The Baltimore Orioles are putting offensive pieces together that will help them this coming season. While some of them may be getting older they can still contribute to a team. Three offensive horses in the off-season bolsters the middle of the lineup. Derrek Lee, Mark Reynolds, and Vladimir Guerrero all have the potential to put a team in the right direction. There is a possibility to build around these three guys but they all have their weaknesses. Lee gets injured, Reynolds strikes out, and Vlad is just getting older but it is just the kind of bats in the middle of the order that the Orioles have needed. With Adam Jones and Brian Roberts at the top this team could do some first inning damage to other teams. The core around them needs to be consistent to make this team successful this season.
The thing about this team that I think is going to hinder them, maybe not the biggest weakness altogether but definitely the biggest personnel wise, is the starting pitching. Young and weak, especially when you have a guy like Jeremy Guthrie as the ace, that is if they don't bring back Kevin Millwood. The only other pitcher that I see is Justin Duchscherer but even then it isn't that deep of a staff. There is the upside that the three other predicted starters, Brian Matusz, Chris Tillman, and Jake Arrieta, are 24, 22, and 24 respectively. There is future hope just not this year.
The biggest overall hindrance to the Orioles this year is simple. They play in the AL East which is easily the toughest division in baseball. I'm going to leave it at that and say that although the Baltimore Orioles have potential they're still the bottom-feeders of the AL East: 4th in the division.
Starting Lineup
1. CF Adam Jones
2. 2B Brian Roberts
3. 1B Derrek Lee
4. 3B Mark Reynolds
5. DH Vladimir Guerrero
6. RF Nick Markakis
7. SS J.J. Hardy
8. LF Luke Scott
9. C Matt Wieters
JJ Hardy will carry that team!!!
ReplyDeletejust a few comments to add to the report. First off, The three middle of the lineup guys, while they are a presence in the lineup now, are not permanent solutions to the O's problem. Vlad and Lee will only be as good as their contract gives them, 1 year deals. And there is no real reason to sign them to long term deals either. Reynolds on the other hand has potential because he is young and he also has years left on his contract from the trade.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, while starting pitching is our weakness, we will not resign kevin millwood. Even though we have young weak pitchers, i might not call them weak. Guthrie won 7 of his last 10 games. Brad Bergesen, who will be in the starting rotation, not Chris Tillman, went 5-3 after Showalter came. Brian Matusz, who improved the most over the year, won his last 6 games of the season and went 7-1 from August on. Jake Arrieta also shows potential posting a 6-6 record after coming in halfway through the season. Weak, i think not. potential, yes. young players building their foundation. I see a lot coming from these guys in the future.
Lastly, your lineup is all screwed up. Wieters would never be batting 9th with JJ Hardy being a worthy second leadoff guy in the 9 hole. Luke Scott also will not bat 8th leaving not a lot of speed in the lower half of the line up. Markakis is too good of a hitter not to have as a number 2 guy. he's the perfect compliment to Roberts lead off bat and will be a great table setter for the middle of the order.
The lineup will look like this:
1. Roberts
2. Markakis
3. Lee
4. Vlad
5. Scott
6. Reynolds
7. Jones
8. Wieters
9. Hardy
That is all...
Also, i have no doubt that we could finish as good as third in the AL East this year....
ReplyDeleteWell first off. I was talking about this year so the one year contracts don't matter when it comes to 2011. I wasn't basing what I said off of the future except for this year. Reynolds has potential and so does the pitching staff but not enough for this season. Which brings me to my second point. This year I don't believe that the pitching staff can compete with the high powered offenses of the other four teams. Too many big names for the others and too much inexperience for the Orioles. I don't doubt the future but 2011 looks bland. As for the batting order. I can take your word. I haven't seen much of the Orioles and I don't know the chemistry but you do. I was basing my order off what I knew about the individuals themselves which is not much when it comes to the Orioles.
ReplyDelete