The fun part is over for Dan Duquette. He’s had his press conference, picked out his
office and probably picked up his first paycheck already. Now the real work begins – building the
Baltimore Orioles into a legitimate contender while dealing with a fan base
that hasn’t seen a winning season since the days of dial-up internet. The first step is under way, getting chummy
with his fellow GM’s at the winter meetings in Milwaukee.
The winter meetings are really the kick-off point for baseball’s
offseason. While few deals are actually consummated
during the meetings, a lot of groundwork is laid out. After all, isn’t it more fun to wheel and
deal in person rather than over the phone?
Don’t expect too much in the way of actual news this week, but don’t be
surprised should a later deal happen that the participants use the phrase, “we
started discussing this in Milwaukee.”
So what will Mr. Duquette be doing with his time in the “City
of Festivals”? According to the
Baltimore Sun, he’ll be looking to strengthen the bench by making some offers
to free agents that he hopes will be finalized within a week or so. Exciting stuff, eh?
Let’s face it, the new man in control doesn’t have a lot of
options this off-season. Signing a big
name slugger won’t fix the fortunes of this team. Overpaying for C.J. Wilson won’t bring a
title to Baltimore either. Nor is the
organization really loaded with pieces that other clubs will want so big trades
are probably out of the question.
The biggest asset that the O’s have on their roster is Adam
Jones. A solid centerfielder who hits
.280 and chips in 20 homeruns and is under control for two more seasons is a
valuable commodity. On the other hand, the26 year-old is also a good player to
build a club around. One thing Mr.
Duquette has mentioned that he likes about the Orioles is the strength up the
middle with Jones, catcher Matt Wieters, and shortstop JJ Hardy. Those three players are the ones who are probably
the closest to being non-tradable.
However, should the right deal come along it wouldn’t hurt
to at least listen. Remember, he has no allegiance
to any player on this roster. His only
goal is to make the team better. Should
Atlanta come along and dangle Jair Jurjens in front of his face, they might
have some serious discussions.
The biggest needs on the team are definitely in the
rotation. Going into the season I would
imagine the only pitchers to lock down a spot are Jeremy Guthrie and Zach
Britton. The other three spots are still
to be determined and I’m sure Mr. Duquette would like to bring a veteran
innings-eater into the fold.
Would Jason Marquis be a good fit? Depending on his price tag I think he would
be. When healthy he could be a 12-14
game winner and give a team close to 200 innings. If they could sign him for
around what he made last season ($7.5 million) or lower, he might be worth a
two year deal.
This is not a strong year for free agent pitchers. After Wilson, there is a big drop-off in
talent and prospective buyers will be wagering on a lot of older pitchers where
health can be a concern. While the
Yankees might have the payroll to be able to take such a risk, it looks like
the O’s aren’t willing to risk it. In my opinion, that’s the right move.
The competition is going to be fierce for the second-tier
starters such as Edwin Jackson and Mark Buehrle, so the O’s might be better off
concentrating their efforts on the Paul Maholm’s of the world and signing them
quickly before prices escalate.
The trade front could be daunting as well, as the teams that
do have pitchers worth trading for seem to be holding out for a king’s ransom
in return. The Braves have let it be
known that Jurjenns will require a major league, impact bat in return. Whichever pitcher the Rays decide to move, be
it Wade Davis, James Shields or even David Price, they would demand a similar
return along with some prospects.
Frankly, if Jones is off the table then the O’s don’t have
the firepower to make a deal. If he does
deal Jones, it opens a huge gap in their outfield. From what I saw of Matt Angle last season, he’s
not ready to be an ever day outfielder. The
top outfield prospect for the O’s, Xavier Avery, is at least one more season
away from the big leagues.
Tuesdays’ mention of Mr. Duquette meeting with David Ortiz’s
agent sparked some chatter of their possible interest in the free agent
DH. At the right cost he might be a
fit. If they would sign the Red Sox
slugger I think that they walk away from Luke Scott and his probable $7
million-ish arbitration awarded salary.
Of course, there is the chance that Ortiz’s name never came
up. His agent, Fern Cuza also represents
Vladimir Guerrero, so the conversation could have been about whether or not the
O’s will be retaining his services for next season. While his power production dipped, he was one
of the few Orioles hitters that hit consistently throughout the year. Even at an ancient 36 years old, he might be
worth bringing back for another year.
The third possibility is that Mr. Duquette was talking to
Cuza about players we don’t even know about. Cuza has a strong presence in
Latin America and the Orioles VPBO might have been opening a dialogue about
some of the up-and-coming players in the agent’s stable. If you’re going to focus on developing
players from the south, Cuza is a man that you want to be in contact with.
I don’t expect much to come out of the winter meetings for
the Baltimore Orioles. After all, it is
only the first step on a long road to relevance. Hopefully, it’s a step in the right
direction.
