Here are the O's bullpen candidates for '23

This story was excerpted from Jake Rill's Orioles Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Orioles got a bit more of their offseason shopping done this week, signing right-hander Mychal Givens to a one-year deal (featuring a mutual option for 2024) and acquiring catcher James McCann in a trade with the Mets. The latter move was unsurprising, considering the team needed a backup to Adley Rutschman, who was previously the lone backstop on the 40-man roster.

However, it wasn’t a must for the O’s to add a bullpen arm heading into 2023. They’re returning the core pieces from a relief corps that ranked ninth in MLB with a 3.49 ERA in ‘22. But Givens -- who was a reliable late-inning option in his previous tenure in Baltimore from 2015-20 -- should make that unit even better. And the 32-year-old’s track record gives the Orioles insurance in case any of their less-experienced relievers can’t have repeat success.

With Baltimore unlikely to add any more relief pitchers on Major League deals this offseason, let’s break down the tiers of bullpen candidates for 2023. There are 15 names on this list, and it’s unlikely the Orioles will carry more than eight.

The locks: Félix Bautista (closer), Cionel Pérez, Givens, Dillon Tate, Bryan Baker
These five will be in Baltimore’s bullpen on Opening Day assuming they stay healthy during Spring Training. Bautista was lights-out as a rookie last season and thrived as the closer over the final two months after Jorge López was dealt to the Twins at the Trade Deadline.

Pérez, Tate and Baker were all strong setup options late in 2022, bridging the gap from the starters to Bautista. Givens should rejoin that mix after posting a 3.36 ERA in 113 games for four teams (Rockies, Reds, Cubs, Mets) over ‘21 and ‘22.

The likely rotation outsiders: DL Hall, Austin Voth, Spenser Watkins, Bruce Zimmermann
The O's have more than five candidates for their starting rotation. For those left out, the club will likely shift one or two to the bullpen and send the others to the Minors.

Hall (Baltimore’s No. 6 prospect) has the most intriguing situation among this group. A 2017 first-round MLB Draft pick, the 24-year-old left-hander reached the Majors for the first time this past season. He had a 3.60 ERA over 10 relief appearances in September and October, but he could still have a long-term future as a starter. So the O’s will likely need to decide whether it’s best to put him in the bullpen again or stretch him out and send him back to the Minors.

Voth, Watkins and Zimmermann each made 13 or more starts for Baltimore in 2022. However, they all seem unlikely to make the ‘23 rotation, especially if the Orioles sign another big league-caliber starter this offseason. Any of the three could be solid long-relief options, though. Especially Voth, who worked out of the bullpen for the Nationals in 2021 and early ‘22.

On the bubble: Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, Logan Gillaspie, Joey Krehbiel, Nick Vespi
It’s highly unlikely all five of these relievers make Baltimore’s Opening Day roster, unless the club gets hit hard by injuries in camp. But it isn’t clear how many of them will be part of the team, as that will depend on how many rotation outsiders the Orioles opt to keep in the ‘pen.

Akin (3.20 ERA in 81 2/3 innings) and Krehbiel (3.90 ERA in 57 2/3 innings) should be the front-runners from this group, as they logged more big league frames than the others in ‘22 and were effective while doing so.

The Rule 5 pick: Andrew Politi
The X-factor in the bullpen competition will be Politi, who was selected by the Orioles in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft earlier this month. The 26-year-old right-hander must stay on the 26-man roster all season or else be offered back to the Red Sox.

Director of pro scouting Mike Snyder believes Politi is ready for the big leagues after having success in the upper levels of Boston’s Minor League system over the past two seasons. But there’s now one fewer spot available in Baltimore’s bullpen following the signing of Givens, so the competition is going to be fierce among the bubble candidates.

The O’s have gotten strong contributions from Rule 5 players in the past, though, and Politi could be the next success story.