Camp confidential: Orioles bolster team with late additions

Note: USA TODAY Sports' Paul White, via car, causeway, plane and rail, will eventually reach every major league camp this spring. Follow his exploits on Twitter - @PBJWhite - as he makes his way through the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues before imparting all you didn't know about every team right here.

Today: The Baltimore Orioles

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Jonathan Schoop is over that shortstop thing.

After all, why bother?

He could be a starting second baseman in the major leagues any day now ?? make that should be ?? so you'd better practice the pronunciation. It's "scope."

The 22-year-old Curacao native would seem to be on a fast track to the big leagues with the Orioles except that he hangs in fast company and some of his best friends are wondering what's taking him so long.

Well, if guys like Manny Machado and Jurickson Profar would have just let Schoop keep playing shortstop.

Machado, with whom Schoop became tight coming through the Orioles system, debuted in Baltimore at 20 and the only thing that's stopped him since is the knee injury that prematurely ended his 2013 season but is looking less and less likely to keep him from the lineup on Opening Day or very shortly after.

Profar, with whom Schoop regularly hangs out and works out with back home, debuted with Texas at age 19 two seasons ago, was a Rangers part-timer last year and now will be the starting second baseman ?? like Schoop moving from his natural shortstop.

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Camp confidential: Orioles bolster team with late additions