Bowie has not made a corresponding move, so only 23 of the team’s 24 rosters spots are full. Zach Clark will take Spoone’s place in the rotation tomorrow, April 13. There is no word on whether Clark with take Spoone’s spot permanently. Ryohei Tanaka is another candidate to replace Spoone in the rotation going forward.

Pitchers

15 Timothy Bascom

11 Zach Clark

45 Brandon Cooney

55 Jose Diaz

27 Eddie Gamboa

31 Steve Johnson

13 Wynn Pelzer

47 Raul Rivero

18 Chorye Spoone

41 Ryohei Tanaka

38 Pedro Viola

34 Richard Zagone

Catchers

17 Caleb Joseph

19 Steven Lerud

Infielders

22 Pedro Florimon Jr. – SS

32 Joe Mahoney – 1B

2 Greg Miclat – SS

12 Carlos R Rojas – SS

8 Billy Rowell – 3B

14 Brandon Waring - 3B

Outfielders

3 Xavier Avery – CF

25 Jeff Fiorentino – RF

24 Ronnie Welty – RF

20 Robbie Widlansky – OF

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=t_ros&cid=418&stn=true&sid=t418

Can Manager Gary Kendall, a Baltimore native and the Aberdeen manager from 2008 to 2010, take the Baysox back to the playoffs and bring the first Eastern League championship to Bowie? Will Kendall’s experience coaching likely Baysox Caleb Joseph, Greg Miclat, Robbie Widlansky, and Richard Zagone in Aberdeen help them have strong seasons?

Billy Rowell (Photo: BaysoxBlog)

Is Billy Rowell ready for the Eastern League? Will he get enough playing time to settle in and show why he was the first high school hitter selected in the 2006 draft?

Can Xavier Avery figure out left-handers and breaking pitches and translate his fantastic tools into a breakout season?

Can Joe Mahoney build on his .412 average in 17 at bats in Major League spring training and his strong stint in Bowie last year to become Derek Lee’s eventual replacement?

Is Chorye Spoone healthy enough to show the promise that made him the Orioles number eight prospect in 2008 (Baseball America) and make the jump from Bowie to Baltimore?

How will Greg Miclat respond to his possible move to second base? Was Miclat’s strong showing in Arizona Fall League an indication that he has figure out Double-A pitching?

Does Caleb Joseph still have the pop in his bat he showed in Frederick in 2009?

L.J. Hoes (Photo: BaysoxBlog)

When will L.J. Hoes join the Baysox? Will he recapture the balance at the plate and command of the strike zone he showed during the first half of 2010 and make his case to follow Brian Roberts at second base?

What questions are you waiting for the Baysox to answer in 2011?

Pitchers

15 Tim Bascom

27 Pedro Beato

33 Zach Britton

32 Patrick Egan

Armando Gabino

7 Eddie Gamboa

31 Steve Johnson

Luis Lebron

36 Ryan Ouellette

10 Wilfrido Perez

38 Josh Perrault

35 Chorye Spoone

18 Ryohei Tanaka

41 Chad Thall

Catchers

26 Phillip Britton

17 Caleb Joseph

Infielders

3 Ryan Adams

Blake Davis

4 Paco Figueroa

16 Pedro Florimon

22 Joel Guzman

14 Brandon Waring

20 Robert Widlansky

Outfielders

Miguel Abreu

11 Matt Angle

2 Danny Figueroa

8 Tyler Henson

The pitching staff will be led by a trio of newcomers as Oliver Drake, Cole McCurry and Ryan O’Shea will all be a part of the starting rotation. The trio combined to win 22 games in Class-A Delmarva in 2009. Returnees Kenny Moreland, Nate Nery and Rick Zagone are in the running to round out the starting rotation.

