hitter. Ryan McKenna is batting ninth and playing left. Austin Hays stays in right.

Gunnar Henderson is at third base.

Dean Kremer is making his sixth career start against the Red Sox. He’s 0-4 with a 6.85 ERA and 1.690 WHIP in 23 2/3 innings.

BOSTON – The Orioles can’t just sit on their 1.000 winning percentage as if it’s a papasan shaped like their loss total in 2023. They’ll have to play another game. Maybe the rain gods will get their own off-day, or we’ll have to wait a little longer. But it’s happening.

The beauty of yesterday’s prearranged break is it allows fans, though eager for an immediate follow up, to reflect a little more on Opening Day. To savor the sensation of a 10-9 win and catcher Adley Rutschman’s historic performance.

Rutschman soaked up a spotlight that he didn’t pursue. He kept trying to step aside of it while staying in the MASN camera frame. Happy for the win. The most important thing. Don’t lose sight of it within the glare of a 5-for-5 day that included a home run and walk.

Guilty as charged. He was the main story. But let’s explore a few other nuggets from Thursday afternoon. They’ve been kept on ice, which seems right with a game time temperature of 38 degrees.

(OK, that’s above freezing, but don’t overthink it.)

BOSTON – The Orioles finally set their rotation for Opening Day, which turned out to be the easy part. They might have to decide how they’re going to handle a rainout on Saturday unless the forecast improves dramatically over the weekend.

The temperatures are supposed to rise into the 60s, ruining the fun that hypothermia can bring, but there’s a 90 percent chance of precipitation. They could be off on back-to-back days including today.

Dean Kremer is supposed to pitch Saturday, followed by left-hander Cole Irvin on Sunday. Irvin could be bumped to the series in Texas, assuming the clubs wouldn’t play a doubleheader.

They could try this again in September, whether on a mutual off-day or in a doubleheader.

If that’s the case, Kyle Bradish would follow Irvin on Tuesday and Tyler Wells would close out the Rangers series if manager Brandon Hyde still uses his fifth starter with two breaks in the schedule.

BOSTON – The arrival of a new season wasn’t going to pull Orioles manager Brandon Hyde out of his old pregame routine.

Hyde walked from the team hotel to Fenway Park this morning, braving the cold that numbed his exposed skin. Always a good time in solitude to think or to clear his head before entering a cramped clubhouse.

“Waking up this morning and walking over here, brrr,” Hyde said while sitting in the dugout. “That was cold. I don’t know what the wind chill was, but … felt like every bit of 19. My ears right now, my nose, are still feeling it.

“I enjoy my walk over here. I walk to and from as much as I can. I just think walking, you reflect a little bit and you’re excited. Today I had a little faster pace going than normal because it was so cold, but honestly just enjoy the atmosphere.”

Opening Day produces “goosebump moments,” as Hyde described them. The number of years - he’s up to a dozen - and the weather don’t matter.   

BOSTON – Orioles manager Brandon Hyde posted his first lineup of the 2023 season with Ramón Urías and Adam Frazier in the infield and Gunnar Henderson serving as designated hitter.

Kyle Stowers is the odd man out, beginning the game on the bench while the Red Sox start right-hander Corey Kluber.

Urías is playing third base, Austin Hays is in right field and Anthony Santander is in left – in front of the Green Monster.

Asked in the dugout this morning about starting Urías at third, Hyde said, “Well, I’ve got Kyle Gibson on the mound and Urías won the Gold Glove at third base last year and Jorge Mateo should have won the Gold Glove at shortstop, so I feel pretty good about the left side of our infield. Obviously, I want Gunnar’s bat in the lineup.

“These guys are going to move around quite a bit. When we face (Chris) Sale, it’s going to be different, when we face (Tanner) Houck, it’s going to be different. So, it’s going to be pretty much starting-pitcher-against-us-dependent, with also who we have on the mound. But all these guys are going to play.”

The Orioles won the series opener last night against the Blue Jays in Toronto, and they’re 1 ½ games back for the second and third wild card spots.

They’ve gone 5-2 against the Blue Jays this season, including four wins in a row for the first time since Sept. 28, 2016-April 14, 2017, and for the first time in a single season since Aug, 7-Sept. 17, 2014.

