Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks Peter O'Brien Still Intrigues with His Power
Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona Diamondbacks Peter O'Brien Still Intrigues with His Power

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:45 p.m. ET

There is no questioning the power potential that Peter O’Brien possesses. Despite a rough debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks, O’Brien is still an intriguing player for quite a few teams.

Peter O’Brien has certainly turned a lot of heads during his time in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. A pure power hitter, he has hit 20 or more homers in each of the past four seasons, including a career high 34 homers in 2014. He did show some strikeout concerns in the minors, whiffing 578 times in 1954 at bats, but with his power, those numbers could be overlooked.

Unfortunately, those strikeout issues have continued to manifest in the Majors. While O’Brien has hit six home runs in 74 at bats, he has also struck out 32 times. Add in the fact that he is a player who does not have a position defensively, and one could understand why the Diamondbacks would have designated him for assignment.

Likewise, that power potential also explains why quite a few teams are interested in his services. Since the Diamondbacks removed him from the 40 man roster, they have received a few calls from teams looking to trade for him. That interest has extended to both leagues, as American and National League squads have inquired about O’Brien.

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    Nominally, given that O’Brien has moved from catcher to the outfield, and has tried both corner infield positions, he seems destined to be a designated hitter. His ability to hit for power, and to be a price controlled bat, would certainly interest American League teams.

    And yet, the interest of teams in the National League makes sense as well. If he can be a passable defensive first baseman, O’Brien could be a game changer with the bat. Players like Chris Carter have gotten opportunities to stick in the starting lineup because of their ability to hit homers. If O’Brien can continue his home run rate, and cut down on the strikeouts a bit, he could be quite the useful player.

    It is that potential which will make him interesting to other teams. There is no questioning his raw power, an ability that is in increasingly short supply in the Majors. However, at 26 years of age, and with a career .176/.228/.446 batting line, it is fair to wonder how much upside O’Brien actually has.

    Peter O’Brien still intrigues teams because of his ability to hit home runs. Will that be enough for him to find a place in the Majors on another team?

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