Baltimore Orioles and Decisions to Come

Oct 4, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) waves to the fans as he walks off the field after the game against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Orioles won 9-4. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

HE’s BAAAAACCKK! The Baltimore Orioles took care of a lot of their issues on Saturday morning, when they signed first basemen and slugger Chris Davis to a 7 year, 151 million dollar contract.

So, the question becomes, what is next? My fellow writer Randy Buchman has already laid out his projections for the 25-man roster. For the most part, we agree. But, I want to look more in depth at a few positions in which there are some decisions to be made.

Right Field – Probably the only field position still in the air. Wieters – C, Davis – 1B, Schoop – 2B, Machado – 3B, Hardy – SS, Kim – LF, Jones- CF. Not a lot of questions there. But, right field is a different bird, so-to-speak.

The team does not lack for internal candidates, and it is my thought that one of them gets the chance to win the job. These players include Nolan Reimold, Dariel Alvarez, L.J. Hoes, Henry Urrutia, and Joey Rickard. For those who do not remember, Rickard is the O’s Rule 5 pick from the Tampa Bay Rays.

As you would probably expect, I think Reimold wins the job. I think Hoes is the utility outfielder, and Urrutia just might stick as well. I think Rickard goes back to Tampa, and Alvarez back to Norfolk (probably for the last time).

But, there are some intriguing right fielders who are free agents. And no, I’m not talking about Travis Snider, David Lough or Jason Pridie, although each of these former Orioles are available. Jeff Francoeur, Alex Rios and Corey Hart are the three most notable. Rios had a sub-par season on the World Champion Kansas City Royals, hitting .255 with a .287 OBP, 4 HRs, 22 2Bs, 98 H and 40 R in 105 games. Oriole fans would have gladly taken that last year, but this was by far the worst year of Rios’ career. And at 34, it is possible there isn’t much left in the tank for the 12-year veteran.

Corey Hart is a player the Orioles have been linked to before. Thirty-three years old, Hart had a dismal year last year for the Pirates, only appearing in 35 games and hitting .222 with just 19 total bases. Not good. But, that means it could be an incentive-based deal, and Hart has had a lot more major league success than any of the internal candidates.

Then there is Francoeur, or Frenchy. Francoeur is coming off a year for the Phillies in which he played in 119 games and hit .258 with 13 HRs, 16 2Bs, 84 H, and a .286 OBP. However, he has not had a good season in four years. But, he could probably be had for cheap and be a reliable option.

From there, Trumbo will be the DH and it is on to the bench. Assuming the O’s have 13 position players, that leaves Caleb Joseph, Ryan Flaherty (although I really hope Paul Janish is the utility infielder), Hoes, and Jimmy Paredes.

On the pitching side of things, we know we are looking at Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Kevin Gausman, Miguel Gonzalez, and ??? in the starting rotation. The team needs bounce-back years from Tillman and Gonzalez, and needs to hope Gausman flourishes. That leads to…

5th Starter – The fifth starter is the biggest question of all right now. I constantly talk about how it is all about pitching. Well, this year might prove it. If the Orioles cannot make the playoffs with their lineup, it will be because the pitching lets them down.

The internal candidates consist of Vance Worley, Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright and perhaps Parker Bridwell, although it would be quite a jump. I think Wilson actually has the best shot at winning the job. Wilson showed a lot last year, and he is not just a thrower (like Wright at this point). Wright and Bridwell both need more seasoning at Norfolk. And, I think Worley is the long reliever in the bullpen.

The external candidates, they are numerous. I talked about them here. Of course, Ian Kennedy is now gone from that list, as is Wei-Yin Chen.

My top choices from that list would be Doug Fister, Mike Minor, and then Yovani Gallardo. After that, take a flier on Cliff Lee…the other options aren’t fantastic. I would love Buehrle or Hudson, but don’t see either of them coming to Baltimore for a year.

Last Bullpen Spot – With the rotation nailed down with Tyler Wilson winning a spot, that makes the bullpen a pretty easy exercise. Zach Britton at closer, Darren O’Day and Brad Brach as setup men, Mychal Givens also as a late-inning reliever. Brian Matusz as a left-handed specialist, Dylan Bundy as a player who provides something extra in the bullpen. That leaves the last spot, which would be the long reliever in this bullpen.

This spot arguably only could go to a few people. It could be Worley, if the above situation works out. It will NOT be Wilson, Wright or Bridwell, as all three of them will be starting in Norfolk if they don’t make the Orioles.

It could be a player who is signed, with Antonio Bastardo being a leading candidate. But, let me give you two other options.

Eric O’Flaherty is one of the guys I wanted the Orioles to go get before the off-season got underway. He still is out there, and is left-handed. He has always been a solid reliever, holding different roles in the bullpen throughout his career.