He’s Back!!!
Mark Trumbo was the leading home run hitter in 2016, which kept the Orioles afloat in the playoff race. The Orioles let Nelson Cruz walk after the 2014 campaign, then had fans on the edge of their seats during the Chris Davis signing debacle in 2015. So, they had to lock up Mark Trumbo. If the Orioles had made 9 clones of Trumbo, and played with that lineup every game of the 2016 season, Baltimore would have won 95 games.
The man who slugged .550 in 2016 was a big boost for all aspects of the Orioles franchise. His bat was an essential piece the middle of the order and with the crowd. The possibility of Matt Wieters returning is slim to none, and Adam Jones is starting to decline. Trumbo was key to keep in the lineup, so that he can help support Machado and Davis.
Yes, Trumbo had an overall WAR of only 1.6, but for a guy who lead the league in homers, $39 million is a bargain. On any other team in any other ballpark, the 3-year $39 million deal would be about right. However, Camden Yards was the perfect fit for Mark Trumbo, as 2016 is proof.
With Seth Smith to play right field most of the time, and Trey Mancini to play some first, allowing Davis to move to right, Trumbo will be the full-time DH. Having Trumbo’s bat back in the lineup will keep Baltimore in the conversation of top lineups in the game. Most importantly, his big homer bat will keep the Orioles in playoff contention. Trumbo contributed 110+ runs to the Orioles efforts last season, which is pretty impeccable. That would have been hard to replace if he had not resigned. With the lack of pitching, Baltimore makes up in long balls.
