Steve Lombardozzi earning his keep
When the Baltimore Orioles traded for Steve Lombardozzi late in spring training it was not a highly publicized deal. Twelve games in, the Orioles look to have a valuable player for years as he is not free agency eligible until 2018.
Lombardozzi has played great defense in his first 12 games as an Orioles but what has been most impressive has been his at bats. Lombardozzi reminds me of a younger Brian Roberts, always having good at bats even when he made outs. The average has been there early in the season batting .298 for the Orioles with a triple.
Lombardozzi may not have the power that Jonathan Schoop or Ryan Flaherty have but he has his value. I see Lombardozzi as a guy who could potentially be a lead off man or a ninth batter that helps turn the order over.
The Orioles have a very tough call when Manny Machado comes back when it comes to second base. The Orioles have three players that could play there and that all have unique skills. With the Orioles lineup being filled with power, I think having one player that lacks power but gets on base consistently will be a good thing.
What do you think of Lombardozzi?
