Taking the Orioles' bullpen for another spin after Coulombe's exit

My energy level isn’t allowing for a deep dive into anything beyond my couch, but Danny Coulombe’s removal from the bullpen adjusts the Opening Day projections.

Not too soon to post them and not too soon to pivot.

It isn’t common for a team to stand pat with its ‘pen, and I’d expect executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias to check the markets for at least one reliever that he can bring to camp and boost the competition and depth.

The Orioles claimed left-hander Tucker Davidson on waivers from the Royals in October 2023, three weeks after bringing back left-hander Luis González on another minor league deal. González was just added to the 40-man roster.

Jonathan Heasley was acquired in a December trade with the Royals and Wandisson Charles agreed to a minor league deal, but securing Craig Kimbrel at the Winter Meetings was the big haul. It just didn’t work out for more than half of the season.

Left-hander Andrew Suárez signed a minor league contract in January, and Kaleb Ort and Matt Krook arrived in February trades.

The point here is that the Orioles aren’t done. They probably aren’t close.

Picking up Seranthony Domínguez’s $8 million option and Cionel Pérez’s $2.2 million option make them locks – there’s that word again – for Opening Day. Félix Bautista is closing again after missing the entire 2024 season, which automatically upgrades the unit.

Pérez, Gregory Soto and Keegan Akin are the early favorites from the left side. Beyond González making the club in spring training or an outsider crashing the party, Cade Povich and Trevor Rogers could be dumped into the competition if there isn’t room in the rotation. I’ll stick with the first three in my November projection while noting again that the Orioles can negotiate with Coulombe.

The five right-handers could be Bautista, Domínguez, Yennier Cano, Jacob Webb and Albert Suárez. The latter could get a shot at the rotation again, but he’d be a valuable consumer of innings in relief, a swingman in the mold of the 2024 Suárez.

Colin Selby, Bryan Baker, Thaddeus Ward and Chayce McDermott are on the 40-man roster. McDermott has been a starter in the minors, but the Orioles could be intrigued by that arm and the strikeouts coming out of the ‘pen.

Brandon Young was on the radar screen, according to Elias. Would the Orioles consider him in relief? Will they take a reliever in the Rule 5 draft?

Will they take anyone in the Rule 5 draft?

* In case you missed it last night, Colton Cowser is a finalist for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Rookie of the Year Award in the American League. His competition comes from the Yankees’ Luis Gil and Austin Wells.

Gunnar Henderson won it last year. The Orioles haven’t gone back-to-back, but they have an excellent chance with Cowser – an everyday player whose offensive numbers and defense should make him the favorite.

The Orioles receive a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick at the end of the first round if Cowser wins.

Adley Rutschman was a finalist in 2022, followed by Henderson and Cowser. Who you got on 2025?

Corbin Burnes didn’t make the list of AL Cy Young finalists.  Brandon Hyde won’t repeat as AL Manager of the Year.