Tommy Hunter - Hunter immediately put himself in jeopardy as the O's new closer with an HBP and a single to two of the first three hitters in a 2-1 game, but he nailed down his first save of the year with a called third strike to Jackie Bradley. Hunter's velocity spike in his move to the bullpen last year (and swinging strike% increase) do indeed bode well for his ability to be a serviceable closer, but his flyball tendencies could be an issue at times, making him much more of a middle-tier option than anything.
Jered Weaver - I admittedly only had half an eye on the Angel/Mariner game Monday, but Jered Weaver's transformation into a junkballer is nearing its completion as far as I can tell. There wasn't a pitch that touched 90 all evening, much like most of last year's outings, and he threw a few fastballs that were in the 83-85 range (most of the night was spent 86-87). I have trouble seeing Weaver as a #2 starter anymore, but that seems to be where his value is in general. If you can get that sort of value from him, I'd be inclined to take it and run. Sooner or later those FIP ERA's in the high 3.00's are going to become the actual ERA's. Weaver ended up allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks over 6 1/3 innings while fanning 6 and taking the loss.
Lorenzo Cain - There was very little that was good offensively for Lorenzo Cain last year, as he combined a bit of bad luck on balls in play with some regression in power and less success on the bases. Cain remains an intriguing guy to me, because he always seems to manage a 20% LD rate, his contact rate improved quite a bit last year, and he's shown 15 HR and 20 SB potential in the past. He's just about 28 now unfortunately, so it's getting late for him to become a productive major leaguer on the offensive side of the ball, but for those in deeper leagues I'd probably be more inclined to spend a last OF or bench spot on a guy like Cain than hoping for Ibanez or Willingham to continue to fend off Father Time.
Chris Colabello - Colabello made the Opening Day lineup, going 2-4 with a double and a pair of k's against the White Sox in a 5-3 loss. I don't think he's going to play all that much out of the gate with Jason Kubel likely to get most of the PT, but Colabello has more offensive upside than most of the team, and any sort of opportunity where he can work his way into more playing time makes him a more viable option in deeper leagues. Right now he's just a reserve in the deepest of formats, but there is certainly the potential for more than that. Only 7 1B hit 25 homers last year, and Colabello is a guy that has the potential to do just that if he can get into the lineup consistently.
Nelson Cruz - Cruz walked and homered in three plate appearances on Opening Day to help the O's to a 2-1 win. For those expecting a big dropoff from the 31 year old, I wouldn't be so hasty. Cruz's speed has dissipated over the past few years, but his usual .265 AVG and 25 HRs is easily attainable even in his new environs. He's actually a fairly safe play relative to the rest of the player pool, in my opinion.
