The Orioles have interest in bringing free agent Gerardo Parra back in 2016, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports. Executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette said that the team was looking to keep the outfielder on a long-term when the O’s first acquired him at the trade deadline, and sources tells Connolly that the Orioles’ stance hasn’t changed.
Parra, for his part, said he will focus on his future once the season is over but is “for sure” open to a return. “I like the fans. I like the team. I like the players. I like everything about here. It’s a great team and all the people are good to me,” Parra said.
Reports in mid-September also suggested that the O’s still had interest in retaining Parra, though Connolly’s update indicates that Parra’s continued struggles haven’t scared the Orioles away. Since coming to Baltimore, Parra has hit only .215/.244/.340 with five homers over 212 plate appearances. Parra admitted that he has had some trouble adjusting in his first stint in the AL due to facing several unfamiliar pitchers for the first time.
Prior to this season, Parra was known more for his excellent defense than his bat, as he had a middling .274/.326/.395 career slash line from 2009-14. In the first four months of the 2015 season, however, Parra hit .328/.369/.517 over 351 PA with the Brewers, though that performance was aided by a .372 BABIP.
MLBTR’s Jeff Todd examined Parra’s free agent case last month and opined that Parra could find a four-year deal this winter, as his outfield versatility, left-handed hitting potential and age (he turns 29 in May 2016) make him an appealing target within the second tier of free agent outfielders. Given Parra’s poor September, a four-year deal may no longer be realistic given that some front offices could write off his first four months as a BABIP-fueled anomaly.
Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun recently suggested that the O’s could look to extend Parra before he hits the open market, five days after the conclusion of the World Series. It was just last October that the Orioles moved quickly to lock up impending free agent J.J. Hardy, extending the shortstop while the club was still in the postseason. Parra’s struggles may, in a sense, help the Orioles hammer out a new deal since his price tag is now lower than it was even a few weeks ago. Signing Parra quickly would also get one piece of offseason business out of the way in what looks to be a very busy winter for Duquette and company, as Baltimore has seven other free agents and 11 arbitration-eligible players on the roster.
I would welcome him back!
He gets himself into shape and has a focused off-season.
I think he would be great in RF in 2016.
You combine that with the signing of Alex Gordon for LF.
The Oriole outfield would be pretty stout if you ask me.
Extending Parra would be a mistake. Coming from a Phillies fan, you need to know when it is time to rebuild and that time is now for Baltimore. They haven’t crossed the line that would require them to do a full tear down, but a retool would be beneficial. They will have 3 additional first rounders upon saving the money and letting Davis, Wieters and Chen walk which would really help out that barren farm system. In terms of replacements, Caleb Joseph is a more than adequate replacement behind the dish for now, Christian Walker should get an audition at first, with a guy like Napoli or Jaso signed as a safety net in case it doesn’t work (If it does, they can sell the extra one for prospects), the bullpen can be improved with a few low-key additions and Parra can be replaced with Rajai Davis for half the price on a 1 year deal.
While I agree with your notion that the O’s should learn from the mistakes of the Phillies, there’s a flaw in a piece of your thinking. Signing a player like Davis on a one-year deal is fine if there are OF prospects on the way with Baltimore that seem to be close but just a bit short of making it. The O’s have two OF holes if Parra leaves and the two “prospects” on the verge of making it (Alvarez & Urrutia) don’t seem to be ready to take over on their own anytime soon. Both have holes in their games and Davis alone would not hold down the fort for a year until they’re ready. The O’s need to go and find a legit starting OF for more than 2016.
The Orioles have 60 million coming off the books so they can spend some money. They also shouldn’t go into rebuild mode and waste Machado, Schoop, Jones, etc. They got burned this year by another year of Duquette “letting the market play out” ie dumpster diving. Napoli would be a dumpster dive. Walker isn’t ready. He looks massively over-matched at the plate. Sign Davis and a legitimate top of the rotation starter and let Wieters and Chen walk.