As the Orioles season has officially ended in disappointing fashion, the team must start preparations for the offseason. Looking into free agency, Baltimore can build on a great season, with hopes of sustained success. This is a list of possible players the Orioles should consider to help the roster within the coming months:
15. Kyle Lohse, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals (Age 34)
16-3, 2.86 ERA, 143 Ks, 38 BBs, 1.09 WHIP
Lohse is my least favorite guy on this list. His career numbers make him a very scary guy to go after, not to mention he’s no spring chicken. But he put together one of the best in the majors this year, so he makes the list. But a career best in almost every stat category in a contract year is an old story. One that doesn’t usually have a great ending for the team who buys high on the player.
Courtesy: Facebook
14. David Ortiz, DH, Boston Red Sox (Age 37)
65 Runs, 103 Hits, 23 HRs, 60 RBIs, .318/.415/611
Sure the Orioles have gotten a bit of clutch hitting from the DH spot this year. But imagine if they could put a real star in that slot in the line-up; a current star (sorry, Thome). That’s what is available in Ortiz. Between 20-54 home runs every year over the last decade, Oritz was in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career before he got hurt in 2012. And if it’s “clutch” you are looking for, Ortiz has it in spades.
13. Nick Swisher, OF, New York Yankees (Age 32)
75 Runs, 146 Hits, 24 HRs, 93 RBIs, .272/.364/.473, 2 SBs
Looking for a nice source of OF power? You have found your man. His price tag will be much lower than most others, though his Yankee connection could drive the price up, if they don’t replace him with a Josh Hamilton-type. Swish has hit 20+ HR in every season since 2005. His average is a bit low, but he walks like a mad-man and can really slug so he carries a very nice .828 career OPS.
12. Hiroki Kuroda, RHP, New York Yankees (Age 38)
16-11, 3.32 ERA, 167 Ks, 51 BBs, 1.17 WHIP
Kuroda has quietly been one of the best pitchers over the last few years. He is a consistent source of low to mid 3.00s ERA. He’s also made 30+ starts in 4 of his 5 seasons in the majors. The cherry on top? A career 2.72 ERA @ Yankee stadium; always nice to have a guy you can feel confident starting in the Bronx.
Courtesy: espn.com
11. Dan Haren, RHP, LA Angels (Age 32)*
12-13, 4.33 ERA, 142 Ks, 38 BBs, 1.29 WHIP
Danny is the 4th and final player on my list with a team option for 2013 ($15.5 million with a $3.5 million buy-out). What you will get from Haren is something of a mystery. He’s a guy who at one point was one of the top 5 arms in baseball, but is getting older and has seen his production decline a bit. That said, he’s only a year removed from a 16-Win, 238.1 IP, 3.17 ERA season, so he’s clearly still got gas in the tank. Additionally, he’s always had trouble remaining consistent during the second half of seasons. Even with all of the questions, maybe an older proven, star quality starter is just what the doctor ordered for the birds. After all, with a lot of young pitching talent on the roster (and Bundy possibly in the mix) it would be nice to have a veteran with some postseason experience.
