What's left for Orioles to consider in bullpen?

SARASOTA, Fla. - The composition of the Orioles bullpen on opening day hinges on a variety of factors. Which candidate for the fifth starter's job slips into a relief role? How many Rule 5 picks make the roster? How many left-handers will manager Buck Showalter choose to carry?

Showalter doesn't appear to have a set number of southpaws in mind.

"All scenarios are in play right now," he said.

"If you look at an all right-handed rotation, the potential for that, then it's something that you look at a little more diligently. And especially with some of our left-handers having the ability to pitch long. With the potential of not having a real optionable bullpen, you've got to have some guys down there that can do multiple jobs."

Rule 5 pick Nestor Cortes Jr. is one of the wild cards in the pitching deck. He has the potential to be a long man in the bullpen if he isn't a starter. The Orioles can't option him unless he's exposed to waivers, clears and is offered back to the Yankees.

Keeping him in the organization could prevent Josh Edgin, Joely Rodriguez and Donnie Hart from making the club. Again, depending on how Showalter works the numbers.

Edgin has allowed only one run and two hits in five appearances over five innings. He's got a track record with the Mets, posting a 3.49 ERA in 177 games in parts of five seasons.

Facing his former team Friday afternoon in Port St. Lucie, Edgin struck out two batters while tossing a scoreless sixth inning in a 4-4 tie. He fanned Jay Bruce and Adrián González, both left-handed hitters.

Rodriguez, also a non-roster invitee to camp, retired the only batter he faced yesterday to strand two runners and he still hasn't been charged with a run in 6 2/3 innings, with only one walk issued and five strikeouts. He did let three inherited runners score on Joe Mauer's bases-clearing double on March 6 in Fort Myers.

Rodriguez's mid-90s fastball and slider provide a nice contrast to Richard Bleier, and the Orioles like the idea of having a power lefty available to them. Tanner Scott also fits the profile, but the club wants him starting at Triple-A Norfolk.

Hart surrendered a home run to the Mets' Asdrúbal Cabrera after five straight scoreless appearances. He's allowed 10 hits and struck out 11 batters in eight innings.

The only bullpen certainties are Bleier, Brad Brach, Darren O'Day and Mychal Givens. Rule 5 pick Pedro Araujo keeps improving his chances of heading north with five scoreless appearances out of six and only two runs allowed in six innings. He's walked only one batter and struck out seven. Miguel Castro and Mike Wright Jr. are possibilities in relief roles if they're not starting.

Wright is out of minor league options. The Orioles must decide whether they want Castro to be a starter, with the possibility of sending him down to Norfolk, or just return him to the same role he filled so valuably in 2017.

The camp roster still includes Jimmy Yacabonis, who's allowed three runs in seven innings with five walks and six strikeouts. Rule 5 pick José Mesa Jr., doubtful now as a consideration for the rotation, tossed two scoreless innings yesterday but also allowed two hits and walked two batters and seems unlikely to stay. He's had a disappointing camp.

Meanwhile, outfielder Anthony Santander stroked his third double yesterday and is 17-for-50 (.340) with four home runs and a team-leading 16 RBIs.

You read it correctly. Santander has one more RBI than Manny Machado.

"This has been as much about getting to know what we potentially might have and run him out there because these opportunities go away in nine or 10 days," Showalter said. "He'll continue to play. I've been so impressed with a lot of phases of his game. He's moving better than we thought he had showed us because of the injury and a lot of other things. He's throwing better, he's played really good defense and one of the toughest times to play outfield defense is in spring training."

Is the switch-hitting Santander better from the left or right side?

"Yes," Showalter replied, aware that Santander hit .296 against left-handers with Single-A Lynchburg in 2016 and .287 versus right-handers.

"That's the thing about it," Showalter said. "There's a lot of back and forth about it and statistics kind of show that he's got a chance to be a threat from both sides. With a couple of our switch-hitters, it's pretty obvious that they're a lot better from one side than the other. I just don't think he's got enough track record for somebody to just part the waters and say this is exactly what he's going to be for the rest of his career.

"This guy's a college senior age-wise, so you try to keep that in mind. As the pitching's gotten better and the guys have kind of dialed it up more, he's stayed right in tune. He muscled that ball out of the ballpark (Friday). Trying to go in off the plate with two strikes and he just muscled it out of the park, so that plays into it, too. He's a strong young man."