Orioles deciding how to handle second base in 2023

A new week begins with the Orioles trying to land another veteran starting pitcher while choices are narrowed by a market that’s paying inflated salaries.

Left-handed bats for the corner outfield and first base also remain winter priorities, part of the vision to rotate players in the designated hitter spot. A backup catcher on a major league deal also could get done. A veteran for the bullpen is on the back burner but expected to happen.

The Orioles also would like to find a left-handed hitting second baseman to replace Rougned Odor, though it isn’t as high on their list as a starter.

“If we don’t, I think we’ll be OK,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said last week during a Winter Meetings interview with "MASN All Access."

“We’ve got Terrin Vavra, we’ve got Joey Ortiz, who we just added to the 40-man roster, we’ve got some other players that aren’t on the 40-man yet but are really good-looking prospects that are in Triple-A, so we’ve got options in the infield. But it is an area where there’s a fit for a veteran to come in just because (Ramón) Urías, Gunnar (Henderson) and (Jorge) Mateo, they can cover all those spots, but not all three of them are going to play 162 games, so we’ve got some more timeshare to be had at a minimum.”

Listening or reading between the lines at the Winter Meetings brought us to the same conclusion that the left side of the infield appears set with Henderson playing third base and Mateo staying at shortstop.

Henderson isn’t viewed as a real possibility to start at second base on opening day and he isn’t needed at first. If he winds up as the shortstop, the Orioles must sort through third base options that obviously include Urías, who won a Gold Glove.

I'll ask again: When is the last time that a player won a Gold Glove and changed positions the following year?

Seems to make more sense to put Henderson at third, Mateo at short and Urías at second, with the freedom to move guys around. Vavra could factor into it, as well as a new infielder.

The Orioles signed Josh Lester to a minor league deal at the Winter Meetings, but they aren’t done.

Orioles second basemen ranked 28th in the majors with a .207 average and .282 on-base percentage, and 24th with a .628 OPS.

Infielder Jordan Westburg will be in camp after his selection as the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year.

Director of player development Matt Blood said Westburg is “getting close.”

“It’s just about continuing to polish some of his skills,” Blood said, “and be ready for whenever is name is called.”

The call might not come until after opening day, but prospects who reached Triple-A and didn’t get packaged in a trade have a shot.

* Catcher Adley Rutschman earned an extra $1,177,555 from the $50 million pre-arbitration bonus pool that was implemented in the new collective bargaining agreement for players with fewer than three years’ service time, according to reports.

The pool was dispersed among the top 100 eligible players, with the criteria including a WAR metric. Bonuses also were earned by players ranking in the top two in Rookie of the Year voting, as Rutschman did.

Rutschman’s total ranked ninth in the majors.

The Orioles will pay the bonus, with the deadline set at Dec. 23, and be reimbursed by the commissioner’s office.