Trade Mark Trumbo

I place this one last of my six because it’s contingent on other things occurring. I’m not in the camp that the Orioles need to dump Trumbo’s salary no matter what. Yes, the 31-year-old slugger had a down season in 2017, hitting fewer than half the number of homers he did in 2016 (23 to 47). But I believe his output is somewhere in between those two years, and, if that’s the case, then the $26 million or so over two years remaining on his deal is fair market price. Therefore, dumping him for the sake of dumping him is ridiculous. But given the emergence of Trey Mancini, the need for a defensive upgrade in right and Chris Davis’ hold on the first base job, Trumbo doesn’t fit particularly well onto this roster. So. if he could be moved for a veteran starting pitcher (or an available third baseman if Machado is dealt), then the Orioles should do it. A lot depends on what the club’s budget is – no one seems to know that answer again this year – and whether the Orioles could get anything worthwhile in exchange for Trumbo. I repeat: I think Trumbo will be better in 2018 and I don’t think his contract is a problem, assuming he performs better than he did in 2017. But if it is movable, for a piece that fits better on a revamped roster, do it. If they can’t improve in other areas with a trade, then Trumbo is a good bat to keep around.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7