Vazquez, 25, was acquired by the Orioles in a minor trade with the Cubs last offseason. He was a 14th-round pick by Chicago in 2017 and only made his big-league debut last year in an 11-game cameo with the Cubs. He took on a bigger role on the bench for Baltimore this past year, but has yet to establish himself as more than just a depth option at the big league level. In 67 plate appearances, spread over 43 in the majors between the two clubs, Vazquez has hit just .145/.194/.210 (13 wRC+). With a 29.9% strikeout rate in the Majors, a 4.5% walk rate and little power, it’s hard to see Vazquez hitting enough to be a reliable bench option in the big leagues without another step forward in his development.
However, that didn’t stop the Orioles from signing Vazquez to a big-league contract earlier this month. It’s a tactic that creates a win-win situation for both player and team; Vazquez will receive a guaranteed salary slightly higher than the MLB minimum, while the Orioles can safely cut him from the roster without fear of another team claiming him or Vazquez declining the assignment in favor of free agency. That could allow Vazquez to serve as depth for Baltimore, while also potentially continuing his development at Triple-A. Despite his poor results in the majors, Vazquez has fared quite well for the Orioles’ Norfolk affiliate, posting a .271/.343/.413 (106 wRC+) slash line at this level.
Whether Vazquez manages to take a step forward at the plate or not, he still has great value for Baltimore given his defensive prowess and versatility. Vazquez is a solid defender at shortstop and at both second and third base. He has also made brief cameos at first base and in the outfield corners. A high-performance infield glove with the versatility to play the outfield in an emergency and the speed to be a solid pinch runner has value as a potential stopgap to fill out a team’s roster if injuries create vacancies over the course of the season. The fact that Vazquez can fill that role while still young enough to have the potential benefits of future development made him an intriguing enough asset for the Orioles to offer him a little extra guaranteed money to keep him in the fold.
As for the big league bench, the Orioles think they have a combination of them Leody Taveras, Jeremiah Jackson, Maverick Handley, Ryan NodaAnd Heston Kjerstad as reserves, with Taveras having the tightest grip on a bench spot of that group. Two spots on the bench currently seem likely to be used on a platoon in between Ryan Mountcastle And Samuel Basallo at DH, as well as a Tyler O’Neill/Dylan Bevers platoon in right field. Of course, the Orioles’ positional mix could still be significantly altered before Opening Day if a trade thins the herd or if Baltimore continues its pursuit of a big bat even after adding Taylor districtas seems likely.
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