- Ned Garvin and Mark Baldwin are pretty much set, as much from their ability to eat innings as anything else.
- It is likely that Rube Foster, Bob Welch, and Johnny Sain fill out the rotation, but Bill Byrd, Dennis Martinez, and Jim Palmer each could force their way into the conversation.
- 10 games in, Foster and Welch have struggled, Sain has been magnificent, and Palmer has impressed. Byrd will miss the rest of Spring Training, and both Mike Mussina and McDaniel have joined Martinez in the back of rotation competition.
- Sain & Baldwin are set, with Martinez, Garvin, and Palmer the most likely behind them, with Foster having an outside chance. Mussina and Welch were sent to minor league camp, with Milt Pappas being recalled in case an emergency SP is needed.
- 10 games in, Foster and Welch have struggled, Sain has been magnificent, and Palmer has impressed. Byrd will miss the rest of Spring Training, and both Mike Mussina and McDaniel have joined Martinez in the back of rotation competition.
- Similarly, both John Wetteland and Lindy McDaniel‘s role to start the season is likely to be determined by their Spring performance.
- B.J. Ryan has struggled so far, and Bob Miller may push him on the closer role, with newly promoted Gregg Olsen also an outside possibility.
- Ryan has lost the closing role, but nobody else has really jumped forward. Miller and Don Bessent have been the best, but the rest have been miserable, with Wetteland and Don Aase possibly pitching themselves off the roster.
- B.J. Ryan has struggled so far, and Bob Miller may push him on the closer role, with newly promoted Gregg Olsen also an outside possibility.
- The other major Spring contests are at SS, where both Bobby Wallace and Cal Ripken, Jr. look good enough to start and the OF, where the roles behind Merv Rettenmund and Frank Robinson need to be settled.
- SS is just weird. The presumed starter, Wallace, hasn’t been able to hit; Ripken hasn’t shown any power, and defensive whiz Mark Belanger is hitting well over .500.
- Belanger has cooled off: now he’s only hitting exactly .500. Nothing clarified here.
- Right now, Ken Singleton, Alex Johnson, and Paul Blair are in the lead for the rest of the OF slots.
- The OF is still a bit unsettled, but Jesse Burkett and Chick Stahl have been returned to AAA and 19 year old Bryce Harper recalled.
- SS is just weird. The presumed starter, Wallace, hasn’t been able to hit; Ripken hasn’t shown any power, and defensive whiz Mark Belanger is hitting well over .500.
- C is far too crowded. The problem is that the weaker candidates–Rick Ferrell and Ramon Hernandez especially–are performing as well as the presumed frontliners. Still, something must be done to free up playing time, sending Ferrell back to AAA.
- Chris Hoiles is sent to AAA, reducing the Cs in camp to 3.
- 3B is now difficult, as Brooks Robinson is struggling and both Harlond Clift and Bill Sweeney are knocking the cover off the ball.
| Near Definite | Likely | Possible | Long Shot | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Pitchers | Johnny Sain Mark Baldwin | Ned Garvin Dennis Martinez Jim Palmer | Rube Foster | |
| Middle Relievers | Rafael Betancourt | Don Aase John Wetteland Lindy McDaniel | Milt Pappas | |
| Setup | Gregg Olson | |||
| Closer | BJ Ryan Bob Miller Don Bessent | |||
| C | Curt Blefary | Tom Haller Ramon Hernandez | ||
| 1B | Dan McGann Eddie Murray | Richie Sexson | ||
| 2B | Larry Gardner Brian Roberts | |||
| 3B | Brooks Robinson | Harlond Clift Bill Sweeney | ||
| SS | Bobby Wallace Cal Ripken, Jr. | Mark Belanger | ||
| OF | Frank Robinson | Ken Singleton Paul Blair | Merv Rettenmund Alex Johnson | Baby Doll Jacobson Ron Northey Bryce Harper |