The Orioles announced Thursday morning that they’ve recalled top infield prospect Joey Ortiz from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra to Triple-A in his place. Ortiz — who currently ranks as the game’s No. 66 prospect at FanGraphs, No. 88 at Baseball America and No. 91 at MLB.com — will be making his Major League debut the first time he takes the field.
Ortiz, 24, was Baltimore’s fourth-round selection in the 2019 draft and was selected to the 40-man roster back in November, thus protecting him from selection in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft. He’s gotten out to a torrid start in Triple-A this season, slashing .359/.389/.500 with five doubles, a pair of triples, a 6.9% walk rate and a 16.7% strikeout rate that’s considerably lower than average. It’s a strong early followup to a 2022 season in which Ortiz hit .284/.349/.477 with 19 home runs, 35 doubles, six triples and eight steals in a combined 600 plate appearances between Double-A (485) and Triple-A (115).
While he’s spent the vast majority of his professional career to date at shortstop, Ortiz has just shy of 300 innings at second base and another 51 frames of third base under his belt since being drafted. He’s not going to supplant Jorge Mateo at shortstop, given Mateo’s own brilliant start to the season, but Ortiz could see some time at the other two infield spots in the days ahead, with second base seeming particularly plausible.
As Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun points out (Twitter link), the O’s are slated to face left-handed starters in each of their next three games. The left-handed-hitting Vavra likely wouldn’t have gotten a start in any of those three contests, but Ortiz gives manager Brandon Hyde a righty bat off the bench or, speculatively speaking, at second base to start over the lefty-swinging Adam Frazier (who has struggled in general early this season).
It’s not clear just yet whether Ortiz will only be getting a brief call to the Majors or whether he might be earnestly auditioning for a larger role with the club right now. Frazier’s hitting just .208/.288/.333 through his first 80 plate appearances, though it’s unlikely that the Orioles would move on so soon after signing him to a one-year, $8MM deal over the winter. However, it’s at least feasible that Ortiz could spell Frazier against lefties while also seeing a start per week at shortstop, third base and designated hitter, perhaps accruing something close to regular playing time in the process. Injuries, of course, could always create additional opportunity.
Whether it’s just a brief cup of coffee or a more legitimate big league audition, Ortiz’s early promotion will give Baltimore fans a look at yet another promising young position player who could help form the core of the club for the next several years. He’ll join Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, Ryan Mountcastle and Grayson Rodriguez as recent top-100 prospects to take the big league stage at Camden Yards over the past couple seasons, with several more waiting in the wings behind them.
I like ortiz. He doesn’t walk a lot but also doesn’t strike out a lot and has some sneaky Pop. Also great defender.
Maybe he could become an Elvis andrus type of player who hits like 265/320/390 with 12-15 Homers a year and good defense, so he is like a 2.5-3.5 win player.
He is a bit older but covid and injuries have Set him back or he could have been up sooner
Long-term, assuming both him and Jordan Westburg aren’t traded, I think Ortiz settles in as primarily a RH compliment to Gunner Henderson and Jackson Holliday at SS/3B, who are both LHBs (where he could still be very valuable). I think there’s a pretty good chance one of Westburg/Ortiz is eventually moved for pitching though. If Connor Norby is able to remain at 2B long-term and doesn’t end up as a COF/DH, that could alter the calculus too. Plus it’s not like Jorge Mateo and Ramon Urias are worthless scrubs and both have multiple years of control remaining.
TL;DR- The O’s IF picture is getting hella crowded lol.
Lol way too crowded. Frazier was a luxury pickup. Would’ve rather spent that cash elsewhere but it wasn’t a ton either way.
Ortiz could supplant him at 2B. I think Westy and Norby are both trade bait. Ortiz could be as well with Mateo’s play. That may be our starting SS period. The org really likes Ortiz though. He’ll be great at 2B defensively.
Anyway you slice it—I think at least one of Urias, Norby, Westy, and Ortiz is out of the organization before opening day ‘24.
signing Frazier in the first place made little sense given his lack of recent production and plethora of infield options.
Kind of the same conclusion that SD and Seattle came to. Frazier had a .359 with PT, so Preller had to have him. Then he reverted, as BABIP always does. What a fleecing.
You guys ought to watch some O’s games….
Frazier has been one of the major reasons the O’s have been winning games the past few weeks.
Ortiz is needed because of Henderson. Not only isn’t he hitting well, but he’s not a very good 3B and the mistakes he makes at SS (not being positioned properly to take throws, etc.) can only be written off as a learning curve.
I understand why you say that. He did a few things early, but he’s hitting 213. It was a strange signing for a team with an abundance of young middle infield talent.
The question is who plays first base long term, because at some point Hyde will figure out that it’s not Mountcastle. Can’t bat a guy that hit 22 homers last year and a 250 OBP this year 3rd.
