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I know that I have recently written that Andrew Bailey will get a chance if he starts to pitch well, but Koji Uehara is just phenomenal in the closer’s role for the Boston Red Sox.

In his last three save chances, Uehara has yet to allow a runner on base and has totaled six strikeouts in those three innings of work. He is 3-for-3 over that span and has only one blown save all season.

What is amazing about Uehara is that he does not have the velocity many closers have. He throws about 89-90 mph, but is very deceitful in his delivery and has a nasty splitter that hitters usually can’t pick up after watching the fastball go by a couple times.

Many batters have even swung through his fastball as if it were in the mid-to-upper-90s.

Uehara may need a day off after three straight days of work in the closer’s role, but remember he is 38 years old and the wear and tear of too much work is something the Red Sox do not need for another “could-be” closer in the near future.

With a 1.91 ERA and 48 strikeouts through 33 innings of work, Uehara is definitely making a case to be the closer until the end of the 2013 season for the Red Sox. His 0.79 WHIP is second among relievers with at least 30 innings pitched.

Uehara also happens to be a very emotional/high-energy guy out of the bullpen. After a strong outing or getting out of the jam, he always high-fives everyone on his squad.

That type of reaction is what the Red Sox need out of their closer. The type of emotion that makes it exciting to watch the closer come in and not worry about walks and homers that could lose the game.

Bailey’s struggles have mainly been because of the location and movement of his fastball. He may have been back to throwing 95-96 mph in his latest outing, but he is still throwing his fastball flat and straight out over the plate. He missed his location and Edwin Encarnacion took him out to dead center for another allowed homer.

The former Oakland Athlethic has now allowed seven home runs in 2013 and that makes it very nerve-racking to have him in as closer.

If Uehara continues to be solid as the closer, then Bailey will have to just be another piece of the bullpen that the Red Sox have relied upon all season long. Or the Red Sox will have to find a way to place Bailey on the DL if he continues to struggle.

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Almost instantly after today’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, the Texas Rangers made a deal for the reliever that they desperately need.

General manager Jon Daniels made a deal with the Baltimore Orioles to send pitcher Tommy Hunter and first baseman Chris Davis in exchange for reliever Koji Uehara.

A trade involving Chris Davis comes as no surprise to me, as he was destined to find another team to play for.

He tore it up in the minor leagues but just can’t seem to outperform Mitch Moreland at first. As a result, he was pushed over to third base to sub for an injured Adrian Beltre. He’s a power bat that is of no use to the Rangers on the bench, so moving him in a trade is exactly what needed to happen.

However, including Tommy Hunter in the deal is a bit of a surprise. He’s been a solid pitcher throughout his career with Texas but his sabermetrics have been lagging behind Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.

Also, given Hunter’s history of injuries, this move is one that will not hurt the Rangers in the long run and will clear a spot in the bullpen for Uehara and possibly another pitcher. Hunter did a lot for Texas last season and will be missed, but a move like this is necessary to clear up the bullpen issues.

Uehara is by far the best reliever in the American League. Opponents are batting .151 against him (tied for first in the AL) and he leads the league in walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP), strikeouts-per-walk, and is third in walks-per-nine-innings.

His three primary pitches are the fastball, split finger fastball, and the change up with an appearance percentage of 66, 21, and 11 respectively. His earned run average is 1.72 with a fielding independent earned run average of 2.52.

This is exactly the kind of move the Rangers needed to make in order to make their run for another AL West title and another trip to the World Series go as smoothly as last year. A solid bullpen is going to mean a lot to this team and Uehara’s presence should provide a tremendous boost.

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The Orioles have made their first trade of the 2011 deadline as Koji Uehara is headed to the Texas Rangers for first baseman Chris Davis and starting pitcher Tommy Hunter (who are both major league ready) according to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun.

The trade is not official yet because the Rangers are expected to get “significant” salary relief according to Evan P. Grant of the Dallas Morning Times.

The trade comes as no surprise as Uehara is one of the league’s top relief pitchers. He has comparable numbers to fellow trade candidate Mike Adams and is cheaper because he is older. He has a $4 million option set to vest if Uehara appears in 12 more games, which is extremely likely barring injury.

The two players acquired play a big part in the future of some of the Orioles’ other trade chips, as they acquired potential replacements for both Jeremy Guthrie and Derrek Lee.

The starting rotation has struggled mightily this year and Tommy Hunter provides immediate relief, but the new flexibility could mean that Guthrie is on the way out. The Indians are the most likely destination now for Guthrie since Detroit and St. Louis already made starting pitching upgrades.

The acquisition of Chris Davis could also mean the end of the line for Derrek Lee. Davis can take over right away if Lee is dealt away. And Arizona and Pittsburgh could use a veteran at first, so they seem like likely partners for a Lee deal.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated tweeted this morning that the Pirates were unsure if Lee was an upgrade at first, but his play in the second half so far may change their mind. I could definitely see the Diamondbacks matching up again after the teams worked together on the Mark Reynolds deal this past offseason.

Lee was pulled early in the first game of the Orioles’ double-header in New York, but Roch Kubatko of MASN reported that it was to rest for Game 2. He is not in the lineup for Game 2.

Update: The Indians have acquired Ubaldo Jimenez, so Guthrie is very unlikely for the Tribe now.

