While we continue to wait for the never-ending lockout to conclude, I bring you my next section of the Orioles roster breakdown. Last week we did the bullpen, and today we move to the infield.
Like last time I will be separating the infield into sections: most known, most unknown, most underrated piece, free-agent options, underrated options outside the majors, and how they will perform. So let’s dive into the infield, and see if it’s a position group that can help the Orioles defy their current dismal odds at places like Novibet casino.
The Known
Ryan Mountcastle and Trey Mancini
This wasn’t complicated, was it? Mountcastle and Mancini are two of three main pieces from last year’s offense, along with Cedric Mullins.
Let’s talk about Mountcastle first. It was a weird year for Mountcastle. He slashed .198/.229/.286 with one home run and a .515 OPS in April, and rumblings of a send-down got louder. While he had a better May, he really broke out in June, hitting .327/ .382/.634 with nine home runs and a ops of 1.016, earning him AL Rookie of the Month. Inconsistency was the most prominent theme I saw in Mountcastle’s year. There would be months when he would be red hot and months when he would be ice cold. Mountcastle still had a good year, but he needs to be a little more consistent with his bat and take more walks. The Orioles staff has been working on Mountcastle taking more walks ever since Mike Elias took over, but he isn’t a finished product just yet.
Another point I want to make is I hope the Orioles realize that Mountcastle isn’t a left fielder and is a first baseman. It is just really hard to watch Mountcastle in left, and he should at all costs stay in the infield at first where he can thrive.
Mancini’s return was one of the best stories of the 2021 MLB. He had a great first half, followed by a not-so-good second half. I honestly think Mancini’s inconsistencies were mostly due to him not playing in 2020. A year off from the grind of an MLB season isn’t to be discounted. I expect him to have a bounce-back year in 2022 (if this lockout ever ends). The most significant question mark with Mancini is his future with the Orioles. Does he get an extension, or do they trade him at the deadline or when the lockout ends? I have no idea or preference, honestly. If they keep him, great, he is a fan favorite and a good DH when prospects come up. If they decide to trade him, I won’t be shocked, yet I know that return will be underwhelming due to Mancini not having the value outside the Orioles that fans think he has. It is a situation that will cause a lot of debate, yet I still think he plays for the 2022 Orioles.
The Unknown
The Left Side
While I think Mountcastle and Free Agent addition, Rougned Odor, can lock it down on the right side, the left side is a whole other question. The Orioles now look to have a position battle at shortstop. Ramon Urias seems to be the starter for right now. Urias is a fine player, but he doesn’t hit the ball hard or elevate it, so his value is capped. Urias wasn’t the best fielder at second and was not good at short. Urias is fine right now, the current candidates’ lack of power and bad fielding make this an open competition. Jorge Mateo is the other option. Mateo is a strange case because he feels more like a platoon player. He is fast and can steal bases, but his bat has never really developed, and it holds him back from getting consistent playing time on every team he has been with.
Third base is a bit more complicated. Kelvin Gutierrez was the third baseman for most of the last half of the 2021 season. He has very high exit velocities but has a weird swing, and he doesn’t play good defense at third either. The other third baseman on the 40-man is Rylan Bannon. Bannon has decent contact and streaky power but doesn’t bring much defensively either.
The Orioles could work the left side by moving Odor to third, Urias to second, and signing a veteran to play short. That could work, but that is just speculation at this point. The left side is the most significant question mark for me with this infield.
Free Agent Options
When looking at this infield, third base is a massive black hole. However, the third base market is thin, so I looked for underrated options. One of the options I found was former Mets Third baseman/utility man Brandon Drury. I like Drury because he could be inexpensive and isn’t old. He is only 29, and while he only played 51 games in 2021, he did up solid enough stats. Drury has never lived up to the promise he showed during his 2016 season in Arizona. The last time he had full playing time was in 2019, when he appeared in 120 games and wasn’t particularly good. He has upside, such as being at least league average defensively at third and having some decent on-base numbers last year in his limited time with the Mets. Drury isn’t the best, but he is at least a stop-gap player right now and could be better than Gutierrez.
Underrated Options outside the Majors
Shed Long and Tyler Nevin
Tyler Nevin has intrigued me since he was acquired from the Rockies in the Mychal Givens trade in 2020. He wasn’t outstanding in 2021 as he hit well below average in Triple-A. This isn’t good, especially for a first baseman/DH type who will need to produce a lot with his bat. However, when looking deeper into his numbers, I found he had a very low BABIP. This means he was not getting lucky in his at-bats. I like Nevin as a bounce-back candidate, but I am unsure where he fits long-term with the Orioles. As I mentioned, He fits best as a 1B/DH, where the Orioles already have Mountcastle and Mancin. Nevin could play third, but he won’t be particularly good at it, and the same goes for left field. Nevin is in a weird spot, but he does provide depth if Mountcastle or Mancini gets hurt or if Mancini gets traded. I hope Nevin gets a fair shot whenever Spring Training does begin.
The Orioles signed Shed Long to a minor league contract as I was writing this. Long is a dart throw at the second base position. He has exciting exit velocity numbers but does not get on base nearly enough and needs to make more contact. Long can have exciting moments due to his high exit velocities, and he does have a pretty looking left-handed swing, but he needs to be more productive with his bat and show more than exit velocities.
How Will They Perform?
The Infield does have a lot more question marks than I originally anticipated. While I like the stability of the right side with Mountcastle at first and Odor having moments at second, the left side is a bit of a mess right now, with Urias slotting in at short and a black hole at third. I expect the Orioles to find their third baseman this year through the free-agent market when the lockout ends. I think the right side will have its moments at times this year; the left side needs some help because Gutierrez hasn’t proven enough to be the Opening day starter even on a rebuilding team. Overall, I find some pieces suitable, like Mountcastle and Mancini, and they have some intruding pieces like Long, Mateo, and Urias. This group had a lot more questions than I was expecting. I do expect big things from some of these pieces, but overall, I think this group needs some veteran help, especially on the left side.
So there you have it. Join me next week when we talk about the outfield for the 2022 Orioles.
