More on Orioles' 40-man moves, plus Stowers note

As the participants in the World Series begin to come into focus, the Orioles are busy doing their own heavy lifting with moves to clear room on their 40-man roster.

They needed a big broom.

The season concluded with a full 40-man. Putting reliever Zack Burdi on waivers, and he was claimed by the Diamondbacks, was just the first attempt.

They're down to 35 after outrighting catcher Austin Wynns, infielder Pat Valaika, and pitchers Thomas Eshelman and Konner Wade. That leaves space for the five players on the 60-day injured list who must rejoin the 40-man roster - pitchers Hunter Harvey, Jorge López and Keegan Akin, infielder Jorge Mateo and outfielder DJ Stewart.

One problem solved, and the pending free agency of reliever Fernando Abad will reduce the number back to 39.

Which leads to the next problem.

The Orioles need to protect players in the Rule 5 draft and also leave a couple spots open for selections. They aren't going to depart the Winter Meetings, if the event actually is held with a new collective bargaining agreement, without one or two picks.

They protected six players from the Rule 5 draft last November: outfielder Yusniel Diaz, infielder Rylan Bannon, and pitchers Mike Baumann, Zac Lowther, Alexander Wells and Isaac Mattson. You can probably recite the names of some eligible players this winter, including the following:

DL Hall, Kyle Bradish, Kevin Smith, Blaine Knight, Cody Sedlock and Ofelky Peralta; infielders Terrin Vavra, Adam Hall, Patrick Dorrian and Cadyn Grenier; and outfielder Robert Neustrom.

Teams passed on Sedlock and Peralta last winter.

What's a realistic total to protect? Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias has talked about an ideal number "within reason." And "strategic decisions," which involves pinpointing players most likely to be bypassed or returned to the organization.

Excluding someone doesn't necessarily indicate a lack of interest from the Orioles. They just don't have space for the entire group. There are calculated risks and fingers crossed.

Hall, Bradish, Smith, Vavra and Neustom seem like the most obvious keepers from where I sit, but I'm occasionally surprised by an exclusion or two. I'm sure they'd like to hold onto Hall, Dorrian and Grenier as infield depth. They'd like to keep working with Knight, Sedlock and Peralta, the latter re-signed to a minor league deal.

As room is made for protected players, the Orioles also must consider the possibility of free agents signed to major league deals. Their infield certainly could house at least one, and they're in the market for starting pitching and at least one catcher.

They're probably going to need two catchers if Adley Rutschman starts the 2022 season at Triple-A. Wynns is expected to move on after the Orioles outrighted him rather than stay in the organization on a minor league contract. Nick Ciuffo is clinging to his 40-man spot, but perhaps the odds improved for him with Wynns removed and Pedro Severino a likely non-tender.

None of the other outrights on Friday were unexpected.

Valaika already had be designated for assignment over the summer and is arbitration eligible again. The Orioles have Mateo and Ramón Urías in the middle infield and think Richie Martin can keep developing if he avoids another season-crushing injury. And Valaika wasn't the same threat at the plate as in 2020.

Eshelman also has traveled the DFA road before and found his way back to the Orioles. He could sign another minor league deal and provide rotation depth at Triple-A, but the organization is hoping to reach the point where the prospects take up all the starter space.

Having a veteran or two around is a nice fallback option if the kids aren't ready and the Orioles are going to bring in a few for camp competition.

Wade earned a look with his results at Norfolk, but he followed three consecutive scoreless relief appearances with 10 runs and 15 hits allowed in his last three outings totaling five innings.

The ERA never made a full recovery after he surrendered six runs and seven hits in 1 2/3 innings in his major league debut on June 26 against the Blue Jays, though he shaved it from 32.40 to 7.36 by Aug. 19.

Twenty pitchers are on the current 40-man roster, with Abad remaining until after the World Series:

Fernando Abad
Mike Baumann
Marcos Diplán
Chris Ellis
Paul Fry
Conner Greene
Eric Hanhold
Joey Krehbiel
Dean Kremer
Brooks Kriske
Zac Lowther
Isaac Mattson
John Means
Tanner Scott
Cole Sulser
Dillon Tate
Spenser Watkins
Tyler Wells
Alexander Wells
Bruce Zimmermann

The apparent locks to remain are Baumann, Ellis, Fry, Kremer, Lowther, Means, Scott, Sulser, Tate, Zimmermann, Tyler Wells and Alexander Wells. Mattson had a difficult and disappointing season at Norfolk and with the Orioles, but you probably can include him, as well. He should get a mulligan.

Greene's final numbers don't impress - a 7.71 ERA and 1.800 WHIP in 23 1/3 innings, with 4.6 walks per nine innings - but there were pockets of effective performances and manager Brandon Hyde kept using him in high leverage situations.

I know, I know. There weren't a bunch of enticing options. But Hyde likes his arm and approach.

* Outfield prospect Kyle Stowers is leaving the Arizona Fall League due to a minor lower back injury, according to the Orioles.

This is a precautionary move to make certain that Stowers is ready for spring training and has a normal timeline for his offseason program.

Stowers, the organization's co-Minor League Player of the Year with Rutshman, was 2-for-10 with a double, RBI, two walks, six strikeouts and two runs scored with the Mesa Solar Sox.