Baltimore Orioles: Any interest in Steve Pearce?

Should the Baltimore Orioles bring Steve Pearce back?

Steve Pearce has been a key member of the Baltimore Orioles since 2012. That was kind of a strange year for Pearce, who came to the Birds from the Pittsburgh organization. He also spent time with Houston and with the New York Yankees. Ironically, he was part of the final playoff push between the teams that year – in pinstripes.

Courtesy of Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

However since then, Pearce has been an Oriole. The Lakeland, FL native has turned into a key utility man, and a fan favorite. While not quite as extreme as former Oriole Luke Scott, Pearce is a streaky hitter. When he’s in a slump it hits him hard. But when he’s on there’s a donnybrook of base hits, RBI, and homers.

Pearce is a free agent this year, and the question is whether or not the O’s can or should re-sign him. First off as I said, he’s a fan favorite. And I think that when all is said and done, he’ll be remembered as a key piece of a key few years in Orioles’ history.

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But that doesn’t anwer the question, does it?! At the end of the day, it’s a matter of opinion. Pearce is a career .247 hitter who gets on base at a .325 clip. However last year he only hit .218. So am I saying that Pearce isn’t worth the Orioles’ time or money?

No, I’m not saying that. But it doesn’t mean that the Birds necessarily have a spot for him either. Pearce is a great clubhouse guy and an asset to any team who would take a flyer on him. It’s really just a matter of which direction the Orioles want to go. I would submit that Trumbo will be playing a similar role to what we saw out of Pearce moving into this season…

…and again, nothing against Pearce. But with Trumbo playing the utility role between infield and outfield, do the Orioles really need an additional guy to do that? Again, I would say probably not.

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And this is not to say that Trumbo’s role would be apples-to-apples the same as Pearce’s was. It won’t be, as I think Trumbo will play more often. Steve Pearce would be an asset to the 2016 Orioles if he comes back here. It’s just a matter of whether or not the O’s have a spot for him.

Should the Baltimore Orioles bring Steve Pearce back?

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