At this time last year, so much of the Orioles’ 2016 core wasn’t yet in place, and some players were wrongly pegged to certain spots. Designated hitter Pedro Alvarez and right-hander Yovani Gallardo were still free agents, as was outfielder Dexter Fowler, though only the first two ended up in Baltimore.
The left-handed reliever du jour was still Brian Matusz, and Donnie Hart was someone who only an informed few paid attention to at the team’s January minicamp. Dylan Bundy was still a question mark, and Miguel Gonzalez was still penciled into the rotation.