In a few weeks, we’ll be running a two-team mock expansion draft here at MLBTR. Currently, we’re creating 15-player protected lists for each of the existing 30 teams. You can catch up on the rules for player eligibility here.
So far, we’ve done the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays. The Orioles are next.
Free agent Jose Iglesias has a club option for 2021, but we won’t force the Orioles to use a protected spot on him. We will make them include Chris Davis and Alex Cobb, players with full or partial no-trade rights. After those two, I’ll lock in seven more players:
Trey Mancini
John Means
Austin Hays
Hunter Harvey
Hanser Alberto
Renato Nunez
Anthony Santander
That leaves six spots for these 23 players:
Shawn Armstrong
Richard Bleier
Miguel Castro
Paul Fry
Mychal Givens
David Hess
Travis Lakins
Richie Martin
Cedric Mullins
Evan Phillips
Rio Ruiz
Tanner Scott
Pedro Severino
Chance Sisco
Dwight Smith Jr.
DJ Stewart
Kohl Stewart
Cole Sulser
Dillon Tate
Andrew Velazquez
Hector Velazquez
Asher Wojciechowski
Austin Wynns
With that, we turn it over to the MLBTR readership! In the poll below, please select exactly six players you think the Orioles should protect in our upcoming mock expansion draft. Click here to view the results.
This one is funny. Does it matter?
We’re doing all 30! We’re going to hold a mock expansion draft at the end and it will be fun!
That does sound pretty cool.
I somehow feel I might have helped in this idea…. everyone else was selecting super teams from drafting one player per team. I chose someone from the 40 man roster, but not from the team 25 man roster.
The recent articles about NL teams needs at DH…. I suggested that too.
Can I a get a free one year subscription to MLBTR’s?
Just please get rid of the Survey Monkey popups and put a link in the article instead!
I thought I was the only person getting it,it is annoying
no
I would think for a team like the Orioles, identifying, keeping and developing the building blocks for the future of your team might be far more important than it would be for a perennial contender.
and if you look at it too its not like all these guys are bums. there isnt much star power but there are at least 7 guys there who would be a something that an organization would value.
And, playing it from the other side… If they fail to protect a player who blossoms three or four seasons down the road, they’ll deal with the “no idea how to evaluate talent” stuff…
Outside of like eight guys, no one is taking any of these players.
In an expansion draft, every team loses a player. Expansion teams don’t say “no thanks, we pass”.
Do you have to pick 6? This one is tough. lol
Pick the 6 guys with the most contract left. That’s what Elias would do.
Except that only 2 guys are under contract after this year, and only 1 past next year. But thanks for playing..
i think it would also be worth adding an extra free spot for guys like Davis and Pedy who would probably be willing to waive their no-trade rights given they wolnt get selected.
Interesting Givens isn’t a lock since he is their biggest trade chip at the moment
he only had 2 years of control left.
Givens and Sisco were easy calls. I also picked Mullins, Wojciechowski, and Severino pretty easily. The last spot came down to Castro, Martin, Ruiz, Smith, or Stewart, ended up picking Ruiz.
I disagree with Sisco being an easy call. He hasn’t developed behind the plate at all and his offensive game hasn’t translated to the MLB.
With Adley banging on the door—I couldn’t keep both catchers. I think Sevie is the better catcher.
i actually think this is a bit hard. Givens is auto-protect but i think that should deal him first anyway. my six would be Givens, Severino, Martin, Castro, Kohl Stewart, and Smith. If Davis waives though if probably protect Lakins, and if they trade Givens id probably protect Tate.
no love for Tanner Scott.
I’d keep Tanner Scott or Paul Fry over Miguel Castro. Castro’s been around for years now. He throws extremely hard but that’s about it. He’s a mid-upper 4’s ERA middle reliever.
Fry is a ground ball machine who I’d expect bounce back significantly this year. Tanner Scott is pure lefthanded upside. He still really can’t throw strikes consistently but I’d rather play the upside on him v. Castro.
But looking at the poll— who could’ve voted for David Hess? He needs to be the first guy on the list DFA’d. Him or Evan Phillips.
As commish, I’d give them an extra 16th protection slot to use for Mancini. His situation is very serious and he may not even be playing baseball anytime soon, if ever.
Mancini has been recovering well, has he not?
I hope so. It was stage III which means it had spread at some point. Hopefully they got it all.
They dont have 15 to keep.
None of them lol
This is a good series of articles. well done MLBTR
It’s hard to imagine an expansion team ending up worse.
Had there been a normal 2020 season, they could have been historically bad.
Have you seen the last 2 seasons? They are improved over those last two already. Still very bad, but still better than the last two.
also an added note on Mullins. i think he can be exposed perhaps even through 2 rounds and be safe. he is still young but has looked horrific in the Majors and was terrible even in the Minors last year. i think even though BAL would probably like to keep him they may not need to protect him.
I took a flier on him in an APBA keeper league. I thought he’d hit enough and he had some power/speed potential. Plus being on an awful team he’d get chances. Boy did he blow an opportunity.
I don’t think that anyone would be picking any player from the bottom half of this roster.
Givens, Martin, Mullins, Scott, DJ Stewart, Tate would be my prediction for the Orioles. Don’t know what I’d do. Scott can’t put it together, Stewart can’t field, Mullins I like a lot but struggled in the bigs. Trade givens and hope Martin takes another step forward.
None of them are deserving, but I chose 6. Severino isn’t bad as a backup. This staff could’ve made Johnny Bench look incompetent.
This comment shows that you are incompetent
Would protecting nobody on their 40 man roster except Mancini and maybe Means be acceptable?
In this scenario they release Davis/Cobb and open two additional slots. At least Davis.
Nah. Wait until after this year to release Davis. Not doing anything this year anyways, he showed up big in the few Spring games they had, and if he gets back to usable, they could trade him for a pack of gum and not have to eat 2 years worth of his contract. If they were competitive, I’d say cut him, but they aren’t. Burn that roster spot for one last season in hopes of getting something back.
They haven’t drafted the 30 yet.
Bleier, Cisco, Givens, Sisco, Smith Jr. and Wynns.
Faulty logic to think the Orioles would protect Chris Davis and risk losing a player who might help them in a couple years. Sames goes for Alex Cobb. Davis would be cut in a heartbeat under this scenario. Cobb might take two heartbeats.
Just wondering why so many people voted for Dwight Smith Jr – who’s too old to be a prospect, can’t field at all, and doesn’t have power. I recognize there’s not much talent above him, but still – there is. .