I didn’t learn a lot this past weekend at the handful of Birdland Caravan events I went to, but the takeaway was meaningful.

It had nothing to do with what was said into the microphones and recorders, and everything with who was doing the talking. It was essentially all the team’s projected regulars: Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Colton Cowser, Ryan O’Hearn, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday and Ryan Mountcastle.

They all said what you’d expect them to say: that the team learned from last year’s playoff defeat, they were excited for the left-field wall adjustment, and they felt like the team was in good shape roster-wise entering spring training.

But go back to that list. It doesn’t include Cedric Mullins, their stalwart in center field; or Heston Kjerstad, who I expect to more than adequately fill in for Anthony Santander; or any of their offseason additions to help strengthen the lineup against lefties, Tyler O’Neill, Gary Sánchez and Dylan Carlson. It was quite simply a reminder that this is a really impressive group of hitters, and an offseason spent focusing on what they have and have not done in the hot stove period took a lot of the focus away from that.

To be clear, I thought this before O’Hearn said it, but his perspective is valuable.

“There’s really not a weak link. There’s probably, on the position player side, there’s probably 15 guys that could make the team or can play and help us in the major leagues. It’s a really deep group and, if you look at it as a whole, it’s an impressive group.”

I am not going to waste valuable inbox space recapping what the Orioles have and haven’t done this winter, but I will do two things:

One is point out that where their lineup is concerned, the Orioles were really shopping in some narrow lanes. If the Orioles weren’t interested in bringing back Santander at market rate, which it seems like they were not, and weren’t interested in being patient with Teoscar Hernández when he clearly wanted to return to the Dodgers, then Tyler O’Neill was the best option they had for a right-handed hitting outfielder, and they acted accordingly. Similarly, they needed a right-handed hitting catcher who was willing to back up Rutschman, a role Sánchez was quick to take.

Those were truly the only two areas of need because they’re in really, really good shape otherwise. A lot of their offensive success rides on Rutschman, whose decline in the second half is a significant reason the team’s run production dropped as well. It serves as a reminder that we can’t just expect all these stars to sustain or improve their performance each year, yet there are a lot of catalysts that give hope the Orioles can be the best version of themselves again offensively — which would make them among the best offenses in the league.

Rutschman’s return to form would be one, as would Henderson continuing to be one of the top handful of players in the game. Westburg was an All-Star for good reason, and he and Mountcastle were sorely missed in August and September; both could be All-Stars if they hit like they did in the first half, given where the left-field wall will be located. Mullins has it all to play for with free agency looming and was near his best form from June on last year, while Kjerstad and Cowser seem poised for a step-up. That doesn’t even mention Holliday, who has the potential to be better than a lot of the teammates I’ve already mentioned.

The team’s platoons are going to be as strong as ever, and honestly, if a starting rotation that feels like it’s a solid B right now goes out every night and gives a solid B effort, the offense is going to score enough to help the Orioles win more nights than not.

Typically, the offseason is about impactful additions and transforming one’s roster to improve for the coming year. The Birdland Caravan, and before it FanFest (RIP), are meant to drum up excitement for the season. Since I’ve already promised not to recap the unexciting but perfectly acceptable winter the Orioles have had, I won’t. I’ll just point out that it’s fitting that the core who made this weekend memorable for the fans was front and center. Those players are what’s truly exciting about this team.

Free agent of the week

Alex Bregman

I swung-and-missed so hard in my Alex Bregman theorizing earlier this winter that I should never type his name again, but I’d argue there are probably some Orioles players watching his situation a little more closely than the front office is.

Why? Well, Bregman is a free agent as he approaches his 31st birthday because he signed a five-year, $100 million extension with Houston in the spring of 2019, which brought out three arbitration years and two years of free agency. Bregman was entering his age-25 season and still a year away from arbitration when he signed, which made his payday quite significant. However, he would have been a free agent after a 2022 season in which he had an .820 OPS and was worth 5.4 wins above replacement, coming off a standout World Series run.

Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts both play shortstop so it’s not a perfect comparison, but each received an 11-year contract worth $300 million and $280 million, respectively. Bregman reportedly made $60 million from the two years of free agency Houston bought out.

Will his next deal be worth enough to make up the difference? I’m sure there are some watchful eyes in Baltimore as the Orioles presumably start offering these young players extensions.

🎙️ On the pod

Paul and I talked about Carlson’s signing and did some rough forecasting of the Orioles’ hitting group come opening day in Toronto. We agree with O’Hearn’s assessment that there are probably 15 guys who could make the team. Since we said it first, I assume he listens.

📰 For further reading

⏳ Can the Orioles hit a buzzer beater? Mike Elias shared some thoughts on the Orioles’ offseason on Friday, noting that the team wasn’t necessarily done adding.

👀 Eyes on the prize: Andy caught up with Kjerstad, who seems ready to attack the opportunity in front of him this spring.