Baltimore Orioles: Half Way to Spring Training

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The Baltimore Orioles are at the exact midpoint between the end of the season and the beginning of spring training.

‘Woah, we’re halfway there, woahhh livin’ on a prayer.’ – Jon Bon Jovi

Who knew that a lyric from a popular Bon Jovi song would be so fitting for the Baltimore Orioles at this juncture.

There is a ton going on with the O’s, and really nothing at all, all at the same time. The team still has numerous holes that they need to fill. But, at this point, despite saying otherwise, they seem to be waiting for Chris Davis.

Davis is a popular guy, we’ve been down this road, and Randy wrote so eloquently on the topic just a few posts ago.

At this point, the offseason is halfway over. The O’s have just as many days to catchers and pitchers reporting as we do looking back to Kansas City celebrating the World Series.

So, what are the Orioles doing? Funny you ask. The Orioles are linked to just about every top free agent remaining.

According to MLB.com, out of the top six remaining free agents, out of 15 to start the offseason, feature five that make sense for the Birds. The only one that doesn’t is Daniel Murphy.

So, let’s analyze them.

Justin Upton – Upton is said to have a lot of interest to play for the Orioles. As it comes to corner outfielders, both he and Cespedes will get over 100 million dollars. I’m not sure Dan Duquette wants to pony up that much money for anyone not named Chris Davis. But, it is certainly a possibility.

Yoenis Cespedes – Might as well just put Upton and Cespedes back-to-back. The Orioles have been linked to both these power hitting outfielders, who feature good arms that make up for a few deficiencies in the outfield. The Orioles are one of a few teams that make sense for a power hitting corner outfielder.

Alex Gordon – My first choice when the offseason started, Gordon is still out there. He is looking for something close to $15 million a year, for at least four years. The Chicago White Sox are interested in both Gordon and Cespedes, but not for over three years. The Cardinals also want a corner outfielder. Gordon also has said several times now that the Royals still have a chance to re-sign their popular LF.

Chris Davis – Do I even need to say anything? There is very little talk of other interest in Davis. The O’s put out an offer for 7 years, 150 million dollars. Then they pulled it. But, Peter Angelos wants to get this done.

Dexter Fowler – Fowler could be an interesting option for the Orioles if they wanted to save some money. However, I’m not 100 percent sure he could pass an infamous Baltimore physical. But, it would allow the team to get more pitching options.

Now that the O’s have signed Hyun Soo Kim, I’m not as concerned about getting an outfielder. Nolan Reimold I still think can start and be a good outfielder.

But as I type up the scenarios, I don’t know what else to do. The O’s obviously have money sitting around. If you sign Davis, you won’t have much money to upgrade the pitching. If you sign Gallardo, you lose a draft pick.