Baltimore Orioles: Realistic Offseason Moves

Major League Baseball’s Hot Stove has been lit and teams are already positioning themselves in preparation for a free agent season that is sure to be exciting. I can’t remember the last time such highly regarded names graced the free agent listing. With two former Cy Young award winners, a two time Home Run Champ, and countless All Stars available there is no doubt we’ll see some shifts in the power structure of the league and there are sure to be some surprises. For the Orioles to make a return to the post season, they’ll need to be creative in their effort to fill their many needs.

Officially kicking off the Hot Stove season for the Orioles meant extending qualifying offers to their top free agents Chris Davis, Matt Wieters, and Wei Yin Chen. It’s already been established locally and nationally that the Orioles might not have a choice regarding resigning Chris Davis because of the impact of letting another Home Run champion leave for a second consecutive season. This could present a problem for VP of Operations Dan Duquette because other teams who belly up to the poker table can force the Orioles to push all of their available chips in to secure Davis and appease the fan base. If this happens, the possibility of pursuing a top tier pitcher or outfielder could be diminished.

There has been a lot of speculation about the amount of money Duquette will be granted to improve the team. However I’m not getting caught up in trying to figure out how limited he may or may not be in spending. Instead, I want to take a look at a good mixture of moves that the Orioles can realistically make to put themselves atop the American League East once again.

Re-sign Chris Davis

As mentioned, the Orioles don’t have much of a choice in this matter. Davis is the most dangerous bat on the free agent market and despite his occasional hitting swoons and ability to pile up strikeouts, his raw power is just awesome. Plugging in Davis at the cleanup spot every day totally changes how pitchers approach the lineup. He looms large in the on deck circle, not just because of his massive frame.

It’s not just his ability to put runs on the board however that make him a must sign. Davis is an outstanding and versatile defender as well. His chemistry with the other infielders has played a big role in recent Gold Gloves being awarded on the Orioles left side of second base. His personality and work ethic extend to the chemistry in the clubhouse as well. Fans saw the impact of losing the popular Nelson Cruz and fear a loss of Chris Davis will further erode a team chemistry that many believe was the catalyst behind their 2014 AL East championship.

Simply put, Davis must be retained. Again, I’m not going to get caught up in how much he’ll cost the Orioles but I think it’s safe to say that if he returns, he’ll be the highest paid Oriole in history, if only momentarily as Manny Machado may well have established himself as a $30 million per year player but that’s a topic for another column….

More from Orioles News

Sign Yovani Gallardo

It’s no secret that the Orioles biggest problem in defending their Division title was Starting Pitching. It’s easy to assume that Chris Tillman will have a bounce back season and Kevin Gausman will continue to develop into a top of the rotation arm but the Orioles learned last year that making those types of assumptions can be dangerous. They must address the starting pitching, and not just by inviting a lot of has beens to camp and hoping for a few of them to reinvent themselves in Baltimore.

Gallardo is just the type of pitcher that fits into the Orioles needs. Out spending New York, Boston, San Francisco, and other teams for the services of David Price or Zack Greinke is just not going to happen. Gallardo would give the Orioles an Ace quality pitcher at a more affordable price, probably in the range of what the O’s paid for Ubaldo Jimenez. He’s not going to be as dominant as Price or Greinke, but he will give the Orioles the top of rotation pitcher they sorely need.

At 29 years old, Gallardo has a lot of good years ahead of him. With a career 3.75 ERA and a K/9 rate of 8.2, he’s got the chops to lead the Orioles rotation and his presence would move Tillman, Gausman, and Jimenez down and take some pressure off of them to be stoppers. Gallardo has seen his numbers dip a bit over the past few seasons in the strikeout department but a closer look indicates that he’s simply becoming a more efficient pitcher as he matures. As his K/9 rate has dropped over the past few years from around 9 to 6, his groundball rate has gone up significantly. Over this stretch he’s also dropped his flyball and BB/9 rates. This all adds up to a pitcher who has learned how to pitch and for a Gold Glove laden defense like the Orioles possess, Gallardo could be a bargain.

Trade for Carlos Gonzalez

Colorado is in the midst of a rebuild and there is no doubt that the recent success of the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and Chicago Cubs has been closely watched by the Rockies brass. With budding superstar Nolan Arenado and a plethora of prospects in David Dahl, Brendan Rodgers, Ryan McMahon, Jon Gray, Jeff Hoffman, and many more, the Rockies have a bright future. But a close analysis of their prospect pipeline shows a few needs, primarily at Catcher and pitching is always a need.

Carlos Gonzalez is a luxury that a rebuilding team should most definitely exploit. He’s got two years and $37 million left on his existing contract and the former NL batting champ and three time Gold Glove winner is coming off of a 40 homerun season. He’s everything the Orioles need in a Right Fielder and would give them a fearsome big three in the order along with Davis and Adam Jones.

Based on the aforementioned needs of the Rockies, a trade match might be possible if the Orioles are willing to part with Catcher Chance Sisco, two of pitchers Jon Keller, David Hess, and Mike Wright, and outfielder Dariel Alvarez or Henry Urrutia. Yes, you read that right; it may not take one of the Orioles top five prospects to get Gonzalez. If it does however, then the player package shrinks and the Orioles likely would have to part with Hunter Harvey, which they should definitely be willing to do to land CarGo.

He’s everything the Orioles need in a Right Fielder and would give them a fearsome big three…

Sign Domonic Brown

Now we are getting into the reclamation projects that Duquette so loves to undertake. Dom Brown is exactly the type of player the Orioles should take a chance on. The 2013 Phillies All Star fell from grace in a big way. Once a top tier prospect so highly regarded that the Phillies let All Star Jayson Werth walk via free agency, Brown flashed his promise with 27 Homeruns, 83 RBI, and a .272 BA in 2013 while playing solid defense in Leftfield. After dealing with some injuries and seeing his production decline substantially, his dramatic fall culminated in his being granted free agency on October 20th, making his services available at a discounted rate. At just 28 years old, he is everything that Duquette looks for in a project and he’s got the talent to win the Leftfield job in Baltimore.

Next: Machado sees gold once again

Sign Mat Latos

Another former prospect who had quite a bit of success in the National League but has seen his numbers dip as he’s dealt with some injuries over the past two seasons, he fits the model of a player that Duquette might be able to acquire at a discount. Latos is only 27 years old and he’s proven himself as a top of the rotation arm for several teams in the past. With a 3.51 career ERA and K/9 rater over 8, he could work his way back and be a difference maker in the Orioles rotation. He’s only two season removed from back to back 14 win seasons where he approached 200 K’s. This would be a safe and smart signing for the Orioles which could pay good dividends.

If the Orioles want to return to the postseason in 2016, they’ll need a good mix of spending, trading, and taking a chance on a few projects to keep pace with the big spenders. Duquette has the ability to find talent where others do not and he’ll likely pull at least one rabbit out of his hat again this season. One thing is for sure though; the magic show better not start until after signing Chris Davis. If he lets Davis walk, he might not want to show up at Fanfest for his own safety.

What moves do you want to see the Orioles make? Let’s start the conversation in the comments section!!

Home/Orioles News