Orioles News - Winter Meetings

A slight change has been made to my blog. I will no longer put yesterdays date in the title, a habit that was useful during the season when the O's were still playing games. From now on, my blogs will not include a date in the title.

For all of Major League Baseball, the Winter Meetings will begin Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. So, what are these Winter Meetings? It's where GM's and top executives from all of the Major League teams go and talk baseball. They talk about trades, rumors, etc. So, which Baltimore Orioles players could be moving? Well, Andy MacPhail has said that no Orioles player is untouchable, but there are a few leading candidates to go. Disgruntled Oriole Miguel Tejada will probably be traded at the meetings. Ace Erik Bedard could also be traded. Several teams have offered good packages for him, and since contract negotiations between his agent and the O's have stalled, it is more reason to believe that he will be dealt. Also, Aubrey Huff, Jay Payton, Ramon Hernandez, and Melvin Mora could also be traded. What will the O's be looking for in return? The Orioles will most likely try to add a few relievers. The O's had their worst bullpen ERA in franchise history last year. Plus, Dany Baez and Chris Ray will be out for most of this year, leaving the O's short two more relievers. The O's will probably try to add some young arms. That's a good start... - John T.

Orioles News - 10/23/07 - Two Players Come Up From Minors, Five Taken Off DL

Well, it's official. The Baltimore Orioles took two players up from the minors yesterday, and took 5 players off of the Disabled List to bring their amount of players on their roster to the limit of 40. The players who came up were right handed pitcher Fredy Deza and right handed pitcher Bob McCrory. They both came up from Double A Bowie.

Also, five players came off of the 60 day Disabled List. Those players were pitcher Erik Bedard, pitcher Kris Benson, pitcher Adam Loewen, closer Chris Ray, and Outfielder Jay Gibbons. My first thought: Kris Benson is still here? My second thought: If Gibbons took steroids, why is he still on the team? Weren't the O's going to release him after it was found that he used steroids? It appears the O's were all talk and no walk. Ain't that the story of the last 10 years? - John T.

Orioles News - 10/19/07 - Who Will Close Next Season?

Since the Baltimore Orioles' season is over, the main personnel is focusing on next year. A major question is: Who will be the O's closer next season? Our real closer, Chris Ray, will be out most of next season after having Tommy John Surgery. So, who else? Not reliever Dany Baez (who took over once Ray got hurt earlier in the year), because he too is having Tommy John Surgery. So who will it be? Chad Bradford? Jamie Walker? Or someone else that the O's sign or trade for this off season? My money is on a new closer that will come in via trade or free agency. Why? Well, Chad Bradford is one of our few good relievers, so Baltimore will keep him as a reliever simply because they really don't have many more good relievers. The same can be said about Jamie Walker. He is a top reliever for Baltimore and when your relievers are that thin, you need to protect what few relievers you have. So look for a new closer to come into town via trade or free agency. Otherwise, we might be in trouble. - John T.

Orioles News - 10/9/07 - Changes The O's Need To Make To Compete

Now that the Baltimore Orioles season is over, some of the many questions on every one's mind are these: What changes do the O's need to make to compete? Should Miguel Tejada leave or at least move to 3rd base? Should Daniel Cabrera leave or at least head to the bullpen? Today I will answer the first question, What changes do the O's need to make to compete? The rest will be answered in the coming days.

What Off Season Changes Do the Baltimore Orioles Need to Make to Compete?

The Baltimore Orioles off season checklist should look like this:

1. Relievers.

2. A good, middle-of-the-order hitter.

3. Starting pitchers.

Why is getting relievers ranked first? Well, reliever Dany Baez will most likely be out for all of 2008 with an arm injury that will require Tommy John Surgery. Not that he was all that great. He was 0-6 with a 6.44 ERA. He won't be missed by me. But, closer Chris Ray is also expected to be out for all of next year as he is having Tommy John Surgery too. Reliever Jamie Walker and Chad Bradford were good this year, but other then that, Baltimore didn't really have any good relievers. With two more arms gone from the bullpen, we need more relievers.

Why is a good, middle-of-the-order hitter a need? Well, the O's scored 756 runs last year, but the pitching gave up the 3rd most runs in all of baseball. Your not going to win a lot of games when your being outscored like that. Plus, this move would take pressure off of Miguel Tejada and Nick Markakis, because they would know they have a great hitter coming up behind them.

Why are starting pitchers a need? They are because our rotation has only 1 proven pitcher, Erik Bedard. Yes, Jeremy Guthrie is good but he was a rookie last year, and he'll need another good year to prove himself. Adam Loewen is good but who knows how he'll be after coming off major surgery. Other then that, we don't have any good pitchers for our rotation. We have young pitchers but they're just that: Young. And young pitchers means inexperienced pitchers. The O's need to pick up at least 1 veteran starter to help out the rotation and the younger players.

Coming tomorrow: Should Miguel Tejada Leave The Orioles Or At Least Move To 3rd base? - John T.

Orioles News - 10/1/07 - 2007 season in review

This blog will be about the Baltimore Orioles 2007 season in review.

Season-changing moment:

Firing manager Sam Perlozzo and hiring Dave Trembley. This was key as the team did great when Trembley was the interim manager, but the same night that it was announced he became the Orioles' official manager, August 22, Baltimore lost to the Texas Rangers 30-3. That was a major turning point in the 2007 season as the O's would lose 8 straight after that and be stuck in a slump for the rest of the season.

What was good:

There were few things that were good, but I would say that Nick Markakis' season was the best thing for the Orioles this year. Markakis led the team in doubles (43), home runs (23), and RBI's (112). He also led the team with a .300 batting average. That's great because this shows that maybe, just maybe, the Orioles do have some good, young players that could help them win. But, I'll go into the subject of good moments in the 2007 season more tomorrow...

What was bad:

Just about everything. But to pick one main thing, I would say that injuries tore the team up. Adam Loewen, Jaret Wright, Kris Benson, and Chris Ray all suffered season ending injuries, with most of the injuries coming at the beginning of the year. Not to mention Miguel Tejada and Ramon Hernandez getting hurt... But, I will have more about the bad moments of the 2007 season in a few days...

In more Baltimore Orioles' news, pitchers Jaret Wright and Victor Zambrano were released by the team. Zambrano had a 8.76 ERA in 12 1/3 innings pitched and 11 walks during his stay in Baltimore. He won't be missed.

Coming tomorrow: The Best Moments Of The Baltimore Orioles 2007 Season. - John T.