Time for Birds to address second base

With the news of Brian Roberts going under the knife again, this time for a torn hamstring he injured the third game of the season, it appears that his time in an Oriole uniform has come to an end. He is expected to miss six weeks, so we are looking at the beginning of July at best. By this time, it will be near the All-Star break and the Orioles will more than likely have solved their second base issue.

Many fans would say that the Orioles should have given up on Roberts at the end of last season. I was in the camp that said give him one more shot. They had to pay him regardless, and there wasn’t a huge upgrade available, so it was worth rolling the dice.

Of course, I also said that Nolan Reimold would help this lineup, it was ok to let Mark Reynolds walk, and Chris Davis’ defense at first would be fine.

As we sit here in the second week of May, I am 1-for-4, so what do I know?

Anyway, it is officially time to close the book on Brian Roberts and his time as an Oriole. I don’t know how they will handle it IF he is eventually healthy enough to return, but this organization has to move on, and I think they will. Looking at what the Orioles could do to solve this issue, there are three scenarios:

By Committee:

This is what the O’s have been doing since Roberts was injured in Tampa Bay. Ryan Flaherty and Alexi Casilla have been sharing duties with no success. Flaherty starts when a righty is on the mound and Casilla when a lefty toes the rubber. Both guys are hitting below .200, but Buck Showalter will point out how their defense has helped the team. I can’t argue that point, but eventually they have to provide a little offense. I am actually surprised Casilla hasn’t had a chance to play more. He at least is a stolen base threat, but the organization has high hopes for Flaherty so he is getting every chance to take the reigns right now. I would be stunned if either of these guys are the starting second baseman by the middle of July.

By Trade:

This is always a popular opinion from fans. They find a player that could be traded and they run with it, without really looking at how realistic it is that it would actually happen. The Orioles have been stockpiling their farm system the last few years for a chance to acquire a player that could help them reach the postseason and go far into October. However, I do not think they are at a point to give up a lot for a rental. If they agree, then that would eliminate the popular choice of Chase Utley. I will point out that the last couple of years Utley has been an oft-injured second baseman. Sound familiar?

There is another guy the Orioles could target and that is Utley’s teammate Michael Young. Young has played third base this season, but he has played 446 games at second in his career. Young is 36 years old, but is still productive, hitting .322 this season. The Phillies wouldn’t expect a lot for Young compared to Utley, so this could be an option.

If the Orioles are looking for a player long-term, they could target Houston Astros’ second baseman Joe Altuve. He is young and highly productive. He would cost a lot in terms of players, but it would address the position for years to come. I think if the Orioles do make a trade for a second baseman, it would not be for a veteran or a player currently in the majors. The O’s would probably target a player in the minors who is being blocked by someone in the majors or has struggled when he was given a chance, a la Chris Davis.

However, the most logical scenario is…

By Their Own Minor League System:

This is how Dan Duquette and Showalter want to build the organization. They want to get to a point where they are deep at every position and if an injury does occur, they can just look at the minors and not miss a beat. As of now, the outfield and pitching staff are the only positions that have enough depth to sustain an injury. The infield is not, which is why they are in the current position that they are in. However, there is one guy that is close to being ready: Jonathan Schoop.

After playing shortstop to start the season, Schoop has been used at second base for the Norfolk Tides over the last few weeks. Schoop has also started to hit the ball. Entering Wednesday night, Schoop had batted .297 in his last 10 games, but has hit consistently well since the middle of April.

Second base is probably not the position Schoop settles at in his career, but like Manny Machado, the Orioles are not afraid to make a move if it benefits the club in the short-term. They are also not afraid to bring up a player when he hasn’t fully dominated his league.

I think Schoop is the best solution at this point. He is part of the long-term plans for the Orioles and they don’t have to give up anyone for him. He may prove that he isn’t ready if he does get promoted, but if they do it soon, then they will still have time to fix the situation before the trade deadline. I just don’t know how realistic a trade actually is, and the current players on the roster are just not getting it done.

This team has a gaping hole at second and with the recent news on Roberts. It is time that they finally address the position once and for all.