![]() Terrin Vavra was added to the 40-man roster in November, after a promising but injury-shortened 2021 campaign at Double-A Bowie. Even if he doesn’t factor into this team’s long-term plans as a starter, it would still be good to know what they have in Urias.īeyond that group, there are some infielders that could push for major-league jobs later in the year. Urias hit well enough last season to leave me believing that he should receive regular at-bats this year. Should the Orioles sign a shortstop, then Odor and Urias could split time between second and third. The same could go for former Oriole Jonathan Villar. That said, Simmons figures to draw interest from other clubs, so he could end signing for more than what the Orioles are willing to pay. ![]() If Elias takes the same approach this year, a reunion with Iglesias could be in the cards, with seemingly a few other options in the mix for one-year deals that will not cost Carlos Correa or Trevor Story money.Īndrelton Simmons would be my preference of that group, as his defense should be good enough to provide value if his bat fails to rebound from a sluggish 2021. In each of the past two offseasons, Mike Elias has signed a veteran shortstop to a low-cost contract, inking Jose Iglesias before the 2020 season followed by Freddy Galvis last year. The situation on the left side of the infield could change before Opening Day. It is possible that teams who lose out on free agents like Freddie Freeman or trade options like Matt Olson will approach the Orioles with an offer for Mancini, but for now it’s probably best to pencil him in for an Opening Day roster spot. ![]() While Mancini has been speculated as a trade candidate for some time, there was not much movement reported towards a trade or an extension before the lockout. Ryan Mountcastle and Trey Mancini appear likely to split first base and DH duties again, with newcomer Rougned Odor at second base, the defense-first Kelvin Gutierrez at third, Ramon Urias at shortstop, and Jorge Mateo on the bench as a utility player. There is a bit less uncertainty in the infield, where the positions are fairly set right now. The Orioles could also look to the waiver wire, which was how they landed former backstop Pedro Severino in 2019. It is worth keeping an eye on the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, where a few interesting catching prospects will be available-including Blake Hunt, a former 2nd-round pick that the Rays acquired from the Padres as part of the Blake Snell trade prior to the 2021 season. This offseason does not feature a good class of free agent catchers, but it is still conceivable that the Orioles could handout a low-cost one-year deal to one of the handful of veteran catchers available when the lockout ends. ![]() Both have major-league experience and could hold down the position until Rutschman arrives. If Rutschman does indeed start back in the minors, the Orioles could begin the year with Jacob Nottingham and Anthony Bemboom, two players signed as minor-league free agents this offseason. However, unless it is eliminated or somehow curtailed by the next collective bargaining agreement, service-time manipulation could very well force him back to Triple-A Norfolk for the opening months of the season. In an ideal scenario, we would be certain that Rutschman is the opening-day starter and be left with the far less interesting discussion about who will be his backup. Service-time manipulation incentivizes the Orioles to keep Rutschman in the minors for the first couple months of the season, with the intention of gaining an extra year of service time and delaying arbitration eligibility. Adley Rutschman will be the starting catcher for the Orioles at some point in 2022, it’s just a question of when. However, it’s easy to look at the existing depth and imagine how things will shake out at the position. ( You can discuss this on the BSL board here.) CatchersĬurrently the Orioles do not have a catcher on their 40-man roster. Headlined by the top prospect in the game, this group also includes a mix of young players as well as some veterans that will hold down positions for the 2022 season while prospects continue to develop in the minors. Though below the standard of an immediate contender, the Baltimore Orioles 2022 depth chart of catchers and infielders provides glimpses of a brighter future.
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