PERCEPTION IS REALITY: Ready for Tommy Hunter, Closer?

Reality: Tommy Hunter will start the season as the Closer.

Perception: Like it or not, the Orioles will go with Hunter for the first half of the season. He has been working on his fastball this spring. During his last outing over the weekend, he basically through nothing by fastballs, giving up four singles and getting four outs. You can’t judge him on the results, as spring training is just that… training. Players, Hunter included, are to be working on ways to improve their game. That usually means trying new things, even if they don’t work. You’ll probably see the Orioles use Hunter in back-to-back games for one inning the remainder of the spring to give him the feel of coming in each night as the closer.

I like Hunter and I think he’s done as very good job in late-inning work for the last two seasons. The biggest concern is the amount of home runs he gives up. I know 105.7 The Fan’s Mark Zinno thinks Baltimore will really miss Jim Johnson, and I probably will. I was a huge supporter of Johnson, even through last season’s blown saves. But as much as we will miss him, the amount of quality players the Orioles got this off-season for the $10 million in “re-allocated money” should turn out to be much more valuable than Johnson was for the Orioles.

Reality: Manny Machado will start the season on the DL.

Perception: Machado has yet to do any real running and with just two weeks left to go until Opening Day, he will need more time to recover. Manny’s surgically repaired left knee will be reexamined in a couple of days. So it appears his move to the DL will open an extra spot for someone on the Opening Day roster.

It seems that Ryan Flaherty will move to third base while Machado is out. Then Jonathan Schoop, Jemile Weeks, Alexi Casilla, or Alex Gonzalez would fight for a job at second base while another one of them might get the utility job off the bench until Machado returns.

As good as Schoop has been this spring, all signs point to the Orioles wanting him to start the year in the minors. So that means Casilla could get the second base job, and Weeks or Gonzalez gets the utility job for now, with one of them being sent back down after Manny returns.

Reality: All the extra players the Orioles brought in during the off-season may be needed.

Perception: With all the extra left fielders and pitchers the Orioles brought to camp, you’d expect a number of them to be cut or sent down. But the Birds have been hit with a bit of an injury bug this spring.

The guy that I thought would play the majority of the games in left field, David Lough, has struggled with a stiff neck this spring. So Nelson Cruz, Nolan Reimold, Steve Pierce, and Delmon Young have received extra time as DH and LF.

It would not shock me to see the Orioles move Reimold and cut Young, leaving Pierce, Cruz, and Lough to rotate in LF and DH.

photo: Craig Landefeld