Baltimore Orioles: Sign MVP Joe Maloney to minor league contract

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 30: General manger of the Baltimore Orioles on the field before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden yards on April 30, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 30: General manger of the Baltimore Orioles on the field before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden yards on April 30, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

The World Series hasn’t even started yet, but the Baltimore Orioles are busy signing new players to the organization.

Dan Duquette added the current MVP of Can-Am League, Joe Maloney, to the Baltimore Orioles organization.

Maloney is 27 years old and has played on several teams in independent leagues and in two minor league systems. He played with the Rockland Boulders with the Canadian-American Association. On this team, he hit .282/.359/.638/.997 with 35 home runs and 102 RBIs. This was in 99 games.

Let me repeat, 35 home runs in 99 games. And, nearly a 1.000 OPS.

Maloney could be a seriously exciting signing. This kid can hit.

In 2011, Maloney was signed by the Texas Rangers. He spent three seasons in their minor league system, but did not make it out of the Single-A and Single-A+ leagues. After two seasons in independent ball, he was later signed by the Minnesota Twins in 2016 and spent the season moving between Single-A+ and Double-A

In 2017, he spent the entire season playing in the Can-Am League. He bats and throws right handed and he can play all over the diamond. In fact, in 2017 he played first base, left and right field, and catcher with the Rockland Boulders.

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Maloney has been a highly respected player in the Can-Am League. In 2015, he was the Baseball America Independent Player of the Year. Then, at the end of the 2017 season, he was named the MVP of the entire Can-Am League. His MVP season was capped by setting the record for the most home runs in the league, too.

It is easy to see what Dan Duquette saw in this 27-year-old power hitter. Prior to his 35-home-run season, the Can-Am League was 31 which were hit by Eddie Lantigua who played for the Quebec Les Capitales. He hit 31 home runs in 2005. In that same year, Lantigua also hit 112 RBIs. Maloney owns the home run record, but he was still a few RBIs shy of the RBI record.

Maloney is expected to start the season in the minor league system, most likely with Double-A Bowie Baysox. Usually, the independent leagues are where baseball players go for their last chance to swing a bat. Occasionally, players in those leagues work their way up to the majors. Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill and Diamondbacks David Peralta are two current players who spent some time in independent leagues.

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Hopefully, the Orioles have struck gold with this power hitter who will be happy to hit a few in Camden Yards and at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota in the early spring. It remains to be seen if he can hit Triple-A or Major League pitching.

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