MASNsports.com is your online home for the latest Orioles and Nationals news, features, and commentary. And now, you can connect with MASN on every digital level. From web and social media to our new mobile alert service, MASN has got all the bases covered.
Get the latest breaking news direct to your phone with our mobile texting service.
by
If you're waiting for an answer to the headline of this blog: YES, YES, YES.
For me its a slam dunk. I think that we have set the table, or at least are very close to defining the next ten years of Oriole baseball.
It's been a long time since we've seen this much starting pitching coming out of the minor league system, and I dont think we have seen the best of it yet.
I am so anxious to see Jake Arrieta and Chris Tillman up here along with Brian Matusz. Two power guys and one in Matusz that has command of all his pitches.
There are other sleepers there also who are beginning to emerge and who are making things exciting for us all. We look at our outfield, and it has pretty much sured itself up with Jones, Markakis and Reimold, the last being the nicest surprise, for a long while.
Wieters has a choke hold on the catching position and looks like he can do nothing but get better. Now the rest is up for grabs.
How do we figure out which guys can bring us what we need to take control of the Eastern Division once again?
I'll start with my personal picks of guys that are very interesting for pennant contenders this year.
1.) George Sherrill: With the turnaround he has made, he has become very valuable, only because Jim Johnson in my mind has established himself as a possible closer of the future.
2.) Jeremy Guthrie: He's a possible candidate to offer because there are a lot of clubs who see his value in a different envoirnment.
3.) Brian Roberts: He is a quality position player who could draw a lot of attention from a contender and be worth a few good young prospects. Now the only reason I suggest B-Rob is because he has probably missed his window of opportunity to win with the O's and now that the nucleus is becoming much younger, having to wait two more years to contend may take Brian out of his prime and out of his value. I would hate to see him go, but it might be the best overall for the Orioles for the future.
4.) Aubrey Huff: He has already been mentioned, and along with Brian, he has a lot of value for a contender with DL issues. With Aubrey in the mix, he could help to get much needed positional prospects to build up our minor league system again.
5.) Melvin Mora: He has a big contract and might only attract minimal interest because of his age and is more of a fixture here who could play it out in any role with the O's .
What you would get in return remains to be seen. Any combination of these guys could land a deal that would match up with the ages of the players that we have accumulated up to now.
I'm not saying at all that if we stay with any of these guys that it will hurt the club. I am just suggesting that we could get stronger faster if the right deals are made.
I'm looking for the dynasty that we are definitely capable of putting together, and I want to see us be a power again, playing at the most beautiful stadium ever built for the best fans a city could have. See you at the Yard.
-Rick
