Orioles set 26-man opening day roster, giving final bullpen spots to Anthony Nunez and Yaramil Hiraldo

The 26 players who will run down the orange carpet Thursday are set. The Orioles finalized their opening day roster by deciding the final bullpen spots, the outfield configuration and the infield depth.

Most of the roster was set in stone already. There was no doubt about the likes of Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson. But the fringe positions needed deciding, and those final spots went to infielder Jeremiah Jackson and right-handers Anthony Nunez and Yaramil Hiraldo.

“It was a lot of hard conversations with the guys,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Obviously, there were some happy ones as well. I think they’re all tough when you make these decisions. All the guys we informed that weren’t making the team, the ones that are staying with us, they’re going to make an impact for us.”

The Orioles had room in the bullpen due to an injury to left-hander Keegan Akin, who landed on the 15-day injured list with a groin strain. Right-hander Jackson Kowar, who made a strong bid for a spot, was designated for assignment, opening another space.

Hiraldo had a decent spring, working two clean innings in his last two appearances. He showed signs of success in his first taste in the majors last year and finished camp with a 3.86 ERA in seven innings.

Nunez, a 24-year-old former position player prospect who turned to pitching, will make his major league debut after tossing five scoreless frames this spring.

“All you can do is do everything you can do, and put your heart in, and whatever they decide, it’s on them,” Nunez said.

Albernaz said the Orioles like the way Nunez throws and he remained in the conversation for a place even after he was optioned to the minors during spring training. “The stuff is real,” Albernaz said.

Right-hander Albert Suárez, meanwhile, is remaining with the organization despite having an opt-out clause in his contract and not making the roster. Albernaz said having depth in Triple-A with Suárez is a huge plus, given the injury risk involved with pitching.

The infield competition went Jackson’s way. Jackson made his debut late last season and impressed with his hitting. Although he isn’t the best defender, he’s capable at multiple positions in the infield and corner outfield. That gave him an advantage over Bryan Ramos, whom the Orioles designated for assignment. Weston Wilson, another utility candidate, was reassigned to the minors.

“He did a great job managing at-bats,” Albernaz said of Jackson. “There is impact in the bat, as well. His ability to really step up and play second base was intriguing as well, and he also has the ability to kick out to the outfield, too, so having that versatility is huge.”

Here is how the Orioles’ first roster shakes out.

Catchers: Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo

The catching tandem was a lock over the winter. Rutschman and Basallo will likely be in the lineup together most days at catcher and designated hitter. The Orioles are hopeful Rutschman gets back to his best and that Basallo blossoms into the star many project him to be.

Infielders: Pete Alonso, Gunnar Henderson, Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander, Ryan Mountcastle and Jeremiah Jackson

With Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday injured to begin the year, the infield group looks different than expected this winter. Mayo will have increased responsibilities at third base, and Alexander, a utility player, will likely man second base for the time being.

Outfielders: Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras

Beavers’ knee appears to be OK. He was scratched late in spring training due to knee soreness, but that hasn’t impacted his opening day preparation. The Orioles also kept Taveras on the roster to give themselves a true backup center fielder behind Cowser.

Starting pitchers: Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin

The rotation is much improved, as evidenced by the decision to option Dean Kremer to Triple-A. Rogers is the opening day starter, and Bradish could become one of the best pitchers in baseball if he stays healthy. Bassitt, Baz and Eflin round out a strong core.

Relievers: Ryan Helsley, Tyler Wells, Yennier Cano, Rico Garcia, Dietrich Enns, Grant Wolfram, Anthony Nunez and Yaramil Hiraldo

Helsley joined this winter to be the closer, and Wells moved from the rotation into the bullpen. The Orioles hope Cano can get back to his best. Wolfram may be the biggest spring winner. His strong performance makes him a left-on-left specialist.