Baltimore Orioles and the Perception of Dan Duquette
By Nate Wardle
Apr 18, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Baltimore Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
If you were looking at the Baltimore Orioles, whose stock would you say fell more this year in a crucial season?
Certainly it wouldn’t be Chris Davis, who is parlaying his contract year into a big payday.
And it wouldn’t be Wei-Yin Chen, who has been relatively the same pitcher he has been since the Orioles signed him.
Matt Wieters is one option, as his performance has been pretty average. This is a guy who is struggling as a designated hitter, and the backup catcher (or starter, depending on how you want to look at it) seems to get more out of the pitchers.
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Darren O’Day has been very, very good, as usual. Some role players haven’t performed to expectation, but that is why they are role players.
But there is one person who was rumored to be leaving during, or after, 2015 who has really had a bad year. And that is Dan Duquette.
There was the flirtation with Toronto, and the lack of offseason moves. There was Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis getting away, both would look much better than the replacements.
The signings of players like Travis Snider, Wesley Wright, Everth Cabrera. None of those were close to working out.
As we approach one month to go in 2015, it will be interesting to see what happens. Peter Angelos, as he usually does, holds the cards. I think if he fires Duquette, no one will say it is the owner meddling in affairs.
There have been rumors of rifts between Buck and Duquette. Whether true, it is hard to know for sure.
So, what do you, the readers want?
Do you want Duquette to return for another season? Or are you more than happy for him to take his talents north of the border?
Then, the question becomes, who do you want? Do you want Matt Klentak, the rising star who left the O’s system and is now the Assistant GM with the Angels? What about Jerry Dipoto, who had the Angels GM job until he and the manager couldn’t get along?
What about Doug Melvin, who was fired in Milwaukee?
And then there is the major change, such as hiring Cal Ripken Jr. and moving Buck Showalter to the front office. Would either want to do that? I’m not sure.
If you are ready to be done with Dan, what do you propose the Orioles do to find their next GM?