Midday Mailbag: What’s going on with Jackson Holliday?

Every weekday, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question, sometimes more. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: Can you please address the control clock rule concerning Jackson Holliday? I’ve read many places that the O’s really don’t gain an extra year of control if Holliday finishes top two in Rookie of the Year balloting. Does he get credit for an extra season and do the Orioles get a draft choice? From Ray Kowatch

Answer: Ray, lots of readers have questions about Jackson Holliday. Ray Mullady wants to know if the Orioles can save money on Holliday’s contract if they wait until mid-May to promote him.

If Holliday had been on the Opening Day roster and finished first or second in Rookie of the Year voting, the Orioles would receive an extra draft choice. If Holliday finishes first or second in the ROY voting, he gets a full year of service time regardless of how long he’s on the team. If Holliday doesn’t finish in the top two, the Orioles gain an extra year of club control as long as they don’t promote him before mid-April.

As for Ray Mullady’s question, players who have accrued between two and three years of service time are eligible for arbitration if they are in the top 22 percent of service time, so if Holliday’s promotion is delayed until next month, it’s conceivable the Orioles could avoid arbitration with him for a third year.

Question:  Why not just put Holliday at third, keep Gunnar Henderson at short and let Jordan Westburg play second as a starter? He reminds me so much of Rich Dauer and we all remember how good Dauer was. Keep Ryan Mountcastle at first and use Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo as late-inning defensive replacements and the O’s now have their power infield. From: Joseph C. Gibbons

Answer: Joseph, the guess here is they like Westburg at second and third, and it’s possible that in the future the Orioles move Henderson from short to third, and have Holliday play short. This is certainly a good problem for the team to work through.