Baltimore Orioles: Faux General Manager makes early moves

The FanSided Faux General Managers are busy making trades before the Faux Winter Meetings get started and the Baltimore Orioles have been rather busy.

With pitching and Manny Machado in mind, I (the Faux GM) have been making sure all of the T’s are crossed and the I’s are dotted.

There is no rebuild going on in this fake Hot Stove season. It is all about winning and winning now.

Move One: Secure the best player for a long, long time

The first thing that I did was make sure that Mr. Miami will remain Mr. Baltimore for a very long time. The Faux Agent and I decided that Machado would remain in Birdland for seven years at an extremely affordable rate, especially considering the talent. They took a home-town discount for $28.5 million per year for seven years. When the eighth year arrives, he will have a $5 million buy out. No one gets an opt-out on this contract.

Machado sells seats and gives the Orioles a real, legitimate franchise player. So, he needs to stay for as long as possible. By the time the $5 million buy out arrives, he will be only 33 years old.

Move Two: Make a trade for an affordable and consistent pitcher

Prior to shoring up Machado for several years, I tried to make a few trades for pitchers. I attempted to get my hands on Chris Archer, but it didn’t pan out. Then I was approached by the Miami Marlins Faux to trade for Dan Straily, but they wanted too much in exchange.

But luck changed when, I was approached by the Minnesota Twins Faux GM with an opportunity that I could not pass up. They wanted to make a trade involving Kyle Gibson in exchange for some minor leaguers. My Faux GM scouting report on Gibson is good, as I’ve actually seen him pitch several times. And, the price was right.

So, for Austin Wynns, Joe Johnson, and the rest of the International Bonus Money, the O’s now have Gibson on the rotation. Gibson had a mighty fine season bringing the unlikely Twins to the post-season. I’ll discuss the pros and cons of Gibson in a later post.

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Move Three: Get ready to acquire some free agents

I’ve had my eyes on a few free agent pitchers who could bring some consistency and experience to the O’s rotation. But, I’m going to keep their names a secret for now, because I do not want to disappoint anyone if I’m outbid by other teams.

Move Four: Get an outfielder utility player

While this is a need for the O’s, it’s not as vital as filling the rotation. Austin Hays is on the 40-man roster and appears to be ready for time in the outfield. Serving as a utility player would be a good role for him in the 2018 season. But, I’m keeping my eyes on veterans like Cameron Maybin and Curtis Granderson. It might even be worth it to bring fan-favorite Nick Markakis back into the fold.

Next: The Orioles need a lefty in the starting rotation

Stay tuned for more Faux-GM updates as they become available. Keep in mind that these are not real transactions.