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Baltimore Orioles: A New Year’s resolution for Dan Duquette

By Nate Wardle

Oct 2, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette celebrates with his players after beating the New York Yankees 5-2 to clinch an American League Wild Card playoff spot at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 2, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette celebrates with his players after beating the New York Yankees 5-2 to clinch an American League Wild Card playoff spot at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports /
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Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette must build a contending team not just for next season, but for several years to come.

The Baltimore Orioles have been a successful outfit with Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette, but it might take some ingenuity and wisdom not yet shown to both get them over the playoff hump, but also keep them there long-term.

With the new year upon us, people go about setting resolutions.

I provided a resolution for Buck Showalter, discussing how using his bench more may prevent the Orioles’ stars from wearing down.

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Dan Duquette also should have a New Year’s resolution.

No, that resolution doesn’t involve giving expensive, bloated contracts just because the fans say so.

It also doesn’t mean taking players in the Rule 5 draft in 2017, despite its useful option to build the team.

This year’s resolution for the Orioles’ General Manager is more of a wide-reaching one. Dan Duquette needs to resolve to know how to set this team up for success for the future.

The Baltimore Orioles are a team that many like to say has a closing window. Of course, most experts would say the window never opened, but three playoff appearances in five years disagree with that.

A case study on how to do this may involve looking at an AL nemesis, the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals are very close to having their window close if it hasn’t already. Key players like Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and more are about out of their initial contracts.

The Royals traded prized closer Wade Davis away to the Chicago Cubs for Jorge Soler this offseason.

Kendry Morales was allowed to leave, as was Edinson Volquez, as the Royals try to keep their nucleus together.

The Orioles, as it stands, have a great nucleus, in guys like Adam Jones, Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop, Kevin Gausman, Chris Tillman, Dylan Bundy, Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach and Mychal Givens.

However, many those guys are free agents after the 2018 season, most notably Tillman, Jones, Britton and, of course, Machado.

If the Orioles are contending come July, then the team needs to push forward and go for broke. That may mean acquiring a player, even a rental; that may put them over the hump and a World Series-caliber team.

If the Orioles, regrettably, are not contending, Duquette may need to consider breaking up the band. Trading players who are not rentals will get a lot more back in return. If the Orioles are not contending (and I fully expect them to be contenders), just imagine what they could get trading a guy like Britton, the best closer in the game, or Machado.

At some point, the Orioles are going to need to look past 2018. If they can win a championship before that time, then that should be the focus. But, if hoisting the World Series trophy is not realistic, then they need to consider making moves to keep the future bright.

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Dan Duquette, may you resolve to push for a World Series in 2017 and 2018 in Baltimore, but also be cognizant of the fact that one trade of a player you may not have any chance in signing if they reach free agency could ultimately alter the next ten years of this franchise.

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