Nolan Reimold Comes Up!

The Orioles started the year with twelve pitchers. Now the team has twelve outfielders. Maybe not twelve exactly, but somewhere in that neighborhood. Nolan Reimold came up to supplement an outfield corps that wasn't really injured, but wasn't really healthy either. Luke Scott's shoulder, Felix Pie's stomach, and now Adam Jones' hamstring were all acting up, but not badly enough to send anyone to the DL. As a result, Baltimore is down to eleven pitchers. Tough luck, Bob McCrory, I hope you kept your apartment in Norfolk.

One of these days, all of the outfield crew will be totally healthy and it will be decision time. What the O's would really like to see is any one of Pie, Reimold, or Lou Montanez step up and claim a starting spot. Left field is there for whoever can grab it.

I think Nolan Reimold is in a nice, no pressure situation. If he does poorly, he goes back to AAA with nobody thinking the worse of him since he only has six weeks at that level. He would get another shot in a few months. If he does well, he could vault past Pie and Montanez on the depth chart. He is in a win/win. Or at least a win/can't lose.

Pie is also fairly secure. Even if he loses the competition he will likely stick as a fourth outfielder. I don't think he will lose though. He seems to be doing a little better now that he has some competition. He hit the long home run last night. I've been traveling and haven't been able to see for myself, but second hand reports have it that his defense is becoming much smoother.

Lou Montanez is the one who must feel the pressure. If he plays worse than Reimold and Pie, its easy to send him to Norfolk where he would be out of sight and out of mind. When Jones/Scott/Pie are all healthy again someone will have to go and unless Montanez can decisively beat out Reimold, I think Lou is the odd man out. He hasn't duplicated last year's success and he doesn't have the high ceiling of Pie and Reimold.

Maybe he can room with McCrory.