Matt Nokes
What he would be doing if there were no strike: Nokes, 31, would be entering his 11th major-league season and his first with the Orioles as a backup catcher to Chris Hoiles and a part-time designated hitter. A free agent, Nokes signed a one-year contract worth $750,000 plus incentives, leaving the New York Yankees for their chief competitor in search of more playing time.
Where he is instead: Nokes is in San Diego, having moved into a new home not far from where he grew up.
How he's filling his time: Nokes has been supervising the move into his family's dream house in Poway, a San Diego suburb. He also has been doting on his newborn daughter, Rebekah Allison, whom he and his wife, Kristy, recently adopted. It is their fifth child. In the mornings, Nokes has been working out and taking batting practice with several big-leaguers, including former Orioles catcher Mark Parent, free agents Jesse Orosco and Tom Brunansky and San Diego Padres outfielder/second baseman Bip Roberts.
What he's doing when he's not working out: He is spending time with his children and will be overseeing the landscaping at his new home. "I'm just kind of being the general contractor."
The last time he wasn't playing baseball in spring: "It's been probably 20 years. I was chewing bubble gum. I was just a little kid."
How he's handling the wait: "This has really been a blessing in disguise [with the move]. If I hadn't been here, this would have been a mess. Of course, I'd have rather been playing."
When he thinks the strike will end: "There are a couple of windows. March 1, I think, is one. The 12th and 15th is a window. April 1 through the start of the season is a window. If it doesn't happen before the start of the season, I think it'll be a waiting game, and it might be until June or July. . . . But this whole replacement thing is a joke."