O’S ADD ALEXI CASILLA AND DELMON YOUNG
The Orioles have made adding depth this offseason a primary objective, and did just that in the last week, mainly by re-signing infielder Alexi Casilla last Friday and by signing Delmon Young on Monday. Both players have been signed to minor league deals with invitations to Spring Training.
Casilla played for the Orioles last season as a bench player appearing in 62 games while batting .214 with one home run and nine stolen bases in 11 attempts. The 29-year-old has experience playing second base, shortstop, and third base, which the Orioles may need after losing Brian Roberts to the Yankees while Manny Machado is still uncertain for Opening Day after knee surgery.
Young is 28-years old and is a former number one overall pick that spent time with the Phillies and Rays last season, accumulating a .260 average over 361 plate appearances. He will likely see time at designated hitter in 2014 especially against lefties, as he has a career batting average of .303 against southpaws. He showed some power last year as well, as he hit 11 homeruns in his limited plate appearances. Young was the 2012 ALCS MVP with Detroit.
Both players will likely play part-time roles in 2014 although neither player is worthy of the headlines that Orioles fans craved when the offseason began. With only a little over a month before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, it is looking more and more like the Orioles are not going to make any big moves this offseason.
O’S MINICAMP OFFERS UPDATES ON REHABBING PLAYERS
Monday marked the opening of the Orioles’ four day minicamp in Sarasota, Fla. The event is voluntary and one of the main goals is to allowing the team’s pitching staff to get better acquainted with new pitching coach Dave Wallace and bullpen coach Dom Chiti. Potential closer candidate Tommy Hunter is expected to attend, and so are Darren O’Day and Brad Brach, among others.
Another goal of the minicamp is to get an update on the progress of rehabbing players such as third baseman Manny Machado and pitcher Dylan Bundy. Machado is tentatively expecting to be ready by Opening Day at this point. Machado originally was expected to miss up to the first month or two of the season, but has been progressing faster than expected.
Bundy, who had Tommy John surgery last season, is reportedly making it his goal to pitch in a “competitive game” by June 28th. He reported Monday that the pain in his arm is gone, and he later said, “Everything’s great. I’m throwing without pain for the first time in a year, so that’s a positive.”
If Machado and Bundy continue to rehab the way they have so far this offseason and meet their target return goals, both will have an opportunity to contribute to the Orioles, who look to make a run at returning to the postseason in 2014 after consecutive winning seasons.
NEW INFORMATION ON ORIOLES CONCERNS OVER BALFOUR
Last month, the Orioles traded closer Jim Johnson. Later in the month, they announced they had agreed to a two year deal worth $15 million with Grant Balfour. Balfour had posted 38 saves in 41 chances with sterling 2.59 ERA and a 72/27 K/BB ratio during the 2013 season with Oakland. Balfour was also a member of the American League All-Star team last July.
However, the Orioles later backed out of the deal after the physical and many reports cited the issue was with Balfour’s right shoulder. Earlier this week however, Buster Olney reported that the issues were actually with Balfour’s wrist and knee. Olney also noted that Koco Eaton, the team doctor of the Rays, found nothing wrong with Balfour’s shoulder.
The reports did not specify which knee worried the medical staff of the Orioles, but it is most likely the concern is with his right knee. Balfour had surgery last February on that knee, although he did not miss any of last season as a result.
The situation still is not completely clear, and Balfour has continued to insist he is not hurt, but rather that the Orioles just had second thoughts. It is worth mentioning though, that Balfour hasn’t signed anywhere else since the failed physical either, so it is possible the Orioles may have been on to something. Regardless, every day Balfour remains a free agent, the less questionable the Orioles’ decision looks.
RETURN OF THE SHERIFF?
Of the many free agents who have not yet signed, one that has recently been rumored to be in talks with the Orioles has been corner infielder Mark Reynolds. “The Sheriff” is an ex-Oriole; he spent 2011 and 2012 with the team playing between third base, first base, and designated hitter.
He is a free agent this offseason after finishing the final stretch of the 2013 season with the New York Yankees. He was cut last August by the Cleveland Indians while in a horrible slump. He made $5.3 million in 2011 and $7.5 million in 2012 with the Orioles, and made $6 million with Cleveland last year. Any deal he receives will be much smaller this year.
Over the two year stretch he was with the Orioles, Reynolds batted only .221, but did manage to hit 60 homeruns and drive in over 150 runs. He also managed an on-base-percentage of .323 in 2011 and .335 in 2012. He played a decent defensive first base in 2012, but would likely be in a DH platoon if he came back to Baltimore.
Despite reports that the Orioles are interested in Reynolds, they are unlikely to pursue him after adding Delmon Young earlier this week. However if Reynolds takes a contract near the minimum, which was $490,000 in 2013, he could be back in Baltimore as a backup in 2014.
