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One of the biggest weaknesses of the Baltimore Orioles this season has been the production of the corner outfield spots. The team acquired Gerardo Parra in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the day, which will certainly help, but general manager Dan Duquette didn’t stop there. Right before the 4 p.m. deadline, the Orioles acquired Junior Lake from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for reliever Tommy Hunter.
Junior Lake to #Orioles for Tommy Hunter.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2015
While Lake has been a major disappointment for the Cubs over the last two seasons, he had an extremely productive rookie year in 2013. This season, Lake is hitting .224 with a .274 OBP, one home run, and five RBIs in only 58 at-bats for the Cubs. He is still only 25 years old, and going to the Orioles will be great for him because manager Buck Showalter has the unique ability to get the most out of a player. Lake will also be able to learn under the tutelage of Adam Jones, who will help the young buck mature and learn to become a professional.
While Hunter has been a solid option out of the Orioles’ bullpen the past three seasons, he became expendable with the development of Chaz Roe. Hunter has a 3.63 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 44.2 innings this season, but the Orioles need an outfielder more than a reliever right now.
Whether or not the Orioles make the playoffs with Parra and Lake remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised if Lake takes the same career arc as Jones in the next few years. He has all the talent in the world, but he just hasn’t been able to piece it all together. With Showalter and Jones leading the way, Lake could become a star.
Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.