I understand this comment because of some big hits early but he’s hitting 213 so it’s obviously not accurate. It is a strange signing given the abundance of young Middle infield talent.
The money would have been better spent finding some help at first base. Can’t have a guy with a 250 OBP batting third and playing 1st.
Ortiz was brought up because the Orioles were facing three lefty starters. Not because Gunnar “isn’t hitting well’ or the untrue “he’s not a very good 3B.”
Yeah, that was the general consensus among Orioles fans. I would have much rather just had Ortiz, Jordan Westburg, and Connor Norby duke it out in ST for the starting 2B gig. All 3 of them had very good years in the high minors last year and the odds that at least 1 of them would outperform Frazier at a fraction of the cost were extremely high.
Counter point: one or two of them struggle, lose confidence, hurt their prospect status, and are neither a focus moving forward nor someone another team wants to trade for. Frazier, though not great offensively any longer, is a known commodity with a plus glove and flexibility. If it’s the AS break and he hits .180 then yeah, you let him go. But Henderson was “can’t miss” and is taking time to adjust, and neither Ortiz or Westburg have his skillset or projectability, so not sure it’s a slam dunk to assume giving them the chance out the gate was going to result in even league avg numbers.
In the unlikely event that none of Ortiz, Westburg, and Norby were able to handle the job to start the season, then you could have just made Urias the everyday 2B.
We also aren’t getting league avg. offense from Frazier….
Just the beginning of the young, talented prospects coming to Baltimore this season!
.500 record at best.
This comment won’t age well.
…..and the .500 record is pushing it.
Just 5 days later and its already not aging well.
Yup 5 days later is the entire season.
Says the guy posting their win/loss record after the first month.
All you have to offer is insults and absolutely nothing else. No knowledge of the game or insight that would make it worth even reading your comments. Sad. I rarely mute people that are not making political, racist, or misogynistic comments. You are the exception to that rule.
Whoever your team is will not want to face the Orioles, no matter what their record ends up being.
They should be good for years if not a decade if they play this right
If they play this right? Anyone can say that about anything. I don’t have the faith in this management team others do.
“Don’t judge them by the first month of the season like a moron.”
Says the dope posting their win percentage after the first month of the season
He is not a baseball fan of any team. He is just a troll. Lives in the muck and mire under a bridge somewhere in the swamps of Jersey. .
75 IQ at best.
Good advice. Keep your comments to yourself.
How about you do that yourself
its another beautiful day in Baltimore!
It’s actually quite overcast.
I’m sure it got a little sunnier when Lamar Jackson signed an extension.
Who?
I was going to say the same thing. There’s a slight chill in the air and the sun is fighting to break through the clouds. For it being almost May I expect more.
Ortiz is a punk kid
He can pick it though
He wil be great taking up room from Holliday when he gets seasoned enough.
I was just jazzing around anyways
Fun times in birdland
Man..the O’s look like they’re gonna be really good for a long time. Looking forward to seeing what happens once they finally bust out their checkbooks to add to their young talent.
That’s what happens when you take the old Astros front office and start over with another team. Astros 2.0 with an even more loaded farm system.
I’m surprised you didn’t use your tired, unfunny “Los Karens” schtick.
When “they finally bust out their checkbooks” where exactly will those guys play?
It’s been all downhill since Pittsburgh for Frazier. Give Ortiz a real shot to win the spot at 2B.
Hell yeah, pumped to see Joey make his debut. I have been higher on him than most for awhile, his glove alone makes him a viable big league piece and his bat has finally started to catch up over the last year and a half or so. Let’s go O’s!
Orioles should package Urias and Stowers for an arm. O’s have enough infield talent to afford losing the GG-flexibility of Urias, and it’s not like Stowers has much of a chance to come back barring an injury.
I don’t think that combination gets the arm we want. They can certainly be included in the package for the one we do though.
yeah I don’t think the return gets more than a decent SP4 kind of arm. Feels like they could work out a package with the Guardians though for someone like Battenfield/Gaddis/Curry/others
Guards are getting zero power in the OF and could use some INF help as well. Valera is still hurt and probably not ready yet anyways..
Another comment from someone that needs to watch the games…..
Urias has been instrumental in winning games for that team the last few weeks – hitting, fielding and baserunning.
Kids here want to trade Urias, Frazier, Mateo, Hays, and Santander. The O’s are winning because of those guys.
One guy on here was worried that the O’s had no set-up man behind the closer Bautista. Yennier Cano – that they stole from the Twins – may well be the best relief pitcher in MLB the past month. He’s retired 25 of the 26 batters he’s faced (hit one guy on the elbow).
O’s don’t need to trade for any name players. They develop those they have under contract. They do it as well as any team in MLB,
and better than most. How many times do I have to write this?
