Baltimore Orioles sign infielder Johnny Giavotella to a minor league deal
By Ben Palmer
The Baltimore Orioles have signed infielder Johnny Giavotella to a minor league contract worth $1.1M, with incentives. Giavotella has spent his past six seasons with the Royals and Angels.
The Baltimore Orioles have made a minor move in an effort to shore up their infield, signing former Angels infielder Johnny Giavotella to a minor league deal worth $1.1M, with incentives, per Jon Heyman on Twitter.
Obviously, current Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jonathan Schoop has a sure handle on second base, but Giavotella will likely be competing in spring training with Ryan Flaherty for a backup infield role.
Giavotella played for the Angels last year, playing 99 games, all at second base, and amassing 367 plate appearances. Last season he hit .260/.287/.376 with six HRs, 44 R, and 31 RBIs.
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Giavotella’s best season came in 2015 when he played a full season at second base for the Angels. He batted .272/.318/.375 with four HRs, 51 R, and 49 RBIs.
Over his career, Giavotella has shown to be a good contact hitter, but little else. He has virtually no power and average speed. He’s also a relatively below-average defender at the position.
Regardless, Giavotella should prove himself to be a more than capable backup option for the Baltimore Orioles, should he perform well enough in spring training. He’s a hitter that won’t hurt you at the plate, but won’t exactly help you either.
While Giavotella has spent the vast majority of his career at second base, he has spent some time at third base and in left field, which shows he has a bit of versatility, similar to current infield backup/utility man Ryan Flaherty.
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If Giavotella impresses in spring training, he will likely be used in the same way Flaherty has, which is as a backup option to the various infielders on the team. The biggest concern for Giavotella, however, is whether or not he’ll be a liability in the field, something Flaherty typically has not been.