Orioles catcher situation, Wynns reinstated
There is no doubt that the catching position for the Baltimore Orioles is a complicated, but encouraging subject. The Orioles did not consider the catching position a strength heading into the 2019 season, that is until newly hired General Manager, Mike Elias, came along. Elias wasted little time upgrading the position, adding veteran players Jesus Sucre and Carlos Perez, while also acquiring Pedro Severino to the mix early in spring. It was pretty clear that the front runners for the position were Austin Wynns and Chance Sisco before spring training began. But with these new acquisitions, they had to fight for their spot on the 25-man roster.
It was looking pretty clear that Chance Sisco would make the club after putting up impressive numbers in spring training. Sisco played in 15 games this past spring, batting an impressive .382/.533/.765 in 45 plate appearances. In a shocking turn of events, Sisco was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in the late spring roster cuts. Mike Elias stressed the fact that he wanted the young Oriole prospects, like Sisco, Austin Hays, and Anthony Santander to develop thoroughly in the minor leagues before leading the club in the majors. So far, Sisco has cooled down his hot bat, batting just .200/.259/.260 in 13 games for the Tides this season. Sisco will be in the majors one way or another later this season, so hopefully he develops solid defense behind the plate and wakes up his bat before he gets called up.
Late this spring, the team decided to bring a veteran and a young up-and-comer up north to Baltimore. Jesus Sucre would be the club’s primary catcher, while Pedro Severino would take the backup role. Sucre was picked up by the Orioles for two reasons- his veteran presence and his solid defense. So far this season, Sucre has been a great leader and mentor to his fellow teammates. He has played in 18 games, batting .232/.271/.268 in the young season. But Sucre’s impact on the team is self-evident. In fact, both Sucre and Severino are very vocal and emotional behind the plate. If a pitch was thrown poorly, they will get on the pitcher and tell him to settle in and get on track. It is also known that both backstops have cannons for arms. It certainly looks like Sucre will be a short-term member of this team, but his leadership is great for the younger players, especially Severino.
There is one man who the Orioles have somewhat forgot about. That man is Austin Wynns. Wynns played only six games in spring training due to a nagging oblique injury. Last week, Wynns was rehabbing at Double-A Bowie, but now he has officially been reinstated from the injured list and was immediately optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Tides now have three catchers on their roster- Chance Sisco, Carlos Perez, and the newly added Austin Wynns. When asked about Wynns’ return from injury, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said this to the media.
“We just didn’t have room for him here as of right now, but we like Austin Wynns a lot. Kind of a tough break there at the end of spring training with the oblique, but he’s 100 percent healthy. I’m sure we’ll see him up here at some point.”
Brandon Hyde- Orioles manager
The Orioles have a lot of decisions to make regarding their catching core. Is Chance Sisco the future at the catching position, or is it Pedro Severino? Will Jesus Sucre be with the club all year? What does the future hold for 28-year-old Austin Wynns? Will the Orioles draft a catcher such as Adley Rutschiman or Shea Langeliers with the No. 1 overall pick? All we can do at this moment is trust the process and walk with Elias.
