OK, Dan Duquette Might Be Smarter Than Me

We’re all guilty of playing armchair GM from time to time. It got much easier this offseason, when it appeared that Orioles GM (ahem, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations) was kicking back in his arm chair. Rumors about his flirtations with Canada might have been easier to swallow, had he made bold, sexy moves to improve the Orioles.

Instead, we fans got a lot of spare parts and disappointment. There was no last-minute spending spree like the one that preceded the 2014 season, which brought Ubaldo Jimenez and Nelson Cruz to Baltimore. Though that pairing provided a mixed bag in terms of results, the February buzz was undeniable.

Fans were left to wonder whether this team could be as good as the one that won 96 games last year – and do it without the Major League home run leader and the clubhouse leader we all assumed would be back.

I, for one, derisively pointed out that the Orioles’ biggest offseason acquisition was Everth Cabrera, who for $2.4MM, is trying to get his career back on track and re-set his value.

Cabrera was not my favorite acquisition. At 28, I wondered how much of his former performance he could hope to recapture. Without the benefit of youth (or the banned substances that led to a 50-game Biogenesis-induced suspension), could we expect to see the former All-Star, who led the NL with 44 steals in 2012?

Early reports from camp weren’t good. When Cabrera was getting on base, he was running himself into outs (I do not suffer TOOTBLAN gladly). Manager Buck Showalter was trying to get him playing time at second base, and in the outfield, and the adjustment was not pretty.

But then other stories came to the forefront of Orioles camp, and Cabrera’s progress fell into the background, for me. I didn’t notice his steadily improving offensive numbers. Quietly, Cabrera is now hitting .283, with a couple of extra base hits, with almost as many walks as strikeouts. Spring Training stats might be crap (let me amend that – they are crap), but they’re all we have to go on for now.

Defensively, Cabrera has looked better in the outfield. He’s been getting time in center field, which I assumed meant that, if he could present himself as a passable center fielder for the three or four games that Adam Jones will miss this season, he would have the inside track for one of the bench spots.

Then our old friend “opportunity” knocked.

J.J. Hardy hurt his left shoulder on March 27th, which will land him on the DL at least through Opening Day. At this point, we can’t be sure that Hardy will be ready to resume full baseball activities when he is eligible. This is the type of thing that may linger for a while. The Orioles may also want to treat their above-thirty-middle-infielder-on-a-forty-million-dollar-contract with kid gloves.

But, at least in the short term, the Orioles can absorb the loss of J.J. Hardy. The organizational depth at shortstop will allow it. Will they get what Hardy brought to the table? Doubtful. But the drop off shouldn’t be drastic if he makes a quick return.

And this is why Dan Duquette is smarter than me. He has given Buck Showalter plenty of decent options for short-term stand-ins.

Cabrera could return to his natural position (SS), and be given the opportunity to hit high in the order (even leadoff), to see if he can build on his meaningless Spring Training stats.

Ryan Flaherty has proven that, though he won’t provide much at the plate (except in the playoffs?), he is an excellent defender, who can easily handle the shortstop position.

If either of these (more likely) plans fail, the Orioles might call upon another unheralded acquisition: Paul Janish, The organization and media have raved about this guy’s slick defense. Janish may find a place in the organization as an insurance policy against another Hardy injury.