Orioles give former top Reds slugging prospect another chance with "curious" MLB deal

The last thing that the Baltimore Orioles need is more players that contribute to their roster inflexibility. While Baltimore's roster has real talent, there are more than a few current Orioles players who not only don’t have any minor league options remaining, but also only function in very narrow roles on a baseball field. One need only look at the hitters they have who should be 1B/DH only as proof of that.

Unfortunately, the Orioles front office led by Mike Elias is still in love with raw tools, even with the addition of new general manager Jared Banner. After the Orioles acquired Rece Hinds at the trade deadline this past year, the team has decided to bring him back on a major-league deal.

As to why the Orioles made this decision, your guess is as good as ours, though we can take some educated guesses as to the team’s rationale.

Orioles bring back Rece Hinds on major league deal as the latest team to attempt to unlock his power

There are a lot of reasons not to give Hinds a shot at all. He did not play well in Baltimore after the trade with a .523 OPS, and his time with the Reds and Marlins before that wasn't any better. As it turns out, striking out half the time makes it incredibly difficult to stick in professional baseball. It isn't even easy to stash him for a rainy day in the minors, as Hinds is out of minor league options.

However, the case for giving Hinds a chance is actually incredibly simple, and that is that his raw power is up there with anyone in baseball. While his MLB numbers have been nightmare fuel, Hinds' production in the minor leagues has been much better, and the tape measure homers have been numerous. Yes, the strikeouts were still a problem, but that is a lot easier to live with when you are also an extra-base hit machine.

Despite the odds being low that it works, there is little risk for the Orioles with this signing...probably. If Baltimore is willing to bring Hinds back on a big-league deal, it is because he showed them something they liked AND he was willing to sign for cheap. If it doesn't work out, the Orioles can likely send Hinds packing without much fuss. Giving him a valuable roster spot right out of the gate could create opportunity cost concerns this offseason, but it's unlikely the Baltimore front office has rose-colored glasses to the degree that that will be a problem.

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