Two more Orioles spring training storylines

The meetings between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Associations are strung together this week like pearls.

The goal is to end the lockout before we ring in a new month.

Spring training is on hold, with at least seven exhibition games lost. I've already written 18 anticipated camp storylines, however I'm able to revisit them. If I'm able to revisit them.

There's the rotation behind John Means and Jordan Lyles, whether Adley Rutschman will get a fair shot at breaking camp with the team, whether Rougned Odor will avoid becoming Yolmer Sánchez, who's on the left side of the infield, how Yusniel Diaz will look in camp, whether Paul Fry rediscovers his command and confidence, whether there's a noticeable difference in Trey Mancini after a normal offseason, what role is bestowed upon Jorge López.

Whether Tyler Wells is on the team and the closer, who catches if it isn't Rutschman, whether Félix Bautista makes the club, if DJ Stewart solidifies his spot on the roster, how Heston Kjerstad will look, whether Jahmai Jones will instill confidence in his work at second base, where Tyler Nevin will get most of his work, whether Mike Baumann is a starter or reliever, whether Ryan McKenna can make the team as an extra outfielder, and whether DL Hall is healthy and able to impress.

Here are two more:

How is Terrin Vavra's health and can he impress in camp?
Vavra was pretty much a no-brainer for the 40-man roster in November, protecting him in the Rule 5 draft.

Didn't matter that he appeared in only 48 games last summer due to injuries and has played only 40 at the Double-A level. The Orioles weren't going to leave him exposed.

Vavra missed two months with a strained muscle in his lower back, returned from Aug. 10-Sept. 7 and was lost again to a sore hip. He missed the playoffs, and likely a chance to be considered for the Triple-A roster in April.

In the first week after returning from his back injury, Vavra went 5-for-13 with two doubles and a home run and finished the season with a combined .406 on-base percentage over 218 plate appearances. He also played for both teams in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League and with Single-A Aberdeen.

The Orioles acquired Vavra, Nevin and outfielder Mishael Deson from the Rockies for reliever Mychal Givens at the 2020 deadline. An outstanding trade for the Orioles.

Vavra, a third-round pick in 2018, batted .318/.409/.489 with 32 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 102 games with Single-A Asheville in 2019. He didn't play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season.

MLB Pipeline.com ranked Vavra as the Rockies' No. 7 prospect and Baseball America had him 17th. Pipeline has him 13th in the Orioles' system.

Vavra missed most of his freshman season at the University of Minnesota with a back injury and it limited him the following year. His progress in 2021 was stalled by the back and hip. The Orioles can't reach out to him during the lockout and he can't be invited to work out at the spring training facility. We'll assume that he's recovered and waiting for major league camp to open.

We know that he can still handle the bat, as he's always done. A left-handed hitter with an eye toward the left-center field gap, able to spray the ball. Able to get on base, with a career line of .304/.405/.474 in three minor league seasons. His walk rate of 15.8 last summer was third-best among Orioles minor leaguers with 180 or more plate appearances.

Most of Vavra's work in camp should be in the middle infield, where the Orioles are loaded with prospects. He also can play the outfield, making him a possible utility candidate down the road.

How much will we learn about César Prieto beyond the reports and video?
Prieto has been working out in Sarasota since arriving last month for the minicamps. He figures to stick around.

The Orioles gave Prieto $650,000 as part of an impressive haul from the international market, the fourth-largest total bonus under executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias and senior director of international scouting Koby Perez. He's expected to move quickly through the system, with a reasonable expectation of debuting in the majors in 2023 at the latest.

"There's a lot of excitement around César Prieto, and we're excited that we were able to land him," Perez said. "He is a high-profile human who has a very good track record of hitting."

It would be nice to witness it live. To see him get steady at-bats against high quality major league and minor league pitching.

Prieto, 22, has an impressive track record. He defected in May while in Florida with the Cuban national team for an Olympic qualifying tournament, leaving behind a national record 44-game hitting streak. He slashed .403/.463/.579 in his last season in the Cuban National Series, striking out 11 times in 360 plate appearances.

He makes contact and gets results.

Though primarily a second baseman, Prieto can move to the left side of the infield and give the Orioles more options. They'll keep evaluating him at multiple positions and assisting as he gets acclimated to life in the U.S.

Here's where this article becomes interactive:

1. What are your expectations for Vavra?

2. Is Prieto going to stand out among the hitters?

3. Is the food pyramid a lie?

(You can ignore the last one, but yes. Not all fats are bad for you and complex carbohydrates aren't all good for you. Unless grain brain is your thing. No one challenged this back in the '70s?)