Orlando has been an interesting team this season. Fighitng for the division crown, they had a rough June (13-14), great May (19-9), and strong start to July (7-3). Their pitching staff should be the envy of most teams, with a rotation and bullpen who are respectively ranked 2nd in ERA and anywhere between 2nd and 4th in every major pitching category. The hitting has been a more complicated tale. The good news? 1st in slugging, 1st in extra-base hits, 1st in home runs. The bad news? 9th in batting average, 9th in on-base percentage, 9th in hits, and 7th in runs scored. With some players having down years (Pudge leading the pack), it’s not necessarily unsurprising, but one position stands out as complicated more than others.
Need: Third Baseman
Jose Valentin entes the time of this publication with a .166/.233/.389 slash, striking out 100 times in 301 at-bats. 18 home runs is nice, but given the other counting numbers, has an OPS+ of 67. Thank goodness for decent defense keeping his WAR in the positive. This is a team on the cusp of doing something impressive with their pitching, but this black hole at third base could hold them short.
Possible Targets
Chris Brown – Los Angeles Dodgers: Would certainly go against the defense they have in their infield, but as was said for the Texas Rangers, the bat profiles nicely and would do the job.
Leo Gomez – Baltimore Orioles: Actually a really interesting fit – not impeccable defense, but decent enough, and 23 home runs fits the Orlando mold. Will never wow with batting average, but has profiled as an above-average bat his entire career.
Ken Caminiti – San Diego Padres: Thinking WAY outside of the box, Caminiti has been good, but not great for the Padres since coming over from Orlando earlier this season. Could there be a match to bring the Orlando hero home once again?