Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported that after losing Nelson Cruz to the Mariners and Nick Markakis to the Braves as free agents, the Orioles have been talking to free agents Nori Aoki and Colby Rasmus, as well as negotiating a possible return for Delmon Young, who would figure to reprise his role as a reserve outfielder and designated hitter rather than fill one of the spots vacated this offseason.
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Meanwhile, ESPN’s Jayson Stark tweeted of a link between the Orioles and Phillies outfielder Marlon Byrd. Given that Eduardo Encina of The Baltimore Sun reported the Orioles are “more optimistic” about free agents than trades, Byrd would appear to be more of a fallback option for the reigning American League East champions.
The Orioles’ preference for free agents is understandable, even though Byrd would appear to be a very strong candidate to replace Cruz’s bat. Byrd, who turned 37 in August, hit .264/.312/.445 for Philadelphia this year, with 25 home runs, surpassing by one the career high that he set in 2013 with the Mets and Pirates.
Byrd has a very manageable $8 million salary for 2015, with an $8 million vesting option that kicks in if he gets 550 plate appearances next season, but giving up assets to acquire an aging outfielder is not as good of an option as spending straight cash for Aoki, who turns 33 in January, or the 28-year-old Rasmus.
Aoki and Rasmus each would come with their own concerns, though. Aoki lacks the power of either of the bats the Orioles lost, having hit just 19 home runs in 1,811 career plate appearances, and one in 549 trips to the plate in 2014. Rasmus, who hit .225/.287/.448 with 18 home runs in 2014, would be a solid buy-low option, but also would have to move out of center field after not having played a corner spot since his rookie year of 2009.
Aside from depth moves, the Orioles have no other looming needs this winter, so they can afford to be creative. If none of the reported options comes together, trying to swap free-agent bust Ubaldo Jimenez for another team’s bad contract on an outfield bat would be a good way to go. After the Indians’ acquisition of Brandon Moss on Monday, Nick Swisher would fit that category very well, and given Jimenez’s previous performance in Cleveland, is something that should be explored.