The Keys bullpen will have a veteran feel to it with Brett Bordes, Brandon Cooney, Sean Gleason, Brett Jacobson and John Mariotti returning from the 2009 roster. Cooney could be the Keys closer as he saved six games for Frederick after being promoted from Delmarva in the first week of August. Newcomers include Jose Duran and Raul Rivero. Duran was selected by the Orioles in the Triple-A Phase of the Rule V Draft out of the Houston Astros organization.

Offensively the Keys will be talented with four of the Orioles’ first five picks in the 2008 draft penciled in to the Keys lineup. OF Xavier Avery (2^nd), 2B LJ Hoes (3^rd), OF Kyle Hudson (4^th) and SS Greg Miclat (5^th) will provide speed in the Keys lineup in 2010. The quartet combined for 106 steals with Delmarva last year.

OF Ronnie Welty, OF Jacob Julius, C Luis Bernardo and C Brian Ward come to Frederick for a first time. Welty, who will most likely play in right field for the Keys, led Delmarva in home runs (10) and runs batted in (67) in 2009. 3B Billy Rowell, C Wally Crancer, IF Buck Britton, IF Joe Mahoney, IF Bobby Stevens, IF Matt Tucker and IF Jason White return to Frederick.

Rotation:

Zach Britton (Starting Thursday – opening day)
Steve Johnson (Starting Friday)
Chorye Spoone (Starting Saturday – Komminsk said he looked really good during spring training.)
Ryohei Tanaka
Tim Bascom

The Baysox will use a closer by committee to begin the season. Wilfrido Perez will probably rest every other day as he recovers from bone chips in his left elbow, but he will be in the closer picture eventually.

The starting infield will probably be the following.

First base:

Rob Widlansky

Second base:

Ryan Adams

Third base:

Brandon Waring (Joel Guzman will see time)

Shortstop:

Pedro Florimon

The starting outfield will look something like this. Komminsk guessed that Matt Angle may be ready to play in June following his hamate bone injury.

Left field:

Tyler Henson

Center field:

Danny Figueroa

Right field:

A rotating cast that may include Joel Guzman, Paco Figueroa and Rob Widlansky

Akron Aeros

http://www.indiansprospectinsider.com/2010/04/opening-day-minor-league-rosters.html

Erie SeaWolves

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100404/BASEBALL01/304049862/0/RSS

Harrisburg Senators

http://natsfarm.com/2010/04/04/harrisburg-rosters-set/

New Britain Rock Cats

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3985509

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3984628

Portland Sea Dogs

http://www.pressherald.com/sports/sea-dogs-brimming-with-talent_2010-04-03.html

Reading Phillies

http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3985147

http://phuturephillies.com/2010/04/04/reading-roster-announced/

Richmond Flying Squirrels

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/sports/minors/minors_baseball/article/SQUI05_20100404-223206/335171/

Trenton Thunder

http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/04/06/sports/doc4bba2c85dd828435308080.txt

Starting Rotation:
Zach Britton
(Carolina Leauge pitcher of the year in 2009.)
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-03-24/sports/bal-sp.orioles24mar24_1_zach-britton-brian-matusz-development-director-david-stockstillhttp://masnsports.com/2010/02/zach-britton-self-proclaimed-u.html
http://masnsports.com/2010/02/its-not-brittons-time-yet.html
Steve Johnson
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/schmuck/2010/03/steve_johnson_returns.html
http://masnsports.com/2010/03/johnson-returned-to-orioles.html
Chorye Spoone
(Has had some command issues this spring.)
http://masnsports.com/2010/02/spoone-looks-forward-to-a-heal.html
Tim Bascom
Ryohei Tanaka
http://www.baseballdailydigest.com/2010/03/31/pacific-perspectives-2010-top-asian-prospects/

Bullpen:
Pedro Beato
Pat Egan
(He may not have the fastball for it, but his numbers indicate he may be closer material.)
Ryan Ouellette
Wilfrido Perez
(Could be the closer, but the walks are worrisome. Still, he’s one of the few solid lefty relievers in the organization.)
http://www.camdenchat.com/2010/3/10/1365871/potential-minor-league-callups
Eddie Gamboa

Catcher:
Caleb Joseph
(A gamer who will be fun to watch.)
http://masnsports.com/2010/03/josephs-last-day.html
http://masnsports.com/2010/02/caleb-josephs-perspective-on-a.html

First Base:
Robbie Widlansky
(Hit 31 doubles and led the Carolina League in batting average in 363 plate appearances with Frederick last year.)

