Orioles getting closer to 25-man roster

SARASOTA, Fla. - We're exactly one week away from opening day at Camden Yards and the 25-man roster should have a more defined look later this afternoon.

Manager Buck Showalter said there would be "real movement" regarding the camp roster, to be interpreted that the club is making significant cuts. Forty-one players reported to the Ed Smith Stadium complex. How many won't have lockers in the morning?

The pitching staff mostly is set based on the assumption that Showalter is carrying an extra position player. Starters Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Ubaldo Jiménez and Wade Miley are locks, along with relievers Zach Britton, Darren O'Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens and Donnie Hart.

Two more relievers are needed, the fifth starter to be determined on April 15. Left-hander Vidal Nuno and right-hander Logan Verrett can be considered favorites, but only if Showalter doesn't bend in his preference to keep starter candidates in Triple-A Norfolk's rotation. Otherwise, Tyler Wilson, Gabriel Ynoa and Jayson Aquino rate among the possibilities as innings eaters.

Welington Castillo and Caleb Joseph are the catchers, with Chance Sisco gaining more experience in Norfolk. Sisco caught nine innings yesterday in Dunedin and it wouldn't be a huge surprise if he's reassigned today.

The infield is set with Manny Machado, J.J. Hardy, Jonathan Schoop, Chris Davis and most likely Ryan Flaherty in his super utility role. Flaherty's shoulder is fine again. It just has to stay that way.

Outfielders heading north figure to be Adam Jones, Hyun Soo Kim, Seth Smith, Mark Trumbo, Joey Rickard and Craig Gentry, allowing for platoons on both corners. Smith apparently has dodged the disabled list after being idle for so long due to a sore hamstring.

The expanded bench allows for one more player and raises one of the biggest remaining camp questions beyond the bullpen openings. Trey Mancini certainly has earned the chance to run down the orange carpet, but the Orioles want to keep Rule 5 outfielder Aneury Tavárez in the organization. The speed, on display again yesterday as he legged out a double, is such a valuable asset.

I'm putting Rule 5 outfielder Anthony Santander on the disabled list because I have that power in this blog. He still hasn't played the outfield and seems to have vanished - figuratively, not literally - since the MRI arthrogram on his right elbow.

We're expected to find out today that Kevin Gausman has been named the opening day starter while Chris Tillman begins the season on the disabled list. Marco Estrada will start for the Blue Jays, with J.A. Happ pitching the second game.

The order behind Gausman brings the most intrigue.

If Showalter wants to keep Jiménez away from the Blue Jays, he's going to need someone else to pitch on April 5. Jimenez is 7-5 with a 4.48 ERA in 18 career games (16 starts) versus Toronto, and yes, he surrendered Edwin Encarnacion's three-run walk-off home run in the wild card game.

Let it go already.

But seriously, the Yankees follow the Blue Jays to Camden Yards and Jimenez is 4-5 with a 6.05 ERA and 1.672 WHIP in 11 starts against them.

Bundy has tossed 4 2/3 scoreless relief innings in four appearances versus the Blue Jays. He's 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.800 WHIP in four games (two starts) against the Yankees, with eight runs and 16 hits over 13 1/3 innings. He's walked eight and struck out 15.

Miley is 1-4 with a 5.57 ERA and 1.670 WHIP in six starts against the Blue Jays and 0-3 with a 5.58 ERA in seven starts versus the Yankees.

I didn't bother to look up Doug Fister's numbers.