Replacing Cruz's Bat

[Number5]

It doesn't seem like we would have even had to ante up top tier money to re-sign Cruz. In today's market, $14-15M a year for four years is not a high price to pay for an impact bat.

Age is the major factor that you are overlooking.

[jtschrei]

I'm totally bummed. I don't think that 4 years at 57 mill is a bad contract. Only time will tell, but this contract is market rate. Everyone in baseball is overpaid. Russell Martin got over 80million. I'd much rather have Cruz at 57 mill than Martin at 80 or Markakis at 40.

I'm sure DD has a plan. I'm not going to disparage him before the season starts. This Orioles team is built to win right now. I expect a big bat to be added.

[Bazooka Jones]

Two very wise statements here. I do think we may want to look for another bat now, but Cruz wasn't likely to repeat his 2014 season and we can find other ways to win.

All of this. The seasons that we've had under DD... Have faith that voids will be filled. If not by signings or trades, then by others stepping up. There is a winning culture in B-More now.

[TouchemAll]

IMHO we'll be fine if Wieter's and Manny stay healty and put up numbers they are capable of.

[wildcard]

Christian Walker may be only 3 months of a season away from being a major league DH.

I agree that Morales is someone to think about.

[wildcard]

No Cruz means the Orioles should be upgrading at least one corner outfield spot.

De Aza is not the answer. Pearce is a nice DH / OF platoon.

Hunter / Jones / Markakis could be your 2015 starting OF.

I have no problem with De Aza as the lefthanded part of a platoon in leftfield.

[Mayor McCheese]

I have no problem with De Aza as the lefthanded part of a platoon in leftfield.

David Lough had a very similar season to De Aza and is making near the league min.

So if the Orioles are looking for a cheap starting OF'er he's the guy... if he's going to be part time player we already have Lough.

[Orioles4Life21]

If this happens the Orioles won't win 82 games.

Yea just like when we were gonna be 10 games under .500 at the end of April in 2013. Just like all the times you probably pronounced us dead last season.

[stomperspc]

Cruz wasn't going to replace the 2014 Cruz. That's the big misconception. Trade for Kemp, sign Hunter, etc.

Exactly.

I don't like the term "replace" because it seems to imply both that prior year performance is likely to repeat and that if a player with a certain skill set goes away he needs to be replaced by a player with a similar skill set. Cruz in 2015 almost certainly would not have been the same as Cruz in 2014. The Orioles also don't need to find 40 home runs somewhere just because they had 40 from Cruz last season. They should simply be looking for a player or players who can bring as much value as Cruz did in 2014, regardless of whether that value is in power, defense, OBP, or something else. I think when we start thinking in terms of replacing players, we are thinking too narrowly. There are many, many ways to go about constructing a winning team. The Orioles could do nothing major to replace Cruz's bat, instead focusing on upgrading the defense and pitching to further prevent runs and end up in better shape in 2015. It is not about replacing, it is about improving the overall team in some way.

[sportsfan8703]

I'm actually more excited about the prospect of having Manny and Wieters back than I am concerned about Cruz leaving.

I'm not. A questionable Weiters back for just 1 year. I'd rather have a cleanup hitter for 4 years.

[sportsfan8703]

I see us doing the low risk thing and giving 1 year deals to Morales and Torii Hunter. Maybe sign the Jung-ho Kang from Korea. Anything else is going to have to come through trades. Which is fine I just don't want to see names like Harvey and Bundy leaving.

[Austin]

Yea just like when we were gonna be 10 games under .500 at the end of April in 2013. Just like all the times you probably pronounced us dead last season.

Yeah, no surprise. How many winning seasons in a row do we need before you give this team the benefit of the doubt?

[Guest rochester]

I would have liked keeping Cruz and don't think the 4/57 is that bad.

However, the panic is incredibly misplaced at this time. The same "sky is falling" continued throughout most of last offseason and we ended up winning 99, so I tend to believe DD has a plan.

I do agree the lost power is a concern - may be apples and oranges but I would not sign Nick. We may not be able to afford getting no power out of RF, with a good leadoff hitter that can't run. The $23-25M for Cruz and Markakis would be a nice start.

[wildcard]

David Lough had a very similar season to De Aza and is making near the league min.

So if the Orioles are looking for a cheap starting OF'er he's the guy... if he's going to be part time player we already have Lough.

Lough had 174 at bats . De Aza had 477 at bats. I don't consider their seasons similar.

[NattyO's]

I dont care about losing 40 homeruns. All i care about is scoring more runs then the other team. I would be totally ok if we had a player with 40 suicide squeeze plays as long as we win. (Im full aware that will never happen, just saying)