There are just 45 days until Opening Day at Camden Yards. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
First, the Orioles have to get through spring training.
The Birds took a big step in that process on Friday. They held the first full-squad workout at their facility in Sarasota, Fla.
“That’s the best thing ever, see the guys again,” Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop about getting back on the field. “We’re family. We got good chemistry in here. That’s the best thing ever. We text with each other. We text back and forth. Now come back to see each other, that’s nice. Sit down, talk and talk about the things we’re going to do this year. Things we got to improve on and things we got to do better.”
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One notable absence on Friday was shortstop J.J. Hardy. He’s experiencing lower-back spasms and is getting tests done. He said he ideally wants to begin baseball activities by early March.
The O’s officially have all of their arbitration-eligible players signed. Reliever Brad Brach won his hearing and will play 2017 on a $3.05 million contract. He’s the first Orioles player to win in arbitration since 1995.
