The Orioles sit atop the AL East with a 27-16 record at the moment, and GM Dan Duquette wants to make sure his team stays there. Duquette told MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli that he is still actively seeking ways to upgrade his roster and add pitching depth (Twitter link).
Baltimore's bullpen (2.29 ERA) has been one of the best in baseball this season but the rotation (4.34 ERA) still needs some work. Zach Britton (shoulder) could return next month, though adding an established innings eater to Jason Hammel and Wei-Yin Chen would give the club its best starting trio in years. A lefty reliever could be in order as well, though that is just my speculation.
Manager Buck Showalter announced before today's game that Brian Roberts (concussion) will begin a minor league rehab assignment tomorrow and is expected to re-join the team in 20 days. His return should help improve the club's .222/.265/.402 batting line out of the leadoff spot, which has been a bit of a revolving door because of injuries. The recently signed Miguel Tejada could bolster the infield as well.
Oswalt
Oswalt will probably sign with Texas now The Feliz is hurt. What about Wandy though? He has had an outstanding year, is a lefty and inning eater
Totally could see it, nicely done.
Trade you Joe Saunders for Chris Davis
Don’t the O’s have a bunch of Joe Saunders types already?
Didn’t the DBacks get rid of a bunch of Chris Davis types already?
Chicago Cubs are not going anywhere this year.
They got two pitchers who seem like interesting baits. Especially Dempster IMO.
Ryan Dempster is in his final year, is also playing good, second on team in SO’s. I think he’s a very likely candidate to go to the O’s.
Paul Maholm’s another good long relief option.
Carl Pavano of the Twins has been decent this year, and could be shoring up the rotation.
Those are the early candidates IMO, Oswalt is too expensive and too big of a risk.
The others are risks too, but they come cheaper.
Unless of course Duquette can lure Oswalt to Baltimore on some kind of team friendly contract, a chance to play a vital role for a real and HUNGRY contender.
Dempster has a big contract this year, about how much parole flexibility does Baltimore have?
They’re allowed to leave town for away games, but they have to check in with their assigned officer as soon as they get back to Baltimore.
Bartolo Colon would be a good addition for the rotation and should be available pretty soon.
I really, really like that option. He’s one of the best pitchers in MLB if you ask me. Extremely underrated year after year.
He’s a bulldog, and is a guy you can put up against the toughest of lineups, also someone who doesn’t seem to budge under pressure. Good pick.
He’s also a gamer, who comes to the park every day to play, giving 110% day in and day out. Might also help those young arms improve their nutritional intake.
He’d likely eat our young players.
Best way for your young players to lose some bodyfat.
if he eats Kevin Gregg I’m ok with it
Yes, he would be. However, remember he got a bit tired at the end of the year last season. Plus, we could have gotten Colon for cash on the barrelhead or even Joe Saunders for that matter since I see that one fan below mention him as well.
Duquette should get a swift kick in the butt if he does that.
Pavano would be a decent option, but I would rather have Liriano.
As for anyone else, the only thing I can say is the Orioles better not trade for anyone that was a free agent after the 2011 season. It would insult my intelligence if he went that route.
As for relievers, no clue Balfour would be nice because he would fit in our bullpen. I also like Brett Myers, but, he’s expensive
Liriano is god awful, why would you want him?
Just because a guy was a free agent and you could have gotten him for free doesn’t mean you can’t scratch him off your list entirely. Guys stock improves during the season and if he is a good value, you trade for him. I don’t think Oakland will be seeking a king’s ransom for Colon, especially if Anderson and Braden are back in a month or so.
I liked Colon last year. I even would have considered signing him for this year. Duquette didn’t seem the least bit interested. Honestly, he didn’t seem interested in anyone that I liked much less even heard of.
As for Liriano, he still has potential and even if he remains a left handed specialist or somewhere as middle relief he can be pretty effective.
Would you like to have Jair Jurjjens we’ll take anything
Adam Jones bobble head? He’s blowing a bubble, it’s quite nice.
That and 5$ and you have a deal
$5 doesn’t sound like anything, you could have had the trade and you blew it. The offer has been downgraded to a Garret Atkins bobble head and a Ty Wigginton All-Star shirt.