Second Base:
Ryan Adams

Shortstop:
Pedro Florimon
(Was red hot during the first half of 2009 in Frederick, but cooled significantly. Florimon’s defense is a little shaky.)
http://www.camdenchat.com/2010/3/10/1365871/potential-minor-league-callups

Third Base:
Brandon Waring
(The Frederick Keys first even Carolina League MVP in 2009.)
http://masnsports.com/2010/03/next-challenge-for-waring-east.html
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100313/NEWS/100319801/1088

Left Field:
Tyler Henson
(Could also see time at third base. Struck out every 3.7 at bats last year.)

Center Field:
Danny Figueroa
(Had a .444 OBP in 303 plate appearances with Bowie.)

Matt Angle (Starts Year on DL/extended spring training)
(Typical leadoff hitter skill set – .374 OPS and, organization-leading, 148 hits in 506 at bats and 42 stolen bases last year. Angle broke his hamate on April 2. http://masnsports.com/2010/04/angle-to-undergo-surgery.html)

Right Field:

Joel Guzman
http://masnsports.com/2010/02/stockstill-on-guzman-and-more.html

Bench:
Catcher:

Phillip Britton

Corner Infield and Outfield:

Drawing a blank after Angle injury.

Utility:
Paco Figueroa
(Will see time at second base and the outfield. Last year, Figueroa had a .391 OBP in 288 plate appearances.)

Other Baysox season previews:
http://baltimoresportsreport.com/2010/04/01/minor-league-preview-bowie-baysox/

http://oriolesprospects.com/2010/04/06/bowie-baysox-season-preview-2010/

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What brought you to The Baltimore Sun? What do you enjoy most about covering the Orioles’ farm system?

Well, I was born and raised in Baltimore. I played baseball at Archbishop Curley High School, and attended Towson University for journalism. Baseball and writing have always been interests, so it was natural for me to pursue a related career.

Luckily, I was able to get a job at The Baltimore Sun right out of college in May 2007 as a Web Producer for baltimoresun.com. I shifted to the Sports Producer position in August 2008 and started writing O’s on Deck about the Orioles’ minor league system. I have to credit my father for the name of the blog, but I think it’s definitely fitting.

My favorite part about covering the Orioles’ minor league system is definitely the abundance of top pitchers. It feels like they are everywhere.

It’s great for fans because they can pretty much go to a game on any given night and see a tremendous pitching performance at any of the affiliates.

I think it’s definitely a refreshing feeling for fans to be able to have optimism and hope for the future after all the losing seasons at the major league level.

If everything falls through, however, with this set of “can’t miss” prospects — similar to the Erik Bedard, Daniel Cabrera, Adam Loewen and Hayden Penn set — then it could cause a bunch of fans to abandon ship with the organization.

Fortunately, there’s so many promising pitchers that a miss or two could easily be fixed. We’ll see.

Did any of the Orioles’ minor league rosters assignments surprise you?

Jason Berken [to Bowie], but the Orioles have since adjusted that by bumping him up to Norfolk when Brad Bergesen was promoted to the major leagues. A mild surprise was Troy Patton with the Baysox, but I think the team wanted to ensure that he was healthy before throwing him into Triple-A competition. It looks like Patton has proven that he’s ready for the promotion, so we’ll see how long it takes the Orioles to make a move.

Which players have surprised you with their early performances this season?

I wouldn’t say it was much of a surprise, but it’s good to see Troy Patton pitching well at the beginning of the season. There were definitely question marks about how he would respond to the labrum surgery, and it looks like everything is perfect so far.

