Christian Walker on playing outfield and opposite-field power (plus other notes)

SARASOTA, Fla. - Since first baseman Chris Davis re-signed with the Orioles, first baseman Christian Walker has gotten the question a few times. Will Walker be asked to play some outfield this year when he likely heads to Triple-A Norfolk.

He said the topic has at least come up recently.

"Possibly," Walker said. "Until now, that is pretty much what it is, just a conversation. I feel I'm athletic enough to make the adjustment and go out there and learn a new position. I'm here to help the team win any way I can. Anything that keeps me in the lineup and what they need from me, I'll do."

He said he played a few mid-week college games in left field for South Carolina and took some fly balls there while playing in college.

The 2014 Orioles minor league Player of the Year, Walker is having a solid camp. He is batting .273 (6-for-22) with two homers and eight RBIs. He began play Monday tied for seventh in the American League in RBIs. He went just 3-for-19 in spring games before last season.

"Definitely much more relaxed," he said. "Trying to take the pressure off myself, you know, whatever self-inflicted pressure I brought in last year. Keeping it simple and trusting a lot of the work that I put in in the offseason. Just trusting that everything will be good."

His swing has been good so far. That included a homer to the opposite field, when he hit one out to right field Sunday in Fort Myers against the Twins' Fernando Abad.

Walker, who hit 26 homers in the minors in 2014 and 18 last year, feels he has some power to the opposite field. That could be big for him.

"I've always had some gap-to-gap power and have always been told by hitting coaches that my power is to right-center," Walker said. "I never knew what that meant, but last year I kind of embraced it and found that swing. There is a lot of trust involved going that way. I think that is a big part of it. Trusting my strength and knowing it's there. You don't have to swing 110 percent to hit the ball out.

"Maybe a typical power guy thinks to get the (bat) head out and hit the ball to the pull side. But if that is my power stroke and that is where I feel comfortable and I have enough juice to go out that way, why fight it? That is a good tool to have in the tool box and I'd like to embrace it."

No doubt having power throughout the ballpark could be a real plus for Walker. He is ranked as the Orioles' No. 14 prospect by Baseball America, No. 10 by Baseball Prospectus and No. 13 by MLB.com.

* The Orioles announced after Monday's win over the Phillies that Jason Garcia has been optioned to Double-A Bowie and will start in the Baysox rotation this year.

That is a solid move for Garcia. It allows him to work on pitch development and get more innings as a starter. It also allows the Orioles to call him to the majors as either a starter or a reliever during the season.

In his first three years in the Boston organization, most of his appearances came as a starter. The O's acquired him in the 2014 Rule 5 draft. He pitched to an ERA of 2.81 in the majors last year after the All-Star break.

No roster assignments for the minors are known yet, but the O's could potentially be looking at rotations like this to start the year:

Norfolk: Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, Chris Jones, Odrisamer Despaigne and Terry Doyle.

Bowie: Garcia, Parker Bridwell, David Hess, Chris Lee, Ariel Miranda and Joe Gunkel.

* Per several reader questions, struggling O's right-hander Miguel Gonzalez can be optioned to the minors. Gonzalez has pitched to an ERA of 22.24, allowing 14 runs on 18 hits in 5 2/3 innings in three outings this spring.

This is not to suggest that move is even being contemplated right now. Gonzalez would be the first to say he has to pitch better and there is time to do that. But just in answer to repeated questions, he does have an option remaining.