A couple hours after I posted my Orioles preview in which I mused that the Orioles may keep infielder Jonathan Schoop down on the farm in favor of other options at second base, this comes across the wire:
Sources: #Orioles plan on Schoop making team, alternating at second with Lombardozzi and third with Flaherty.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 28, 2014
Which is probably a good thing, because it keeps Lombardozzi from becoming an everyday player, which is not something he’s suited to, and gives Schoop a chance to ease into the majors instead of having the world on his shoulders. The real question will be who the odd man out is once Manny Machado comes back and there are three players for second base.
Schoop is 22 and he has torn up the peapatch this spring, for whatever that’s worth. In five minor league seasons he’s hit a combined .268/.335/.407 while advancing quickly through every minor league level.