It’s a little surprising that Brandon Erbe lost his first two starts even though he only allowed one earned run in nine innings. Still, he got himself into a little bit of trouble during his first start with four walks, and the defense hasn’t been his friend so far. We’ll see how he is able to build off these two starts for the rest of the season.

Shortstop Pedro Florimon Jr. and catcher Caleb Joseph have been solid performers for the Frederick Keys. Florimon, who only batted .223 in 81 games for the Delmarva Shorebirds in 2008, hit successfully in the first eight games of the season for Frederick. Joseph, who is probably the second-best catching prospect in the organization behind Matt Wieters, continues to impress with his hitting in 2009.

What’s your best guess as the opening day starting rotation, closer and batting order of the 2012 Orioles?

Oh man, this is a very difficult question, but I’ll give it a shot. I like predicting these type of things, and then looking back and seeing if I got anything right.

I think Nick Markakis and Adam Jones will eventually switch spots in the lineup, but that’s interchangeable at this point. The Orioles might re-sign Aubrey Huff — he’ll be 35 years old in 2012 — but I have Lou Montanez as an insurance policy at designated hitter. The No. 5 through No. 7 spots below can be flipped around, in my opinion, depending on how those players perform over the next three seasons. The Orioles seem to be impressed with Justin Turner and Blake Davis, so I expect both of them to make contributions in the major leagues before 2012.

As for the rotation, I think Jeremy Guthrie will still have a place in the middle somewhere. Theoretically, Koji Uehara also could be in the mix, but we’ll have to see how many of the young pitchers make it to the major leagues. Keep in mind that some of these guys could be traded before 2012 for additional pieces. Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz are rated higher than Jake Arrieta by most people, but I think Arrieta is going to develop into a workhorse in the major leagues.

David Hernandez could develop into a long-term solution at closer for the Orioles if Chris Ray is unable to pitch effectively in that role over the next few years.

Starting lineup
2B Brian Roberts
RF Nick Markakis
CF Adam Jones
C Matt Wieters
DH Aubrey Huff or Lou Montanez
LF Nolan Reimold
1B Brandon Snyder
3B Justin Turner
SS Blake Davis

Rotation
1 Jake Arrieta
2 Brian Matusz
3 Jeremy Guthrie
4 Chris Tillman
5 Troy Patton or Brad Bergesen

Closer
David Hernandez or Chris Ray

Brad Komminsk has mentioned that he plans to take a closer by committee approach with the Baysox bullpen, but it appears Wilfrido Perez is closing games early in the season. Do you have a sense for how potential closers such as Chad Thall feel about this?

I haven’t gotten any vibes from the players about their feelings, but I’m sure they are OK with the approach that Komminsk has used so far this season. It’s definitely worked to this point because Thall, Perez and Josh Perrault have pitched impressively out of the bullpen for Bowie. I think these guys all know that saves aren’t a statistic that will determine their status within the organization, and that it’s more important to get the guys out when it’s your turn in the game.

At this early point in the season, the Baysox are leading the Eastern League in walks surrendered. Are the Baysox pitchers just shaking off some of the rust from the off-season or do you see a bigger problem with not being aggressive and pitching to contact?

Although the players say the weather doesn’t affect them, I think it might have something to do with the high amount of walks so far in 2009. The team played in Akron, Ohio and Erie, Pa., before returning home to Bowie — not exactly warm climates. I’d wait a month or two before expressing concern about this issue. With that said, the pitchers should be aggressive because there’s nothing worse in baseball than free passes.

Do you think the Baysox will be in hunt for the Eastern League title this year? What other teams look like contenders and why?

