Looking ahead to 2009: Baltimore Orioles

October 5, 6:07 PMMLB ExaminerAlex Brown

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the MLB Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The Baltimore Orioles were surprisingly competitive in 2008 before predictably tailing off at the end of the season.  Nevertheless, there were a few bright spots that emerged from what figured to be one of Major League Baseball’s worst teams.

Catcher Ramon Hernandez had a disappointing season offensively.  He is expendable going into 2009, and the position could be filled by top prospect Matt Wieters or a cheap veteran such as Gregg Zaun or Jason LaRue.

The infield was anchored by second baseman Brian Roberts and third baseman Melvin Mora, both of whom are also potential candidates to be traded.  If they remain for 2009 they will continue to provide solid offense at the top of the order and good infield defense.  The shortstop position was manned by a group of young players and veteran stopgaps such as Luis Hernandez, Juan Castro, and Freddie Bynum.  Nobody locked down the position full-time, so the Orioles should look outside the organization for help.  Free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira has been rumored to be an offseason target for Baltimore.  He is from the area, and has previously expressed an interest in returning home to play.  If signed, he would immediately legitimize the middle of the Orioles order.

In the outfield, Nick Markakis and Adam Jones (no, not that Adam Jones), are two of the better young players in the game.  Markakis is due for a raise this offseason, but the team will likely rush to sign him as he is a fan and owner favorite.  Jones must cut down on his strikeouts and continue to improve at the plate.  Left fielder Luke Scott, who came over in the Miguel Tejada deal, provides good power and shouldn’t be too expensive.  Designed hitter Aubrey Huff had an excellent year at the plate, and is affordable at $8 million.  He could be dealt, or moved over to first base where he is less than adequate defensively. 

The Orioles starting rotation is where things start to get ugly.  Jeremy Guthrie continued to pitch effectively, but he’s no ace.  Daniel Cabrera still hasn’t figured it out, and the club is losing patience quickly with his wild and inconsistent ways.  Young pitchers Radhames Liz, Brian Burress, and Garrett Olson were disappointing, and highly touted Adam Loewen will try the Rick Ankiel pitcher-to-outfielder route after another arm injury.  Ultimately, one of the young pitchers will have to step up to keep this team competitive.

In the bullpen, George Sherrill came over from Seattle in the Erik Bedard deal to nail down the closers role.  Jim Johnson developed into a solid setup man, and Lance Cormier and Alberto Castillo showed flashes of effectiveness.  Jamie Walker was pounded by both righties and lefties, and could be flipped at the deadline if the Orioles are lucky.  Former closer Chris Ray will return from injury to hopefully provide another useful arm.

The 2009 Orioles will continue their rebuilding process by seeing which young players are keepers and trying to shed some of the high priced veteran weight.  Expendable players such as Mora, Roberts, Huff, Sherrill, and Hernandez could net some solid returns, and they likely wouldn’t be a part of the next competitive Orioles team anyways.