Frazier has not been instrumental to our teams success. I’d venture to say Joey Ortiz ‘a first game last night was as impactful as anything Frazier has done.
That’s the guy and it’ll soon be his job. It was an odd addition given our heavily lefty roster construction. The FO thought they saw an undervalued bounce back candidate. Nobody bats .1000. He’s now good insurance. He’s the alternative to Vavra. That’s a marginal upgrade. — I hope to see Ortiz much more frequently than Frazier.
Frazier has played good D. So he has been instrumental. But not irreplaceable. Not sure there would be a drop off replacing him with Ortiz, whose defensive reputation precedes him.
They need to trade for a bullpen arm and soon.
They are fighting for every win, and wearing our high leverage guys out a little bit.
It is a good problem, but a problem nonetheless
You’re kidding!
They very well may have the best bullpen in MLB.
Who do they dump when they get the new guy?
Yeah no way. The o’s have really tough decisions to make when Givens/Tate are ready to return. We don’t need to add there.
Grayson Rodriguez – 5.12 ERA
Kyle Bradish – 6.30 ERA
Dean Kremer – 6.20 ERA
Cole Irvin – 10.66 ERA
Gibson is doing well so far but he’s due for regression. GrayRod should stabilize and be a solid pitcher IMO, but you have a rotation full of question marks and total duds. Relying on Means to return and return to form is a risky gamble. Hall is 100% a bullpen arm.
O’s should absolutely trade for some SP help, and you can’t get decent starters in this league by trading bench pieces like O’Hearn and Vavra. Also, I only suggested Urias and Stowers, The O’s arent “winning because of guys” like Stowers, because he’s not even there. There are many corner-OF needy teams in the league that would play him every day right now. *That* is value.
And the O’s have been great at developing hitters as of late. Cowser, Ortiz, Norby, Westberg, and even Haskin are all sitting at AAA producing. Given the depth on the fielding side, it’s pretty easy to see that trading from the fielding depth is the best way to get extra rotation help.
Whether that’s Urias or flipping a fielding prospect for an arm… it’s something a lot of teams that want to win would do. But the O’s had a chance to basically do the same last TDL and decided to sell instead.
O’s have had one of the easiest SOS so far (4th easiest) and now face THE #1 toughest remaining SOS. They’re going to find out that you can’t win against good teams with most of those starters.
It doesn’t have to be Urias. It doesn’t have to be Stowers. But if you’re hoping this team is just going to win in the coming years with their current approach on the rotation, it just ain’t gonna happen. They need to deal from their depth to shore it up instead of hoping journeymen and low/mid-grade pitching prospects turn into studs.
Excellent comment and state of the union. As an Os fan that’s watched every game thus far, if I had the time to type out a lengthy summary, this would be it. Though the “sell” from last year might be a buy seeing how the return for Jorge Lopez seems to be working out.
Left out Wells of course, because he’s fine. Irvin’s in the minors being reworked.
O’s have built a sensational bullpen out of rejected pitchers, so they seem to know something about working with pitchers.
The teams is still a work in progress coming out of a rebuild. Position players will always be ahead or pitchers.
A trade can be beneficial to a team. But trying to build a team off of trades only has a chance if the team has at least a $200m payroll. O’s are a small market team.
2023 is a year to be a playoff contender, not a strong WS candidate team. O’s are on track to be a perennial contender for the next 5 years…and they’ll be doing it primarily with players that they developed – in the minors and majors.
P.S. One of the reasons their SOS was so strong was because they beat the teams they beat.
25 games is a decent sample size.
Enjoying Rutschman hitting well (which should continue) and Mateo (while it lasts). The most pleasant development for me with the offense has been improved patience especially Cedric Mullins. Just let him lead off at this point instead of bouncing him to 9th. Because they’ve been getting on base better they’ve worked guys around and come back and won a couple because of this.
Pitching? Meh. Gibson will regress downward, G Rodriguez will regress upward. I remain completely unimpressed by the rest of the rotation – you can’t take much stock in good outings against the A’s and Tigers, let’s see it happen against the Yanks and Jays. Bullpen doing well but my concern is it being tired late in the season as always with the Orioles.
Frazier as much as some on this board liked this pickup is a little less deep a hole in the lineup as Odor was. Glad to see Ortiz get a chance and not just keeping Vavra up because he’s cheap. I”m not worried about Henderson he will improve.
I know they haven’t hit the meat of their schedule yet but I’d much rather start 17-8 versus digging out of 14-24. Its too early to say whether they make the playoffs, its on the pitching holding up. Ask again around August 1.
Don’t forget, there’s Connor Norby at 2nd in Norfolk, played all 3 levels last season and had a stellar performance. He’s the future second baseman!