Final pre-draft thoughts on the Orioles

Baseball has found its window to be active tonight beyond negotiations and hostilities with the start of the First-Year Player Draft.

The festivities kick off at 7 p.m. on MLB Network and ESPN.

Names will begin dropping off the virtual board, with Arizona State first baseman Spencer Torkelson likely to go first to the Tigers.

Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias indicated during Monday's Zoom call that there's little suspense behind the pick, though he never said Torkelson's name. Let's make that clear.

Elias wasn't offering a specific prediction. But reading between the lines didn't require 20-20 vision.

When every mock and report lists Torkelson first, the expectation has been set.

The possibility of the Orioles going under-slot with the second overall selection and using a larger chunk of its $13,894,300 draft pool, the deepest of any team, in the later rounds stays alive until an announcement is made. That's when they're expected to end the speculation and take Vanderbilt third baseman/center fielder Austin Martin.

Elias could snap off a curveball and select Florida prep outfielder Zac Veen or New Mexico State infielder Nick Gonzales. Knees wouldn't buckle, though. There's been enough chatter about them.

The guess here remains that Martin's skill set ultimately is deemed too good to pass on and the Orioles will figure out a position for him. They won't overthink it - just as they made the right call last year on Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman.

Don't be too clever for your own good.

Torkelson has power that's off the charts. Martin is the best pure hitter in the draft, with bat speed that's off the charts. And he offers more versatility in the field, which can be twisted into a negative, as if he's incapable of being trusted at any position.

The Orioles don't view it that way. They like the options he can provide, whether in the infield or outfield. They'd celebrate his athleticism.

"We played him at third base here because that's what we needed him to do," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin recently told "MASN All Access." "He played every position on the field as a freshman, with the exception of pitch and catch. And the unique thing about him is it didn't matter to him. He just wanted to play and he played every position well.

"Looking at the prospects of a big leaguer, I think he can play second base and I think he can play center field. I get the question a lot: Is he fast enough to play center field? It doesn't matter if he's fast enough, he's instinctual enough. He's a good mover and gets good jumps, understanding ball off the bat. A lot has to do with his mind more than anything else. I don't doubt this kid. He could play anywhere on the field."

Martin led Vanderbilt to the 2019 College World Series championship, hitting .392/.486/.604 with 19 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 46 RBIs and a school-record 87 runs scored in 323 plate appearances. He was 20-for-53 (.377) this year in 69 plate appearances before the shutdown.

He should be the choice.

The Orioles are expected to take a college pitcher tonight with the 30th overall pick or in the second round that begins Thursday afternoon. Left-handers Asa Lacy and Reid Detmers and right-handers Emerson Hancock and Max Meyer will be off the board, but the depth is impressive. Elias will come away with a couple of arms.

The bonus slot value of the second overall pick is $7,789,900, the 30th is $2,365,500 and the 39th is $1,906,800.