For the Orioles, there is no shortage of utility candidates

When it comes to the start of spring training games for the Orioles this Saturday, fans and reporters alike will begin tracking the chase for rotation spots. Is Alex Cobb healthy? Who will join him and John Means in the rotation?

There are other areas in camp where there will be competition for a spot or spots. One area that is probably not going to garner a lot of media or fan attention is the battle to be the club's utility infielder. Or maybe they expand that to a super utility type as a player that can play both infield and outfield.

There are several contenders for a spot like this. Not just one or two. And one was added to the mix just yesterday.

Here are a look at several of the candidates. The first three listed are already on the 40-man roster.

Andrew Velazquez: He was claimed off waivers from Cleveland just yesterday, so add him to this large mix of candidates. Velazquez, 25, was Arizona's seventh-round pick in 2012 out of Fordham Prep (N.Y.) High School. He's a switch hitter who has made major league and minor league starts at both shortstop and center field. In 28 career major league games the past two seasons, he has hit .152. Over a career that includes 656 games on the farm, he has hit .270/.333/.396 with a .729 OPS. His minor league resume includes 419 career starts at short, 92 at second base, 82 in center field and 30 at third base.

Ramón Urías: He is 25 and was acquired on a waiver claim from St. Louis on Feb. 11. Signed originally by Texas out of his native Mexico in 2010, Urías has never played in the majors. Last season, mostly at Triple-A, he batted .262/.362/.419 with 10 homers and 55 RBIs. In 2018, between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit .300/.356/.516 with 28 doubles, 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 90 games. He played in the Mexican League from 2013 through 2017.

Richie Martin: After he made 90 starts at short for the Orioles in 2019, could Martin be a utility guy for the team this year? He could. It could also be that they send him to Triple-A to get more reps on offense and defense. The former Rule 5 pick surely improved his offense as last season went on. He hit .166/.226/.282 in the first half of 2019. He then batted .284/.321/.392 in the second half, hitting .379 in September. He's never played at the Triple-A level, but after making it as a Rule 5 last season, he can be optioned out now.

Pat Valaika: The Orioles claimed the 27-year-old right-handed hitter off waivers from Colorado on Oct. 30. But he was later designated for assignment (for Richard Ureña to be added) and was claimed by Arizona. The Orioles got him back via a claim from Arizona on Jan. 30. He is no longer on the 40-man roster.

Valaika has played parts of four season for Colorado since 2016. In 433 plate appearances, he has hit .214/.256/.400. Of his 17 career homers, 11 came at Colorado, where he posted a .798 OPS. He hit six home runs on the road with a .519 OPS. In the minors he made his most starts at shortstop, with 289, and second most at second base, with 138.

Dilson Herrera: The O's signed him to a minor league deal on Dec. 5. Herrera, who turns 25 on March 3, is from Cartagena, Colombia and was signed by the Pirates originally for $220,000 in 2010. In 2014 with the Mets he became the 14th Colombian-born player to make the big leagues. In parts of three seasons in the majors he's hit .203. In more than 800 minor league games, he's hit .289/.354/.465 with 100 homers over nine seasons.

José Rondón: The righty hitter out of Venezuela also has a birthday coming on March 3, number 26. The O's claimed him off waivers from the White Sox last July 30 and re-signed him to a minors deal on Nov. 26. In 106 career major league games he is batting .201/.260/.386. In 666 career games on the farm those numbers are .283/.333/406.

Stevie Wilkerson: He's officially listed as a non-roster outfielder but was drafted by the Birds as an infielder in 2014 out of Clemson. He was designated for assignment late last March, but less than a month later he was back in the majors. He led all Orioles center fielders with 57 starts in 2019. He became famous for becoming the first position player to earn a save when he retired the side in order in the last of 16th last July 25 at Anaheim. The game ended at 4:27 a.m. on the East Coast.

Malquin Canelo: He might be a real longshot here, but the O's signed this 25-year-old from the Dominican to a minors deal on Nov. 26. He was originally signed by the Phillies in May 2012. He's never played in the majors. At Triple-A in 2019 he batted .262/.320/.350 at Lehigh Valley. He's a .247 hitter in 798 career minor league games.

Richard Ureña: If he clears waivers and stays with the organization he becomes another non-roster competitor for a utility job. The Orioles acquired him via a waiver claim from Toronto on Jan. 10 and then tagged Valaika as designated for assignment. Ureña, a switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic, has played parts of the last three seasons with Toronto. Last year he hit .243/.273/.324 in 80 big league plate appearances. In 263 career plate appearances he has hit .253/.300/.336. Of his 62 career starts with Toronto, 39 came at shortstop, 19 at second base and four at third. He is out of options.

Of this group of nine, the O's acquired five via waivers, signed two to minor league deals, added one via the Rule 5 draft and one (Wilkerson) is a homegrown product.

I mentioned that Ureña is out of options. So are Herrera and Rondón.

Broadcast team announced: The Orioles unveiled their 2020 broadcast team yesterday and you can read more about that here. Welcome to Birdland to Geoff Arnold and Melanie Newman, and welcome back to Scott Garceau.

Speaking of broadcasts, I'll be at the mic on Saturday on Orioles.com and the MLB At Bat app. There will be 12 spring games streamed live via Orioles.com and At Bat this spring.