Orioles spring training is underway. Here’s everything you need to know.

Finally, it’s time to play ball.

It might still be winter with freezing temperatures in Baltimore, but the Orioles are flocking south to sunny Sarasota, Florida, for spring training. Pitchers and catchers report Tuesday and take the field Wednesday for their first workout at the Ed Smith Stadium Complex.

Each year, spring training brings intrigue and excitement and expectations. With a new manager in Craig Albernaz, several offseason additions and a desire to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign, this spring will be as consequential as any for the Orioles.

With spring training underway, here’s what you need to know.

Important dates

First pitchers and catchers workout: Wednesday

First full-squad workout: Monday

First spring training game: Feb. 20 vs. New York Yankees

Spring Breakout game: March 20 vs. Boston Red Sox

Last spring training game: March 21 vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Opening day: March 26 vs. Minnesota Twins

Broadcast schedule

In its first season apart from the Washington Nationals, the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network will broadcast more Orioles spring training games.

MASN will air 20 of the ballclub’s 31 games this spring — a significant increase over recent years when the network had broadcast between four and nine games for both the Orioles and Nationals. Twenty spring broadcasts is a record for the Orioles and brings Baltimore in line with most MLB teams.

Fans without the cable bundle can subscribe to MASN+ for $19.99 per month or $99.99 for the entire season.

Here is the full television and radio schedule for Orioles spring training:

Feb. 20 vs. New York, 1:05 p.m. — MASN and WBAL Radio
Feb. 21 vs. Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
Feb. 22 at Detroit, 1:05 p.m. — WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
Feb. 25 vs. Tampa Bay, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
Feb. 26 vs. Detroit, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
Feb. 28 vs. Atlanta, 1:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 1 at Boston, 1:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 4 vs. Houston, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
March 6 vs. St. Louis, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
March 7 vs. Minnesota, 1:05 p.m. — WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 8 vs. Toronto, 1:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 9 at St. Louis, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
March 10 at Houston, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
March 11 vs. Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
March 14 at Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 15 vs. New York, 6:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 16 vs. Boston, 6:05 p.m. — MASN
March 18 at Toronto, 1:05 p.m. — MASN
March 19 vs. Pittsburgh, 6:05 p.m. — MASN
March 20 vs. Boston (Spring Breakout), 6:05 p.m. — MASN
March 20 at New York, 6:35 p.m. — WBAL Radio
March 21 vs. Philadelphia, 1:05 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock
March 22 vs. Washington at Camden Yards, 1:35 p.m. — MASN, WBAL Radio and 98 Rock

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Who’s gone?

Of the 26 players on the Orioles’ 2025 opening day roster, only nine of them are expected to break camp with the club this spring.

A large portion of the departures came last summer ahead of MLB’s trade deadline when the Orioles parted ways with eight veterans: Ryan O’Hearn, Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins, Ramón Urías, Charlie Morton, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Bryan Baker.

Seven other players who earned significant playing time last season won’t be back, including starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano and Gary Sánchez, both of whom became free agents after their one-year contracts expired. Neither have signed with another club yet. Emmanuel Rivera and Dylan Carlson elected free agency after the season ended. Alex Jackson and Kade Strowd were traded away. And Jorge Mateo, one of the longest tenured players on the team, had his team option declined and signed a $1 million contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Zach Eflin and Albert Suárez could’ve joined this group after the former became a free agent and the latter was nontendered, but both re-signed with the organization this offseason.

Who’s new?

President of baseball operations Mike Elias didn’t acquire a frontline starting pitcher, but he checked off almost every other box on his offseason to-do list.

Elias signed four free agents to major league contracts: first baseman Pete Alonso, closer Ryan Helsley, center fielder Leody Taveras and Eflin. Those players were given a combined $198 million, the vast majority of that going to Alonso in one of the biggest financial commitments in franchise history.

The Orioles introduce new first baseman Pete Alonso at a news conference at Camden Yards. (Lloyd Fox/Staff) — The Orioles introduce first baseman Pete Alonso at a news conference at Camden Yards in December. Alonso is Baltimore’s most notable offseason acquisition. (Lloyd Fox/Staff)

Alonso, one of the best sluggers of his generation, is expected to fortify a lineup that struggled last season, while Helsley, one of the top closers on the market, is tasked with filling in for the injured Félix Bautista. Taveras, who signed for only $2 million, is a plus defender in center field (a vulnerable spot for Baltimore with Mullins gone), while Eflin was brought back and could be ready for opening day as he recovers from back surgery that ended his season in August.

Elias also traded for four players who will be just as influential as the aforementioned quartet: reliever Andrew Kittredge, outfielder Taylor Ward, starting pitcher Shane Baz and utilityman Blaze Alexander.

To acquire Kittredge, the Orioles only had to give up cash considerations to re-acquire the righty reliever they traded to the Chicago Cubs at last year’s deadline. Ward was swapped with Grayson Rodriguez in one of the most shocking trades of the offseason, giving the Orioles another power righty bat to pair with Alonso. Baltimore gave up a haul of prospects to add Baz, a hard-throwing righty from the Tampa Bay Rays who has yet to reach his full potential, and then swung a late-winter trade for Alexander last week to boost the versatility and defense on the bench.

What roster spots are up for grabs?

A few years ago, Orioles spring training featured several competitive battles for roster spots. That’s not expected to be the case this spring.

Assuming health, most of the position player group are locks to make the team. Perhaps the only roster battle will be for the final bench spot, which could be used for a third catcher, another infielder or a fifth outfielder.

The main questions for the starting rotation (other than if it’s good enough to compete in the vaunted American League East) are about Tyler Wells and Eflin. Wells has gone back and forth between the bullpen and rotation during his time in Baltimore, and the team has yet to hint which way it’s leaning this year. If healthy, Eflin should be one of the club’s five best starters, but it’s possible the team will slow play his recovery and have him begin this year on the injured list.

The main source of competition will be in the bullpen, with approximately three spots up for grabs. Rico Garcia, Grant Wolfram, Colin Selby, Suárez and several other relievers will compete for them, while starters Tyler Wells and Cade Povich could land in the bullpen if they don’t crack into the five-man rotation.

Which prospects will be in camp?

One of the most important parts of spring training is the development of prospects. The practices and games alongside gives youngsters valuable experience and clubs a way to evaluate those players against big league talent.

Not counting Samuel Basallo and Dylan Beavers, both of whom are prospect eligible and expected to make the opening day roster, the Orioles will have 13 prospects in camp. The baker’s dozen are all among Baltimore’s group of 30 nonroster invitees to spring training.

Seven of the prospects are ranked inside the Orioles’ organizational top 30 list by Baseball America: catcher Ethan Anderson, infielder Aron Estrada, outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. and pitchers Luis De León, Trey Gibson, Nestor German and Levi Wells.

Bradfield, Gibson, German and Wells all ended last season with Triple-A Norfolk, but they’re all long shots to break camp with the Orioles. However, they all have the opportunity to stand out and put themselves on the radar for midseason promotions should they dominate Triple-A.

The other prospects in camp are infielder Payton Eeles, outfielder Jud Fabian, catchers Silas Ardoin and Creed Willems and pitchers Keagan Gillies and Cameron Weston.

Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.