Continuation of the "Also Ran" Report

Now that the city of New York has tipped its collective hats to their boys from the Bronx for the 27th time, the offseason has officially begun. For those of you who are counting, there are only 96 days until pitchers and catchers report (February 13th being the first official day). If you're anything like me, it probably seems like an eternity, however we will be here for the entire offseason to keep your baseball minds operating at full capacity, and we will begin by continuing our look at the "also rans"... In our last report, we started with the letter A: Atlanta Braves and Arizona Diamondbacks. Today, we will continue with the letter B...

Baltimore Orioles:

Hi, I'm the Baltimore Orioles. I'm a team that has been mismanaged by a bunch of collective idiots. I've spent bucket loads of money on players who forgot how to play baseball during their stay here (Miguel Tejada, Javy Lopez, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Sidney Ponson), and I've gone through a collection of GM's who were more concerned about who they were working with rather than fixing the team (Jim Beattie, Mike Flanagan, Jim Duquette). Can you restore me back into a respectable franchise?

Twelve consecutive losing seasons. Second straight year drawing under 2 million fans at one of the most beautiful parks in the league. An organization steeped in winning traditions being run into the ground. They even faced a fan-sponsored walkout in protest of current ownership...Need I say more?

This is a team that has more needs than a miracle worker could provide. While they have some players that show some promise in Nick Markakis, Luke Scott, Adam Jones & Brad Bergesen, overall the Orioles have nothing but question marks, with a metric crapload of players unproven at the major league level. Let's start with pitching...

Starting pitcher Brad Bergesen could prove to be a real gem. Bergesen, who was shut down in late July after suffering a left leg contusion, posted a 7-5 record with a 3.43 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He'll be fully healthy to start the 2010 season and should be the top man in the rotation. After that, question marks again. Koji Uehara showed promised in the first half of '09, but went down with shoulder tendinitis, so his durability is in question. Jeremy Guthrie, 10-17 last year, has been inconsistent over the last 2 seasons. My guess is that the O's will look to provide veteran leadership in their rotation via free agency or trade, and look to develop some promising prospects. Their bullpen raises serious concerns. Chris Ray will have to prove he belongs after a very disappointing '09 campaign, Brian Bass, Dennis Sarfate and Matt Albers all struggled in their opportunities out of the bullpen, and Mark Hendrickson, a free agent, could be asked to return provided he will agree to work out of the 'pen. Again, the Orioles will be active in free agency to bolster their sagging bullpen.

Field positions: The Orioles declined the option on 3rd baseman Melvin Mora, and they will be actively looking to sign a right-handed slugging cornerman. The Orioles are very high on 1st baseman Brandon Snyder, their 2005 first round pick. Snyder is currently batting .365 in the Arizona Fall League, with 3 HR's and 16 RBI's, and with a solid Grapefruit League season, could become the O's starting 1st basemen for 2010. Brian Roberts is a lock at 2nd, and SS Cesar Izturis seems to be settled in. The O's outfield is the backbone of this team, with Markakis, Adam Jones and Nolan Reimold, and Luke Scott continues to grow offensively at the DH position.

Overall, the Orioles front office has its work cut out for them this offseason. Here are the questions that need to be answered:

Can the Orioles sign a right-handed slugging third baseman to hit behind Nick Markakis?
Can they find a veteran starter for the front of their rotation?
Will Matt Wieters develop beyond his potential?
Andy McPhail has been HUGE on developing prospects...His philosophy has been to develop the arms and buy the bats.. Will this pay off for the Orioles in 2010?

To the last question, Andy McPhail has been diligent in his work to develop the O's farm system, and there are now quite a few prospects who could emerge to help this team be successful for years to come. Orioles fans certainly hope so, and Orioles management had better hope that their plans in fact do succeed. If not, Oriole Park at Camden Yards will continue to look like a barren wasteland...

Next up.. Boston Red Sox...

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