Several Possibilities on the Orioles Radar

After a long day of winter meetings the list of possibilities on the Baltimore Orioles radar is getting clearer by the minute. The major advancements in today's discussions include veteran starting pitching, bullpen depth, and corner infielders. Lets begin with the quality veteran starting pitching saga that has continued to plague the Birds for years. Key word being "quality". According to many sources the Orioles have been in deep discussions with the Texas Rangers regarding Kevin Millwood. The Rangers are looking for a second-tier young pitching prospect or outfield depth. On the trading block appears to be 5-tool 4th outfielder Felix Pie or a young pitcher such as prospect Steve Johnson or Kam Mickolio. Personally, I think that the Birds definitely need the veteran depth but it is not worth the expense of Pie. To me, Pie is a guy that could develop into a star in left field and allow for Nolan Reimold to be slated in the DH spot. However, I would not be opposed to giving up Steve Johnson. He is a lower quality prospect and really hasn't shown much. Though it will never be admitted, I truly believe that the only reason Steve was traded for was because his father, Davey, is an alum and a consultant. Seriously, mid-tier RHP prospects are a dime-a-dozen. The expendability makes the deal look good to me. Also, it has been reported the Andy and his boys have been meeting with ex-ace Erik Bedard. Now lets move on to bullpen depth. The man on the Orioles radar was Rafael Soriano of the Atlanta Braves. That really didn't last long though as the ATL was quick to resign him. Kerry Wood and/or Milwaukee Brewer relievers will most likely be next up on the Birds radar. Finally, we are on to the real hot stove topic: corner infielders. The O's are looking for stopgaps and/or long term solutions until Brandon Snyder and Josh Bell make it up to the show. Among the possibilities, Dan Uggla, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Pedro Feliz, and Adam LaRoche. Personally, I like Uggla and Kouzmanoff the most. Feliz and LaRoche both have deficiencies in their game. Uggla and Kouzmanoff both have some youth left and have good upside. Uggla played third base in the minors and Kevin has proven he can handle the hot corner. Although, the avg. is the best for either of them they both drive in runs and that is what counts. If Bell doesn't pan out then they both can be more than temporary fixes. With little first base availability, look for the Birds to try Luke Scott out early in spring training to see if they can get some productivity out of Coolhand.

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