I really have no idea. Heading in to this spring, I would have sworn Felix Pie was a lock because of his ability to play center and left fields. Moreover, I thought the Orioles were sure to trade Luke Scott for a couple minor leaguers, but it appears they want his bat in the lineup behind Vladimir Guerrero.
Pie has gotten off to a slow start this spring, batting just .205 with less than two weeks to go before opening day. Also, at times the last two seasons, Pie has had several defensive lapses, but did show improvement last season. The biggest issue that I have with Pie is his health. Pie missed a good portion of last season with a torn muscle in his back.
Because of the back injury to Pie last season, the O’s were forced to play Nolan Reimold. Reimold was coming off an Achilles injury and surgery and got off to a terrible start. This spring, however, Reimold has been hitting at a .318 clip with occasional power. Reimold has also shown the ability to play right field, which would give Nick Markakis a couple days off during the season.
At this point, I think I would still give the nod to Pie. Pie isn’t a great hitter, but he has superior speed to Reimold. A big advantage that Pie has is his lack of an option. I’m not sure the O’s would want to expose Pie to waivers and let him go without getting something for him.
Reimold will probably be optioned to Triple-A Norfolk and wait for either an injury or a trade to happen. I think he has the potential to be a very good hitter with solid power at the big league level.
Expect Pie to make the 25-man roster, but if he doesn’t produce off the bench we could be seeing Reimold sooner rather than later.
Recent Comments