Leading off

It’s time for another trip Around the Bases. In this installment, we’ll look at the Spring Training stories that have dominated the news, water coolers, and social media platforms over the last week.

At least, the ones that don’t involve Ubaldo Jimenez. That horse is already glue.

First Base

Buck Showalter told us he was going to play Chris Davis in right field, and when asked about it, Davis said all the right things. Unfortunately, that’s where “all the right things” ended. Davis played right field on Sunday March 15, and did not look good out there. He took poor routes to balls. He looked out of sorts. He looked like… an infielder trying to play the outfield.

I’m glad Chris Davis is an athletic guy, and his versatility is certainly an advantage to this club – particularly in light of the fact that he can play an adequate third base for short periods if Manny Machado finds another knee to blow out. But he is not an outfielder. With Davis working to overcome a dreadful 2014 campaign, I want him to focus on getting his bat right. Part of that means leaving him where he is the most comfortable in the field – first base.

Davis may not be a Gold Glove caliber defender, but he is an able first baseman. There’s no need to turn him into anything more. I don’t want a super-utility Chris Davis. I want Crush back.

 

Second Base

The Curious Case of Jimmy Paredes continues. What are the Orioles going to do with this guy? MVParedes is making noise with his bat. He’s 11 for 23, with three doubles, a home run (and another near miss, which was overturned to a triple). To put it mildly, he’s having a decent Spring.

Yes, it’s only Spring Training. No, I can’t discuss gaudy Spring Training stats without using the words “Jake Fox Award.”

The trouble with Paredes has never been his bat – it’s been his glove. Paredes’ natural position is in the batter’s box, but in the field, he’s blocked at third base behind Manny Machado and his own limitations. He’s only had one error thus far in Spring Training, but he has to overcome the “unreliable defender” tag he gave himself last season in the Orioles’ stretch run. There’s a reason Buck Showalter went with Jonathan Schoop and Ryan Flaherty in the playoffs, and it had nothing to do with their bats.

If Paredes can show himself a decent defender at third and corner outfield positions, Paredes may earn himself a reserve spot on the 25-man roster. It’s definitely an uphill climb, and would require further pedestrian performance from David Lough and more TOOTBLAN from Everth Cabrera.

Third Base

You have to feel terrible for the Mets. Their rotation is in tatters, as injuries have piled up. As such, they are looking for pitching, and the Orioles have some to spare – particularly in the form of Brian Matusz. Before I get started here, let me acknowledge that I am The Boy Who Cries Wolf when it comes to the Orioles parting with Matusz. But this time there is some real, live smoke!

The O’s have been stretching Matusz out to showcase his value as a starter, and Mets scouts have watched him pitch. The question appears not to be “if,” but rather, “when” and “how much?” The most probable result is that the Orioles will acquire Rule 5 selection Logan Verrett, so that they could keep him in the organization, without leaving him on the 25-man roster. The deal may also include another minor league player, but the real acquisition would be roster flexibility with regard to Verrett.

Matusz has been a terrible starter, a great reliever, and a LOOGY only Maybe he is one of those classic “needs a change of scenery” guys to truly flourish. At this point, I’m ready for him to give it a try in the Big Apple, in exchange for a promising young arm and salary relief.

Home Plate

Scary things are happening on the Matt Wieters front. After making his Grapefruit League debut behind the plate (catching six innings), Wieters has been slowed with tendinitis. He has been shut down from playing, and the Orioles are taking all the necessary precautions, including x-rays and consulting with your friend and mine, Dr. James “Death” Andrews.

I don’t know what we expected. Maybe we hoped that his return would look like what we were hoping to get from his debut: Jesus in cleats hits all the home runs, has a .300 average, instills fear of “Dont. Run. Ever” into the league, all without any health related bumps in the road.

From here, we’ve got three possible reactions:

1. The Ostrich: pretend everything is fine, no reason for concern
2. The Whore in Church: sweat nervously until this whole ordeal is over
3. Chicken Little: proclaim from the rooftops that the Matt Wieters sky has fallen

I’m not for overreacting, so I’ll wait nervously. I encourage quiet discomfort for the rest of Birdland, as well. Still, I’d like to see one of the other six hundred catchers in camp start impressing. It would help with my barely contained panic.

Back to the Dugout

Last thing, guys. I don’t want to hear “Ryan Howard” any more.

Seriously. Stop it.

 

That’s about it right now for Orioles Spring Training. I’m sure tomorrow will bring another headline that doesn’t really matter, but we’ll jump on it anyway, because we’re baseball starved.

Adieu, adieu.