| Douglas Benton. 18th June, 2007 - 4:58 pm
 The Baltimore Orioles fired their manager, Sam Perlozzo, on Monday after the team started the season 29-40. It is also being reported that the Orioles have agreed on a deal with Andy MacPhail to become their chief operating officer. So, what do the Orioles need to do next to get back to their past successes?
Their first order of business has to be bringing stability to the front office and the managerial position. The front office has taken a great step with MacPhail, who has won 2 World Series in Minnesota, and is a proven commodity. If they could pair him with a general manager, like former Los Angeles Dodgers’ general manager Paul DePodesta, and create a two-tier power structure much like the one found with the Boston Red Sox.
Next, the Orioles need to find a manager they are confident in and be patient with him long enough for him to see if he can succeed. With both Perlozzo and former manager Lee Mazzilli, the Orioles were too fidgety with them and subsequently, fired them before they could find themselves in the job.
The early candidate that is making noise is former Florida Marlins skipper Joe Girardi, who is known for his no-nonsense style. Other names that would fit are former Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker, who MacPhail has a relationship with, and former Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter, who is a rebuilding genius.
However, it is a known fact that no matter who the manager is, the team with the most talent will usually be in the hunt at the end of the season. So, for the Orioles to erase their recent failures, they must improve the roster.
Their system doesn’t have many top-notch prospects and the major league roster only has a few bright spots. Outfielder Nick Markakis is a budding superstar from the left-hand side of the plate with improving power and above-average defensive skills. Left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard also is a rising star who gets lost in Baltimore, but is one of the many talented young left-handers in the game today.
To build on these two stars, the Orioles should trade shortstop Miguel Tejada, who is on the definite downside of his career, and try to reload with a few top prospects. Finally, the Orioles have to continue to build through the draft, like they did with Georgia Tech catcher Matt Weiters, and identify a free agent or trade partner in the next three years to be the new face of the franchise.
Two possible candidates are Texas Rangers’ first baseman Mark Teixeira and Minnesota Twins’ ace Johan Santana. This won’t be a short rebuilding project, but with quality people up top and improved talent levels on the roster, Baltimore as an organization and town have the capabilities to be a very good franchise now and into the future.
How would you rebuild the Orioles? Send your ideas to Douglas.Benton@RealGM.com |
