Cameron looking for chance to unlock his potential with O's
Jake Rill
@JakeDRillSARASOTA, Fla. -- A former All-Star outfielder strolled through the Orioles¡¯ Spring Training clubhouse last Friday morning, wearing a ballcap, sunglasses and athletic wear. While talking on the phone, he sat down at a locker. Shortly after, he began chatting with a couple of nearby players.
It was 17-year big league veteran Mike Cameron. Eventually, he had to get up from his seat, because the tenant of that locker needed to use it -- his son, Daz, who is in Baltimore¡¯s camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.
The 26-year-old outfielder is trying to prove he¡¯s worthy of a spot on the O¡¯s roster. His dad is already confident he¡¯ll get one.
¡°I¡¯ll see you on TV,¡± the 50-year-old Cameron, in town for a quick visit, told his son before leaving the complex at Ed Smith Stadium and heading to the airport.
Daz has shown a lot of potential since becoming a pro. A toolsy outfielder who can play exceptional defense in center and has a bit of pop in his bat, he was selected by the Astros with the No. 37 overall pick in Competitive Balance Round A of the 2015 MLB Draft. He was the No. 75 overall prospect in baseball (per MLB Pipeline) at the start of '16, and then got dealt to the Tigers as a key part of the return package in the Justin Verlander trade in August of '17.
In limited big league experience, though, Cameron hasn¡¯t found much success. He also hasn¡¯t been given much consistent playing time. Over 73 games scattered across the past three seasons, Cameron has slashed .201/.266/.330 with five homers and 24 RBIs. He's been more productive in spurts at lower levels, as he posted a .903 OPS in 20 games in the Arizona Fall League in 2018, and an .865 OPS in 39 games for Triple-A Toledo in '21. He has a .736 OPS in 600 career Minor League games.
Perhaps the Major League numbers will improve if Cameron gets more chances with Baltimore. It¡¯s not a surprise he was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Nov. 9, shortly after he was designated for assignment by the Tigers. O¡¯s general manager Mike Elias was the Astros¡¯ director of amateur scouting at the time Houston drafted Cameron.
¡°He¡¯s had his ups and downs since then,¡± Elias said. ¡°He¡¯s still a young guy. He¡¯s got power. He can really go get the ball in center field. And I think it¡¯s going to be interesting seeing what he does here. He¡¯s going to have some opportunity.¡±
Cameron is excited about the fit with the Orioles, too.
¡°You see these guys playing last year, they were right there at the top,¡± Cameron said. ¡°They¡¯re a team that can win, and I just hope to be part of it.¡±
There¡¯s ample time for Cameron to become an impactful player in the Majors. Not every player reaches The Show at 19 or 20 and has immediate success, ¨¤ la Bryce Harper or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. That¡¯s what Mike Cameron has consistently been telling his son.
¡°It doesn¡¯t work out like that for everybody,¡± the elder Cameron said. ¡°You just constantly have to find your niche, and I just keep reminding him of that. But he¡¯s just 26 years old. For some reason, they make 26 in the game old now -- 25, 26, 27, when really you¡¯re just finding yourself as a young man.¡±
Cameron¡¯s dad and his new-but-familiar GM aren¡¯t the only ones who believe he still has a chance to make it in the big leagues. A former teammate from his Detroit days remembers seeing Cameron make some ¡°nasty plays¡± while patrolling the outfield for the Tigers.
Those were the words of outfielder Nomar Mazara, who is also in Orioles camp battling for a spot as a non-roster invitee. He thinks the missing piece for Cameron -- whom he played with in Detroit in 2021 -- is a team expressing confidence in him to fill a sizable role.
¡°The talent is there, man,¡± Mazara said. ¡°I think he is just going to need a pat on the back and to go out there and have fun. But once he clicks, he¡¯s going to be fun to watch.¡±
Although Cameron hasn¡¯t thrived in the Majors, he¡¯s absorbed knowledge from each of his stints. He¡¯s been impressed by the ¡°unmatchable¡± level of competition while learning about the importance of staying in a good routine and the benefit of the time spent researching tendencies of opposing pitchers.
Of course, he¡¯s also gotten words of advice from his dad.
¡°Everyone that plays this game has played this game since they were eight, nine years old,¡± Cameron said. ¡°It¡¯s the same game, but the mentality from that standpoint is it¡¯s just the same game that he would teach. That¡¯s about it, man. There¡¯s not really that much, other than just the mentality, just coming to the ballpark and just being ready to play.¡±
Cameron is ready to play now. And he¡¯s more than ready to show that to the Orioles, who may have a lot to gain by giving him an opportunity to unlock his full potential.