Baltimore Orioles Should Take A Gander At Greg Bird

Should the Baltimore Orioles take a look at signing a guy like Greg Bird to a minor league deal?

All I want for Christmas is to wake up in some alternate reality in which the Baltimore Orioles signed Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon, did not have Chris Davis on the books for so much money and did not go 54-108 in 2019.

However, as we’ve seen lately, Orioles fans do not receive nice things. This offseason, in comparison to Christmas, is usually somewhere between a lump of coal and stocking full of black licorice.

The hot stove for Birds’ fans is more like a gas grill in the wintertime, covered and unused. The Orioles have made a few moves this offseason, like putting one of their best players from a season ago, Jonathan Villar, on waivers. This is while watching the Yankees and Blue Jays make big splashes by signing top of the rotation guys, with Cole going to New York and Hyun-Jin Ryu signing with Toronto.

However, with the aforementioned struggles of Chris Davis I have probably written more about than any other contributor on Birds Watcher, the first base position is a position where the Orioles could use a little more depth.

With the Orioles stuck in the Davis deal and Trey Mancini and Renato Núñez also seeing extended time at first base, the Birds are not necessarily in need of another first baseman. And with Ryan Mountcastle most likely in Baltimore soon, his presence helps the first base depth, even though it looks like the outfield might be the position the Orioles have finally decided on for him (expected to get looks at second and third base this spring, as well).

All of these players are capable, part-time first baseman but with Davis in his rut and none of the other guys really being utilized as a full-time first baseman, maybe a set in stone first baseman would be a good player to sign.

Should that player be Greg Bird? It makes a lot of sense.

Bird, once a big-time prospect in the Yankees organization, was supposed to be a guy cranking bombs in a lineup with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. He showed tremendous promise in his rookie season in 2015 with 11 home runs and an .871 OPS in 46 games, but was hindered by injuries and inconsistent play over the last three seasons. He did have a three home-run postseason in 2017 as the Yankees took the eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros to seven games in the ALCS.

With his injury history, it seems all he may need is just one year of health to get him back to the guy with all the promise after the 2015 season. The Orioles should sign him to a minor league deal to add depth to the organization, put him in AAA Norfolk to start and see what he does.

Núñez could be a guy who regresses in 2019 or moved via trade at some point, Mountcastle and Mancini will probably play in the outfield and Davis will likely ride the pine once he showcases his struggles at the plate, once again. There could be a point where a rejuvenated Greg Bird could see some time with an organization trying to rejuvenate itself and maybe could find his way back to being a full-time, productive first baseman at the major league level.

Bird is still just 27, brings a lot of power from the left side of the plate, and has options remaining, meaning he can be stashed away in Norfolk for the time being. If he can be had on a minor league deal, why not?