The third installment of the Orioles wish list starts to recognize the bigger names on the free agent market. As so, the price tag rises for these players as well, meaning only a few, maybe even just one player, in the top 10 will fit within in the budget. Everyone must temper their expectations, as the Orioles will not be signing everyone on this list.
10. B.J. Upton: OF, Tampa Bay Rays (Age 28)
79 Runs, 141 Hits, 28 HRs, 78 RBIs, .246/.298/.454, 31 SBs
Upton, to me, is Granderson-lite. He’s younger and it wouldn’t be the craziest thing if he finally lived up to the early hype and turned into a star. But it doesn’t seem extremely likely. That said, he still has a lot to offer a ball club. His stolen base numbers are a lot higher than Granderson’s but don’t let that deceive you; he’s on a team that is much more aggressive on the base paths than the Yankees. He might look like the better hitter with the higher average this year, his OBP is significantly lower. I have Upton here because of the speed and power he can bring to a team (not to mention he’s pretty handy with the leather), but I’d be lying if I said I was rooting to see him in black and orange next spring.
Courtesy: Brad Penner(USA Today)
9. Anibal Sanchez: RHP, Detroit Tigers (Age 29)
9-13, 3.86 ERA, 167 Ks, 48 BBs, 1.27 WHIP
Sanchez is just the type of player that would fit perfectly with the Orioles. After early struggles following his trade to the AL he righted the ship and posted a nice mid-3.00s ERA. He’s a young guy who still has many good years ahead of him. On top of that he won’t command the hefty pay check that the bigger names will, so the risk is lower with still very high rewards.
8. Michael Bourn: OF, Atlanta Braves (Age 30)
96 Runs, 171 Hits, 9 HRs, 57 RBIs, .274/.348/.391, 42 SBs
I’ve had my eye on Bourn for years, and if the need for starting pitching wasn’t so prominent, he’d be in the top 4. Bourn’s stats from 2012 are right in line with what you can come to expect from him. He is an extremely strong defensive outfielder with tremendous speed, something the Orioles are severely lacking (their only real potential base stealers are Avery and McLouth).
Courtesy: Greg Shamus/Getty Images
7. Curtis Granderson: OF, New York Yankees (Age 31)*
102 Runs, 138 Hits, 43 HRs, 160 RBIs, .232/.319/.492, 10 SBs
This is the same story as Robinson Cano, now only would we love to add a proven superstar, not to mention steal one from the Yankees. He’s the #1 outfield option not named Hamilton and his On-Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage speak for themselves. The problem is that he has the exact same club option as Cano: $15 million with a $2 million buy-out. If one, or both of these players end up in an Orioles uniform in 2013, consider it a big win.
6. Ryan Dempster: RHP, Texas Rangers (Age 35)
12-8, 3.38 ERA, 153 Ks, 52 BBs, 1.20 WHIP
Dempster was on pace to contend for the NL CY Young when the Cubs shipped him to Texas. While he struggled in Texas, he is still one of the best arms on the market, and the solid front end starter the Orioles are after. Expecting him to come to Baltimore and recreate his numbers from earlier in the season vs. AL East competition seems unlikely, but his final season numbers are ones that he is perfectly capable of putting up in Baltimore.
