In this 12-part series, we will examine the current organizational depth of the Baltimore Orioles on a position-by-position basis. For each of the eight positions we’ll take a look at the top 3 players on the 40-man roster, as well as the top 2 minor leaguers that we expect to eventually compete for a spot on the 40-man at that position. Our examination of the pitchers will include a look at the top 8 starting pitchers on the 40-man, the top 8 relief pitchers on the 40-man, the top 5 minor leaguer pitchers we project as starters and the top 5 minor league pitchers we project as relief pitchers. Part 8 looks at the Orioles first basemen.
Though Aubrey Huff (above) profiles best as a DH, he currently slots-in as the projected starter at 1B.
Outside of shortstop, first base may be the largest area of need for the Orioles. The 40-man is noticeably light on legit middle-of-the-order bats outside of Aubrey Huff (who doesn’t profile as an ideal defensive first baseman). Beyond Huff, the Orioles had 30-year old journeyman Oscar Salazar and not much else. It’s possible they could get creative and shift Hernandez to first if they elect to hand the starting catcher job to uber-prospect Matt Wieters (AA Bowie) and cannot find a taker for Hernandez in the trade market. Brandon Snyder (HiA Frederick) is the best minor league option at first, though there are still questions as to whether or not he’ll hit for enough power to be a potential impact player at the higher levels. While Billy Rowell (HiA Frederick) has the bat to profile as an impact first baseman, he’s athletic enough to make the outfield a more likely destination if he needs to be shifted off of third. That leaves 2008 7th-rounder Caleb Joseph (Short-Season Aberdeen) as the best power-hitting prospect that might profile defensively as a first baseman. Joseph is still several seasons from being a potential player at the Major League level, and Baltimore would like for him to stay behind the plate if at all possible, where his bat could be a major asset as opposed to simply adequate at first base.
Aubrey Huff (Baltimore, 40-man) 6-4 / 235 | B/T - L/R | Born - 12/20/76 As discussed in our review of third base and left field, Huff enjoyed a productive offensive season in 2008. He has easy power to all fields and did an admirable job of consistently squaring-up on the ball. When he’s on, Huff is quick to the ball and patient at the plate. When he falls out of his game, he can get a little long in his swing and a little pull-happy. Huff’s bat could profile at 1B and plays at DH, 3B and LF, as well. Baltimore could go many different directions with Huff, including 1B, 3B, LF or DH.
Huff does not profile as an everyday first baseman, though he could hold his own as a below-average defender at the least valuable defensive position. His hands, range and footwork are all below-average. His bat is valuable enough to trump his poor defense if Baltimore is unable to find a better option and shift Huff to DH where he fits best. He could also be a potential trade chip for an AL contender looking for a DH that could periodically fill in at the corners.
Oscar Salazar (Baltimore, 40-man) 6-0 / 195 | B/T - R/R | Born - 06/27/78 After bouncing around as a career minor-leaguer with six different organizations, the Orioles gave the 30-year old Salazar a solid look in the second half of the 2008 season. He rewarded Baltimore by stepping-in and delivering above-average production for a first baseman in limited action. Primarily a fastball hitter, Salazar has above-average power in his bat, though last year’s production was likely his absolute ceiling. He struggles at times against lefties and it’s highly unlikely that he would match his ’08 level of production over the course of an entire season. Provided Baltimore is unable to upgrade 1B by going outside of the organization, Salazar could be an adequate bat off of the bench in ’09. Though it may be a growing issue to accumulate several corner/DH types who are rather ineffective against left handed pitching.
Defensively, Salazar began his professional career as a shortstop before shifting over to a utility role in Oakland. He no longer has the range to play 2B/SS/3B on a regular basis, though he could do so without embarrassing himself if he had to. He’s a solid defender at first base, with good hands and decent range. While his successes in 2008 may have earned him the opportunity to win a reserve role on the 2009 squad, Baltimore would likely best be served by looking for a reserve option with more upside.
