When Parker Bridwell received a phone call in the offseason informing him that the Orioles were adding him to their 40-man roster, he was understandably shocked.
The 24-year-old right-hander's numbers aren't remarkable — he is 26-41 with a 4.83 ERA in six minor league seasons in the Orioles system — but his potential still is. His arsenal is that of a major league pitcher — a mid-90s fastball, a power curveball and plus changeup — and the Orioles wanted to ensure he wasn't taken by another team in December's Rule 5 draft, so they added him to the organizational roster.