Joe Gunkel Finds A 40-Man Spot

SARASOTA, Fla.—The Orioles are determined to find out whether Joe Gunkel’s minor league success will translate to the big league bullpen.

The righthander is a candidate to replace Vance Worley as the long reliever in Baltimore. Worley signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Orioles non-tendered him.

The Orioles are confident that they’re getting a strike-thrower who keeps the ball in the park.

The 25-year-old Gunkel spent the majority of last season at Triple-A Norfolk and walked just 21 batters in 28 starts—or 1.2 per nine innings. He allowed 0.9 home runs per nine in his 161 innings.

“Joe’s one of those guys who the more you see him pitch, the more impressive he is,” said Norfolk teammate Oliver Drake, a righthanded reliever. “You can see him throw one time and you might not walk away impressed, but . . . he goes out there (and) fills up the strike zone. He’s got really good stuff and guys can’t square it up.

“And it’s awesome to have a guy like that on your team.”

Gunkel, whom the Orioles acquired from the Red Sox in 2015 for Alejandro De Aza, had an inkling that the Orioles would add him to the 40-man roster last November, but he didn’t take it for granted.

“I had a pretty good idea that they might put me on it,” Gunkel said. “Once that day came, I was kind of looking at my phone, waiting for a phone call and I got it later that day.”

Farm director Brian Graham delivered the news.

“He sent his congratulations,” said Gunkel, an 18th-round pick in 2013 out of West Chester (Pa.) by Boston. “(Joining the 40-man) makes it one step easier to get called up, so going into spring training you know if you put the work in, the opportunity is going to be there.”

That opportunity will most likely come in the bullpen, but that doesn’t bother Gunkel.

BIRD SEED

• Catcher Austin Wynns injured his ankle while playing in the Dominican League and may not report to spring training until late March, depending on his recovery time.

• The Orioles signed veteran third baseman Chris Johnson to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp. He’s the son of Norfolk manager Ron Johnson.

— Roch Kubatko covers the Orioles for MASNSports.com