March 07, 2007
Baltimore Timetable
Peter Schmuck points out that the Orioles positioned 2009 to be a key year for them.
The Orioles are close to a deal to extend Brian Roberts ' contract through the 2009 season. Melvin Mora 's contract extension, signed last May, also runs through 2009. Aubrey Huff signed a three-year deal in January. Top young pitcher Erik Bedard has three more seasons before he will be eligible for free agency.
So, if it appears that the front office is targeting 2009 as the year when the long-struggling Orioles must reach their full potential, appearances are not deceiving.
Perhaps you noticed that Miguel Tejada was not among the aforementioned class of 2009, but that was no oversight. Tejada's six-year contract also runs out in 2009, which isn't a coincidence.
The Orioles plan is to keep it's core together through 2009 and build it into a winner. If it doesn't happen, I'm guessing they jettison those players and start over with lots of money on hand. This will make the 2009 trading deadline in Baltimore quite interesting.
Posted by David Pinto at
07:58 AM
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It will either mark the official death of the Peter Angelos medling era and be marked by quick signings of all the needed players plus the aquisition of a few great free agents....
...or...
...it will show us that nothing has changed. That Angelos is still all about the money, doesn't care about winning, and is too incompetant to make a good decision.
I'm 50-50 at this point as to just how it'll go.
I still don't see how that's enough talent to win in that division; those hitters are all at ages where it's hard to project much if any improvement. The best hope for B-more (IMHO) is for the Bedard-Cabrera-Loewen troika to become top of rotation guys. I don't think that's out of the question but it's not exactly a sure thing, either.
Baltimore has no clue. Shocking. The Florida Marlins may peak in 2009. Their hitters are all in their early twenties. Hitters in their thirties are starting to decline. Mora is already declining and Huff, Roberts, and Tejeda have also most likely already peaked. Let Cal Ripken buy the team already.
so the 2009 offseason is going to be the orioles playing the cubs. good luck with that.
The offense isn't going to get any better, the key is going to be whether the pitching gets any better. Will Cabrera ever develop control? Is Loewen the real deal? (and why exactly did they give away Maine?) Does the Mazzone magic work?
I'm hoping that if the O's don't get better (maybe not win the division, but at least give us an interesting September) that angelos takes it as a sign to sell the team with a minimal payroll, and let someone else right the ship. (Frankly, I hope he sells the team tomorrow, but let's not get crazy.)