Report: Orioles interested in lefty-hitting OFs CarGo, Jay
If the season opened today, the Baltimore Orioles' starting lineup would be predominantly right-handed, but the front office might have eyes on some potential left-handed hitters to help fix that issue, while also adding some outfielders to the mix.
Baltimore is interested in multiple free-agent outfielders who hit from the left side, including Carlos Gonzalez, Jon Jay, and Jarrod Dyson, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.
The team "is going to bring in a left-handed bat" this winter, Kubatko reports.
Slugger Trey Mancini is Baltimore's likely left-field starter. If no additional moves are made, right field would appear to be up for grabs among a large list of players that might include Joey Rickard, Austin Hays, and Jaycob Brugman; of those three, only Brugman hits from the left side.
Jay doesn't hit for the kind of power that's become a staple of recent Orioles teams, but he gets on base at a steady clip, something the Orioles - whose .312 on-base percentage in 2017 ranked 27th - desperately need atop their lineup. Jay's .374 OBP last season with the Chicago Cubs was a career high, and would've led the 2017 Orioles by a significant margin.
Last season, Jay slashed .296/.374/.375 with 23 extra-base hits in 141 games, while shuffling between all three outfield positions.
Gonzalez, meanwhile, is coming off a down year, but would be a near perfect fit in the middle of all that right-handed power if he's able to bounce back. A move to Baltimore and Camden Yards' friendly right-field porch might be just what Gonzalez needs to resuscitate his career.
The 32-year-old Gonzalez slashed .262/.339/.423 (87 OPS+) and hit 14 homers over 136 games with the Colorado Rockies last year. Although his slash line and power numbers dropped off in 2017, Gonzalez did hit 34 doubles and tied a career high with 56 walks.
Baltimore may face competition from the Rockies for Gonzalez, as they're reportedly looking at re-signing him for a 10th season in Denver.
Besides Jay and Gonzalez, Baltimore continues to be interested in the speedy Dyson.
Baltimore was previously reported to be one of four teams considering switch-hitting free-agent outfielder Melky Cabrera.