Ramon Hernandez (Baltimore, 40-man) 6-0 / 235 | B/T - R/R | Born - 05/20/76 A darkhorse candidate at first would be Ramon Hernandez, who has seen his skill set deteriorate behind the plate over the past two seasons. He lacks the ideal range for an infielder, though his hands would fit at first. In quite limited time at first, Ramon had an uncanny resemblance to a matador when balls arrived a few feet short. As mentioned in our review of the catchers, the main question with regards to Hernandez is whether or not he keeps himself motivated. At times this year, and especially towards the end of the season, Hernandez got a little lazy – swiping at pitches rather than shifting his body to block, even with runners on base. That mentality would make learning a new position – even a defensive downgrade like first. – challenging at best.
Offensively, Hernandez has a solid approach at the plate. His final line was 257/308/406, which was league average for a catcher but would be below average at first. While he has lost a couple of ticks on his bat speed, he has a good grasp of the strike zone and enough pop in his bat to capitalize on pitchers’ mistakes – especially balls up and out. If his bat speed dips more there could be a large fall-off. Such a decrease was what we saw during Javy Lopez’s last year as he split time between the Orioles and Red Sox. Barring that potential regression, Hernandez should be a slightly below-average bat with average power. We project him to regress slightly and hit 261/317/388. He should be a more than capable option behind the plate until Wieters is ready to step in, but offensively he’s a ways off from adequate at first base.
Brandon Snyder (HiA Frederick, Carolina League) 6-2 / 210 | B/T - R/R | Born - 05/23/86 Snyder took a step forward this season and has continued to build momentum through the Arizona Fall League. Offensively, Snyder has a clean line-drive swing that Baltimore hopes will generate above-average power when all is said and done. Fully healthy for the first time in his professional career, Snyder showed glimpses of his power potential, squaring-up consistently and driving the ball on a regular basis against Carolina League competition. The talented Eastern League should provide a good gauge next year as to how far Snyder has developed his offensive approach. In particular, he needs to improve his pitch-ID and his ability to stay back and drive quality off-speed pitches. Quantitatively, it is difficult to analyze his performance last year. His August was rather fantastical as nearly half of the balls hit in play dropped for hits. Bowie in ’09 will tells us more.
While various scouts have hypothesized Snyder could hold down third base or left field, it’s tough to see him shifting off of first base. He has adequate range and hands at first, though he’s far from a defensive asset. Ultimately, Baltimore should be happy if he turns into an average defensive first baseman. He’ll advance as far as his bat carries him and he has the talent to move quickly. Snyder could find himself in the mix in Baltimore as early as 2010 if things break right.
Caleb Joseph (Short-Season Aberdeen, NY/Penn League) 6-3 / 180 | B/T - R/R | Born - 06/18/86 For an organization generally light on power bats, Joseph was a welcome addition this past draft. As discussed in our review of the catchers, Joseph has legitimate plus-power in his bat and a solid enough approach to become a fringe-average hitter at the higher levels. His biggest obstacle will be cutting down on the length in his swing without sacrificing power. After a solid showing at Aberdeen, he’ll likely get his first true test next year in full season ball, where he’ll face more advanced pitching and better breaking stuff. While his bat easily profiles at the catcher position, he’ll have to keep improving in order for it to play at a premier offensive position like first base.
Ideally, Joseph would stay behind the plate where his bat is most valuable. However, Joseph has struggled at times behind the plate and there are legitimate concerns as to whether or not he can stay there long term. He is a good athlete that moves and blocks well, but he isn’t yet a great receiver. His arm is below-average and his release time is slow, despite a good transfer, because of his long arm action. On one hand, these problems are certainly fixable. His athleticism, however, may eventually lead Baltimore to try him elsewhere in the field. Second base would be the most likely option, as his arm strength would be fringy on the left side of the infield. First base would be the fallback position, and would demand much more offensive production. Ultimately, his bat will dictate how quickly he progresses through the system – if he can clean-up his mechanics behind the plate, he should be able to stick. If not, Baltimore will likely move him off of catcher rather than stalling his progression.
