9 of the O's top 25 players will be free agents after the 2015 season

[wildcard]

As it stands right now.

So does DD offer any of these players multi year contracts this off season?

Wieters, Davis and Chen. are Boras clients. That almost guarantees that they will hit the free agent market next year. The O's may pursue them in free agency the way they are doing with Nick and Nelson but their salaries will probably take a big jump.

The development of Walker and Bundy will be important this year. Will they be ready to jump in and take over Davis and Chen's spots?

Bud Norris is also a free agent. Now here is a guy the O's might extend. That is something to watch this off season. His price will probably be 10m or more in 2016 but if he has another year like 2014, he may be worth it.

The pen gets hit hard. O'Day, Hunter and Webb are scheduled to be free agents. O'Day is probably the most valuable. He will be 33 for the 2016 season which is still a productive age for the reliever. Wright, Davies, Wilson and Tim Berry may fits into some of these spots.

De Aza will be a free agent. Alvarez may be in a position to take over leftfield but that will not replace De Aza's speed or his likely ability to hit high in the O's batting order.

Steve Pearce will also be a free agent. This is a guy that loves to be an Oriole and should not be that expensive. Even with a good year in 2015 he will probably be in the 7 to 8m dollar range. If he doesn't do as well he might be 4 or 5m. The O's can probably wait until the 2nd half of 2015 to make a decision on whether they want to sign him for 2016.

These 9 players represent 52.65m on the 2015 payroll as projected by MLBTR. They are 36% of the 25 man roster.

Wieters stands out as the hardest production to replace but we know the O's did replace him in 2014. Davis if he rebounds could also be hard to replace. Chen as the only lefty starter has value. As does Norris. O'Day as a very effective setup man would be missed.

9 potential free agents is a big impact on the O's roster both financially and for the productive they offer. It bears watching this off season to see who DD extends to lessen the impact of them leaving.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

The Orioles have proven that they can win games without Wieters and Davis. I don't think there is any chance in the world that the Orioles will bring Davis back. I think Matt Wieters has to have a career year in 2015 for the Orioles to even consider bringing him back. The Orioles could lose all those guys on your list and they would be just fine. I have all the faith in the world that Dan will continue to provide us a winning baseball team.

[25 Nuggets]

I don't think it's as bad a position as it looks first glance, and I think that $56.65 mil has a lot to do with it. Wieters is by far the most irreplaceable player listed, and yet the team won 96 games largely without him this year. I think a few of those players get resigned, probably Pearce, possibly Norris and/or De Aza, perhaps one of the relievers, but we're in a wait-and-see pattern for most of them. And Davis, well, he might be overpaid as it is.

[Guest]

None of those 9 players are game changers my friend. All can be replaced.

[Camden_yardbird]

God I hope the 2016 draft is deep. There's a lot of comp picks there.

[weams]

God I hope the 2016 draft is deep. There's a lot of comp picks there.

How many will get qualifying offers?

[weams]

How many will get qualifying offers?

I figure Davis, Wieters, and Chen. Or maybe not even Chen.

[csgordos]

I figure Davis, Wieters, and Chen. Or maybe not even Chen.

Those 3 plus Norris if he has a good year. No way Boras lets the first 3 take a QO, and to repeat your mantra: nobody, not even Cuddyer, has accepted a QO!!

[mdbdotcom]

I could see Wieters traded for near-ready prospects at the deadline if we're not in the race this coming season.

[Reboulet'sStache]

I'd let everyone walk except maybe Davis if he has another off year and can be brought back on a cheap deal, and Chen if he can be brought back on a cheap deal. Pearce might be a good candidate to bring back as well.

[oriole]

The verdict is obviously still out but if one or two of Schoop, Bundy, Alvarez, Walker, and to a lesser extent guys like Wright, Davies, Berry, Ohlman become worthy of being major league players than it looks like we'll be getting younger and cheaper on a team that right now has some expensive question marks (referring mostly to Davis and Wieters) then we could be potentially setting up a longer window of contention. Jones, Machado, Gausman, Hardy can all provide a very respectable backbone to future teams that can hopefully feature some fruits to a farm system overtaken by Buck and Dans work and hopefully some savvy free agent signings.

[atomic]

I figure Davis, Wieters, and Chen. Or maybe not even Chen.

if Davis has a year like he had in 2014 in 2015 he will be looking at trying to secure a minor league deal. I doubt any of the three get QOs.

[weams]

if Davis has a year like he had in 2014 in 2015 he will be looking at trying to secure a minor league deal. I doubt any of the three get QOs.

If Davis has a two WAR season, like he did last year, he will get a three year 30 million dollar deal. Not a minor league deal.

[weams]

We should offer all of Boras's guys QO's. He won't have them accept unless they are really bad this year.

I agree.

[Camden_yardbird]

if Davis has a year like he had in 2014 in 2015 he will be looking at trying to secure a minor league deal. I doubt any of the three get QOs.

You're wrong. 15 win, 30 hr's, one of the best catchers in the game = QO.

Norris and even ODay could get one too.