An Early Look at Baltimore Orioles 2019 Free Agent Options
By Nate Wardle
Infielders
In looking for an infielder, the Orioles don’t need a first baseman, which takes out Joe Mauer. Ian Kinsler is too old, and I’m not sure Brian Dozier would be welcomed with open arms. Josh Donaldson is oft-hurt, and the third base options are overwhelming. A look at the shortstop position brings Jose Iglesias as an option, but the shadow cast over it all is…
Look, it may sound ridiculous.
In my scenario, I said the Orioles would have around $35M to $40M available. Some may say that isn’t enough to afford Machado. And, why would the team negotiate with a player they didn’t want to negotiate with in the first place.
But, you have to get fans in the stands if you want to move forward. The Orioles are already headed toward a terrible year of attendance in 2018, and the 2019 team will have no expectations.
But in the end, Machado wants more than the Orioles can afford.
That leads me to a number of players who are primarily second baseman. First, on my list, hands down is D.J. Lemahieu, who is also the youngest of the second baseman. The other options are Daniel Murphy, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jed Lowrie.
Top options:
D.J. LeMahieu
Jed Lowrie
Jose Iglesias
Daniel Murphy
Asdrubal Cabrera
So, what does this mean? If they have around 35 million to spend, they can come close to acquiring whoever they want from these lists.
The relief pitchers will all likely command about $3-5M. The starters will depend, with Pomeranz likely north of $12M but everyone else in the $6-8M range, if that. The outfielders are probably around $8-10M for the first four, and closer to $2-4M for the next three.
Next. The Complete Guide to Orioles Acquired Players. dark
As for the second baseman, LeMahieu is going to be steep, but everyone else is affordable. Instead of me providing who I would choose, let’s leave it open-ended.
Who would you want to add to the roster to mentor the younger players through a rebuild?