Baltimore Orioles: How to replace Manny Machado?

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May 5, 2017; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis (19) high fives third base coach Bobby Dickerson (11) after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /

One final thing to consider is putting Chris Davis at third base, which would put Trey Mancini in the lineup every day at first base, and free up the outfield for more starts for either Joey Rickard or Hyun Soo Kim.

Davis has played in 91 games as a third baseman, which is more than he has played right field. He did play in 21 games at third base in 2014 for the Orioles. Now, the defensive numbers (both fielding percentage and sabermetrics) at third for Davis are not good. But, it would improve the Orioles’ offense.

Let’s face it; there is no way the team is going to replace Manny Machado. Even with his offensive struggles, he is an incredible defender. If the Orioles go with Davis at third, the defense will suffer at third and first, as Davis is a gold glove defender. If the Orioles go with Sardinas, they will get next to no offense. If they go with a player like Dosch, I don’t think anyone knows what to expect in the major leagues.

With the way the Orioles are pitching, they need the best defense they can get. For that reason, I would call up either Janish or Sardinas. My preference would be Janish, but I think the current roster makeup would point toward Sardinas.

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