1. What can the Orioles do to upgrade their offense?

Hold that thought. Because, maybe, just maybe, this will be addressed with a deal during <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="EVSPR000065" title="Spring Training" href="/topic/sports/baseball/spring-training-EVSPR000065.topic">spring training</a>. So hold the thought, but not your breath.<br>
<br>
If there were one primary source of frustration this winter for the team's fans, it's that the <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="ORSPT000160" title="Baltimore Orioles" href="/topic/sports/baseball/baltimore-orioles-ORSPT000160.topic">Orioles</a> did not add a middle-of-the-order bat, which Duquette said would be a priority. The reasoning, according to Duquette and manager <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PESPT00008843" title="Buck Showalter" href="/topic/sports/baseball/buck-showalter-PESPT00008843.topic">Buck Showalter</a>, is that the free-agent bats available did not seem worth the risk and cost. As for trades, potential partners wanted the Orioles' top young players in return, and that wasn't going to happen.<br>
<br>
So the Orioles will head to spring with basically the same offense they had at the end of the year, sans first baseman <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PESPT000010361" title="Mark Reynolds" href="/topic/sports/baseball/mark-reynolds-PESPT000010361.topic">Mark Reynolds</a>, who frustrated with his streakiness and frequent strikeouts. But he hit 23 homers and reached base at a better clip than most Oriole regulars.<br>
<br>
The offense shut down in the playoffs last year when it couldn't hit the longball. And instead of adding professional hitters this offseason who can get on base or a bopper in the middle who can scare the opposition and mask the OBP deficiencies, the offense remained practically status quo, with a few new reserves in the fold. The hope is that full seasons from <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PESPT008500" title="Nick Markakis" href="/topic/sports/baseball/nick-markakis-PESPT008500.topic">Nick Markakis</a>, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" id="PESPT0014455" title="Nolan Reimold" href="/topic/sports/baseball/nolan-reimold-PESPT0014455.topic">Nolan Reimold</a>, Manny Machado and McLouth will be enough to improve on 2012.

( Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr. / September 25, 2012 )

Hold that thought. Because, maybe, just maybe, this will be addressed with a deal during spring training. So hold the thought, but not your breath.

If there were one primary source of frustration this winter for the team's fans, it's that the Orioles did not add a middle-of-the-order bat, which Duquette said would be a priority. The reasoning, according to Duquette and manager Buck Showalter, is that the free-agent bats available did not seem worth the risk and cost. As for trades, potential partners wanted the Orioles' top young players in return, and that wasn't going to happen.

So the Orioles will head to spring with basically the same offense they had at the end of the year, sans first baseman Mark Reynolds, who frustrated with his streakiness and frequent strikeouts. But he hit 23 homers and reached base at a better clip than most Oriole regulars.

The offense shut down in the playoffs last year when it couldn't hit the longball. And instead of adding professional hitters this offseason who can get on base or a bopper in the middle who can scare the opposition and mask the OBP deficiencies, the offense remained practically status quo, with a few new reserves in the fold. The hope is that full seasons from Nick Markakis, Nolan Reimold, Manny Machado and McLouth will be enough to improve on 2012.

Comments (5)

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seatraveller at 12:54 PM February 11, 2013

Obviously Angelos constrained the payroll. The Orioles are run to make money for Angelos, winning is secondary. Earnings equal revenues minus cost. Revenue wise the Orioles are mid market. Angelos dupes people into thinking he can't spend a lot because of that. Their costs are low however, Angelos has a sweetheart deal. If you add up all the Oriole earnings from 1994 to 2011 they have the third highest earnings in all baseball. This doesn't even count the lucrative MASN ownership. The sweetheart deal given Angelos implies he is going to invest in a winner. If he's going to keep it for himself these excess earnings should be taxed.

Oldcrowandwater at 12:38 PM February 11, 2013

Reynolds had the team mojo. Allowing him to walk will be similar to casting Trent Dilfer to the dogs after the SB. Karma will weigh heavy on the 2013 O's.

DennisWV at 7:58 AM February 11, 2013

Look, the Angels spent tremendously in last year's off-season but finished 3rd in their division in 2012. The Marlins spent like crazy, too, as did the Red Sox and Phillies. None of them did better than the O's.

Spending boatloads of money does not guarantee a pennant. Either you have confidence in Duquette and Showalter plan for the long haul or you don't.

I do.

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1. What can the Orioles do to upgrade their offense?

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