The Orioles haven’t won five straight games in one season against the Jays since May 9-June 26, 1994.

Ryan Mountcastle homered again last night, giving him five against Toronto this season and 14 for his career. He’s the cleanup hitter again tonight.

Austin Hays is out of the lineup. Ryan McKenna, who had a career-high three hits last night, is batting ninth and playing right field.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Orioles and Rays meet in a three-game series that could jostle them within the division and wild card standings.

The Rays are a half-game ahead of the Orioles for third place in the American League East. The same distance that separates them in the wild card race, with the Orioles dropping out of a third-place tie last night.

The teams have split 16 games against each other, but the Orioles are 1-5 at Tropicana Field.

A big series awaits them.

Terrin Vavra is starting in left field tonight. Anthony Santander is the designated hitter.

BOSTON – The Orioles set their 26-man roster with the anticipated moves on the injured list and a late pivot in the bullpen.

Logan Gillaspie and Mike Baumann made the club, and Joey Krehbiel was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk.

Krehbiel broke camp with the team and spent most of the season on the active roster before slumping over the second half and being optioned in September. He had poor numbers this spring after two exhibition appearances but got on a roll with six straight scoreless and hitless outings, and he seemed like a safe bet to travel north.

Baumann was switched to a short-inning role and thrived with five consecutive scoreless appearances. Gillaspie pitched in seven games and allowed an unearned run with two walks and 10 strikeouts in seven innings.

The Orioles placed catcher James McCann on the 10-day injured list, pitchers Dillon Tate and Mychal Givens on the 15-day IL and John Means on the 60-day IL. Catcher Anthony Bemboom’s contract was selected, giving him two Opening Day roster berths in a row.

BOSTON – The cold weather for Opening Day was noted by Orioles players prior to leaving sunny Florida, where temperatures kept settling in the 80s and dark tans became part of the uniform color scheme.

They know how uncomfortable it can be in Boston. They’ve broken out winter gear for batting practice, with wool caps pulled down to cover everything except their eyes. They’ve been forced to hit and pitch in freezing rain. But it’s the cost of playing meaningful games, and a schedule that keeps taking them farther north in March and April than would be considered ideal.

Can’t break camp and drive to Tropicana Field every spring, as they did again in 2022 with the lockout relocating teams.

Roof, roof, roof for the home team.

Kyle Gibson couldn’t care less about any of it. While others lament or curse the frigid conditions, trying to laugh about it with teeth chattering, Gibson poses a reminder to a visitor at his spring training locker.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Injuries forced the Orioles to redesign their bullpen before Opening Day, burning parts of the bridge to their closer. They swerved at the last minute while composing their rotation, moving away from their top pitching prospect. They resisted the temptation to carry a non-roster left-handed bat in a reserve role.

The final product is almost complete barring a last-minute change prior to rosters being set by noon. No Grayson Rodriguez or DL Hall, the top two pitching prospects who report to Triple-A Norfolk. No Dillon Tate or Mychal Givens, whose right forearm and left knee, respectively, landed them on the injured list.

Expected behind the plate in a reserve role is Anthony Bemboom, who lost his spot on the 40-man roster after signing a split-contract, watched the Orioles trade for James McCann, received an invitation to spring training and made his second straight Opening Day roster. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but pain in McCann’s left oblique, however mild, most likely has altered the team’s plans.

Oddsmakers and assorted experts view the Orioles as a fourth- or fifth-place team, ahead or behind the Red Sox. MLB.com’s panel of “experts” excludes them from the playoff picture. PECOTA , which never seems to calculate a successful season for them, has the win ceiling at 74. ZiPS is only a tad more optimistic with 80. Online site SportsBetting.ag sets the win total at 77 for over-under wagers.

(BetOnline.ag has Brandon Hyde 9/1 to be the first manager fired. Don’t waste your money. That isn't happening.)

One day short of his 29^th birthday, Orioles starter John Means confirmed today that he won’t pitch again in 2022.

