If the Baltimore Orioles can find homes for Ty Wigginton, Will Ohman, Miguel Tejada, and Kevin Millwood prior to the July 31st Non-Waiver deadline, it is probable the O’s will look to make those trades.
None of those players are signed for the 2011 season, so moving them and getting back any value you can (no matter how limited that might be) makes sense.
The more interesting question is will the O’s be looking to move Luke Scott, Jason Berken, and Jeremy Guthrie? That discussion is at-least more interesting to me, because each of these 3 players remain under Oriole control past this-season.
Scott and Guthrie would be Free Agents after the 2012 season, while Berken would not be a Free Agent until after the 2014 season.
Scott, 32, has been absoultely sizzling since coming of the Disabled List. For his career Scott has a .855 OPS. In 2010, Scott has a .924 OPS, with 35 extra-base hits in 247 at-bats. The left-handed swinger is even hitting southpaws to the tune of .871 OPS.
Guthrie, 31, has averaged 195 innings pitched the past two-seasons and is competitive enough in the American League East that you could picture him helping a team in another division. For the year he has a 4.46 era, and has allowed 125 hits in his 125 innings of work. He is holding hitters to a .766 OPS against (.759 for his career) and has looked strong in his past two outings against Toronto and Minnesota.
Berken, 27 in November, has had an outstanding year (albeit a rough July) in 2010. He is perfectly suited to the bullpen as somebody that can provide multiple innings of work. He is holding hitters to a .696 OPS against, and has a Grounder to Fly-ball ratio of 0.98.
Each of these players are cheap and productive players under contract for multiple years. That makes them valuable commodities, and players other teams would look to add. The same reasons they are attractive, would be the same reasons the O’s would look to retain. What the O’s will have to judge is how much are they offered back in return, and even if the talent is just equal – is that talent a better fit?
I think the O’s will look to move Scott, will probably keep Guthrie, and not consider moving Berken.
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Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.