Baltimore Orioles: Two New Intriguing Middle Infield Options

The Baltimore Orioles want to add a middle infielder this offseason. Will they turn to one of these recently non-tendered options?

With Jonathan Villar now out of the picture, the Baltimore Orioles need help up the middle and a versatile infielder who can flash the leather is on the short shopping list for Mike Elias as he prepares for this offseason’s Winter Meetings in San Diego next week.

At the moment, the only middle infielders on the 40-man roster are Hanser Alberto, Pat Valaika, Richie Martin, and Stevie Wilkerson. Alberto will start somewhere, Valaika has posted a wRC+ of 34 and 9 in each of his last two big league seasons, Martin seems likely to spend 2020 developing in the minor leagues, and I’m not convinced Wilkerson is on the Opening Day roster.

Unfortunately, anyone added before the start of the 2020 season isn’t going to be much of an upgrade, but this is the current state of the Baltimore Orioles. Winning baseball games isn’t on the list of short term goals, neither is paying baseball players who hit 24 home runs and steal 40 bases, but enough of that.

We discussed three middle infield options immediately after the World Series, which you can read here. Two of these options are still on the table, but it appears that Jose Iglesias won’t be a target for the Orioles who believe him to be a clubhouse distraction.

We also discussed the possibility of former Chicago White Sox infielder Yolmer Sanchez, who is my personal pick for who the Orioles should bring in. I’m a sucker for elite fielding shortstops who can’t hit, seriously. It’s a lot like my love for random relievers who no one has ever heard of.

With a new group of options hitting the free agent market at Monday’s non-tender deadline, it’s only right we look through these new options and see if anyone sticks out. We found two names to discuss, but first, let’s address the Addison Russell possibility.

No. Absolutely not. From purely a baseball standpoint, Russell makes all the sense in the world. Sign him for dirt cheap, put him in a hitter’s park, and watch him come back to life at the plate. But this is about more than just baseball. Thanks for starting this firestorm, Buster Olney.

Let’s look at the two options we like among the group of recently non-tendered middle infielders, starting with a guy who doesn’t strike out that much.

Jose Peraza will be an attractive option for many clubs, including the Baltimore Orioles.

In 2018, Jose Peraza played in 157 games for the Cincinnati Reds, slashing .288/.326/.416 with a career-high 14 home runs, 58 RBI, 31 doubles, and was worth 2.6 Wins Above Replacement, per Fangraphs. It was a breakout season for a 24-year-old who increased his wRC+ from 61 to 96 and went from a -0.3 fWAR player to a valuable contributor.

Unfortunately, the bat went silent in 2019 and the Reds saw a number of breakout performers step up and take Peraza’s place in the lineup during his struggles. Cincinnati tried to move Peraza around both the infield and outfield, but the bat refused to wake up.

Appearing in 141 games, Peraza hit .239 with a .285 OBP, six home runs, and a well-below league average wRC+ of 62. He was worth -0.6 fWAR and stole just seven bases after swiping 67 over the last three seasons (21, 23, 23).

Peraza has plenty of similarities to Hanser Alberto, including ranking in the bottom 5% of the league in average exit velocity, one of the lowest barrel contact rates in the league (0.3%), a low walk rate (4.2%), and a low strikeout rate (14.6%). He also hit .287 against LHP and .220 against RHP.

Again, no one the Orioles sign is going to a game-changer, but Peraza is still young (25 years old), can play at second base, shortstop, and a little outfield, ranks in the 75th percentile in sprint speed, and his advanced defensive metrics were some of the highest of his career last year. There are plenty of worse utility options out there.