Another trio of Orioles questions to ponder

I’m dumping more mailbag questions into your laps. I'll handle the next batch.

We’ve pondered whether Zach Eflin or Grayson Rodriguez would be the No. 1 starter as the roster’s currently set, who’s the No. 5 starter, the chances that Jackson Holliday platoons, how much Heston Kjerstad plays, whether the Orioles trade for Luis Castillo, and if the Orioles are done making moves for position players.

Here are a few more. Share your answers with the class.

Does Nick Gordon have any shot at making the team in spring training?

On paper, it seems highly unlikely.

On the field, where Gordon will be judged, he can at least put himself in a better position to be considered for a promotion. And there’s always the possibility of a player ahead of him being injured or traded.

The Orioles signed Gordon to a minor league contract earlier this week after the Marlins outrighted him in August. His best season was 2022 with the Twins, when he batted .272/.316/.427 with 28 doubles, four triples, nine home runs and 50 RBIs in 136 games. The bat hasn’t caught the same heat over the past few seasons.

Gordon can play just about anywhere, the exceptions being first base and catcher, which puts him in the super-utility mix. The Twins made him the fifth-overall selection in the 2014 draft and gave him a $3.851 million bonus, the year that the Orioles forfeited their picks in the first two rounds by signing free agents Nelson Cruz and Ubaldo Jiménez.

They got it half right.

Gordon’s bloodlines are impressive. His father is long-time major league pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon and his half-brother is former infielder Dee Strange-Gordon. But family isn’t how he’d make the club. He’s blocked by utility players Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías, and the 40-man roster also includes infielder Livan Soto.

The Orioles can’t option Gordon without passing him through waivers, and he could decline an outright assignment. Triple-A Norfolk’s roster includes three infielders signed in November to minor league deals – Vimael Machín, Jeremiah Jackson and Franklin Barreto.

Should Albert Suárez be a starter or reliever?

The rotation was a more likely landing spot until Charlie Morton signed a $15 million contract Friday night. It seems to be clogged.

Suárez made 24 starts and eight relief appearances after the Orioles selected his contract in April. He did some bouncing between roles, getting back into the rotation with Grayson Rodriguez injured.

The right-hander posted a 3.76 ERA and 1.328 WHIP as a starter and 3.09 ERA and 0.943 WHIP as a reliever, when opponents batted .171. He's a valued member of the team, no matter his responsibilities.

Of course, he first has to make the club, which seems like a lock after the way he contributed in 2024. He’s out of options.

Who is the dark horse candidate to make the Opening Day roster?

Having a list of non-roster invitees would make this exercise a bit easier, but no excuses allowed.

An injury could open the door for Daz Cameron as an extra outfielder. He’s on the 40-man roster and he’d qualify as a dark horse because I don’t believe too many people are penciling his name onto the roster.

Outfielder Jordyn Adams signed a minor league contract on Dec. 23. He was the 17th-overall draft pick in 2018 and he's played 28 games with the Angels in the past two seasons.

Any infielder who isn’t Urías, Mateo, Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O’Hearn, Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday also qualifies. That includes Soto and Emmanuel Rivera from the 40-man.

How about a young starter like Brandon Young or Chayce McDermott? The Orioles protected reliever Kade Strowd in the Rule 5 draft and the bullpen isn’t set.

Let's hear from you.