Some Orioles 40-man fodder

The Orioles filled their 40-man roster last week by claiming left-hander Tucker Davidson off waivers from the Royals. The start of the tinkering and retooling.

They made another move Wednesday, claiming outfielder Sam Hilliard off waivers from the Braves and designating reliever Joey Krehbiel for assignment.

Davidson and Hilliard, who are out of minor league options, could stay on the 40-man heading into spring training, where they'd compete for a bullpen and bench role, respectively, or the Orioles might attempt to pass one or both through waivers and offer a camp invitation - a maneuver they've executed countless times in the past. The duo could stay in the organization or move on from it.

We're only in the third day of November. Lots of other changes are forthcoming.

Here’s the current 40-man roster:

Pitchers
Bryan Baker
Mike Baumann
Félix Bautista
Kyle Bradish
Yennier Cano
Danny Coulombe
Tucker Davidson
Jack Flaherty
Shintaro Fujinami
Kyle Gibson
DL Hall
Cole Irvin
Seth Johnson
Dean Kremer
John Means
Cionel Pérez
Grayson Rodríguez
Nick Vespi
Jacob Webb
Tyler Wells
Bruce Zimmermann

Catchers
James McCann
Adley Rutschman

Infielders
Adam Frazier
Gunnar Henderson
Jorge Mateo
Ryan Mountcastle
Ryan O’Hearn
Joey Ortiz
Ramón Urías
Jordan Westburg

Outfielders
Colton Cowser
Austin Hays
Aaron Hicks
Sam Hilliard
Heston Kjerstad
Ryan McKenna
Cedric Mullins
Anthony Santander
Kyle Stowers

Flaherty, Fujinami, Gibson, Frazier and Hicks became free agents after the World Series. Five subtractions that bring down the total to 35.

Pitchers Keegan Akin and Dillon Tate and infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra must be reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Three additions that raise the total to 38.

The Orioles will keep at least one spot open for the Rule 5 draft. However, they also need to decide which players to protect in it. The deadline to add players within the organization to the 40-man is Nov. 15.

Outfielder Hudson Haskin, the system’s No. 17 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, appears to be the strongest candidate. Catcher Maverick Handley and right-hander Ryan Watson, the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2022, also are eligible.

So are pitchers Garrett Stallings, Jean Pinto, Kyle Brnovich, Zach Peek, Nolan Hoffman and Connor Gillispie, infielder Anthony Servideo, first baseman/outfielder TT Bowens, infielder/outfielder Adam Hall and outfielder Shayne Fontana. Just to name a few more.

The Orioles have 17 players eligible for arbitration, per MLBTradeRumors.com, and a few non-tender candidates also could impact the 40-man. The club isn’t likely to sign all 16.

The non-tender deadline is Nov. 17.

Here’s the list, with 2023 salaries and projected 2024 salaries:

Anthony Santander: $7.4 million to $12.7 million
Austin Hays: $3.2 million to $6.1 million
John Means: $2.975 million to $5.93 million
Tyler Wells: $732,400 to $2.3 million
Danny Coulombe: $1 million to $2.2 million
Ryan O’Hearn: $1.4 million to $3 million
Cedric Mullins: $4.1 million to $6.4 million
Dillon Tate: $1.5 million to $1.5 million
Jorge Mateo: $2 million to $2.9 million
Ryan Mountcastle: $738,400 to $4.2 million
Cionel Pérez: $732,300 to $1.3 million
Cole Irvin: $737,600 to $1.8 million
Keegan Akin: $731,100 to $800,000
Jacob Webb: $720,000 to $1.2 million
Ramón Urías: $734,700 to $2 million
Ryan McKenna: $725,800 to $740,000
Sam Hilliard: $750,000 to $1.1 million

The Orioles will determine whether Tate is fully recovered from his elbow/forearm injuries and worth giving another chance in the bullpen at the same salary. Whether Akin remains in their plans after posting a 6.85 ERA and 1.775 WHIP in 24 appearances and not pitching for them after June 28 due to a back injury.

Whether Mateo has a role on the club and is worth around $3 million. Whether Urías has a role on the club and is worth a significant salary bump, especially with the young infielders on the roster or poised to return from Triple-A.

McKenna’s raise is projected as modest, but is there a place for him in a crowded outfield? And do the Orioles want Webb at a cost that could rise above $1 million, especially if a few starters trickle down to the ‘pen?