SARASOTA, FLA. — The Everth Cabrera signing immediately raised questions about the way Orioles manager Buck Showalter will configure his infield roster, considering the speedy Cabrera is primarily a shortstop and the Orioles already have a full-time guy at that position.
Showalter is keeping all his options open at this very early point in the preseason, and he said a couple of days ago that keeping Cabrera, Jonathan Schoop and Ryan Flaherty on the major league roster was possible "math-wise."
That's not very likely, as Showalter puts a premium on roster flexibility and it would not make a lot of sense to carry two versatile middle infielders when J.J. Hardy plays every day and Manny Machado is expected to be a full-go at third base.
The Orioles don't have to make a decision before the season, because Chris Davis still has to serve the final game of his 25-game suspension on Opening Day, but it seems pretty clear that either Flaherty or Schoop will spend some time in Norfolk in April.
There are lots of possible defensive configurations at this time of year, since Showalter loves to try just about anything during the course of the spring. He'll put Cabrera in the outfield a few times to see whether he can be a super-utility guy, but that's probably a stretch. Cabrera mostly will move around the infield, and part of the reason he's here is as insurance in case Hardy or Machado have any physical setbacks.
The big question is whether he's a real candidate to be the everyday second baseman. Schoop still has some growing up to do, but he was a key player last season in spite of his offensive limitations. It will be up to him to show that he can deliver more than a .209 average and .244 on-base percentage or he could be the odd man out at the outset.
Of course, one of the great truisms of spring training is that roster problems often work themselves out, but Showalter is hoping that he has some very tough decisions to make in early April.