One of the biggest surprises to come out of Orioles spring training was that the consensus No. 1 prospect in baseball, infielder Jackson Holliday, would not be joining the Orioles’ Opening Day roster and instead would start the season at Triple-A Norfolk.
While many have criticized this development, former big league catcher and current “Foul Territory” host Erik Kratz believes the decision to send Holliday down was a sound one. Kratz, who spent 11 years in the majors with nine different teams, has been around his fair share of talented players. He knows the importance of making sure players are ready before being called up.
The right pieces need to fall into the right places for not only the player to succeed but the team as a whole, and Kratz believes it’s too soon to say Holliday is definitely ready. The 20-year-old spent time at four levels in 2023.
“Each coach that saw him [in 2023] only saw him for two months. The coordinators probably saw him for the most because he went two months, two months, two months at each level,” Kratz said on Glenn Clark Radio March 26. “Then the big league staff sees him play second base in big league spring training. … I would think that maybe the Orioles, based on their decision, don’t think that Jackson Holliday is a big league second baseman currently because he hasn’t gotten enough reps.”
Kratz argues that the Orioles likely do not feel comfortable playing Holliday at second base yet. While Holliday has traditionally been a shortstop, reigning American League Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson has that position locked down for the Orioles at the big league level. This means the Orioles have to find another position for Holliday.
Holliday has only played second base 25 times across all minor league levels the past two years. Given the demands of second base, Kratz believes it’s better for Holliday to get more experience at the position in the minors first. That’s especially the case if former Gold Glover Ramón Urías, who graded poorly defensively a year ago, continues his backslide.
“We’re talking about defense,” Kratz said. “If the organization feels like they already have a below-average defender in Ramón Urías at third base, then you don’t want to throw another average or below-average defender currently at second base.”
Some may believe the Orioles should have set Holliday up for greater success by playing him at second base more in 2023. Kratz says Holliday’s meteoric rise through the minors meant that even the Orioles may not have known what position made the most sense for Holliday at the time.
“To me, the season was too short. I don’t think you can look back on it and go, ‘Oh, they should have done this sooner,’ because they didn’t know how he was going to do in Double-A in July when he got called up to Double-A” Kratz said. “They didn’t know how he’s going to do in Triple-A when he got caught up in [September] to Triple-A. So, that’s not against the organization.”
Whether or not Kratz’s points hold true, he believes that Holliday’s time in the minors won’t present an issue for Holliday or the Orioles this season.
“This isn’t detrimental to his career, and I don’t think it’s detrimental to the Orioles’ season, either, in the sense that they have the pieces there that will win them the games that they need to win,” Kratz said. “Will Jackson Holliday help? Absolutely. Turning a double play is bigger than fielding a ground ball, and that’s my biggest thing.”
Even amid the Holliday debate, Kratz still believes that the 2024 Orioles have a World Series-caliber roster. Outside of waiting for talent like Holliday to continue to mature and serve as reinforcements for the Orioles’ lineup and defense, Kratz believes that there is one key factor the Orioles will need to address before truly being World Series favorites — the depth of their bullpen.
Closer Félix Bautista will miss the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. There have been questions as to how the Orioles’ bullpen will perform without him. Kratz believes the signing of closer Craig Kimbrel to a one-year deal is a step in the right direction, but the analyst also thinks the team should also look to the minors for some potential added firepower.
“They need to address their deep depth in the bullpen. Picking up Kimbrel is huge. If Kimbrel was 2016 Kimbrel, [they’d still need] more depth,” Kratz said. “You’d need your third guy in that bullpen, and I think I think somebody down there can step up. I think this team has the ability to withstand injuries that are going to happen. Any team that says they were decimated by injury catches me as they ain’t calling anybody else in the minor leagues that can help. The Orioles have that box checked.”
If relievers like Kimbrel and Yennier Cano can stay at the top of their game and if the Orioles can find depth behind them, there’s nothing in Kratz’s mind that can stop the Orioles from reaching the summit. Kratz played for the Kansas City Royals from 2013-2015, and he sees similarities in this Orioles team.
“Last year’s experience in the playoffs is only going to make an Adley Rutschman more hungry and more focused and knowing what they need to do,” Kratz said. “To me, I see this team as like a 2015 Royals. When we lost in ’14, there was a bunch of young guys that understood what it meant to win in the biggest stage and took it all the way in ’15 and won the World Series.”
For more from Kratz, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Isaiah Jones