For much of their first 88 games, the Baltimore Orioles were nothing short of terrible. They’re not a very good defensive team, as Andy MacPhail admitted earlier this season. The offense hasn’t been good situationally, although they’ve gotten slightly better lately. Baltimore’s pitching, although better than in years past, has still been suspect. All of this raises the question: What do the Orioles need to do to improve, not only in their last 74 games, but for 2011?
First, the Orioles must hire a proven manager. Although this isn’t an indictment of Juan Samuel, he has been in Baltimore the past four seasons and the team has been losing so he just shouldn’t stick around. Samuel has shown he knows how to manage and the decisiveness that Major League managers need is definitely there, but Baltimore can’t take a risk having a rookie manager as they have done for their last three managers (Lee Mazzilli, Sam Perlozzo and Dave Trembley).
Word around is that former Yankees, Diamondbacks and Rangers manager Buck Showalter is the favorite. Showalter would be a perfect fit for the Orioles because he turns teams around quickly and has a winning record for his career. Showalter would instantly command respect from the players because of his history. If Showalter doesn’t get the job, it appears Eric Wedge, the former Cleveland Indians manager, would get the job. Wedge reached the ALCS a few years ago, but really hasn’t done much other than that in his career.
Secondly, situational hitting must improve. Although the Birds swept the Rangers, they had issues knocking in runners in scoring position. The clutch hitting will only get better if the team starts to take some pitches. The offense has gotten better because the hitters have been more willing to take a walk, but problems have continued with men on base.
Lastly, expect the O’s to be sellers at the trade deadline. Polished veterans like Ty Wigginton, Jeremy Guthrie, Julio Lugo and Miguel Tejada can help a team down the stretch. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the O’s get even younger and have their farm system get some more offensive talent. The system isn’t barren, but could use some help offensively. If the O’s trade some of these guys, Baltimore could see Josh Bell and Zach Britton for an extended period of time which isn’t a bad thing for a very frustrated fan base. For more on the trade deadline visit Daniel Moroz at Camden Crazies and also check out his trade primer.
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