Baltimore Orioles: Projected Arbitration Figures And Decisions

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 12: Hanser Alberto #57 of the Baltimore Orioles rounds the bases after hitting a 3-run home run to left field in the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on August 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Hanser Alberto has a home with the Baltimore Orioles.

2019 salary- $578,000 MLBTR projected salary- $1.9 million

A lot of fans probably never even knew the Orioles had claimed Hanser Alberto off waivers this offseason (on two different occasions), yet the journeyman utility infielder found himself challenging for the American League batting title up until the end of the season in his first season as an Oriole.

Alberto will be back with the Orioles next year, hopefully playing more second base where his glove played up a bit, compared to shortstop and third base.

He doesn’t walk (2.9% of plate appearances), he doesn’t get a lot of extra-base hits (.116 ISO), and his average exit velocity and hard-hit percentage both ranked among the bottom 1% of all major league hitters.

What Alberto does do well is get on base and mash left-handed pitching. A .398 average against LHP probably isn’t sustainable, but if he can trade some of that in to balance out his .238 average against RHP, the Orioles will be happy.

Pay the man and let him play as much as possible in 2020. The Orioles have a number of younger prospects with higher upside who project to fill the same role as Alberto (Rylan Bannon being one). If Alberto can continue to impress next season, he could be a trade chip (although not a highly valuable one) and his salary is off the books and replaced by a rookie contract such as Bannon’s.