Means tweeted that he’s undergoing ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, an expected outcome after the Orioles placed him on the injured list retroactive to April 14, transferred him to the 60-day IL and clarified the injury as a sprain. He left his April 13 start after four innings with forearm tightness.

With a recovery time that can exceed a full year, Means likely won’t return to the mound until he’s 30.

Means sought multiple opinions following his first MRI. He’ll have surgery on Wednesday in Texas, with Dr. Keith Meister handling the procedure. Meister performed the same surgery on Orioles 2020 fifth-round draft pick Carter Baumler.

“I’m obviously disappointed, but more motivated than ever,” Means tweeted. “In the meantime, I’m looking forward to watching what this team can do this year. I’ll be back, Go O’s.”

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles will begin the 2023 season without their two top pitching prospects on the Opening Day roster.

DL Hall and Grayson Rodriguez have been optioned to minor league camp in the past two days – Hall to get stretched out as a starter and Rodriguez based on his spring struggles.

The news on Rodriguez came earlier today, with the right-hander sabotaged by one bad inning in each of his last three appearances. He allowed a combined 11 earned runs and 14 total with 14 hits over 10 2/3 innings in those three games.

“Any time you have those type of conversations, it's not easy,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “I think that, like all of our guys, he handled it like a pro. And we'll move on from there."

Also today, the Orioles reassigned infielders Josh Lester, Ryan O’Hearn and Jordan Westburg, outfielder Daz Cameron, catcher Maverick Handley and pitcher Eduard Bazardo. First baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero and outfielder Nomar Mazara exercised the opt-out clauses in their contracts and were granted their release.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles catcher James McCann hit off a tee yesterday to gauge the level of discomfort in his left oblique and didn’t come away with renewed confidence in his status for Opening Day.

McCann said the hitting session went “OK.” He hasn’t played in a week.

“Good, not great, would be the best way I could put it,” he said.

Adley Rutschman is catching today, and Ramon Rodriguez has a locker in the clubhouse. Mark Kolozsvary arrived yesterday from minor league camp.

“We’re going to slow play the next couple days and just see how I progress,” he said. “At the end of the day, the biggest thing that I can say is, being smart now is better than being sorry later.

SARASOTA, Fla. – The last exhibition game of 2023 will be played this afternoon, with the Cardinals driving across the state to face Orioles’ No. 2 starter Dean Kremer.

Félix Bautista is expected to make his last appearance and be deemed ready for Opening Day. Injuries in the bullpen make his availability even more important.

Mike Baumann also could make his final appearance while trying to wrestling away the last bullpen spot.

Manager Brandon Hyde has posted a lineup that contains most of his projected starters. Austin Hays and Kyle Stowers aren’t in it against St. Louis left-hander Jordan Montgomery, but Gunnar Henderson is the designated hitter and Ramón Urías is playing third base.

That could happen again.

SARASOTA, Fla. – We have reached the final day of spring training. The Orioles play the Cardinals at 1:05 p.m. at Ed Smith Stadium. The equipment is packed, the complex will empty after Tuesday morning’s workout, and the word “Publix” won’t be uttered again until next spring.

Also going away are the warm temperatures. The high in Boston for Thursday’s opener is 43 degrees, with a 70 percent chance of rain Saturday.

Baseball isn’t boring but it can get rude.

The sure things on the Opening Day roster also started to disappear, beginning with reliever Dillon Tate. His forearm strain is expected to keep him on the injured list until mid-to-late May.

Mychal Givens hasn’t been used in relief since March 16 and he limped off the mound only 10 pitches into yesterday’s simulated game, firing his glove against the dugout railing and venting verbally, as well. Couldn’t miss it.

SARASOTA, Fla. – One of the biggest roster decisions for the Orioles has been made.

Left-hander DL Hall was among three pitchers optioned to minor league camp today following a 4-2 win over the Phillies.

Spenser Watkins and Yennier Canó also were cut to bring the number down to 41, including 10 non-roster invites. Fifteen additional moves are pending.

The Orioles fly to Boston after Tuesday's workout in Sarasota.

Hall got a late start in spring training due to lower-back discomfort that he noticed about three weeks before reporting. He made only two appearances, and the Orioles decided against putting him in the bullpen on Opening Day.