SARASOTA, Fla. — In 2021, the Orioles went 1-18 against the Tampa Bay Rays. From 2020 to 2022, they went 3-18 at Tropicana Field.
The glory days of 2023 never felt further away than when the rebuild-era Orioles would face the Rays, perhaps the best-run organization in the American League over the past 15 years, in St. Petersburg. But Baltimore flipped that script in 2023, beating out the Rays for the AL East title and winning a series of at least three games at the Trop for the first time since 2017.
When asked about his team’s success late in games against the pesky Rays, manager Brandon Hyde didn’t hesitate to give the main reason: Félix Bautista.
“I’m so lucky to have him,” Hyde said with a laugh after one of Bautista’s signature two-inning wins in extra innings in July. “He’s amazing, and he does it again.”
This year, Hyde won’t be able to send the Bautista-Signal down to the bullpen, and no 6-foot-8 mountain of a man will walk out of it to save the day. Bautista, the majors’ best reliever in 2023, will miss all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction in October.
“He’s a big loss, but other guys need to step up,” Hyde said. “We signed Craig Kimbrel also, but we’ll always be thinking about [Bautista].”
Bautista, who spoke to local media in a group setting for the first time since injuring his elbow in August, said his follow-up procedure to fix a nerve issue made his elbow feel “a lot better.” His goal to return is opening day 2025, but he wouldn’t rule out earlier if his recovery goes perfectly. The follow-up procedure, he said, won’t alter his timeline, as he expects to begin throwing in early April — six months post-operation — as originally planned.
When he injured his elbow on a 102.3 mph fastball at Camden Yards, it was evident from the beginning it was serious, eventually revealed to be a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Given the time of the year and the unlikelihood he could return anytime in 2024 anyway, the Orioles decided to give Bautista, whom general manager Mike Elias has since said was going to need Tommy John surgery no matter what, platelet-rich plasma injections with the hopes of getting him back for the postseason before getting the procedure done in the offseason. It was always a long shot, but that remedy didn’t work, as the beginning of Bautista’s throwing program didn’t provide the returns needed to have him ready for the playoffs.
“It was difficult, but at the end of the day, it was something that I couldn’t really control,” Bautista said about his injury through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “I just tried to give the best emotional support to the team that I could and be there for them in any way that I could.”
Despite not having Bautista’s gravity-defying fastball and drop-off-the-table splitter for the season’s final six weeks, the Orioles had nearly the same winning percentage without him as they did with him, going 21-13 to end the regular season with 101 wins. Kimbrel, one of the most accomplished closers in MLB history, can’t fill Bautista’s shoes alone as he’s no longer what he once was with the Atlanta Braves, but the Orioles will have to replace him in the aggregate with improved middle relief and success from other back-end arms.
“He’s a huge part of our success the last couple years, won us a lot of games last year,” Hyde said. “I am pleased with how our guys responded once he got hurt last year and how guys stepped up in different type of roles. I had no idea what was going to happen, but I think our guys really rallied around each other and rallied around him to win games that we should’ve won, and we did.”
Live batting practice takeaways
The Orioles held live batting practice on the main field at Ed Smith Stadium for the first time this spring, as several pitchers faced teammates with Hyde, Elias and the media watching.
Top prospect Jackson Holliday, naturally, was the main event, taking four plate appearances against Orioles relievers. He popped out versus Cionel Pérez and right-hander Jonathan Heasley and drew walks off right-hander Dillon Tate and southpaw Nick Vespi, working deep counts and displaying his superb plate discipline.
Ryan Mountcastle had the biggest hit of the session, taking reliever Mike Baumann deep to center field off the middle of the scoreboard. Adley Rutschman also appeared to homer to right-center field off Tate, who had several deep counts but looked sharp after missing all of 2023 with a forearm-elbow injury.
The best pitcher was Tyler Wells. The 6-foot-8 right-hander allowed a double to Mountcastle but struck out Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías, who doubled in his next at-bat off Jacob Webb. Wells was the Orioles’ best starter in the first half last year before running out of gas in late July, being demoted to the minors and returning in September as a reliever. It’s likely Wells, who was a worthy candidate to make the All-Star team last year, will be in Baltimore’s rotation with Kyle Bradish and John Means expected to be on the shelf to begin the year.
Pérez displayed his usual stuff, but he was hit hard, allowing a left-on-left double off the wall to prospect Kyle Stowers and a frozen rope single to Rutschman up the middle. Stowers, who made Baltimore’s opening day roster last year, is competing for a spot behind outfielders Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander.
This week will feature more sessions like Monday’s ahead of Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Boston Red Sox.
Krook keen on a fresh start
One of the most competitive roster battles could be for a third left-hander in the bullpen behind Danny Coulombe and Pérez. Keegan Akin, Vespi and nonroster invitees Andrew Suárez and Tucker Davidson are seemingly the ones competing for that role, but a new southpaw is in their midst.
Matt Krook, a 29-year-old left-hander the Orioles acquired from the New York Yankees for cash considerations Sunday, arrived in Sarasota on Monday “super excited” to be on Baltimore’s 40-man roster. Krook knew he’d soon be with a new club after the Yankees designated him for assignment last week, and he’s glad he landed with an “amazing team.”
But the 2016 fourth-round pick by the San Francisco Giants said he’s not focused on a potential roster battle.
“I don’t think I look at it like competition,” he said. “Just keep trying to get better at what I’m trying to do. The results will take care of themselves if I just keep trying to get more consistent and sharpen my stuff.”
A starter-turned-reliever, Krook dominated Triple-A hitters last year, allowing just 10 hits in 34 innings with a 1.32 ERA. He made his MLB debut last year and struggled, surrendering 11 runs in four innings.
“I learned a ton,” he said of his brief stint in the big leagues. “I think the biggest takeaway is just off-the-field stuff is a lot different than the minor leagues, so I think getting comfortable being up there and just trusting myself. I think that was the biggest takeaway. It’s the same game, I’ve just got to attack a little bit better.”
Throughout minor league stops with the Giants, Rays and Yankees, Krook has struggled with his command, walking nearly 15% of the batters he’s faced. But he’s also posted elite strikeout numbers, including 55 punchouts in 34 frames last year.
“I think getting ahead is going to be the biggest thing,” he said. “That was a big target for me in the offseason, something to work on. I think strike one is going to be huge for me, huge for everybody, obviously. I’m trying not to get deep in counts, and if that means less strikeouts, then that’s a good tradeoff for me.”
Around the horn
- The few position players who weren’t at camp early reported as required on Monday. Hyde said the only player who has yet to report is Ronald Guzmán, a former big league first baseman who is converting to pitcher. Guzmán, a Dominican Republic native, is having visa issues, Hyde said.
- While the final few spots in Baltimore’s rotation are up for grabs, it appears Wells’ and Irvin’s grasps on them are tight. Left-hander Cade Povich and right-hander Chayce McDermott, the club’s top two pitching prospects now that DL Hall is a Milwaukee Brewer, are not expected to be candidates for the opening day roster. Hyde echoed what Elias said about the youngsters at the winter meetings, saying their development in Triple-A isn’t finished.
- Two former Kansas City Royals pitchers in camp, Davidson and Heasley, have major league experience as starters and relievers. Hyde said both will be stretched out for multi-inning outings, but Davidson is considered more as a reliever while Heasley is being seen as both a starting and relief option.
- Slugger Ryan O’Hearn will continue to work in the corner outfield for depth purposes, as he did last year, Hyde said. O’Hearn appeared in 29 games in the outfield last season. But Hyde said Jordan Westburg will stick to the infield and is not expected to take reps in the corner outfield.