Baltimore Orioles: How safe is Joey Rickard’s spot on the roster?

Could last year’s darling, Joey Rickard, be ticketed for Triple-A to start the year?

Joey Rickard was the toast of the town in Baltimore last spring. The Rule 5 pick tore up the Grapefruit League, made the club, earned the starting job on Opening Day, and received a curtain call in the first series of the year. The rookie ended April with a solid .280/.303/.380 slash line despite barely playing above Double-A in the minor leagues.

Buck Showalter, having seen Rickard’s solid month of April, attempted to turn him into a full-time leadoff hitter. The league was onto Rickard, however, and he batted just .214/313/.310 in May with 20 strikeouts. He did show a respectable eye while leading off, but generally struggled against right-handed breaking balls and changeups.

Showalter transitioned Rickard back to a platoon role with Hyun Soo Kim seeing more at-bats, and both rookies responded well. Platooning, Rickard batted .313/.337/.425 in June and July, and appeared to be well on his way to a second half as a part-time player before a thumb injury ended his season shortly after the break.

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This year, the tables have turned for Kim and Rickard, the two rookies at the heart of a small roster kerfuffle last spring. Recall, Kim refused to go down to Triple-A after struggling during the exhibition slate, got booed on Opening Day, and then became a fan favorite by the time October rolled around. Kim will rightfully get a shot at winning more than a platoon role in 2017.

That could leave Rickard battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster. He might not face an outright battle for a spot on the 25-man when the club heads north, but struggling in Spring Training could mean the Orioles start him at Triple-A. There are contenders who could win Rickard’s spot away from him if he has a poor showing.

The first threat to Rickard’s continued presence on the roster is this year’s Rule 5 pick, Aneury Tavarez, a left-handed version of Rickard, if you will. The Orioles obviously love to carry their Rule 5 picks for an entire season, but the Boston Red Sox may not snap him back up if the Orioles attempt to pass him back down to the minor leagues. In six years in the minors, Tavarez has put up numbers that compare well with Rickard’s MiLB numbers, so there is some reason to believe that he could be of value to the big club. The knock against Tavarez is that he bats left-handed. The Orioles already have two left-handed outfield bats, and squeezing in one more could only complicate things and lead to more innings in right field for Mark Trumbo.

In addition to Tavarez, Christian Walker, Trey Mancini, Dariel Alvarez, or Anthony Santander (very unlikely) could all push for a roster spot. Walker, a former top prospect, could be entering now-or-never mode as he enters his age-26 season. Mancini has nothing left to prove in the minors, and hit three home runs in five games last year after being called up.

Rickard definitely has the inside lane to holding his spot on the roster. His numbers in a platoon role last year should be enough to inspire confidence, regardless of sample size. He had the look of a fourth outfielder who could produce when plugged into the right role. Pushing him to be an everyday leadoff hitter would be a mistake, but when used properly, Rickard can have a big impact on the Orioles. Entering his second year in the big leagues, Rickard’s defense should also improve as he grows more accustomed to tracking the ball in the bright lights and bigger environment of a major-league ballpark.

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With more muted expectations this time around, look for Joey Rickard to open the season in Baltimore yet again. The hype train may have pulled back into the station last year, but he will see his fair share of at-bats in 2017, likely contributing solid contact, intermittent power, and a respectable eye. On the bases, it would serve Showalter to turn him loose more often. Not the most glamorous role, but a contributing role on a big-league club nonetheless.