UPPER MARLBORO, Md. -- As it stands now, the Orioles are set to welcome 35 pitchers to Spring Training in Sarasota, Fla., next week, part of a total group of 66 players they eventually plan to have in camp. And that number could still get larger.

Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Saturday the possibility remains for the club to add starting pitching via free agency, confirming reports that they were still scouring the market for arms at this late date.

“There is still a chance of that,” said Elias, speaking at a Calvert Brewing Company meet-and-greet as part of Day 2 of the Orioles' Birdland Caravan. “We’re talking [about] Major League contracts and Minor League contracts with pitchers on the market right now. Whether a Major League contract comes together, I can’t tell that right now. But we’re certainly open to offering those and have offered those."

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Asked how many players they could realistically add at this point, Elias said, “If we’re going to sign someone to a MLB contract, it might be one more. It might not be one more. We might not come to an agreement.”

Though Elias did not mention specific players, the list of possibilities has dwindled considerably in recent weeks. Reports from MASN have speculated the Orioles’ target as Andrew Cashner, who pitched parts of the past two seasons in Baltimore. The list of other veteran arms still unsigned includes Matt Harvey, Chad Bettis, Clay Buchholz, Jeremy Hellickson, Marco Estrada, and southpaws Jason Vargas and Clayton Richard.

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Earlier this month the Orioles inked veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc to a Minor League contract that included an invite to big league camp, but they sport little proven rotation depth behind John Means and Alex Cobb. Asher Wojciechowski, Kohl Stewart, Keegan Akin, David Hess and Rule 5 Draft picks Brandon Bailey and Michael Rucker are expected to compete for the other three spots.

“We’re going to have a lot of competition in camp,” Elias said. “There is going to be a lot of bodies, a lot of competition. Some are going to have a leg up over others, but past a healthy Means and a healthy Cobb, nothing is really set in stone. So that’s quite a bit of competition.”

Manager Brandon Hyde appeared to hint at possible additions to that group when speaking at Friday’s Caravan in White Marsh, quipping, “the offseason is not done.”

“Familiarity is a big thing for me,” Hyde said. “We have a big number, and I hope it creates guys seeing an opportunity. Everyone is very aware it's not like this in every camp, where there are multiple jobs to win.”

If the reunion does come with Cashner, 33, it could result in a similar situation as when Cashner signed his original two-year, $16 million deal in Feburary 2018, shortly after camp opened. He ended up going 13-18 with a 4.73 ERA in 45 starts during his time with Baltimore, including 9-3 with a 3.83 ERA last year before being traded to the Red Sox midseason. Cashner struggled mightily in Boston and was quickly relegated to the bullpen, finishing 2-5 with a 6.20 ERA across 25 appearances.

Over parts of 10 seasons in the Majors, Cashner is 57-87 with a 4.10 ERA and 1.36 WHIP for the Cubs, Padres, Marlins, Rangers, O’s and Red Sox. Arguably his worst season came in 2018 for the Orioles, after the late start.

Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Tuesday.

“You have to worry about it,” Elias said. “Recent history shows those pitchers who have not had the benefit of a normal Spring Training seem to have a slow start. It doesn’t mean the bell rings on Tuesday and we’re done, but it’s something we’ll be increasingly mindful of as the spring gets deeper."

Astros scandal
As he has several times publicly since the Astros' sign stealing scandal was exposed earlier this winter, Elias reiterated he does not believe he or any Orioles employee will be “connected or implicated” in the situation in any way.
A member of Houston’s front office from 2011-18, Elias oversaw the Astros’ player development and Minor League operations as assistant GM during the '17 season.

Current O’s assistant GM Sig Mejdal held the same position in the Astros' front office, which also employed current O’s director of baseball operations Eve Rosenbaum and director of pitching Chris Holt. No current Orioles employee was mentioned or disciplined by Commissioner Rob Manfred’s report of the scandal, nor have they been linked in any news reports.

“It’s been unfortunate to watch from my standpoint. It’s been a disturbing series of events and I know Sig Mejdal feels the same way. It’s been tough for everybody in the sport to watch,” Elias said. “I think the plus side is the actions the league has taken, the light that’s been shined on this issue, will make for a better product and clean up the game.

"For us, we stand by the incredible work that was done with the Houston Astros in terms of player development, the Draft, the international pipeline, all of the achievements and advances we made as a group over there. Those are the areas that are most important for a team like the Orioles that is rebuilding, and that kind of expertise is why we are here.”