The Sports Xchange
MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – INSIDE PITCH
Unlike a year ago, the Orioles enter 2012 with very little momentum.
While the season finale victory against Boston was a highlight, there was no flourishing final month under a new manager. There wasn’t a flash of hope from the young starting pitchers.
In many ways, the Orioles creep into 2012 more likely to lose 100 games than to get anywhere close to a .500 record.
But that lack of expectation could be the key for a young ballclub without an ace or a true cleanup hitter.
The Orioles are a longshot to finish with a winning record, but this year’s club could surprise contenders in the American League East, particularly if young pitchers like Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz and Zach Britton show progress and turn potential into production.
The Orioles lineup looks solid, but is lacking in the two most important positions: leadoff and cleanup.
Former all-star leadoff hitter Brian Roberts isn’t likely to contribute much, as he is still battling the side effects of a concussion suffered in May 2011. While Robert Andino may fill in for Roberts at second base, he won’t provide the same top-of-the-lineup presence as the switch-hitting second baseman.
The cleanup spot is likely to go to one of two of the club’s top young bats — either center fielder Adam Jones or catcher Matt Wieters. Neither is proven, though both have flashed all-star ability.
The bullpen is also in flux, with right-hander Jim Johnson — who has battled back issues this spring — likely to retain the closer’s role he snagged from struggling veteran Kevin Gregg late in 2011.
Nick Markakis, the steady right fielder, is a slight question mark as opening day approaches, after undergoing abdominal surgery in the offseason.
The Orioles enter the season with far more questions than answers. But there is significant upside in many of the young players.
With little pressure, the hope is that those young players will flourish.
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MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – NOTES, QUOTES
–INF Zealous Wheeler was claimed on waivers from Milwaukee. Wheeler, 25, was optioned to Class-AAA Norfolk. He’s a career .271 hitter in the minors, and should provide depth for the Tides.
–LHP Dana Eveland was designated for assignment to make room for Wheeler on the 40-man roster. Eveland was essentially acquired this winter as insurance for the rotation, and the club’s rotation depth made him expendable.
–C Taylor Teagarden will open the season on the disabled list. The presumed backup to C Matt Wieters injured his back during spring training, and should be ready to return by mid-to-late-April. Barring another acquisition, C Ronny Paulino will be Wieters’ backup to start the season.
BY THE NUMBERS: 5.48 — Career minor league ERA for RHP Matt Hobgood (4-15), the club’s first-round pick from 2009.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “You can’t teach that, game speed, so I want to get back in games, whether it’s minor league games or big league games. I just want to start pitching and get back as quickly as possible, especially with a new (role).” — LHP Dontrelle Willis, after signing a minor league deal with the Orioles.
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MLB Team Report – Baltimore Orioles – ROSTER REPORT
The Orioles enter 2012 with plenty of questions, but the potential answers are about as appealing as they’ve been in a decade. There is some excitement around some of the club’s young players, but leaders among those young players will have to emerge, both in the everyday lineup and the rotation.
PROJECTED ROTATION:
1. RHP Jake Arrieta
2. RHP Tommy Hunter
3. LHP Wei-Yin Chen
4. RHP Jason Hammel
5. LHP Brian Matusz
The Orioles hadn’t confirmed an opening day starter with a little more than a week left before the season opener, but the starting five was starting to come together. Arrieta is likely to get the call according to multiple reports.
Jeremy Guthrie is gone after being traded to Colorado, meaning the Orioles will have just their second opening day starter in the past four seasons.
Aside from Hunter and Hammel, there are questions surrounding the rest of the rotation. Chen is in his first big league season, Arrieta and Zach Britton are coming off injuries, and Matusz is coming back from a puzzlingly horrific 2011.
PROJECTED BULLPEN:
RHP Jim Johnson
RHP Matt Lindstrom
RHP Kevin Gregg
RHP Luis Ayala
RHP Pedro Strop
LHP Troy Patton or Zach Phillips
LHP Tsuyoshi Wada or Alfredo Simon or Chris Tillman
Wada still has a shot at the rotation, but it’s possible he’ll open the year as a long reliever. Simon stands a chance to start the year on the disabled list with a nagging groin injury. Tillman likely starts at Class-AAA Norfolk.
Strop and Patton are out of options, though Phillips and Patton are in a dead heat for the lefty specialist role.
The back end of the bullpen looks fairly strong, with strong-armed set-up men Ayala and Lindstrom paving the way for Johnson, who will get his first full-time shot at the closer’s role after grasping it from Gregg last season.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. SS J.J. Hardy
2. RF Nick Markakis
3. CF Adam Jones
4. C Matt Wieters
5. 3B Mark Reynolds
6. DH Wilson Betemit
7. LF Nolan Reimold
8. 1B Chris Davis
9. 2B Robert Andino
The primary question marks are at leadoff and cleanup, where the Orioles are replacing 2B Brian Roberts (injury) and DH Vladimir Guerrero (left as free agent).
Markakis, Jones, Wieters and Reynolds form a formidable quartet in the lineup, but the Orioles will need another strong season from Hardy and a break-out year from both Reimold and Davis in order to make up for the lack of a prototypical cleanup bat.
Hardy and OF Endy Chavez are the most likely leadoff men, though Andino, who is the favorite to start when Roberts is out, could also see time atop the order.
RESERVES:
OF Endy Chavez
C Ronny Paulino
1B/DH Nick Johnson
INF Ryan Flaherty
Paulino makes the roster by default, after arriving in camp two weeks late. C Taylor Teagarden, who will open on the disabled list, likely will reclaim the backup catcher’s role after recovering from a back injury suffered in spring training. Chavez is a serviceable fourth outfielder, and Johnson is arguably the best pinch-hitter the club has had in years.
Flaherty, a Rule 5 Draft pick, edged INF Matt Antonelli to serve as the back-up at second base and third base.
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