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Player Profile: Michael Almanzar – 3B
Height: 6’3″ Weight: 190
DOB: 12/02/90 Age: 23
Bats/Throws: R/R
Birthplace: Santo Domingo, D.R.
Signed: Non-Drafted FA, 2007 by Boston Red Sox
Signing Bonus: $1.5 MIL
Background: During the Winter Meetings, the Orioles selected third baseman Michael Almanzar of the Red Sox farm system during the MLB phase of the Rule V draft. As you may already know, that means he has to stay on the MLB roster for a full season or be offered back to the Red Sox for $25 K. The Red Sox can accept or decline. If they decline that offer, the Orioles keep Almanzar and can then option him to the minors.
Almanzar can best be described as a bonus baby gone awry. In 2007, the Sox gave the 16 year-old Almanzar a 1.5 MIL signing bonus, the most expensive international bonus handed out in that Summer, with the expectation that he would develop into a blue chip prospect. That, obviously hasn’t been the case or he wouldn’t have found himself available for selection in the Rule V draft.
Almanzar made his US debut with the GCL Red Sox in 2008, hitting well in a small sample, earning a late season taste of the SALLY league where he was overmatched. Almanzar would toil the next three years between Low-A and High-A ball, struggling to find consistency with his bat while developing less than favorable reviews with scouts about his work ethic and body language in games. After batting a repugnant .182/.223/.245 line in 220 at bats at High-A in 2011, Almanzar reversed the sinking ship in 2012, slashing .300/.353/.458 in 454 at bats with 33 walks and 77 strikeouts. Almanzar got his first taste of AA ball in 2013 as an age appropriate 22 year-old, holding his own but not dominating to the tune of a .268/.328/.428 line with 16 home runs, 42 walks and 100 strikeouts in 507 at bats.
The Good: Almanzar brings with him plus bat speed and above average power potential at the big league level. He currently wears out the gaps with doubles and in time could develop into a 20+ home run hitter over a full season’s worth of at bats. Almanzar has batted a much more respectable .283/.340/.444 line over his last two minor league seasons which is impressive progress for a young hitter who previously looked lost in his approach at the plate. A lanky 6’3″ 190, Almanzar still has some room on his frame to add an extra ten pounds of muscle.
The Bad: All reports I’ve come across suggest Almanzar doesn’t carry a good glove with him at third and may fit better as a first baseman or DH type at the major league level. That, of course will put the onus on his bat. His swing gets long at times and he tends to get beat on the inner half with premium velocity. His pitch recognition is also average at best. Progress has been slow for Almanzar and according to RotoScouting.com “questions about his work ethic and drive have soured many on Almanzar’s prospect status.” That report, of course, was from 2011 when Almanzar couldn’t hit a beach ball. While he’s made considerable progress recently, reports with unfavorable remarks like that, even if they are old, still raise doubt over whether Almanzar has the mental game to handle the grind of making the necessary adjustments to succeed at the big league level.
Overall Assessment: Potential Bench Bat
Two big questions surround Almanzar…Can the Orioles keep him, and can we expect continued improvement from Almanzar with the bat or will he stall in AAA? The current crop of competition for bench spots for the Orioles looks awfully crowded which makes Almanzar’s outlook of making the team look bleak. He will likely be offered back to the Red Sox and assuming the accept him back, this writeup will feel useless to me, but that’s irrelevant. I would argue, based on what I’ve researched, that his upside is similar to what Danny Valencia brought to the Orioles bench in 2013. He offers above average power production in spurts and should ultimately settle into a platoon DH role against left handed pitching eventually with the Orioles, Red Sox or whatever organization he winds up with.
(Thanks to Soxprospects.com, Minor League Central, RotoScouting.com, MLB.com, Baltimore Sun, and Fangraphs for valuable information in putting this together)
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