If I Was a Member of the Orioles Front Office…

The Trade Deadline is fast approaching and I feel it’s time to put myself in McPhail’s shoes and decided what I would do if I were in his situation. I have lots of ideas that may sound random and most likely will not come out in any sort of organized fashion whatsoever so bare with me. At this point I’m just spitting, just throwing out anything coming to my mind as to what the Orioles should do to improve.

Management

You are probably wondering why I’d even discuss this. We have Showalter remember?? Buck the past! Yeah….no. First off, that was a big mistake by the Orioles. To sign him to a longer deal after he came in with 2 months of the season left and did pretty well. How’s that working out now? Not so much. There’s a reason this guy was an analyst on ESPN when the O’s got him. There’s a reason he was fired by the Diamonbacks, Yankees, and Rangers and they went on to do bigger and better things immediately after he left. There’s a reason he hasn’t won a World Series or has even gone to one at that. I give him one more year. If the Orioles don’t get to .500 next season or at least 5 games below or above by the end of the season, I think Showalter should be gone. Who would replace him? I think the Orioles should reach to another team who’s been good and look at a younger pitching coach or bench coach. Just throwing this out there: How about Rich Dubee? He’s the Phillies pitching coach. He’s obviously really good (look at their pitching rotation…more on that soon) and their 3rd base coach is none other than Juan Samuel (yes, the Orioles interim-manager before Showalter) so that could work to their favor.

Pitching

This is where all the problems lie. The whole young arm thing has failed yet again.

Chris Tillman…where has he gone since being sent down? I haven’t heard one word about him since. Brian Matusz…obviously something’s wrong. He gave up 8 hits, 7 runs, and 3 walks in his last start with Double-A Bowie. Zach Britton has had trouble after a good start to the season but who knows when he’s coming back up. I haven’t heard anything yet. Bergesen’s season has been a ride he probably can’t keep up with. The current state right now of the Orioles starting rotation is ????? On ESPN, it says Simon starts tonight, Bergesen tomorrow, Guthrie Sunday then no one for Tuesday against the Blue Jays and Arrieta on Wednesday. I have no idea who could fill that empty role. Chris Jakubauskas? When was the last time he started a game? Mitch Atkins…no. That’s all there is to say about that. Jim Johnson? Now there’s talk he’s going to be a starter next season so Buck wants him to get a few starts this season so he knows what to expect.Oh and Justin Duchscherer. Yep, you forgot about him too didn’t you?

What can we do with all this mess? The big question: to trade or not to trade Guthrie? That is so tough. On the one hand, he’s the only veteran arm the team has. However, he’s also the biggest trade chip the team has. I say trade him. For the right price. You need an arm back no doubt. You also need a prospect or 2. What would make it even better: trade him WITH a prospect or two and you’ll get a great deal.

Here’s an idea: Trade Guthrie with Derrek Lee or Guerrero to the Phillies for starter Vance Worley. He’s a young guy too but has gone 7-2 in his career with a 2 something ERA. The Phillies need a right-handed big bat off the bench. Derrek Lee is perfect. He’s a righty, they already have Ryan Howard so Lee could pinch-hit off the bench, and he’s heated up recently. Guerrero could also work as he’s a righty and too old and slow to play a position hence why he’s DHing. Obviously, there’s no DH in the National League so he’d pinch-hit. The O’s would likely have to give up a good amount to get Worley but I think it would be worth it.

Offense

Then there’s the question of who to think about trading. Obviously Lee and Guerrero but they aren’t worth much as they’re free agents at the end of the season AND aren’t producing much. There’s Luke Scott who’s hurt but seems to be ready to come back soon. Hardy is obviously locked up and Reynolds isn’t going anywhere. So, what about, dare I say, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, and Matt Wieters? Should any call mentioning them be ignored? I say no. Gasp! Obviously, it’s gotta be a huge deal but pitching is more important. It always is. I apologize for talking about the Phillies so much, it’s just that they’re my other team so I know the most about them. Look at them though, they’re on track for the World Series again this season. Look at their offense. They basically don’t have any. Every offensive category, they’re at the bottom of the list. Runs scored they’re at 14th, batting average they’re at 19th, slugging they’re at 20th. I have no idea what I would want for any of the 3 since that’s who this team is built around but definitely a quality pitcher or two as well as a decent hitter. We have to get some sort of offensive return.

Other Ideas

Well, I just looked at MLB Trade Rumors which says that the Orioles and Phillies aren’t in serious trade talks. BUT that means that people were rumoring that they were talking and may be talking (just not seriously) so maybe my idea isn’t so crazy after all…

Looking at the bullpen, Koji is the best trade chip. Well, Jim Johnson is better, but the Orioles have pretty much labeled him as untouchable since he’ll probably be a starter soon. With Koji, you can expect decent return because the only problem clubs will have with him is his age and

a little worry about his health.

Kevin Gregg, Nolan Reimold, and Felix Pie may be on the move as well. I doubt Gregg would be worth much. Reimold and Pie could bring back some return, however. I think Pie would be the best trade chip out of those 3 because he’s the most proven and could be a good addition off the bench to a team in contention. I’d like to keep Reimold. He can be a bit of a power hitter and plays well in left. I’m not sure what the Orioles plans are with Matt Angle, who recently had his major league debut in left but if Adam or Nick goes (highly doubtful), Angle and Reimold could be the future of the outfield.

What do you guys think? Who would you like to see come, go, and stay? Any crazy trades you have in your head that you’d like to see happen? Comment!