Baltimore Orioles Outfield Becoming a Logjam

Mar 1, 2013; Sarasota, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Travis Snider (23) is caught in a run down with Baltimore Orioles first baseman Steve Pearce (28) during the top of the sixth inning of a spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Many think that the Baltimore Orioles are in need of outfielders, but at this point it appears Dan Duquette is going with quantity over perceived quality.

Several days in a row with Orioles news, what is going on?

The Baltimore Orioles have traded young pitcher Stephen Tarpley and a player to be named later to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Travis Snider.

Snider, a 2006 first round draft pick (a theme of the Duquette reign) of the Toronto Blue Jays, is a left-handed outfielder. He has almost as many games in right field as he does in left.

Snider has always been a fourth outfielder up until 2014, where he played in 140 games for the Pirates.  Snider hit .264/.338/.438 with 13 HRs and 38 RBIs. For those WAR fans, he had a WAR of 2.5 in 2014, by far the best of his career.  Maybe Snider is another late bloomer who needs a lot of at-bats, just like another former Pirate, Steve Pearce.

As for where this leaves the Orioles outfield, the answer is a little more jammed.  The 40-man features Adam Jones, Delmon Young, Steve Pearce, Alejandro De Aza, David Lough, Alex Hassan, Henry Urrutia and Snider. Looming in AAA is Dariel Alvarez.

Jones is automatically started in center fielder, in case anyone had any questions.  I think both Young and Pearce are automatically on the roster.  But, I’m not 100 percent sure either one is a starter, although I believe Pearce will be.

That leaves one other starting position, and probably one or two other bench players coming from the outfielders. A lot of that depends on what the O’s decide to do at DH, which I think for this purpose, will be Delmon Young. So, Young, Pearce, and Jones are starting, as is De Aza.

I think that means that Snider and Lough are battling for one bench/platoon position, as both are left-handed.  Lough, as discussed significantly, is a speed player who brings an element the Orioles could really use.  In my mind, Snider is similar to Pearce in several regards.

In my opinion, this move is more depth for the Orioles, and I don’t know for sure that Snider is a starting outfielder on this team.  For those who think this is Duquette’s big move, I think you are going to be disappointed.