Seeking answers to four Orioles questions

I’m about 2 ½ weeks past my open-heart surgery and progress is slow but steady.

I just typed that sentence without having to lie down.

The heavier lifting comes as we move into December, into a new year and to Sarasota for spring training. The 40-man roster has 39 players and the Orioles have multiple items remaining on their shopping list. They also need to hire a bench coach and major league coach.

Let’s look at four more topics and decisions hovering around the Orioles, with you, the reader, telling me how they’re going to turn out.

John Means is rehabbing from his second Tommy John surgery and he’s a first-timer on the free-agent market. He has a second child on the way and the same desire to pitch.

Asked in June about the possibility of retirement, Means said, “I still want to pitch, honestly. I would like to fail on the field before I give it up. I feel like if I go out there, I can still pitch. I still feel really confident in my ability. Just got to hope the elbow can keep up.”

Means also described baseball as “beautiful and horrifying at the same time.” He also could have been talking about my dating past, but I digress.

What happens here?

A. Means receives a two-year deal with the Orioles before Opening Day.
B. Means signs with another team before Opening Day.
C. Means waits until the summer to sign.
D. Means tries to find a deal after the 2025 season.

The Orioles made the expected move of protecting pitcher Brandon Young in the Rule 5 draft, selecting his contract Tuesday from Triple-A Norfolk. They weren’t taking any risks with their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

They also made an unexpected move by selecting pitcher Kade Strowd’s contract.

They’ve got to love the strikeout rate of 11.4 per nine innings. They also might have gotten some sort of indication that he was attracting interest. Or it’s the strikeouts and the confidence that they can lower his walks – 27 in 41 innings with Norfolk.

Strowd is going to be an interesting figure in camp. He isn’t ranked on prospect lists, but he’s going to vie for a bullpen spot.

What happens here?

A. Strowd is an early cut in camp.
B. Strowd is a late cut in camp.
C. Strowd defies the odds and breaks camp.
D. I misspell his first name as Cade at least twice.

Félix Bautista is expected to be full-go in spring training following his 2023 Tommy John surgery. He hasn’t experienced any setbacks.

Whether he returns to dominant All-Star closer form is to be determined. And how heavy the workload.

“We are realistic about the fact he’s coming off surgery,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said last week. “We don’t want to overly pressurize him. We are going to want to treat him with a little extra care given the fact that he didn’t pitch (this) year and he’s coming off surgery. So, way too soon to announce roles and things like that.”

Seranthony Domínguez could get more save opportunities, and the Orioles have a few other candidates depending on availability and matchups, but the pre-surgery Bautista is unparalleled.

What happens here?

A. Bautista is as good or better than in 2023.
B. Bautista is a notch below but still the primary closer.
C. Bautista shares the role and sets up at times.
D. Bautista actually is the right-handed bat that the Orioles are seeking.

Albert Suárez made one of the more inspirational comebacks this year, though he wasn’t a finalist for the award.

Suárez came back from a seven-year major league hiatus to appear in 32 games with the Orioles, including 24 starts. He posted a 3.70 ERA in 133 2/3 innings. He was money at the modest price of $740,000.

It’s much too early to know Suárez’s role next season, with assumptions made that he’s on the team. I’d guess swingman, with perhaps fewer starts if the rotation isn’t bombarded with injuries. The Orioles will get important innings out of him.

But enough with my opinion.

What happens here?

A. Suárez will make more starts than relief appearances in 2025.
B. Suárez will make more relief appearances than starts.
C. Suárez will have an equal number of starts and relief appearances.
D. Suárez will realize that he misses Korea and Japan and ask for his release.