Orioles

What now for the Orioles?

Steve Melewski
December 03, 2014 11:05 pm
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So should the Orioles have considered the feelings of the fans when negotiating with Nick Markakis?
And just because some fans are very upset over his departure to Atlanta, others said he was not worth such money with his declining stats.
So even if the O’s did take the fans into account, who will win out?
If you sit in Dan Duquette’s chair, you have a lot to consider and that probably does include fan sentiment, but it has to rank well behind plenty of other aspects to be considered.
Things…

So should the Orioles have considered the feelings of the fans when negotiating with Nick Markakis?

And just because some fans are very upset over his departure to Atlanta, others said he was not worth such money with his declining stats.

So even if the O’s did take the fans into account, who will win out?

If you sit in Dan Duquette’s chair, you have a lot to consider and that probably does include fan sentiment, but it has to rank well behind plenty of other aspects to be considered.

Things like current and future payrolls, what players are making their way up on the farm and what other players you can replace Markakis with are just some considerations.

Last night, some fans wrote to me to say they were so upset that they would stop attending games or go to fewer games next year. To me, the bottom line to attendance is wins and losses. If the Orioles contend again for or lead the American League East, the fans will be there cheering for the Orioles – with or without Markakis.

Duquette has talked about how he likes local players. Yet he’s traded Josh Hader and LJ Hoes, while Steve Johnson is currently a minor league free agent. Others, like Steve Clevenger and Steve Lombardozzi, didn’t see much time on the big league roster.

I remember Duquette – and I’m paraphrasing here – talking about Jim Johnson being part of the Orioles core and he wanting him back in 2014. Then he was traded.

But on Duquette’s watch the Orioles have more wins in the AL East than any other team since 2012 and are defending Eastern Division champs. They’ve been to the playoffs twice in the last three years, more than any other AL East team.

Before fans get too irate I think they owe the front office time to replace Nelson Cruz and Markakis. Let’s see what happens next. It’s only Dec. 4.

Along those lines, will the Orioles now pursue Nori Aoki? I’ve felt he could be a decent fit all along. What about Melky Cabrera, Michael Morse, Colby Rasmus or even a Delmon Young reunion?

Dariel Alvarez is an intriguing prospect who hit .300 at Double-A and Triple-A last year, but is the club ready to turn over right field to him now? I would think not quite yet and that he needs more minor league time.

The losses of those two players could further open the door for Steve Pearce to become a regular – either as the designated hitter, or at an outfield spot, or is some combination.

Now the Orioles likely need to see Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Matt Wieters come back strong, or see some combination of the three come up big during the 2015 season.