Wednesday January 22nd may be a key day in the 2014 Baltimore Orioles’ season. The divide in the American League East division became more pronounced as the three teams have widened the gap between the other two.
The Yankees will get all of the headlines of the day as they signed Japanese League star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka to a seven year $155 million deal. The Yankees definitely had a plan this offseason as they have shelled out over $500 million to add names like Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, Kelly Johnson, and Brian Roberts. They were lacking, however, in the rotation. CC Sabathia is coming off his worst professional season that showed signs of all those years of 200+ innings are finally making an impact. Ivan Nova is questionable as is Hiroki Kuroda and whoever wins the fifth starter job.
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Of course, there are questions about Tanaka, but he comes from the Japanese League off of a historic season. In 212 innings, he posted a 1.27 ERA, while giving up just 168 hits and a 0.943 WHIP. He gave up just 6 home runs and posted 8 complete games. Hitting 94 on the radar gun, but working largely at 90-92 MPH, he struck out 183 batters. For his career, Tanaka has made 175 appearances (173 starts) and has posted a 2.30 ERA in 1,315 innings. He leaves Japan with career marks of 8.1 H/9, 0.3 HR/9, 1.9 BB/9, and 8.5 K/9.
With Tanaka in place, the Yankees now have a rotation that can compete. It isn’t better than the Rays’ starting staff–no team in the American League can say that–but it is one that will pitch well enough to win with the type of offense the Yankees hope to field everyday. Because of Tanaka, the Yankees are now legitimate division contenders. Of course, health will be an issue for New York. With a veteran laden roster, the Yankees will deal with injuries. But, with this move, they are closer to the Red Sox and Rays than they are to the Orioles and Blue Jays.
While the Yankees paid a big price, the Red Sox took a chance on Grady Sizemore by signing him to a one year, $750,000 contract with incentives that could make the deal worth over $6 million. Sizemore is now 31 years old and hasn’t played since 2011 because of microfracture knee surgery and other various ailments. Said to be progressing well, Sizemore is the type a player a defending World Series champion can take a chance on. It’s unrealistic to think that Sizemore can be that player from 2005 through 2008 who averaged .281/.372/.496. But, if he can find some semblance of health, he can provide the Red Sox, at the very least, with on base skills and power.
The Red Sox were already a top team in the division. Now, they add a player who could be, at minimum, a quality platoon player. And, if by chance, he is healthy and regains his form, they just added a high end bat at a low cost. With the Red Sox’s history of identifying talent, it isn’t a stretch to see Sizemore contributing.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays did what they always do. Quietly, they plugged a hole on their Major League roster and added some more depth to their already deep farm system. The Rays traded away lefty reliever Alex Torres and minor league pitcher Jesse Hahn for infielder Logan Forsythe, reliever Brad Boxberger, minor league pitchers Matt Andriese and Matt Lollis, and minor league second baseman Maxx Tissenbaum. None of the names involved are stars, but Forsythe will fill a role as a utility infielder who hits left handed pitching quite well. In parts of three Major League seasons, he has hit southpaws to the tune of .290/.363/.430. Able to play all of the infield positions, Forsythe will provide depth for a Rays team that was a bit short on the bench. Torres had an excellent season out of the bullpen in 2013, but obviously the Rays felt he was expendable considering their deep pitching pipeline and the return that they received. The offense improves against left handed pitching, the roster is a bit more flexible, and the system continues to add depth.
Where does this leave the Orioles? It leaves them in essentially the same position they were in at the beginning of the hot stove season. They must make a move if they want to seriously contend for a playoff position. Yet, the Orioles have done nothing bold. General Manager Dan Duquette has added role players in David Lough and Delmon Young, while also adding Ryan Webb to the bullpen. But, the Orioles have a thin rotation and don’t have one starter guaranteed to pitch 200 innings. The organization is coming off of an 85 win season, which tied them with the Yankees last season. The Yankees have pulled away–at least on paper–from the Orioles. The Rays and Red Sox were already ahead of the Orioles.
As currently constructed, the Orioles will fight with the Blue Jays for fourth place. The 22nd was a microcosm of the entire winter. The Yankees spent a boatload of money to make themselves better. The Red Sox took a chance because they can. The roster is talented; Sizemore can only help. And, the Rays added a player who fit their model, while also adding depth. The Orioles and the Blue Jays did nothing. We’ve seen this story play out every day for the past two months. While there is still time for the Orioles to make a significant move, they’ve given zero indication that this is what they are planning.
Instead, they’ve stood pat and watched the divisional divide grow to the point where there are three clear favorites. That picture was becoming more clear every day. January 22nd made it crystal clear: the Orioles, despite a great core, are the fourth best team in the division.
They must make a bold move.
Orioles Analyst
First and foremost, a Father. After that, I am a writer and teacher who not only started my own company and published an i-magazine as well as a newsletter, but have been published by USA Today, Operation Sports, Baseball Prospectus, Baseball Digest, Gotham Baseball Magazine, and numerous other publications. As an educator, I have 20 years of classroom experience and am utilizing that experience in my current position as department coordinator. Wrote the book The Teacher And The Admin (https://theteacherandtheadmin.com/the-book/) and operate that website which is dedicated to making education better for kids.