While the Orioles were plunging into yet another September dive that landed them in the cellar of the American League East with their 11th straight losing season, I already was feeling good about 2008 and the future.
I’ll bet you won’t find too many general managers these days chuckling about the state of the Orioles.
That’s because, for the first time in a decade, the Birds actually are progressing with a foundation and a plan. Thanks largely to Andy MacPhail, the team’s president of baseball operations, the farm system is no longer a joke. It’s filled with young players full of potential, and will be integral to the Orioles’ rebuilding effort centered around pitching, pitching and more pitching.
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A lack of starting pitching ultimately is what sent the Orioles tumbling after more than four months of competitive baseball. And the addition of strong starting pitching in 2009, whether from the farm, the free-agent market, or both, will dictate where the Orioles are headed in the immediate and long-term future.
Meantime, look how many pieces appear to be falling into place, pieces that could point this team toward playoff contention in the next two years.
Start with the outfield. This season, 23-year-old Adam Jones, the biggest prize in the offseason trade that sent Erik Bedard to Seattle, emerged as the best center fielder prospect in Baltimore since Paul Blair.
Despite knowing little about playing the position in spring training and knowing little about the major-league strike zone, all Jones did was hit .270 and play outstanding defense from Opening Day.
By the time Jones is 26, he could be a star. By then, right fielder Nick Markakis could be an MVP candidate. By then, Lou Montanez, who hit .295 and slugged .446 in 38 games after his August callup from Double-A, could be a fixture in the lineup. And having a sturdy left-handed bat in Luke Scott (23 homers, 65 RBI) adds nice depth.
In the infield, the Orioles are getting ancient on the corners, where Kevin Millar and Melvin Mora are holding it down — for now. Expect the Birds to make a run at free-agent first baseman and hometown boy Mark Teixeira, but don’t expect MacPhail to stay on the phone for long talking about a $100 million deal.
Up the middle is where the situation gets precarious. The Orioles have no everyday shortstop, and need to make that a huge priority by signing possibly Orlando Cabrera or Rafael Furcal. And what will become of Brian Roberts, an elite leadoff hitter and second baseman in the prime of his career? Unless MacPhail gets a knockout trade offer involving several serious prospects, he should re-sign Roberts to a three- or four-year deal.
In a year when the Orioles went from a team that couldn’t hit to one that batted .270 and produced five, 20-homer hitters, Aubrey Huff was the story. Huff (.304, 32 HR, 108 RBI) became a bona fide cleanup man with his best season. The only reason he won’t command a big trade is his reduced value as a designated hitter. There would be worse fates than getting stuck with him for one more year.
The biggest reasons for optimism point to pitching possibilities and catcher Matt Wieters, the team’s first-round pick last year who destroyed minor league pitching and will get every chance to overtake the annoying Ramon Hernandez behind the plate next spring.
The late-season collapse boiled down to two factors.
No starter emerged with any consistency to support ace Jeremy Guthrie, and the bullpen gradually unraveled after an early season injury to Matt Albers — a prize in the Miguel Tejada trade with Houston.
The Orioles should not simply wait on some combination of Daniel Cabrera, Garrett Olson, Chris Waters, Brian Burres and Radhames Liz to fill out the rotation or push a stud such as Double-A star Chris Tillman to the bigs too early. They should spend the money necessary to acquire veterans such as A.J. Burnett (18-10) and Paul Byrd (11-12), innings-eaters who could thrive here.
The bullpen should once again be a huge strength, with Albers and Dennis Sarfate anchoring the middle relief roles. And if Chris Ray recovers fully from his elbow injury and combines forces with George Sherrill and Jim Johnson — two success stories before each suffered an injury — the Orioles potentially could shrink many games to a six-inning affair next season.
In short, the team with a 68-93 finish in 2008 is going places.
Up.
