O's set to host four-day minicamp in January

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Orioles will hold a four-day minicamp beginning Jan. 13 at the team's Spring Training facility in Sarasota, Fla., to give some of the club's pitchers a chance to work with new pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti.

Dylan Bundy, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, and third baseman Manny Machado -- who suffered a season-ending knee injury -- are among those who will be invited by Major League Baseball, which will reach out to each player's agent. The Orioles are not allowed to directly invite players and cannot ask arbitration-eligible players, with the minicamp stipulations including 15 non-arbitration-eligible players and non-roster players.

The list, which will also include catchers, could include prospects such as Eduardo Rodriguez and Mike Wright depending on how many attendees the Orioles get. There are also plans for Wallace and Chiti to make a West Coast trip and see some of the pitchers working out with Brady Anderson, including Chris Tillman, Brian Matusz and Zach Britton.

"I've learned that there's some talent that's yet to be untapped," Wallace said of his early impressions of the Orioles' pitching staff." And by that I mean in today's world some guys have to learn at the Major League level, and that's a process that's a little bit more difficult than it sounds.

"Everybody talks about having experience. Well experience is great, but really what do you do with that experience, can you take it to the next level?"

Wallace and Chiti plan to sit down with each pitcher individually, and guys will throw once or twice and get checked out by the training staff and strength and conditioning staff as well. Chiti, who called Wallace his "antithesis," has worked closely with him in the Braves' system, and the duo compared their different styles to a slow cooker and a microwave, drawing a round of laughs from the media.

"I want Dom and Dave to come in with fresh opinions," manager Buck Showalter said. "I don't want to prejudice them any. I want all these pitchers to know they've got a fresh start. I think that creates for a pretty good mindset coming in."

Matusz and Kevin Gausman are expected to be stretched out as starters this spring, although Tommy Hunter could remain as a reliever.