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Baltimore Orioles 2017 Team Preview

By Adam Tabakin

Sep 15, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles players stand for the national anthem prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles players stand for the national anthem prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 8, 2017; Sarasota, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Craig Gentry (14) is greeted by catchers Caleb Joseph (36) and outfielder Seth Smith (12) after hitting a three run home run in the second inning of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Sarasota, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Craig Gentry (14) is greeted by catchers Caleb Joseph (36) and outfielder Seth Smith (12) after hitting a three run home run in the second inning of the spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports /

New Additions

Some of the biggest signings Baltimore made in the offseason were bringing back their own free agents. Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez and even Michael Bourn re-signed with the Orioles. There aren’t many stars among the fresh faces, but there are some key role players.

OF Seth Smith — Baltimore jettisoned underperforming starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo to Seattle and received a very useful outfielder in return. Smith has experience in both corners and owns a career .827 OPS against right-handed pitching. Last season while working on the strong side of a platoon, Smith registered a career-high 63 RBI to go with 16 home runs. Despite a middling .249 average, Smith’s pop and on-base ability led to a 108 OPS+. For his career Smith has a 112 OPS+, and he should be able to provide a good amount of value for the Orioles if his exposure to left-handed pitching is limited.

C Welington Castillo — Castillo comes over as a free agent from the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he slugged 31 home runs with 118 RBI over the past season and a half. He’s generally a strong defender behind the plate, but does not score well on pitch-framing metrics. Castillo is also coming off a career high in RBI with 68. He will be counted on to replace Matt Wieters, and while that sounds like a tall task, Castillo actually has had a higher bWAR than Wieters in each of the past four seasons.

OF Craig Gentry, RP Vidal Nuno, RP Richard Bleier — There really isn’t much to talk about beyond Smith and Castillo. Gentry is a speedster who hasn’t played regularly since 2014, but he could be pressed into action with Bourn likely out for at least the first couple weeks of the season. Nuno and Bleier will provide left-handed bullpen depth in a unit that features plenty of options from the right side in front of closer Zach Britton.

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