A few more Orioles spring training storylines

While most eyes will rest upon Jackson Holliday, other prospects, and major pitching additions Corbin Burnes and Craig Kimbrel at spring training, there are plenty of storylines to go around during those six weeks. Lots to fill notepads and space on laptop screens. Lots to keep fingers busy.

Checking under the radar ideas can put a reporter over the top.

Top Orioles prospect rankings are light on pitching, but Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott tend to be listed back-to-back within the first dozen or so, and they’re counted among the camp invites. McDermott was the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year.  

Both pitchers are eyeing 2024 for their major league debuts. They won’t break camp with the team, but their arrivals could come later.

“I mean, it’s a goal I have for sure,” Povich said at the Birdland Caravan. “Obviously, things have to fall into place. Just kind of trust the work I’ve done this offseason and hope whatever comes, comes.”

That work, as I mentioned shortly after the Winter Meetings, largely involves strength and conditioning. He’s listed at 6-feet-3 and 185 pounds.

“Putting on a little bit of mass and weight was really important this offseason,” he said.

There’s also the mound sessions, of course, with special attention paid to a changeup that he described as “a little up and down last year.”

“So, finding something that was a little more consistent, and that works with everything else,” he said. “But other than that, kind of pitch focus going into spring training is where I’m able to work on most the other stuff from last season.”

Up and down also can describe Povich’s season. He averaged 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings this summer between Double-A Bowie (18 starts) and Triple-A Norfolk (10), but also 4.7 walks, and he posted a 5.04 ERA. Among his highlights, however, were five scoreless innings against Double-A Akron, Richmond and Harrisburg within his first six starts, and seven shutout innings with one hit allowed, no walks and 13 strikeouts on June 15 against Richmond.

Those flashes of dominance were blinding.

“Looking at some more in-depth stuff, though, walks were obviously high, but in-zone rate was also high,” he said. “Just trying to finish at-bats sooner and stay in the zone and not get deep in those counts was one thing I really evaluated and one thing I’m planning on working a lot going into spring training, for sure.”

One of the more interesting figures in camp will be Ronald Guzmán, the former first baseman and prospect who converted to pitcher. He missed last season with a forearm injury.

The Orioles are serious enough about Guzman to include him among their 11 non-roster pitchers. His fastball reportedly was touching 96 mph and he mixed in a slider and changeup.

Mychal Givens was drafted as a shortstop in 2009 and became a reliever in A ball, long before his major league debut, which makes Guzman a different type of story.

I can remember the failed experiment with outfielder Dariel Álvarez back in 2017. The Orioles were excited about him, back when there were so few international signings and each one felt overhyped. He had a cannon for a right arm but wasn’t developing as a hitter to their satisfaction, so the decision was made to convert him after he received 32 at-bats over 14 games with the Orioles and went 8-for-32.

Álvarez was upset because he preferred the outfield and didn’t want to lose money in winter ball by only pitching. I recall the Orioles making some arrangement, so he’d maintain position player eligibility.

Former manager Buck Showalter said at the time that the move was inevitable because Alvarez was tumbling down the depth chart and he had a plus-plus arm that scouts loved.

The transition required Álvarez to take many steps backward and go on the Givens plan in the low minors. Showalter said it was “depressing to him,” because Álvarez was convinced that he was ready to pitch for the Orioles after doing so in Cuba.

Álvarez never returned to the majors. He never pitched for the Delmarva Shorebirds. He blew out his elbow in April 2017, underwent Tommy John surgery, and made two relief appearances in the Gulf Coast League in 2018 before becoming a free agent.

He’s played in Mexico and Japan, appearing in 21 games with independent Mariachis de Guadalajara last year. He’s done a little bit of pitching but mostly plays the corner infield and outfield.

(That trip down memory lane didn’t require a toll charge, so put away your E-ZPass.)

Samuel Basallo, the No. 2 prospect in the organization and the 17^th in baseball per MLB Pipeline, will dress on catchers’ row and be the second-most sought-after interview behind Adley Rutschman. We’ll watch him work out at first base, as the Orioles plan ahead for his eventual promotion.