NORFOLK, Va. - Besides telling reporters that Tommy Hunter will start the second game of the season between Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel, Orioles manager Buck Showalter didn't reveal any new news today here during pre-game interviews at Harbor Park.
Showalter said he would announce his five-man rotation and any final roster moves after today's game with the Tides. It still appears that Wei-Yin Chen and Brian Matusz will round out the rotation, but it just has not yet been announced.
"We've got it set up pretty much, but we'll wait until the game is over today," Showalter said.
Meanwhile, executive vice president Dan Duquette said he did not expect the Orioles to add anyone from outside the organization today.
"We're just down to the last couple of moves to get our roster ready to go to start the season," Duquette said. "I'm encouraged by the pitching I saw in the spring. I liked the way some of our young pitchers pitched to earn a spot in the rotation. I was really impressed with Tommy Hunter."
Duquette said the Orioles did not come close to adding any players, either through a trade or waivers, in the last 24 hours.
"We have looked at a couple of different trade possibilities, but they were not attractive to us," he said.
Duquette was asked if having two lefties in the bullpen is important, even though we still don't know if that will be the case on the final roster.
"Ideally, I've been looking for pitchers that can get out right-handers and left-handers that are not specialists. We have a few of those pitchers," he said.
Jason Berken, by the way, will not start today's game for Norfolk as originally planned. Instead, he will pitch in relief for the Orioles and minor league right-hander Zach Clark will start for the Tides.
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