The Baltimore Orioles were one of the top teams in the MLB this past season and made it to the ALCS before they were eliminated by the Kansas City Royals. However, 2015 isn't looking too great for Buck Showalter and the O's.
Outfielder Nick Markakis, outfielder/DH Nelson Cruz and relief pitcher Andrew Miller all look like they'll be leaving the Orioles via free agency. This would leave Baltimore without two corner outfielders and one of their best relievers (although Miller only spent less than half of the season with the team). It's certainly not great Miller will be leaving, but his loss isn't as great as Cruz and/or Markakis.
Miller wants to be a closer and reportedly has a number of multi-year offers from interested clubs. The Orioles don't need a closer because left-hander Zach Britton was tremendous in 2014 (1.65 ERA with 37 saves) and is much cheaper. So although Miller will be a big loss, his departure is essentially out of the Orioles' control, whereas Cruz and Markakis are very much attainable and realistic.
The entire baseball world witnessed the O's give starter Ubaldo Jimenez a four-year, $50 million contract last offseason as they attempted to take a gamble on his resurgent 2013 campaign. Jimenez has a career 4.00 ERA and 1.36 WHIP and they gave him that type of contract while Cruz led the MLB in home runs this past season (and has been a tremendous power-hitter throughout his career) and Markakis has been a workhorse for Baltimore since debuting in 2006 (he's played 155 game or more in seven of nine MLB seasons). The team has been unable to seal the deal on Cruz or Markakis, which points to their eventual departure.
Baltimore attempted to lock up Cruz before he entered free agency, but the slugger rejected a three-year extension and reiterated he was looking for a four-year deal. He was seeking a five-year contract at first, but realized most teams wouldn't be willing to offer that to a 34-year-old. The two sides met at the general managers meetings earlier this month, but now that a power-hitting outfielder like Cruz is in high demand across the MLB, the Orioles will likely have to break the bank now to re-sign him. Although it's understandable why the Orioles are hesitant in giving a 34-year-old a four-year contract, Cruz led the MLB in home runs with 40 and added 108 RBIs while slashing .271/.333/.525/.859.
Markakis just turned 31 and although is numbers have declined since his earlier years, the Orioles had him under a bargain six-year, $66 million contract since 2009. They declined his $17.5 million option for 2015 in hopes of working out a contract extension, but FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports the two sides are not close to a deal and the negotiations are not progressing at a quick pace. A four-year deal is also in the works here, but the dollar amount is probably what needs to be agreed upon.
"Markakis, from all accounts, wants to remain with Baltimore, his original club," writes Rosenthal. "Chances are, he will. But the longer the team waits, the greater the likelihood that he will pursue other options, if he isn't already."
Until recently, many were unsure of the Orioles motives. They have only $52 million committed to next season's payroll and are seemingly unwilling to pay two players who were integral to the team's success in 2014. However, it was reported the team has discussed Cuban outfielder Yasmany Tomas and free-agent outfielder Melky Cabrera as options as well. Tomas and Cabrera will be costly, but their signings would perhaps be a better investment because of their age.
The fact that this news has surfaced likely has Cruz and Markakis questioning why they aren't getting the deals they want, and since the Orioles aren't among the top big market teams who are looking for outfield help, it's especially not good news for the team. The odds of the O's outbidding other clubs for Tomas and Cabrera are unlikely and Cruz and Markakis may be upset these two could potentially be part of the team's plans. If so, don't be surprised if Cruz and Markakis join new teams next year, leaving the Orioles with a thin outfield.
We just saw Sandoval reportedly join the Red Sox because he felt "disrespected" by the Giants. It could happen again with other free agents.
