Let's Take On a Project or Two

The Orioles' Manager, Buck Showalter, is known for getting the best out of his players. The Orioles need to bring some washed-up has-been players for Showalter to get the best out of. Some players that come to mind are Ben Sheets, Lastings Milledge, and Chris Ray.

Let's break these players down by what is wrong with them, and what they bring to the table:

Ben Sheets

Ben Sheets' days of hitting 98 MPH are likely over. However, Sheets was a great player when he was healthy, and started the 2008 All-Star Game for the National League. If he could stay healthy, he could be a solid addition to a struggling Orioles Starting Rotation.  Sheets spent last year with Oakland, but missed most of the year with a torn flexor in his right elbow.

When healthy, Sheets flashes a solid fastball (92-95 MPH), a knee-buckling curveball (78-82 MPH), and also contains a slider and a changeup in his arsenal of pitches. The Orioles could definitely use another veteran starter to pair up with Jeremy Guthrie at the front of the Orioles rotation, and Sheets is definitely worth the risk. He will not demand a large contract, and has huge upside.

Lastings Milledge

Lastings Milledge was once a "Can't Miss" prospect in the Mets' farm system. He made his major league debut in 2006. He missed the first half of 2007 with a foot injury. Milledge was traded to the Nationals in November of '07 for Brian Schneider and Ryan Church. Milledge started as the starting center fielder in D.C., but once again, injuries hampered Milledge. On June 28, Milledge suffered a groin injury, and missed a month. In June of 2009, Milledge was traded again. This time, it was to the Pirates. The Nationals sent Milledge and Joel Hanrahan to the Pirates for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett. Milledge disappointed this past season with the Pirates, and they did not tender him a contract for 2011.

The thing that people often forget about Milledge is that he is still only 26 years old. There are many players who don't begin to produce until their late 20's, such as Nelson Cruz and Jayson Werth. Milledge provides speed, and has some pop in his bat on an inconsistent basis, so he does have potential. He showed he has some speed with Washington in 2008, when he stole 24 bases, and showed a bit of pop with his 14 bombs. He has the tools, he just hasn't been able to put it all together.

Chris Ray

Ray is a former Oriole who was traded with cash to the Texas Rangers last offseason for veteran starting pitcher Kevin Millwood. Ray was then traded midseason to the Giants with pitching prospect Michael Main for Bengie Molina.

Ray is a side-arm pitcher, and adding a side-armer would give the O's some flexibility. They have righties and lefties, but now, if Ray could produce in the bigs, they'd have a side-arm guy as well that they could bring out.

Kevin Gregg Likes the Orioles' Direction

Just thought I'd pass along a link to an article about Kevin Gregg : http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/01/gregg-likes-orioles-direction.html Well written by Ben Nicholson-Smith of the MLBTR Staff.

Orioles Sign Kevin Gregg

The Orioles officially announced the signing of Kevin Gregg. His deal is worth $10 million and has an option that, if vested, could make the deal worth between $16-$20 million. Gregg will probably join Mike Gonzalez, Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara, and Jeremy Accardo in the Orioles' bullpen.

Will/Should the Orioles Make A Legitament Run At The Prince?

A few days ago, the Orioles signed Derrek Lee to a 1 year contract. People wondered why the Birds would get Lee on a one year deal, instead of signing Adam LaRoche to a 2 or 3 year deal. Then, speculation came up that it may very well be because the Orioles have plans to make a push for Prince Fielder next offseason. We've seen that the O's are not afraid to spend cash, when they offered Mark Texiera a 7 year, $165 million contract. They were outbid by the Nationals, Yankees, and Red Sox, and Texiera ultimately signed with the Yankees, but the fact that the Orioles made that big a push gives fans hope that they will continue to pursue these top-tier free agents. So, why not Prince?

Derrek Lee is out after this season. So, unless the Orioles see very big potential from Brandon Snyder, or more likely, from Josh Bell or Nolan Reimold, the Orioles will likely pursue another free agent first baseman. To compete in the AL East, they will need all the pop they can get in their offense. So, they need to pursue Prince to compete with the Yankees, and the reguvenated Red Sox. Adding Prince to an offense with Brian Roberts, Matt Weiters, Mark Reynolds, and Adam Jones will make for as good an offense as the Rays have, about as strong as the current Yankees, and atleast closer to the Red Sox offense than they are now. Also, with young pitchers like Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton, and Chris Tillman on the rise, they will have a strong pitching staff coming with the offense. So, Prince is the missing piece to the puzzle that is the new, competing Orioles in 2012 and beyond.

