Orioles Season Preview - Money for Nothing?

When it was first announced that the new regime in Baltimore would consist of not just one GM, but two, some were worried that the differing philosophies of George Fitzpatrick and Thomas Sanabria would lead to gridlock - with too much infighting within the organization to agree on any sort of move.

So much for that.

The Orioles have been one of the most active teams in the league in terms of both trading and free agency - not only have a number of new prospects been added to the fold, but only 6 players on this year's projected Opening Day roster were there before Fitzpatrick and Sanabria took office on July 31, 2012. Despite a payroll of only around $29 million (over $10 million below where it was last season), the Orioles are projected by many analysts to be an improved squad over last season's 48 win disaster.

However, some analysts have actually viewed the Orioles offseason as a sign that the new leadership will not be the panacea that fans have been hoping for. Among the most critical of the new regime has been Jordan Donaldson, a longtime blogger at "Power of Boog Powell." In his most recent post, he describes the problem with this new look Orioles squad:

Few would dispute that the organization had nowhere to go but up before the two-headed monster took over our beloved Orioles; but lost in the sound and fury of the signings of Fukudome and Ward and the trades for Russell and De la Vara are the fact that these moves signified nothing - well, nothing positive at least.

Rather than the smart strategy of loading up on any prospect they could find and making sure this team could "achieve" the number one pick again next season, it seems that Fitzpatrick and Sanabria have decided this team should not only trade promising young talents like Jason Wolverton and Reid Rourke, but actually spend money on the major league squad.

The hubris of both of these GMs is outrageous - thinking they could put together a $28 million dollar squad that would finish anything other than in last place. And in their arrogance, they have put together another season of spending money for nothing in Baltimore and set the team back from actually having a chance to turn around this sinking ship in 5 years. They should be following the example of an organization like Pittsburgh and not following in the footsteps of the failed leadership that came before them.

Neither GM would respond to these comments directly, but George Fitzpatrick said that "another 48 win season would be something that this city and this franchise could absolutely not afford. We cannot expect to turn this thing around without the help of the fans, and they will not tolerate another 2012 from this team - and we will not either."

Fitzpatrick said he was "cautiously optimistic" about this year's Oriole team. The roster for this year's squad is as follows. New players to the team are in bold.

C: Brian McCann/Caleb Joseph

The Orioles will bring back two catchers from last year's squad, with former Braves All-Star Brian McCann platooning with Caleb Joseph, who will also be used as a defensive replacement.

McCann showed that some life was still left in his bat, putting up a solid OPS of .854 in 24 games with the Orioles at the end of last year, and the team is hoping he can put up similar numbers full-time.

1B: Carlos Pena/Brandon Snyder

Baltimore targeted left-handed power bats in the offseason, thinking that they would be an excellent fit in Camden Yards. One player that will be important in legitimizing that strategy is slugger Carlos Pena. Pena struggled mightily as a member of the Diamondbacks last year, but scouts still say he has tremendous power. Perhaps a timeshare with holdover Brandon Snyder will be the tonic Pena needs to regain his old form.

2B: Scott Moore/Travis Denker

Former Oriole Scott Moore, who was buried on the Yankees depth chart behind Robinson Cano, found his way back to Baltimore in a trade this offseason, and he is hoping to showcase his above average bat at 2B before he can become a free agent next season. He will team up with platoon specialist Travis Denker, who is superior at hitting left-handers and also has the better glove.

SS: Justin Jackson

Scouts are split on the talented Jackson, who seems to profile similarly to Adam Everett and Rey Ordonez; although he is a tremendous defensive shortstop with great range and a throwing arm to match, his offense caused him to lose his job to veterans like Edgar Renteria and Brendan Ryan at the end of last season. He will not be relied upon for offense, though, as he is projected to bat 9th.

3B: Neil Walker

Coming over from the Pirates, Neil Walker can be best described as a role player. He lacks the 30+ homerun power that many corner infielders are known for, but he is a switch-hitter that makes solid contact and has a strong glove for the hot corner.

LF: Kyle Russell

Unexpectedly traded to the Orioles from the Dodgers in the offseason, many believe that the 26-year old Russell is the team's best player. He has shown himself to be at least average in all of the 5 tools, with his best asset being his power - he hit 26 homeruns last season and seems the mostly likely candidate on the team to hit over 30. Moving from his natural position of right field to left, his glovework is only average; but the team can manage that if he provides the same patience and power combination he did in LA.

CF: Shane Victorino

The Flyin' Hawaiian will be an important piece in the Baltimore puzzle this year, as he will be relied upon not only to anchor the outfield, but hit leadoff for the team as well. He was solid as a bench player in Toronto, hitting a robust .292, but this will be his first season as a full time player since 2010.

RF: Kosuke Fukudome/Moises Sierra

Fukudome was the most expensive and controversial signing for the Orioles this year; he was handed a 3 year/$18 million dollar contract which many viewed as being far too lucrative for the 35 year old outfielder (incidentally, he will make more then the entire Oriole starting rotation will this season). However, the former Gold Glover combines patience at the plate with decent power numbers, and will prove a potent defensive combination with former Blue Jay Moises Sierra. Sierra put up 17 outfield assists last season - tied for second in the American League.

DH: Daryle Ward/Alfonso Soriano

Daryle Ward's remarkable turnaround has turned him from an afterthought whose regular playing days were long gone into an offensive force that crushes right-handed pitching. Fitzpatrick was alleged to have made critical comments toward Ward last season when he was a member of the Kansas City Royals - these comments did not seem to deter Ward from joining the Orioles. Fan favorite and former 40/40 player Alfonso Soriano will team up with Ward in order to ensure top production from the DH slot.

Rotation: Glibert De La Vara, Derrik Lutz, Chad Rodgers, Jorge Buchardo, Tim Dillard

Although the new look rotation for the team is not considered very strong, the best pitchers on the staff are De La Vara, who put up a 3.68 ERA in Seattle last season despite poor defensive support, and Derrik Lutz, who was considered the ace of the staff even while Big Z was still a member of the team. New additions Rodgers, Buchardo, and Dillard were added based on their ability to produce groundballs and keep the ball in the park - hopefully their numbers will improve behind what is expected to be an improved Oriole defense.

Bullpen: Hideki Okajima, Matt Capps, Brandon Cooney, Wade Leblanc, Fausto Carmona, Duane Below

Okajima will get his chance to close after a number of solid years as a setup man in Boston and LA. Matt Capps will look to revive his career after a disastrous 2011 season with Houston forced him out of MLB altogether in 2012. Hicks, Carmona, and Below all have experience as starters, and should be able to eat innings in the event of a poor start from the rotation or an injury to the staff.

The Verdict:

The Oriole offense and defense looked to have improved significantly over last year's squad, but the pitching is still a question mark. If the team stays healthy and the strategy of groundball pitching pays off, the team could find themselves leaving last year's win total in the dust -although that likely would still mean a last place finish, it would help to revive a Baltimore market that has seen almost no quality baseball in over a decade. But if things go wrong, we may not see a team that is all that much better than the 2012 debacle. This team should be quite a bit better (and probably will not be the worst in the league again), but another putrid season means the honeymoon in Baltimore will be over quickly.