If the starting pitchers remain with the Baysox for most of the season — or if Brian Matusz is promoted to Bowie as a replacement — then the team will certainly remain in the hunt in the Eastern League. Still, I think the Akron Aeros have to be considered the favorite in the division this season. They have beaten the Baysox in six out of eight games already in 2009, and they are surging in front of the rest of the league in the standings. Plus, they could always bring back Travis Hafner to take part in the playoffs this season. OK, I joke about the last part, but they are definitely the favorite at this point in 2009.

Which Frederick Keys (or other Orioles affiliate) players are we likely to see in Bowie this year? Of those, which will have the biggest impact?

As long as he continues to pitch well, Brian Matusz will be promoted to Bowie at some point. He could play a big role in the playoff run if the Baysox are still in the hunt. I think it’s also possible to see Brandon Waring or Caleb Joseph promoted from Frederick, depending on how they play, how quickly the Orioles want to test them with greater competition, as well as which players are above them in Bowie later in the season.

Should fans hurry out to a Baysox game if they’d like to see Troy Patton pitch in Bowie? Are there other Baysox who appear primed for quick promotions?

I was talking with a couple different media members about this during Bowie’s home opener. My advice is for fans to go to Bowie to see him pitch as soon as possible. If he keeps pitching the way he did in his first two starts, Patton shouldn’t be in Bowie for much longer. He is doing everything he can to prove that he’s healthy, and personally, I think he might do a better job in the major leagues than half of the Orioles’ starting pitchers. He needs to consistently build up his velocity and then he’ll be making the move to Norfolk.

Jake Arrieta possibly could move to Norfolk, but I don’t think that’s a definite plan. Wilfrido Perez and Josh Perrault also could make the jump to the Tides, depending on their success and the need for relief pitchers in Triple-A.

Mon. April 13, 6:35 p.m. – Erie SeaWolves RHP Jason Berken (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Marte (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Tue. April 14, 6:35 p.m. – Erie SeaWolves RHP Jake Arrieta (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Jonah Nickerson (0-0, 9.00 ERA)

Wed. April 15, 6:35 p.m. – Erie SeaWolves LHP Troy Patton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Jon Kibler (0-0, 6.75 ERA)

When Spring Training opened, it looked as though the SeaWolves’ pitching staff would include Detroit’s top pitching prospects RHP Rick Porcello and RHP Ryan Perry. Instead, both opened year in the majors. Still, the SeaWolves have no lack of quality pitchers.

Jon Kibler’s 14-5 record and 1.75 ERA in the Low-A Midwest League in 2008 won him the Detroit Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Kibler will try to make the jump to Double-A with good command of a sinker, a slurve and a change-up.

Luis Marte entered the 2008 season as one of the Tigers’ top pitching prospects, but sprained his right elbow and was inconsistent when he returned in July. Marte brings good command and the willingness to challenge hitters into his second year in Erie.

RHP Cody Satterwhite has an explosive fastball and a slider that gives right-handers trouble out of the bullpen. Satterwhite closed for Team USA in 2007.

Erie’s offense is solid, if not spectacular, and features one player with an impressive pedigree.

Cale Iorg, son of big-leaguer Garth, was drafted in the sixth round in 2007 after spending two years away from baseball. Iorg has good power for a middle infielder and plays with intensity. However, he needs to work on making contact. (Iorg struck out 109 times in 376 ABs at High-A Lakeland in 2008 and has six strike outs in 16 at bats in 2009.)

Outfielder Casper Wells was drafted in the 14th Round of the 2005 draft out of Towson State. Wells was one of two players to hit at least 25 home runs and steal 25 bases in the minors in 2008. He has a career .577 slugging percentage and .958 OPS against left-handers in 298 at bats.

In 2008, first baseman Ryan Strieby led the pitcher-friendly Florida State League with 29 homers and 94 RBIs despite missing the last 19 games of the season with a broken hamate bone. That performance won Strieby the Detroit’s Minor League Hitter of the Year award in 2008. The hamate has not bothered the 6’5″ 235-pounder in 2009, as he leads the Eastern League in home runs (2) and total bases (14) in the young season.