Looking ahead to roster deadline and back at various spring performances

SARASOTA, Fla. - The countdown continues until the Orioles must set their 25-man roster for opening day.

I'm checking out of my hotel later this morning and heading to St. Petersburg. The Orioles are conducting a workout at Tropicana Field that's closed to the media, but they're making executive vice president Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter available in the afternoon to discuss the roster and perhaps a trade.

Everything is subject to change with this team, but right now the Orioles don't anticipate adding a player to the 25-man roster from outside the organization. They're just looking to clear space. However, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if a player becomes available who ends up being introduced Monday at Tropicana Field.

I've seen it happen too many times to discount it.

Funny how four players going on the disabled list aren't enough to simplify the roster decisions. I guess depth is a blessing and a curse.

We wondered how the Orioles would fit Jimmy Paredes on the 25-man. He's going on the DL and there's still no spot for Nolan Reimold.

Paredes emerged as perhaps the biggest surprise in camp. He seemed in danger of coming off the 40-man roster over the winter, but he hit .364 with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and 12 RBIs in 55 spring at-bats and showed some improvement at third base.

I honestly didn't see it coming.

I hedged on Paredes being the biggest surprise only because Ubaldo Jimenez posted a 2.88 ERA in his last six outings, and he walked three and struck out 16 in his last 23 innings. Can he suddenly become a bargain at around $39 million over three years?

I'll pump the brakes and wait for the season to start.

Zach Britton's stuff was filthy this spring. Hitters were missing by a mile, and the Orioles would watch their reactions as they headed back to the dugout. A lot of heads were shaking.

I've learned not to fall in love with spring stats, but outfielder Dariel Alvarez looks legit to me. His arm in right field lived up to the hype and he hit .343 with a double, triple, two home runs and seven RBIs in 35 at-bats.

The key for Alvarez was a more patient approach at the plate. He was known to chase in the minors, but he was much more disciplined this spring. Showalter is hoping it carries over to the regular season.

Everth Cabrera got off to a slow start at the plate, in the field and on the basepaths, but now I understand why the Orioles were so intrigued by him. He's more than just an adequate replacement for shortstop J.J. Hardy, and his speed is a nice addition to the lineup.

I'm guessing that Cabrera will bat ninth on opening day, with Alejandro De Aza leading off. I'm also guessing that Steve Pearce will hit second once Chris Davis returns.

Pearce hit .302 with a double, five home runs and 10 RBIs in 53 spring at-bats. He showed up at camp knowing he had a job but refusing to let it soften him. He wants to prove that 2014 wasn't a fluke.

Money can change some people, but Pearce will always be a blue-collar guy, a grinder, the equivalent of a gym rat.

Manny Machado told us at minicamp that he would be full-go in spring training and he never felt better after surgeries on both knees. He went out and proved it by playing third base at the same level that earned him a Platinum Glove and running the bases like a man on a mission - or two new knees.

Brian Matusz allowed three runs, walked one and struck out 13 in 15 innings. In a strange twist, he might have become too good to trade. He's the second-best left-hander in the bullpen behind Britton and losing him would create a problem.

Bud Norris posted a 9.26 ERA in 11 2/3 innings and fans are worried. Kevin Gausman posted a 7.04 ERA in 7 2/3 innings and fans are furious that he's not guaranteed a spot in the rotation. Discuss.

Trust me, the Orioles want Gausman in the rotation. It just may not happen right away.

I feel much better about Henry Urrutia. I'm not sure how I feel about Travis Snider, who looked much better at the plate late in camp and didn't get many starts in right field.

Brad Brach allowed two runs in 11 1/3 innings, with three walks and 13 strikeouts. He's become an important part of the bullpen, which couldn't have been predicted when the Orioles acquired him from the Padres for Double-A pitcher Devin Jones.

Outfielder Julio Borbon and shortstop Ozzie Martinez are two players from minor league camp who really made an impression on Showalter. The manager kept praising Borbon for his defense in center field and being the type of player that the Orioles covet for their system. Martinez is a plus-defender at shortstop, which he proved by handling every bad hop on the concrete infield in Disney, and he went 6-for-14 in Grapefruit League games.

It speaks volumes about the Orioles' depth at Norfolk that Martinez has been assigned to Double-A Bowie. The Tides desperately needed his glove last season, but now they've got Paul Janish at shortstop and Jayson Nix roaming the infield.

Rey Navarro will play second base and he was outstanding yesterday on that brutal surface.

In an under-the-radar trade, the Orioles acquired reliever Michael Bowden from the Reds for cash considerations and assigned him to Norfolk.

Bowden, 28, was the 47th overall selection by the Red Sox in the 2005 draft. He spent last season in Japan, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 36 games. He's 3-5 with a 4.51 ERA in 103 major league games.

Duquette said Bowden provides middle relief depth at Norfolk.

"He's got pretty good control and a good changeup," Duquette said.