Who were the biggest camp surprises?

I've left spring training behind me, along with a pile of game notes on my hotel room table and one bag of vegetables in the freezer. Only one bag. I should have taken the "under."

Want a bigger spring surprise than my restraint in the frozen vegetable aisle? I'm going to start with Craig Gentry's arrival in camp and a performance that warranted a spot on the 25-man roster.

First of all, no one expected the Orioles to sign him to a minor league deal. To say he wasn't on the radar is an understatement. We were braced for Michael Bourn's return, which happened later, but we weren't looking up Gentry's bio.

Dogged by health issues the past two seasons, concussion symptoms the most serious, Gentry stayed on the field all spring and batted .321/.429/.528 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBIs, eight walks and seven stolen bases in 29 games. He's good with the glove. He's manager Buck Showalter's kind of player.

He also created an interesting dilemma for the team. The Orioles were hesitant to bring him north because he's out of options and likely would be claimed if placed on waivers. They're gambling that he'll play at the same spring level and not force them into taking that risk.

I agree with their decision. It wouldn't have seemed fair for a guy to be reassigned simply based on his contract status. Sends a bad message. He did everything the club wanted and earned a spot on the 25-man roster.

Jayson Aquino may be the fifth starter on April 15. He could be the eighth reliever on opening day, though four left-handers in the bullpen seems a bit extreme, and quite possibly a franchise record. But whatever his role, just the fact that I'm writing about him again today makes him one of the biggest camp surprises.

Once regarded as a 40-man bubble guy, Aquino broke out his new breaking ball and pretty much dazzled from Day One. He won over Showalter. Executive vice president Dan Duquette praised him on multiple occasions.

Aquino made three relief appearances for the Orioles last season, didn't allow a run in 2 1/3 innings and still seemed like an outsider in their plans. That's no longer the case.

Pedro Álvarez came back as a right fielder. Trey Mancini made the club as a right fielder. These developments belong together.

We giggled like children at the Winter Meetings - and children shouldn't be credentialed at the event - when agent Scott Boras revealed that Álvarez was working out in the outfield to increase his value. The idea seemed, well, just plain silly based on his challenges at the infield corners. But the Orioles couldn't resist.

Álvarez fell into their laps, which is how these deals get done. Had to be a minor league contract, had to be willing to go to Triple-A Norfolk to continue learning a new position.

To no one's surprise, Álvarez showed that he hadn't forgotten how to crush a baseball. And he wasn't terrible in the field. He just needs to keep working at it. When to dive for a ball and when to play it on the hop. Taking the proper angles. The usual challenges.

It's also nice to be reminded that Álvarez is an intelligent guy and a good teammate. He doesn't adore the media, but he's cordial and usually cooperative. That's pretty much all we can ask. We don't require everyone to friend us on Facebook.

Mancini basically made the team because he can play right field at an acceptable level. Of course, his .333/.379/.600 slash line with seven doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs worked in his favor, but he would have been blocked at first base and designated hitter. He's now an option to start in right against left-handers.

I'm curious about how long he's going to stay with the team. A bench player will be removed later this month as the Orioles add their fourth and fifth starters to the rotation. Mancini and Joey Rickard have options.

Reliever Stefan Crichton and center fielder Cedric Mullins weren't part of the major league camp roster, but they did as much to impress the Orioles as anyone at the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

Crichton led the team with four saves and didn't allow a run or walk a batter in eight innings. He was left unprotected in the Rule 5 draft, no one claimed him, and I'm guessing that some scouts are pounding their heads against a wall.

Mullins had a double, triple, home run, four RBIs and plenty of loud outs in 14 games, which came after he totaled 37 doubles, 10 triples, 14 home runs and 30 stolen bases at Single-A Delmarva. We're told that he had seven home runs this spring in various settings, including minor league camp. The Orioles think he could be their future leadoff hitter and are debating whether to move him up two levels to Bowie.

The opening day roster is now in focus. Showalter told reporters in Norfolk that Oliver Drake made the team, which puts Aquino and Gabriel Ynoa in a holding pattern. They're the leading candidates to be named the fifth starter.

Drake is out of options and the Orioles are torn. They don't want to lose him based on his minor league track record, but they also concede that he lacks a major league track record beyond his September production last year and he registered an 8.78 ERA and 1.95 WHIP in 13 1/3 innings this spring. Opponents batted .383 against him. And it took two scoreless innings in his final Grapefruit League appearance to lower the ERA.

Drake is the eighth reliever on the team, and you know what happens to eighth relievers in a traditional seven-man bullpen. Drake's stay may be brief or maybe he can convince the Orioles to send down one of their optionable pieces.