Orioles' Hyun Soo Kim: Currently in line for platoon role in left field

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said the team plans to platoon Kim with Joey Rickard in left field for 2017, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Analysis:

With the potential loss of Mark Trumbo in free agency, the O's are apparently setting their sights on finding a regular right fielder this offseason, while leaving left field to a duo that covered a combined 105 games at the position in 2016. While the construction of the lineup is unclear with approximately four months to go before Opening Day, Kim was often used as the No. 2 hitter during the second half of last season. Although he struggled during spring training and initially to open last season, Kim finished with a .302/.382/.420 line. It should be noted, however, that Kim contributed very little in terms of home runs (six) and stolen bases (one), but he could be a useful source of runs scored if the team's current left-field plans afford him four or five starts per week on the large side of a platoon.