Loading ...At 52-47 there is not an Orioles fan in the world who could say that this season has been anything short of a miracle. There also is not an Orioles fan in the world who could have seen this success coming. Furthermore, there should not be an Orioles fan in the world that believes that this team as currently constructed can go to the playoffs. The bottom line for the Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette is that he needs to be a huge buyer before the MLB trade deadline on July 31.
With four days remaining until the deadline, time is ticking for Duquette to pull the strings on the moves that are necessary to give this team a legitimate shot at returning to the playoffs. This team has many areas of need but the one of most importance is the need for help in the starting pitching rotation. There are many names out there that would help improve the Orioles pitching staff. Zack Greinke has been linked to the Birds on many occasions, but the asking price for the Milwaukee Brewers ace is rumored to be Orioles #1 prospect Manny Machado who is untouchable. Translation of the above sentence eliminates Greinke from the Orioles radar unless the Brewers severely relax their trade demands.
Other pitchers that the Orioles have a rumored interest in are Minnesota Twins lefty Francisco Liriano and Oakland Athletics righty Bartolo Colon. Liriano could come cheap as he is having one of the worst seasons of his career. Liriano is just 3-10 on the year with a 5.31 ERA. Liriano has had some excellent starts this season and does have the ability to dominate as demonstrated by his 15 K performance on July 13 against the Oakland A's. Depending upon the Twins asking price for Liriano, he would make a great addition to struggling pitching staff especially considering he is just 28 years old. The age of A's righty Bartolo Colon makes him far less desirable to the Orioles although Colon has had a good season. He is 6-8 on the year with a 3.97 ERA. However, Colon has not won a game since June 12 and at age 39 likely wouldn't be in the picture for a future rotation spot.
Offensively, the Orioles have their most prominent areas of need at third base and corner outfielder. At this point, the team desperately needs players who can get on base at a more consistent rate and they have been inquiring about San Diego Padres 3B Chase Headley. Headley is hitting .267 on the year with 12 homers and 51 RBI. He also has .359 On Base Percentage(OBP), which would rank him first on the Orioles. The Yankees are also rumored to be in the mix for Headley after Alex Rodriguez went down with a broken hand. In addition to Headley, the Orioles had been pursuing Phillies 3B Placido Polanco until he went on the DL as of yesterday with a lower back issue.
The one player that the Orioles should be pursuing vehemently is Minnesota Twins LF Josh Willingham. Willingham would solve the Orioles revolving door in left field and return Chris Davis back to 1B on a permanent basis. Willingham is having a career year in Minnesota batting .271 with 25 homers and 71 RBI. Willingham could come relatively cheap as the Twins continue to have the worst record in the American League at 40-58. Willingham's power numbers, .384 OBP, and ability to play left field make him an ideal fit for the Orioles and should land him on the top of Dan Duquette's wish list.
In the American League, the Detroit Tigers improved adding Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez. The New York Yankees improved by solving their only line-up hole when they traded a box of marbles for Ichiro Suzuki. The Tampa Bay Rays added Ryan Roberts. It is now time for the Orioles brass led by Dan Duquette to acquire a few impact players at the deadline to help keep the Birds in the race and give them a chance to return to the playoffs. The additions of Jim Thome and Omar Quintanilla are not enough and the clock is ticking on Duquette to strike a deal before the July 31st 4 pm deadline before the clock strikes midnight on the Orioles Cinderella season.
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Ian,
Realistically, who do you think the O’s will be able to snag before the trade deadline?
I’m hoping Headley and maybe a middle of the rotation started. It is honestly hard to say, i thought we would have pulled the trigger on some guys by now.