Orioles Agree to Sign Kevin Gregg

The Orioles have added to their bullpen by signing Kevin Gregg to a two-year, 10 million dollar contract with an option. Gregg saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays last year, and will battle with Koji Uehara for the closer role for next year. Gregg joins Jeremy Accardo as two former Blue Jays who will likely contribute to the Baltimore Bullpen this coming year. Although Gregg has Type-A status, the Orioles will not lose their draft pick, as it is protected. The Blue Jays will instead get a supplemental first round pick.

Alfredo Simon Primary Suspect in Shooting

Orioles relief pitcher Alfredo Simon is a primary suspect in the fatal shooting of 25-year-old man Michael Castillo Almonte. Castillo Almonte's half-brother, Starlin Castillo Hernandez, was also injured in the incident and remains hospitalized. This incident occured in the Dominican Republic, and today, Simon surrendered himself to the Dominican Police. Simon, his lawyer, Carlos Olivares, and former Orioles utility-man, Julio Lugo, met with the police chief, Jose Polanco today in Santo Domingo. Simon is being charged with manslaughter, and if he is found guilty, he could serve up to 2 years in prison. Victor Mueses, a Dominican public prosecutor, told the Associated Press that he'll request that Simon remain in detention for three months while the case is investigated further.

Information from the NY Daily News and the Associated Press was used in this report.

Why the Orioles Should Sign Jim Thome

Jim Thome is one of the best free agents available, and I think he is the best DH-type player available on the free-agent market. The Orioles could use another bat to compete with the solid pitching rotations of the AL East, and I think that Thome could be the perfect fit.

Yesterday, the Orioles inked Derrek Lee to a 1-year deal, which could be worth up to $10M, and, provided he doesn't get injured in Spring Training, he will be the first baseman in 2011. But, the Orioles could insert Thome into the DH role. Luke Scott is the primary candidate to be the primary DH next year, allowing Nolan Reimold and Felix Pie to battle for the starting left field job. But, Scott could take over the left field job if Thome was signed.
              Also, the Orioles have a very small fan base. These fans need something to be happy about. The O's have made a big splash this year, bringing in J.J. Hardy, and much more notably, Mark Reynolds, but even that hasn't brought many fans to Baltimore. Adding a man who is chasing history, 600 home runs, could at least bring in some ticket sales, if not some actual fans, because people will want to A) watch a an improved offense, and B) try to catch the game that Thome hits his 600th bomb. Thome is also a smart move financially. The Orioles still want to make some more moves this year. They sit in the middle of the financial game. Thome will likely come cheaper than Vladimir Guerrero or Manny Ramirez, the other top outfield/DH-type players available. Guerrero had a phenomenal season last year, and will likely seek a large contract. Also, he has the Cliff Lee-less Texas Rangers chasing after him, so they will be aggresive and will likely drive up his price. Manny brings a troubled player and always seeks a large deal, so he doesn't seem to make much sense for a young club seeking leadership.
               Now, if there are any possible concerns, here is the biggest one.  On December 21, 1998, the Orioles signed Albert Belle, who was on the back end of his career, to a 5 year, $65 million deal. At that time, that was the largest contract in Orioles history. Belle was a bust, and because of his outbursts of anger at the media, he brought negative attention to a club that was trying to get on track to win. So, Owner Peter Angelos may be hesitant to handing over an expensive contract to another player on the decline, such as Thome.

However, Thome is asking for roughly $8 million for one year, so it is a much less risky contract. Althought it would be an expensive investment, it will only be for one season, and Thome will provide the Orioles with a true leader, and a solid bat. He also has a great work ethic, and never has problems with the media.  I think that all of this makes the $8 million completely worth it. Thome provides the Orioles with the final piece they need to have a potent offense.

This signing could be quite attractive to Thome as well. The future Hall of Famer is sitting at 589 home runs, 8th on the all-time list, and hitting in Camden Yards, a hitter's park, would create a very good opportunity for him to reach the 600 home run milestone. Also, the Orioles have one of, if the greatest manager in baseball, Buck Showalter. Showalter is known for winning, and for getting the most out of his players.  Thome would benefit because it would help prevent him from suffering a serious drop in production, as he turned 41 this offseason, and most players start declining around age 35. He’s not getting any younger, and this could very well be his last season, so why not spend it in Baltimore?