Baltimore Orioles: Are the ChiSox the team to beat?

If you look across the league, you’d have no choice but to admit that the two Chicago teams are winning the off season thus far. Interestingly, the Baltimore Orioles struggled against the AL Central last year, although they dominated the ChiSox. However these aren’t going to be your Daddy’s Chicago White Sox come 2015. They had money to spend, and they’ve used it fairly wisely in my view.

In signing reliever Zach Duke, first baseman Adam LaRoche, and now left fielder Melky Cabrera, Chicago has beefed up their roster since the end of the regular season. However as we all know, those signings might well look good on paper right now, but whether they pay dividends come April and onward is another story. However overall, keep in mind that this team finishe 15 games out of first in 2014; so the question their fans are asking themselves is whether or not Duke, LaRoche, and Cabrera can make up 17 games.

With Kansas City and Detroit in the division, I think that’ll be tough. Chicago will be more competitive for sure, however as it stands now so will those other teams. Buck Showalter and the Orioles see the ChiSox twice in 2015, with three games in Baltimore in April and three on the southside of Chicago in July. However I would submit that any newly aquired power that Chicago might now have wouldn’t really affect the O’s until the post season, if both teams make it that far that is.

Time will tell, but to say the least the team’s moves have given their fans a reason to buy tickets – for now. Incidentally, they haven’t addressed their team’s starting pitching as of yet, so if you’re still worried about the ChiSox there’s that. But for those still “concerned” about what the Orioles have or haven’t done, keep in mind that you were probably saying the same thing last year at this time – and the year before.