There's more than one way to enjoy baseball. That much is clear, even when it comes to the 2019 Orioles. Maybe you're looking for incremental improvement among anyone on the roster. Maybe you're rooting for them to lose and lock up another No. 1 draft pick. Maybe you're hoping players increase their trade value for the upcoming deadline. Or maybe you're hoping for a combination of all of these -- or you don't care because you just love baseball.
I've been able to compartmentalize my Orioles fandom, or at least convince myself that I've done so. But I've never been able to openly root for them to lose, and I may never be able to. I get why people do it, especially during a rebuild. But even in this difficult but still hopeful time, I can't convince myself that any player having an unexpectedly positive season is a trade chip. Some players are just nice surprises at times, and that's fine.
One of those players appears to be infielder Hanser Alberto. Signed by the Texas Rangers all the way back in 2009, Alberto took a circuitous route before finally settling in with the Orioles this spring. In November, he was claimed off waivers by the New York Yankees, who then designated him for assignment in January. The O's jumped in and claimed him, only to DFA him themselves about a month later. The San Francisco Giants claimed Alberto off waivers from the O's a few days later, but then on March 1, the O's claimed him once again.
