Baltimore Orioles Rumors: Neil Walker now a possible target
The latest Baltimore Orioles rumors suggest free agent Neil Walker could find his way onto the Opening Day roster. How would it work?
This week has been a rough one for free agent Neil Walker. The well-above average second baseman reportedly received an offer by the Kansas City Royals, but with a huge caveat. The Royals only offered him a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training.
Naturally, Walker turned it down.
Through parts of nine seasons in MLB, Walker has put together .272/.341/.437 batting line. Unfortunately, the incredibly consistent second baseman reached free agency at the wrong time. There is little need around baseball for someone at his position. Many teams previously linked to the 32-year-old have solved their vacancy in other ways. While he could still find his way onto someone’s roster due to a Spring Training injury, the latest Baltimore Orioles rumors have him undertaking a new role with them.
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According to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, the Orioles are “intrigued” by Walker. There’s no obvious fit at the moment. A little creativity does make it look more possible.
With Jonathan Schoop at second base, the Orioles would need to move Walker elsewhere. The plan would include shifting Walker over to the hot corner while Manny Machado opens the year at shortstop. This would leave Tim Beckham in a super utility role or possibly in a platoon with Walker.
This idea is an interesting one. As each day passes, I see it becoming far more possible.
Two stellar months with the Baltimore Orioles late last season shouldn’t convince them to start Beckham at third base. This team needs other options. Walker gives them that.
The Orioles haven’t had a remarkable offseason. They still lack starting pitching. Andrew Cashner is their biggest addition thus far. The Orioles could also use a left-handed hitting outfielder.
It would seem that Walker is more of a luxury than a necessity. However, after being disrespected by the Royals earlier this week, maybe it’s time Walker settles for less money to suit up for the O’s in 2018.
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Walker’s options are fading. The most logical place for him is a return to the Milwaukee Brewers. Walker finished the 2017 campaign with them, slashing .267/.409/.433 in 149 trips to the plate. As per usual, it was his OBP that stood out the most of any statistic. Considering Baltimore was in the bottom five of this statistic last season, they could surely use Walker’s patience in their free-swinging lineup.