Following a disappointing 1998 season, one in which the Baltimore Orioles went 79-83 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995, the Orioles conducted a significant makeover of their team heading into 1999. General Manager Frank Wren replaced several departing veterans with a bevy of free agents and trade acquisitions, some of which paid off while others did not.
The only big names to return were Cal Ripken, Jr., Brady Anderson, B.J. Surhoff,, Mike Mussina and Scott Erickson. Stalwarts Rafael Palmeiro and Roberto Alomar, both of whom were key contributors to the Orioles' back-to-back ALCS appearances, bolted in free agency. Wren went to work, adding the following players to the Orioles' roster:
1. Albert Belle, OF (signed as free agent, 5 years, $65 million)
The Orioles' big prize of the winter was signing Albert Belle, the extremely talented, power-hitting outfielder formerly of the Indians and White Sox. Belle had two solid years in Baltimore before being forced into early retirement due to a degenerative hip issue. Despite playing well for the O's, Belle did not play in a single playoff game for the Orioles.
2. Will Clark, 1B (signed as free agent, 2 years, $11 million)
Veteran Will Clark was signed to replace the departing Rafael Palmeiro at first base. Clark played well (albeit through injuries) before being traded at the massive 2000 trade deadline sale for infielder Jose Leon.
3. Delino DeShields, 2B (signed as free agent, 3 years, $12 million)
The Orioles signed the speedy lead-off man to replace Roberto Alomar at second base. DeShields eventually shifted to left field and won Most Valuable Oriole in 2000. However, like the rest of this group, DeShields did not lead the Orioles to a winning season or play in any meaningful games.
4. Charles Johnson, C (acquired from the Mets for RHP Armando Benitez)
The Orioles acquired Johnson for his glove and power bat. While he played well, the Orioles were never a good team with him, and he was dealt at the massive 2000 sell-off for Brook Fordyce and others from the White Sox.
5. Mike Timlin, RHP (signed as free agent, 4 years, $16 million)
The right-hander struggled as the Orioles' closer in 1999 before being traded in July 2000 for Chris Richard of the Cardinals. Timlin went on to pitch until 2008, winning two World Series with the Red Sox.
6. Ricky Bones, RHP (signed as free agent,
After a solid 1998 season with Kansas City (3.04 ERA), Bones joined the Orioles bullpen. He struggled in 30 games, pitching to a 2-7 record with a 5.98 ERA before moving onto the Marlins.
7. Xavier Hernandez, RHP (signed as free agent)
The Orioles signed Hernandez away from Texas after a solid 1998 season in the Rangers' bullpen. Due to injuries, however, Hernandez did not throw a single pitch for the Orioles.
8. Heathcliff Slocumb, RHP (signed as free agent)
The Orioles signed the veteran Slocumb away from the Mariners. He struggled gravely with the Orioles, pitching to a 12.46 ERA in ten games.
9. Rich Amaral, UTIL (signed as free agent)
The Orioles signed Amaral, a long-time "jack-of-all-trades" player with the Mariners, as a bench player. He played all over the diamond in 1999 and 2000 for the O's. Although he did not hit a single home run in Baltimore, he was worth a solid 0.7 WAR coming off the O's bench in 1999.
10. Jeff Conine, 1B (acquired for RHP Chris Fussell)
One of the less-heralded players on this list, Conine spent several seasons with the Orioles after being acquired from the Royals for Chris Fussell. He was a rare bright spot on some abysmal teams in 2001, 2002, and 2003, before being traded to the Marlins and winning a World Series in 2003. Conine returned to the Orioles in 2006 for one last hurrah, posting a .726 OPS before being traded again to another NL East Team - the Phillies.
The Orioles' approach to the 1999 off-season did not pay dividends, as the team finished 78-84 and missed the playoffs despite having the eighth highest payroll in MLB. The 1999 offseason represented an attempted reset after the losses of Palmeiro and Alomar, among others, but perhaps should have been the start of a rebuild instead. Orioles' legends Cal Ripken, Jr. and Brady Anderson were at the end of their careers, and ace Mike Mussina would bolt for the Yankees just one year later. 1999 wound up being the second of 14 straight losing seasons in Baltimore.
While many fans, myself included, are itching for the present-day Orioles to be more aggressive - the signings of Tyler O'Neill, Gary Sanchez, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Charlie Morton notwithstanding - adding more players does not always lead to success. However, unlike in 1999, the Orioles now are looking to supplement a young core, not make one final run with an aging core. With the calendar just flipping to 2025, the Orioles still have time to make the necessary moves to challenge the mighty Yankees in the AL East.