Joe Thatcher LHP and Chase Headley SH 3B and/or Edinson Volquez RHSP
Roberts, and Tejada will bolster nothing.
I say keep Andino where he is for the rest of the year.
Roberts can take Flaherty bench spot for the rest of the season.
Tejada can replace Hall which will give more depth at 3B for Reynolds.
Neither Roberts, or Tejada should play everyday this isnt the 2006 Orioles anymore
Sorry I Know Tejada wont be playing everyday.
But they are saying Roberts will replace Andino as everyday 2B
I dunno who is saying that, there isn’t a ton of indication that Roberts could do more than pinch hit / dh this year.
Buck said it himself tonight
Ah must have missed it, I wonder if thats just Buck talking, I don’t see Roberts in the field this year.
I fully expect him to be starting. You don’t pay a guy 10+ million or however much he’s making to sit on the bench. Even if Buck doesn’t want to play him, Angelos will make him.
I expect Roberts will play 2B and Andino will move over to be the everyday 3B. You gotta keep Andino in the lineup and he has to be an upgrade over Reynolds and Betemit defensively.
Roberts has been taking infield practice for 2 months now. He’s been practicing his diving to get balls, turning the double play (with Hardy), as well as other defensive drills. I think he’s our starting 2B and leadoff hitter when he comes back. He could be a huge shot in the arm for our team.
On the same note, so could Zach Britton, if he comes back in a couple of weeks and replaces Tommy Hunter in the rotation. If he pitches like he did last year (except for the 2 NY blowouts), he’ll be just fine.
Want Guthrie back…?
Earlier this week I said I did then he let up like 50 runs.
Still think Guthrie a fine addition. he will end up being a very good NL pitcher anyway more than likely. Not many SP who have much success at Colorodo anyway and it’s not like he has made many starts there for someone who has been a legit horse for many seasons.
Have to think the O’s would like to have him back though regardless, especially if they manage to hang around near a playoff spot another month and a half.
Um…Jake Peavy would be great if the White Sox go out of contention
Baltimore could be an interesting spot if the Phillies decide to move Hamels…
I doubt Baltimore’s farm system is deep enough to add Hamels.
Baltimore has two top ten prospects in Bundy and Machado. Either one of them should be enough to get Hamels. Alternatively, they could probably build a package around Avery and/or Schoop.
There’s no way the Orioles would give up either Bundy or Machado.
Even with the great starting record, I don’t see this success being sustained here in Baltimore. No sense in giving up the farm for a half-year rental since we most likely won’t be going to the playoffs anyway,
I’d think Greinke might be a target is the Brew Crew decide to sell
He would cost an arm and a leg.
1) Tejada isn’t going to bolster anything.
2) If the Matusz of tonight stays around then we might not need as much help as people think.
3) Our minor league is pretty shallow, so I’d be quite upset if Duquette traded for anyone who wasn’t under contract through at least 2013.
4) We could use an upgrade at 3B regardless of whether or not we stay in contention since the next best 3B prostpect in the system is at low A ball. If we could get Headley from SD for some useful spare parts I’d be fine with that. Maybe Tillman, Berken, and Adams.
4) no
Tillman would make a great Petco Park pitcher. Being a fly ball pitcher there would work out much better for him than Camden Yards
Randy Wolf. Ha.
Get Liriano while his value is down.
They might pair Liriano and Valencia.
Provided that Arrieta can start pitching to his FIP/xFIP, then Hammel, Chen and Arrieta is a decent top three. Then again, even if he can’t, it’s still the best they’ve had since 2007 with Bedard, Guthrie and Trachsel or since 2003 with Ponson, Johnson and Hentgen and even those are arguable. When you say it’s the best the Os have had for years, realize that’s not a high bar to surpass.
The Os have one of the top bullpens in baseball with a lot of relief depth in AAA. Given all of their holes(3B, 1B, 2B, DH and perhaps another starter), it’s highly unlikely that getting a lefty reliever should be a top priority.
Konerko!!!
I’d actually take Wandy. You’d have control over him for what? 2? 3 years? Instead of getting a guy who would be just a dump at the deadline why not take someone you can have control over for a few years?