This is a weekly column that dives into eight random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. Why eight? It’s a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. of course. That, and doing 2,632 of these would be a little overboard. – A.S.
1. Sound the alarms, Matt Wieters is officially on the shelf to start the season. Okay, have you had your fun? Can we turn the alarms off now? Everything will be okay, I promise. Let’s talk backup catchers, everyone’s favorite topic with less than two weeks before the regular season. Backup backstops are quite possibly the most forgettable names on MLB rosters.
You’re more likely to remember the utility player who starts once a week or the LOOGY on every roster rather than the backup catcher. That’s simply not the case in Baltimore. Caleb Joseph has made a bit of a name for himself after last year’s run as the starter. Expect Joseph to step right back into the role now that Wieters remains out. The question is, who backs him up? I’ll go ahead and place my bet down on Ryan Lavarnway. He seems to have impressed so far this spring, and I don’t think the other contenders have enough to surpass him.
Steve Clevenger appears to be slightly superior offensively, but not enough to make up for his glaring defensive woes. J.P. Arencibia seems to be nothing more than an extra body to have in camp, and he’s due a bonus if he makes the roster, something I don’t think the Orioles will be willing to pay.
2. I think this injury to Matt Wieters is going to mean he’s back in Baltimore, at least through 2016. It’s a different topic, but definitely related to the first. As nearly everyone knows, Wieters is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season. If he and agent Scott Boras want to build up some clout and land a big contract on the market, he’s going to have to show he can be a player this season. The injury complicates that matter.
I’ll start by saying I don’t know if Wieters will ever return to the defensive form he once displayed. The elbow injury complicates that greatly. There is definitely proof that pitchers have returned from Tommy John surgery to have successful careers, but we’re entering some uncharted territory when it comes to doing this with a catcher. Wieters’ DL stint to start the year means he’ll be getting a late start on a contract year, and whether it’s two weeks late or two months late, it doesn’t bode well for him trying to make money.
My guess, is that the Orioles extend a qualifying offer at the end of the season, and Wieters’ camp strongly considers taking it. I can’t see a team making a big splash on Wieters by giving him a 3-4 year contract unless he completely blows everyone away upon his return. That’s just something I don’t anticipate happening.
3. I don’t know if Brian Matusz will still be on the Orioles roster by the time you read this. Last week, there were plenty of rumors about trade talks. This week, I’m telling you it needs to happen. The Orioles can’t really afford to keep Matusz at this point. His value won’t really be any higher and there’s simply no room for him on the roster.
There aren’t enough players with options to stick in the bullpen, and there’s already six starters ahead of Matusz in the pecking order. The 28-year-old has expressed a desire to go back to being a starter, but that’s just not happening in Baltimore. Matusz could very well be compared to Jake Arrieta in a few years, without as much of the talent, though I have a feeling the O’s can get a better return for Matusz than a starter who leaves in free agency and a backup to the backup catcher. The market is simply there.
Last week, I suggested Matusz be dealt to the Mets in exchange for Rule 5 pick Logan Verrett, and that seems to remain the most likely option, but other teams have reportedly asked about him. The time is now to make a deal. The roster crunch is real.
[Related: Thursday Thoughts: Wieters’ Value, Bundy’s Setback, & O’stronauts]
4. While I think Wieters is back with the Orioles in 2016, I can’t say the same for the O’s other big free agent. It looks more and more like the writing is on the wall for Chris Davis. All signs point to this being his final season with the club. Whether it’s money, depth behind him or just a hunch on my part, I don’t see a return happening.
photo: Craig Landefeld
Christian Walker is obviously the safe bet to take over at first base once Davis eventually leaves, but if you look closely, the O’s are building up the depth even further. While it’s a minor deal, the team traded for Rangers switch hitter Mike McDade last night. He’s a guy who will likely play in Double-A this season, but it’s just another example of the type of move Dan Duquette makes in looking ahead. If Davis has a bounce-back season (which I fully expect, even if it’s not to the tune of 53 home runs), you can expect him to land a nice deal in the offseason outside of Charm City. The road would then be paved for someone like Walker to take over.
5. I got my first real look at the early portion of the schedule this week, and boy, does it look AL East-heavy. The Orioles will play two series against the Blue Jays and Red Sox in the first month, and one each against the Rays and Yankees. They close out April against the White Sox.
It might sound cliché, but the O’s can really get themselves off to a nice start facing division foes. They can also, of course, do the opposite of that. Normally the last month of the season is the most division-heavy. This season isn’t much different, aside from a series against the Royals and a trip down to DC to visit the Nationals.
How do you think Buck Showalter will handle having to lose the DH in the second-to-last week of the season? I don’t really get too caught up in the schedule or weighing what teams will be good and bad, but I will take this space to make some predictions next week. It’s the perfect format for some predictions on each division and how the season might play out, so keep an eye out for that.
6. I, like many Orioles fans, also pull for the Maryland Terrapins when it comes to college sports. It was definitely a disappointment to see the Terps go down to West Virginia earlier this week in the NCAA Tournament, but the O’s have actually saved my rooting interest for another weekend.
I’m throwing all my support behind Notre Dame, purely because of Pat Connaughton. For those who don’t know, the Fighting Irish senior forward is also a member of the Orioles organization. He was selected last year in the fourth round of the draft and pitched for the Aberdeen Ironbirds. There’s still a little bit of a mystery as to whether Connaughton will actually pursue baseball as a career or try to play in the NBA. He’s stated that he has no desire to go after a basketball career overseas, so unless he gets a lot of buzz coming out of the tournament from the basketball world, it looks like he could be back pitching in the O’s minor league system later this year.
[Related: Oriole Pat Connaughton Shines in NCAA Tourney]
7. Like many of you, I play fantasy baseball. My draft is this Sunday and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m curious to know how many Orioles will be selected in my league. It’s a keeper league, so I already own Adam Jones, Manny Machado and Kevin Gausman on my team. I know others will be keeping the likes of Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy and Chris Tillman.
I’ve started looking at some potential sleeper picks and I really like the potential of Travis Snider and Alejandro De Aza. I think those two guys could be sneaky good, not only on the real field this season, but also in the fantasy realm. There’s a good chance Jonathan Schoop and Darren O’Day also get picked up in many fantasy leagues this season. I’m curious to know how popular fantasy baseball is among the masses. I know it’s not nearly as popular as fantasy football, but I also know a lot of people who play and actually follow through for an entire season of adjusting their lineups each day.
8. There’s going to be some interesting roster decisions made over the final week-plus of spring training, and not just with the pitching staff. We all know final conclusions will be needed regarding the tight bullpen and over-stuffed rotation, but I’m interested to see how things play out on the bench.
David Lough, Nolan Reimold, Everth Cabrera, Ryan Flaherty and Jonathan Schoop are all names that could miss out on the 25-man roster. Delmon Young, Steve Pearce and Travis Snider will somehow fit into the puzzle as starters and bench players. It’s always better to have more of these types of players than none of them. Depth is a good thing, and the Orioles always seem to pile it up. Even if there’s a way to stash some of these guys in Norfolk, it’s not a bad thing. They’ll be there if needed.
