Over the last couple of weeks, this space has been filled with columns answering the remaining roster questions facing the ball club as the Orioles prepare to fly north for Opening Day on March 29th. The pictures have certainly cleared with regards to right field, the starting rotation, and the utility infielder.
The only remaining roster decisions for Buck Showalter & Co. revolved around the backup catcher and the final three bullpen spots. Over the weekend, those decisions were made evident as the team basically set their 25-man roster before flying out to Norfolk for a Monday game against the Tides, the final tune-up before the home opener Thursday. Today we’ll talk about the catchers.
“Backup” Catcher
The big surprise in camp came last week when Austin Wynns was optioned to Norfolk. Many believed the backup job could be his to lose as he is widely regarded within the organization for his defense–something Buck puts an emphasis on–while his bat, though not on the same level as top prospect Chance Sisco, certainly won’t hurt the team.
With Wynns’ demotion (if you want to call it that), the backup job came down to Andrew Susac and Sisco. Susac was once a top prospect in the game for the San Francisco Giants before injuries and ineffectiveness derailed his career a bit, while Sisco is rated as the Orioles’ top prospect, according to MLB.com.
Both backstops have had tremendous springs with the bat, with Susac slashing .462/.600/.769, albeit in a small sample size (13 AB), and Sisco slashing .419/.471/.839 in 31 AB. Defensively, Susac would be appear to be the superior player, but the Orioles like the progress Sisco has made, despite a few costly errors late in camp.
With Opening Day looming and a roster decision needed, the job was awarded to Sisco, with Susac ticketed for Norfolk to pair with Wynns as a nice insurance policy for the big league club. While we may never know the full story, it would seem that the brief hospital stay early in camp for Susac due to a staph infection set him back just enough for Sisco to earn the spot.
Neither catcher did anything on the field to hurt their chances as each player presented themselves very well throughout camp. If anything, the depth this franchise has at the position is a strength, and as taxing a position as catcher is, it is likely that all four mentioned will see time in Baltimore this summer.
The backup catcher position in Baltimore is a backup spot by name alone. Starter Caleb Joseph, the backup each of the previous four seasons, has played over 80 games in three of those four seasons. In fact, he played just nine fewer games than starter Welington Castillo in 2017.
The Orioles fully expect to use Sisco this season, and use him a lot. His bat plays at the big league level, and he’s a left-handed option in a righty-heavy lineup. The tutelage that John Russell will provide him as the catching instructor will be paramount in his development, and the Orioles simply feel that that, combined with ample big-league playing time, will help him become the player they expect him to be at a faster rate.
In my next column, we’ll discuss the Orioles’ bullpen as the finishing touches have been put on a unit regarded as one of the bigger strengths of the ball club.
