Melvin Mora's unhappy in Baltimore and knows he won't be back next year. He's not a part of the Orioles' future and it's looking more and more like he won't be a part of their present for long. He's sure to clear waivers since there's not much of a market for powerless late-thirties hitters making $9MM. This means the Orioles will probably be able to trade him, but they have other options. Let's take a look at their choices:
- Hope that there's a taker on the trade market – Mora's hitting just .256/.321/.330, hardly enough to warrant a $9MM salary. He won't hurt you in the field, but his dropoff in power (23 homers last year, just 3 in 2009) is scary.
- Release him – With nothing to lose but $3MM, the O's could decide that it's not worth having Mora around.
- Hope he turns it around – He was productive as recently as last year. The O's could keep Mora and hope that he finishes strong.
