The Baltimore Orioles Five Biggest Offseason Priorities

Re-sign Nelson Cruz and Andrew Miller

May 28, 2014; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Nelson Cruz (23) smiles in the dugout after hitting a home run during the second inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Will Nelson Cruz hit 40 home runs next season? No. Is he still a very good player to have on your team hitting 20 or 25 home runs? Absolutely.

As I stated in the first sentence indirectly, the Orioles should not re-sign Nelson Cruz because he hit 40 home runs in 2014. However, they should re-sign him because he is a constant 25+ home run hitter who has hit the eighth-most long balls in postseason history.

They should re-sign him, and I wouldn’t be too upset if they give him a good amount of money. What I would be upset about is if they were to give him a long-term contract. He will be 35-years-old by the middle of next season, and signing him to three or four year deal would be a huge mistake. Sign him to a short one or two year deal, and give him whatever amount of money he wants. That is what I would do.

Andrew Miller came to the Orioles in a trade that occurred minutes before the deadline. The Orioles did trade away one of their top pitching prospects in Eduardo Rodriguez, but boy was it worth it. Miller pitched in 23 games for the Orioles and allowed just three runs. That comes out to a whopping ERA of 1.35.

He finished the season with a 2.02 ERA and completed what was the best 7th-8th-9th inning combo in baseball that included Darren O’Day and Zach Britton. The Orioles have a very good bullpen even without Miller, but signing him would put them over the top and who doesn’t like being the best?