To kick off this beautiful Saturday, Orioles general manager Mike Elias hit the phones. To add some infield depth to a lineup that is lacking it very badly, Elias went out and got a third baseman from the Kansas City Royals, and that’s Kelvin Gutierrez. All that was given up in this deal was some cash.
A native of San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic, Gutierrez made his Major League debut with the Royals on April 27, 2019. Since then, it has been a rough road in the big leagues.
Gutierrez was a top-30 prospect for the Royals, but it hasn’t translated all that well in the majors thus far. In 62 games, Gutierrez has hit a whopping .226 with a .583 OPS. There’s not much power to speak of, as he has only recorded 11 extra base hits in his career, two of them being home runs.
His scouting grades on a 20-80 scale are as follows: Hit 45, Power 50, Speed 40, Field 60.
With above average glove work, Gutierrez could be of some help in the infield for the Orioles, whether it’s subbing in at third for his former teammate Maikel Franco, as he is battling a slight injury, or if he moves over to second to help hold down the middle infield.
Gutierrez has been sent to Triple-A Norfolk, where he will begin his career as a Baltimore Oriole.
Welcome to Baltimore, Kelvin!
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