September is right around the corner, and the last month of regular season baseball is played under a different set of rules from the first five. In September, the O's can have anyone on the 40-man roster active for the games, instead of just 25 on the active roster. Any player on the 40-man roster who are currently not on the active roster could join the team in September barring any injury, even though they would almost definitely serve as the reserves of the reserves. Which of them can the O's expect to contribute in September and possibly in the playoffs?
Scanning the O's 40-man roster, the standout among the group is definitely Ryan Webb, who has been banished to the minors since Andrew Miller's arrival. The other possible contributors have not been in the majors as much as Webb has, so here is a list of those who have performed well in the minors this season and who can hopefully provide a boost for the O's.
Jemile Weeks made a brief appearance with the O's in April that lasted a grand total of three games. Weeks has spent the majority of the season at AAA, where he has combined a low strikeout rate with a high walk rate for an OBP of .391. The power has been predictably lacking, and his SLG is only one point higher than his OBP. But the overall package is a wRC+ 122 hitter in the minors. As Jonathan Schoop has continued to struggle at the plate, there is definitely an opportunity for Weeks to gain some playing time at second base, especially against right-handers. The injury to Manny Machado also presents another lineup in which Weeks can start. Schoop can move to third, while Chris Davis, Steve Pearce and Nelson Cruz return to their natural positions. This lineup would be a huge upgrade defensively over the current lineup, though it may sacrifice an equal amount offensively.
Even though Steve Clevenger was called up yesterday, I am still considering him a September call-up. As I have mentioned before, Clevenger's biggest advantage over Caleb Joseph or Nick Hundley is the side of the plate he bats from. While Joseph has broken out offensively (relatively), Hundley has remained dismal from the plate. Meanwhile, Clevenger has also cooled down considerably in AAA. His triple slash line now stands at .305/.366/.389, down from .393/.433/.525 two months ago. However, he is still likely a better hitter against right-handed pitchers than both Joseph and Hundley. While Joseph's offensive and defensive breakout has more than earned him the job as the primary catcher, I would much rather see Clevenger's name in the lineup when Joseph takes a rest.
Preston Guilmet has made several appearances with the O's this season. This is understandable given that he has struck out 27.4% of the batters he faced and only walked 5.4% of them in 45 innings in AAA. Unlike Weeks and Clevenger, Guilmet would not have anything close to a crucial role in the majors due to the depth of the bullpen. There are at least five names above him when it comes to high leverage situation. Despite this, there is never a problem with too much bullpen depth, and Guilmet adds to the O's strength.
Finally, there is former Oriole Joe Saunders. Signed to a minor-league contract at the beginning of August, Saunders has been working in relief in Norfolk for the first time in his career. He could really help the team against lefties out of the bullpen, as he has always had a very good platoon split against them even in years when he wasn't a very effective starting pitcher.
I am leaving out Evan Meek's performance for the fear that Buck would put him in a tied game in the ninth inning if called up. For the rest of the group, I hope that they take on larger roles than typical September call-ups, and that may not be a bad thing for the O's.