Jjav829
03-09-2005, 10:55 PM
Baltimore Orioles
Key offseason additions:
OF Sammy Sosa
RP Steve Kline
RP Steve Reed
Key offseason losses:
2B/OF Jerry Hairston Jr.
General Outlook:
Not a very good offseason for the Orioles. They needed pitching and they didn't get any. The signing of Kline was a nice move, but they needed a lot more. They failed to improve a pitching staff that needed an established front-line pitcher. They made a strong effort for Delgado, though lost out on him to the Marlins. So what did they do? They traded for Sammy Sosa. And why not? They're not going anywhere this year. So they added a guy who can possibly draw a few more fans and will improve their offense. He only has one more year left. They'll have a very good offense, but it won't mean much barring some drastic improvement from several of their starters.
Possible starting lineup:
2B Brian Robers
3B Melvin Mora
SS Miguel Tejada
OF Sammy Sosa
C Javy Lopez
DH Rafael Palmeiro
1B Jay Gibbons
LF Larry Bigbie
CF Luis Matos
Their 1-2-3-4 could be one of the best in baseball. Could be. Except I'm sure they'll bat Sosa 4th to cater to his ego, rather than batting the more deserving Javy Lopez there. They should probably bat Palmeiro 5th just to break up the righties. But because they'd never drop Sosa down to where he belongs, the 6 hole, their lineup will likely look like this. Newhan could start in left, though Bigbie's age will likely give him the advantage. They're going to have a powerful lineup. They'll give opposing pitchers nightmares on some nights and they're definitely going to need it. It's not going to mean much, however, because their pitching won't help them compete against teams like the Yankees and Red Sox.
Possibly starting pitching rotation:
Sidney Ponson
Rodrigo Lopez
Erik Bedard
Daniel Cabrera
Bruce Chen
Unspectacular, huh? That's what happens when you fail to land a good starting pitcher. They made plays for Hudson, Mulder, Vazquez, and others, but they couldn't get one of them. So they're stuck with Sir Sidney leading the way for a group of youngsters. The good news is that there is some upside for several of these guys. Lopez had a very good year last year. Is he going to only pitch well in even numbered years? They better hope not. Ponson last year was simply bad. Was he trying to justify his big contract? Did he want an ERA that made his weight look small in comparison? Who knows. If he pitches like he's being payed, they'll at least be able to take a little pressure off their offense. Instead of needing 8 runs to win, maybe they'll only need 7. I do think Bedard will be OK. Still, about the only thing they can hope for out of this unit is to see the young pitchers get some experience and hopefully improve. I'm not sure how long Bruce Chen will stay in the rotation. I would think that they would want to give Kurt Ainsworth a shot. Apparently they don't feel the same way and are prepared to make him a reliever. On the bright side, their bullpen should be solid with Ryan, Kline and Grimsley helping to finish things out. Throw in a Jorge Julio, a Steve Reed, and whatever young pitcher they kick to the pen and they should be OK out there.
Overall Prediction:
3rd place; 75- 87
Player that will surprise:
1B Jay Gibbons - I expected more out of him last year, though he ended up getting hurt. Maybe I'm falling into the same trap this year, but I think he'll put up nice numbers. I can see 25/80 out of him if he stay on the field, which isn't bad for a 7th place hitter.
Player that will disappoint:
3B Melvin Mora - Is Melvin Mora really a 27/104 guy with a .981 OPS? I certainly don't think so. I can see his avg/obp staying up, but at the age of 33, 2004 screams career year to me. 20/85 with a .915 OPS seems more realistic to me, but who knows, maybe he'll prove me wrong. Still a good year, just not quite the 2004 performance he had.
Thoughts?
Key offseason additions:
OF Sammy Sosa
RP Steve Kline
RP Steve Reed
Key offseason losses:
2B/OF Jerry Hairston Jr.
General Outlook:
Not a very good offseason for the Orioles. They needed pitching and they didn't get any. The signing of Kline was a nice move, but they needed a lot more. They failed to improve a pitching staff that needed an established front-line pitcher. They made a strong effort for Delgado, though lost out on him to the Marlins. So what did they do? They traded for Sammy Sosa. And why not? They're not going anywhere this year. So they added a guy who can possibly draw a few more fans and will improve their offense. He only has one more year left. They'll have a very good offense, but it won't mean much barring some drastic improvement from several of their starters.
Possible starting lineup:
2B Brian Robers
3B Melvin Mora
SS Miguel Tejada
OF Sammy Sosa
C Javy Lopez
DH Rafael Palmeiro
1B Jay Gibbons
LF Larry Bigbie
CF Luis Matos
Their 1-2-3-4 could be one of the best in baseball. Could be. Except I'm sure they'll bat Sosa 4th to cater to his ego, rather than batting the more deserving Javy Lopez there. They should probably bat Palmeiro 5th just to break up the righties. But because they'd never drop Sosa down to where he belongs, the 6 hole, their lineup will likely look like this. Newhan could start in left, though Bigbie's age will likely give him the advantage. They're going to have a powerful lineup. They'll give opposing pitchers nightmares on some nights and they're definitely going to need it. It's not going to mean much, however, because their pitching won't help them compete against teams like the Yankees and Red Sox.
Possibly starting pitching rotation:
Sidney Ponson
Rodrigo Lopez
Erik Bedard
Daniel Cabrera
Bruce Chen
Unspectacular, huh? That's what happens when you fail to land a good starting pitcher. They made plays for Hudson, Mulder, Vazquez, and others, but they couldn't get one of them. So they're stuck with Sir Sidney leading the way for a group of youngsters. The good news is that there is some upside for several of these guys. Lopez had a very good year last year. Is he going to only pitch well in even numbered years? They better hope not. Ponson last year was simply bad. Was he trying to justify his big contract? Did he want an ERA that made his weight look small in comparison? Who knows. If he pitches like he's being payed, they'll at least be able to take a little pressure off their offense. Instead of needing 8 runs to win, maybe they'll only need 7. I do think Bedard will be OK. Still, about the only thing they can hope for out of this unit is to see the young pitchers get some experience and hopefully improve. I'm not sure how long Bruce Chen will stay in the rotation. I would think that they would want to give Kurt Ainsworth a shot. Apparently they don't feel the same way and are prepared to make him a reliever. On the bright side, their bullpen should be solid with Ryan, Kline and Grimsley helping to finish things out. Throw in a Jorge Julio, a Steve Reed, and whatever young pitcher they kick to the pen and they should be OK out there.
Overall Prediction:
3rd place; 75- 87
Player that will surprise:
1B Jay Gibbons - I expected more out of him last year, though he ended up getting hurt. Maybe I'm falling into the same trap this year, but I think he'll put up nice numbers. I can see 25/80 out of him if he stay on the field, which isn't bad for a 7th place hitter.
Player that will disappoint:
3B Melvin Mora - Is Melvin Mora really a 27/104 guy with a .981 OPS? I certainly don't think so. I can see his avg/obp staying up, but at the age of 33, 2004 screams career year to me. 20/85 with a .915 OPS seems more realistic to me, but who knows, maybe he'll prove me wrong. Still a good year, just not quite the 2004 performance he had.
Thoughts?