Baltimore Orioles: Jarrod Dyson would be a good fit for right field

A few days ago, Buck Showalter announced that the Baltimore Orioles have been talking to a free agent to play right field.

Since then, the rumors about the Baltimore Orioles possible acquisitions have been flying and one name that has popped up is Jarrod Dyson.

According to Roch Kubatko with MASNSports.com, the Orioles have shown interest in the speedy outfielder.

Dyson makes sense as the outfielder the Orioles have shown interest in, especially as the team was reportedly waiting on results of the player’s physical prior to making a decision. Dyson has suffered from a bunch of nuisance injuries throughout his career. The latest was a groin injury.

Why Dyson makes sense

Dyson isn’t the youngest or best outfielder in free agency, but he is affordable and he bats from the left. Right now, the only left-handed batters the Orioles have are Chris Davis, Chance Sisco, and Jaycob Brugman. Anthony Santander is a switch hitter. Between Sisco, Santander, and Brugman, they have a total of 71 games under their belt. Adding a player like Dyson to the outfield would bring a much-needed veteran presence to the left side of the plate.

In 2017, Dyson played for the Mariners. The team paid him $2.8 million. Prior to that, he played for the Kansas City Royals and was on the World Series team in 2015. He usually plays center field, but he has played all three positions at various times throughout his eight seasons in the MLB.

Strengths and weaknesses

Dyson has difficulty playing 100 games in a season. The most he has ever played was in 2014 when he played in 120 games. According to Rotoworld.com, he had surgery for a groin injury in September 2017.

More from Orioles News

• Baltimore Orioles Sign RP Mychal Givens
• Gunnar Henderson: Destroyer of Four-Seam Fastballs
• Which Current Baltimore Orioles Pitchers Have the Best Curveballs?
• Orioles News: Should the O’s Pursue Eovaldi? + More MLB News
• Should the Baltimore Orioles Consider Signing Nathan Eovaldi?

Dyson has a career slash of .258/.325/.352. He usually hits a handful of home runs, the most he has hit in a season is five in 2017. Where he excels is in stealing bases and he recorded 28 of them in 2017. His career high was 36 in 2014. His speed would be a nice addition to the team, as the Orioles as a team stole 32 bases. Manny Machado led the team with nine stolen bags.

Platooning in the outfield

But, a platooning veteran right fielder would make sense for the Orioles as they have several younger players that need to be groomed for the position. The Orioles have Brugman, Austin Hays, and Santander who will be fighting for a spot with the team. Santander needs to play a certain number or he has to be offered back to the Cleveland Indians due to Rule 5 rules. Then, there is Joey Rickard who could platoon in right field and left, too.

Next: The Mount Rushmore of Orioles Greats

It would be nice to find a right fielder who can stick around for a few seasons. Since Nick Markakis left three seasons ago, the Orioles have yet to find a permanent replacement.