This is Birdland 2010

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July 15, 5:57 PM

by Jay Trucker, Baltimore Orioles Examiner

 

 

April 1, 2010: Baltimore- Welcome to the land of pleasant living, where the beers cost  $10, the Harbor Hilton costs $200 per night, and the Orioles are looking to go to the playoffs for the first time since 1997. 

Here are your 2010 Baltimore Orioles.  The team has a few proven veterans along with a several new faces that the birds hope will make an immediate impact if they are to compete with the powerhouse in Tampa, the retooled Boston squad, and the aging New York Yankees, led by pirouetting 36 year old short stop Derek Jeter .

2B- Brian Roberts

CF- Adam Jones

RF – Nick Markakis

1B – Mark Teixara

C- Matt Weiters

LF – Luke Scott

DH – Nolan Reimold

3B – Scott Moore

SS – Felipe Lopez

This lineup is notable as much for those who are projected to still be with the club in 2010 as it is for those who aren’t.  To begin, Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora are in their late 30s and only signed through 2009.  They aren’t going to be with the O’s in ’10, and there is a chance of both being dealt before the end of the summer.  Maybe Millar will be brought back for opening day to do his Ray Lewis dance.

Mark Comes Home

2B Brian Roberts will be 31 in October.  His contract only extends through ’09 as well.  It is hard to say if he will stay or not.  Roberts is a fan favorite and he has a long history in Baltimore, but his enthusiasm for Charm City has waned after losing for so many seasons. The decision to stay or go will most likely be his.  Obviously, Teixara is a bit of a stretch.  Local fans are convinced the Severna Park native wants to make Baltimore his home, but Hank Steinbrenner is likely to back up a few trucks full of cash that are bound to make the Big Apple look awfully comfortable. 

As far as the O’s outfield is concerned, Adam Jones and Nick Markakis are blue chip players who are under the team’s control for the next several years.  They are unlikely to be dealt, and the only way they are not in your 2010 roster is if they suffer an unforeseen injury.  At 29, Luke Scott was more of a throw in as part of the Miguel Tejada trade, but he gives the team some supplemental power.  Perhaps he stays with the birds and gets moved into a 4^th outfielder/DH platoon situation. 

Weiters for President

I have a friend in Montana who doesn’t believe that Matt Weiters is the real deal.  If he doesn’t eat his words by April ’10, he surely will by the end of the ’10 season.  The O’s 2007 first round draft pick is a switch hitting catcher who has hit in A and AA.  If he doesn’t get a September call up, he will surely get a nice, long look in ’09.  By 2010, you will forget that Ramon Hernandez ever existed. 

Nolan Reimold was a 2005 second round draft pick for the birds who has played most of his minor league ball in right field.  As a pro, he won’t be replacing established RF Nick Markakis.  He could be a player that the O’s try to platoon with Scott.

I’ve slotted Scott Moore at third base.  So far, Moore is best known as the guy who took Jay Gibbons’ roster spot at the start of the year.  He didn’t have much of a chance to prove himself at the major league level.  If he doesn’t pan out, Mike Constanzo and Oscar Salazar are current members of the O’s system who could get an opportunity to replace Mora.  Like Moore, Salazar had only a brief opportunity  with the major league club thus far.  Constanzo came over in the off season as a part of the Tejada trade; he might be a third candidate to replace Melvin Mora.

Cal Lives

Obviously, the Orioles have struggled to replace Tejada at short.  Perhaps they will decide to announce that they will honor Cal’s streak every game from now on.  They could pencil in the iron man in the nine spot and just give up an out every nine at bats in his honor.  If they decide against this, they may be looking to free agency.  The 2009 class of shortstops is a little lacking, so seeing a marginal starter like Lopez get a contract with the O’s isn’t out of the realm of possibility.  Lopez is looking to go somewhere to play every day, and the Orioles are looking for someone to make them forget about Freddie Bynum.   

The Orioles will also need to develop some pitching.  Projecting relievers beyond next year is foolish.  As far as starters go, GM Andy MacPhail has been stockpiling arms at every level of the farm.  Look for him to continue to do so as he gets ready to unload veterans over the next six weeks.  If two or three of his recently acquired pitchers pan out, 2010 could be an interesting year for the O’s. 

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