The Orioles struck a minor-league deal to re-sign infielder Luis Sardinas, according to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. He had played with the club on a minors deal in 2017.
Sardinas, who’s still just 24 years of age, landed in Baltimore late in May via waiver claim. He had opened the year with the Padres, struggling to a .163/.226/.163 slash in 53 plate appearances to open the season. The O’s promptly outrighted him to Triple-A Norfolk.
Things went better at the plate for Sardinas after the move. He posted a .319/.348/.419 batting line and hit five home runs (a personal best) in his 331 trips to the plate at the highest level of the minors.
If he can sustain palatable offensive numbers, Sardinas could be a useful piece given his highly regarded glove. Perhaps there’s still hope his bat will come around at some point, but Tim Beckham will have first dibs on the shortstop job in Baltimore. For now, the O’s will likely consider Sardinas as a utility candidate in Spring Training.
The end of the flash era as the orioles utility man.
Flaherty man, in a way I kind of feel bad for him, but when he was given his opportunities and he couldn’t capitalize. The first of the Rule 5 Dan Duquette guys whose careers are rotting in the orioles organization. (sometimes unfairly). Flaherty/McFarland/Garcia/Rickard/Santander.
Idk about that. These guys most likely wouldn’t have gotten shot with their respective organizations. There’s a reason they were eligible for the 40 man. Rickard would be no better than the 5th probably 6th best OF option on the Rays. Santander wouldn’t sniff the bigs on the Indians for at least another year. Flaherty got his opportunity in Baltimore, he’s not a regular. Most guys plucked out of this draft aren’t. Santander has plenty of time to develop there were no abs for him last year. Depending on what we do in free agency he could be in for a decent sized role this year. McFarland got every opportunity as well, he is what he is. It’s a crapshoot and we haven’t really found any key contributors yet. Though I think Rickard has gotten more playing time than he would’ve ever gotten in TB or most rosters. And like I said Santander has some intrigue. Sure we’ll be adding another name this year.
I agree they have had their opportunities, but the roster and DL manipulations side track their careers years. Garcia was DL and Rule 5 stashed in ’15 and now can’t even make it out of AA. Rickard was squeezed to the minors last year and may be squeezed down there again, same thing with McFarland and in some instances Flaherty. I guess what I am trying to say is that they are doing the players no favors by drafting them/stashing them on the 25 (or DL) and then option them down to the minors. IMO it kind of defeats the purpose of the Rule 5 Draft if they keep optioning them down to the minors, Johan/Herrera/Hamilton/Deshields are all examples of how the system is supposed to work…. not just sticking with TJ Mcfarland for 1 year and then shuttling him back and forth between minors until he’s out of options or Arb eligibility gets too expensive.
Rickard was squeezed down to the minors for a couple of weeks. He won the starting job out of spring training in 2016 and then lost it due to his play. Next year if he is squeezed down it will be because Hays and Mullins are better. McFarland is a AAAA pitcher with a below average fastball which is why he will ride the shuttle back and forth no matter what organization he is in. He did it again with Arizona this year. He had 2013 and 2014 to show it and was mediocre Flaherty is a utility player. Flaherty played 31 games total in the minors between 2012 and 2016, most of them injury rehab. If he could beat someone out to start in the infield or outfield he would have. Oft injured Garcia walks too many people 4.5/9 for his career including the minors and hadn’t pitched above A ball before being taken so he was a big gamble anyway so him struggling to get out of AA could just mean he wasn’t ever destined to turn into a major leagurer.. A little early to be judging the Santandler pick since he was injured most of the year and will have to start next year in Baltimore or be sent back.
Well, kinda. I agree on Garcia he wasn’t capable of pitching in the big leagues and we had to hide him. Similar to what we would’ve had to do/did for awhile with Santander last year. Although easier because he’s a position player. But de shields, Herrera, etc all turned out to be very good players. Deshields was optioned down last year though. McFarland Rickard flaherty etc aren’t very good players. They are guys who hang on the fringes of MLB teams. It’s just a different caliber of player
Again, The O’s select these players with the intention of stashing them in Norfolk. As soon as they possibly can. Rickard won the job last year, got hurt and wasn’t the same that year. I’ve lost count of how many times they have had to use the maximum 20 day rehab time just so they can juggle two fringe players in their organization. This past season with Gentry/Santander they squeezed down Rickard until rosters expanded. I get that these players my not be star caliber, but I’m not a big fan of selecting them in the Rule 5, keeping sub-replacement level player on the roster all year, then sending them back and forth to the minors, their original team could have done that with a better understanding of their skill sets. It will happen again, Rickard is a great 4th OF IMO, but he and Hays will be sent to Norfolk while they try to salvage another Rule 5 player. Ever since they have started doing this I feel it has not been about the best 25 at the big league club.
McFarland had pretty much 2 full years 2013 and 2014 on the major league roster except when then sent him down for a couple weeks to stretch him out to try him as a starter so how is that stashing him as soon as possible? They were trying to keep him healthy. How heartless and bad for his development. Flaherty spent 31 games total in the minors between 2012 and 2016 and mostly due to injury rehab. Sending him down 5 years later sure doesn’t seem like as soon as possible. If he could beat out Beckham he would have been the starting shortstop. Rickard swings at too much crap getting regular playing time in the minors can help him learn how to identify pitches than being a 4th outfielder playing once or twice a week.
Hays should probably be down most of the year until he hits in AAA. He didn’t look ready last year and we don’t really need a guy not producing in the bigs at this point. Rickard is a fine 4th outfielder/AAA shuttle guy. Santander may cause us problems this year. Hopefully we’re not keeping him up and having to hide him because he isn’t useful. In most cases where we took a rule 5 guy he was our best option. Flaherty has spent very little time in the minors, McFarland is a AAA/shuttle guy who was worth keeping on the ml roster a whole year cause he was pitching well. Only Garcia and Santander have been forced on us so far, hopefully we don’t do that again. we’ll see
I can’t believe how young this guy is
Wow! Those are decent numbers for playing at Norfolk. Surprised he didn’t get a September call up. Most have been a 40 man thing.
Every time Matt Eddy posts another update of Minor League Transactions it makes my day much better.
Agreed !!!
Machado/Schoop/Mancini/Davis help out the team so much with flexibility, that Flaherty is no longer necessary. Sardinas hopefully will be better, but can’t be much worse, he will also be cheaper. I wouldn’t be surprised he makes the ML Roster.
Movin Flaherty to the rotation…..the master plan is all coming together….
But he will flat line in the majors
Keep him
I couldn’t be happier that the padres cut him
Sardinas — still wet behind the gills, but has been schooled well; will do swimmingly. I’d bet a fin on it.