Notes on catchers, Santana, Zobrist, Rasmus and more

SARASOTA, Fla. - As the Orioles' minicamp begins today, it seems like an appropriate time to also talk about spring training. It's only a month away and the fields at the Ed Smith Stadium complex are in superb condition.

The Orioles will bring at least six catchers to spring training. They would like to keep Ryan Lavarnway as a non-roster invitee if he clears waivers. Inviting Brian Ward also is a possibility.

Ward is a defensive specialist who intrigues the Orioles despite his offensive limitations in the minors. Scouts and various personnel insist that he could play in the majors right now due to his skills behind the plate.

I've talked to people in the organization who are surprised that Ward wasn't taken in the Rule 5 draft.

The Orioles don't seem to have significant interest in Johan Santana this winter as the veteran left-hander attempts a comeback from Achilles surgery.

Santana is supposed to pitch Tuesday in Venezuela. However, I don't get the sense that the Orioles are in on him, as they say in the industry. It could change, of course, but I don't expect to see him in Sarasota this spring.

Fans have been asking why the Orioles didn't attempt to trade for Ben Zobrist before the Rays sent him to the Athletics. According to various sources, the Rays wanted more than the Orioles were willing to surrender.

The Orioles definitely had interest in Zobrist, 33, who plays just about every position. The only thing he hasn't done in the majors is pitch and catch. But the Rays were asking for some of the club's top prospects, with pitcher Dylan Bundy and catcher Chance Sisco among the names brought into the conversation.

There's nothing hot at the moment regarding negotiations between the Orioles and the agent for outfielder Colby Rasmus. The Orioles maintain the same level of interest as previously reported. That's not the holdup.

There's no way to place odds on Rasmus signing with the Orioles. It depends on whether another team flashes more money and, if so, whether Rasmus considers it a more desirable situation.

The latest batch of minor league transactions from Baseball America revealed that the Orioles signed former Yankees left-hander Cesar Cabral.

Cabral, who turns 26 next month, posted a 7.71 ERA in 12 relief appearances with the Yankees over the past two seasons. He totaled one inning over four games in 2014, and the last outing was a doozy. Cabral was charged with three runs and three hits, hit three batters and didn't record an out on April 18 against the Rays.

At least he didn't incite a Cabral (see what I did there?).

The Orioles faced Cabral in his first appearance on April 8. He allowed a hit and walked a batter in one-third of an inning.

Cabral is 18-27 with a 4.01 ERA in 194 minor league games, including 42 starts, over eight seasons.

The Pirates released former Orioles right-hander Josh Stinson after signing him in late October. He received a better deal to pitch in Korea, which was the original plan, as I recall.

Stinson made the Orioles' opening day roster after allowing two unearned runs and striking out 13 in nine exhibition innings. However, he surrendered nine runs and 16 hits in 13 innings over eight appearances for a 6.23 ERA and didn't pitch for them after June 13.