Look around for my wrap-up of all of the deals Baltimore makes at the deadline Monday morning.

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Look at what fantasy baseball has done to us.  We pore over pre-season rankings, stalk the Internet for live game box scores, pray for injuries just major enough to open up opportunities for sleepers.  All in the hope of compiling enough saves to win the category.

Of course, roto leagues aren’t the only reason for the baseball-loving public’s collective love affair with closers, but they sure do bring out the fanatic in all of us.

Prior to 1969, saves weren’t even and official statistic.  Prior to 1960, they didn’t exist at all.  For roughly 70 years, the sport got along just fine without having a specific way of quantifying close-game, ninth-inning success, but in the decades since its inception, the save has come to dominate the way managers deploy pitching staffs.

As relievers became more popular in the latter half of the last century, the best arms were used more and more in high-pressure situations. Ultimately, that led to the modern “closer”, usually a bullpen’s most reliable arm that could come in and preserve ties or leads at the end of games.

With teams depending so heavily on closers, it’s not enough to have just one established guy.  Each club also needs a closer-in-waiting or two, setup men that, if needed, can step in and get the job done.

So who has staked their claim to the closer-in-waiting spot in 2011?  It’s time to review (in no particular order) the 15 best relievers who aren’t closing now, but could be in line for saves before the season is out.

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After nearly a decade and a half of losing seasons, will this finally be the year that the Baltimore Orioles rise from the depths of the AL East to finally top .500?

I will go out on a limb here, as I always do with my baseball predictions, and say that it is not all that far-fetched.

Is it likely that they win the AL East? Not in the slightest bit, but hey, never say never.

I can tell you one thing that is for sure though—if the Orioles play to their potential this season, they will add even more buzz to what is already arguably the toughest division in baseball.

For years now, the Orioles have had a relatively solid lineup, which behind a decent pitching squad, could have made a run for a few playoff spots.  

As all baseball fans know, that is exactly what the team has lacked—decent, reliable pitching.

The O’s approached the issue not with huge blockbuster deals, but rather simple improvements to what has been a lackluster pitching staff.

To me, the biggest question with this year’s pitching will be reliability.

For the most part, the O’s have a youthful pitching squad which combined with past injuries, can potentially be an equation for disaster.

One of their biggest pitching acquisitions this offseason was injury-prone Justin Duchscherer.

Now I have always been a fan of Duchscherer since he first stepped onto the mound in Oakland, but his last few years have been less than impressive as he has suffered injury after injury after injury.

He claims that he currently feels the best that he has in years, mentally and physically, but who is to say which Duchscherer will show up at Camden Yards—the two-time all-star or the injury-prone mess. 

Other than Duchscherer, Jake Arrieta is another starter whose health presents us with a rather large question mark, since he had a bone spur in his elbow last season and decided to let it heal naturally on its own rather than have surgery to have it removed.

Only time will tell whether or not he made the right decision in choosing that path of rehabilitation.

As for the remainder of the starting rotation, health is not as big of a concern as is the age of some of its players, such as second-year pitchers Brian Matusz and Brad Bergesen who both struggled a bit coming out of the gate in 2010.

Both of them did bounce back from their poor starts after the All-Star break, but similar to Duchscherer’s situation, who knows which version of these two will show up this season—the first half disappointments or second half surprises.

However, when we look at the bullpen, the issue of injuries pops right back up again, and in dramatic fashion.

With the exception of the newly acquired Kevin Gregg and Jeremy Accardo, every other relief pitcher in the pen dealt with some sort of injury last season.

Michael Gonzalez, Koji Uehara, Jim Johnson and Jason Berken all had some type of shoulder or elbow injury.

Gonzalez suffered a left shoulder sprain, Johnson was bothered by lingering right elbow problems for most of the season, Uehara had elbow and hamstring issues and Berken suffered a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.  

Uehara came back strong to end the season on a high note, but who is to say that he will not be plagued with the same issues this season?

Okay now onto a lighter, more positive note.

These negatives can just as easily turn out to be positives for the O’s.  

Uehara, despite his injuries, impressed many as he only let up 14 earned runs, five home runs and five walks in 44 innings.

Johnson also did fairly well last season when his elbow was not acting up and will only improve as he gets more years of experience under his belt.

The addition of Gregg will also bolster the bullpen.

Although a bit wild at times, Gregg is coming off a career season with 37 saves and will hopefully look to build off of this and use it as motivation in his battle with Uehara for the closer role.

And let’s not look past the potential that the O’s starting rotation has.

Guthrie was solid last season and if Duchscherer is as healthy as he says he is and gives the baseball world another great year like 2005, I think that they would be a great one-two punch.

Yes, Matusz and Bergesen are young, but if they continue pitching at the level they were on at the end of last season, I only see good things to come from the two of them.  

If this pitching staff can manage to avoid major injuries and regressions and help the O’s keep games within reach so the offense does not have to continually struggle, I think they have a pretty good chance of finally making it over .500 again.  

Let me just reiterate here that I am not saying the Orioles are going all the way this year, I am just saying that they are headed down the right path and that their fans would be crazy to not be excited for the first time in a long time.

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With the signing of reliever Kevin Gregg to a two-year, $10 million deal, the Baltimore Orioles have loaded their bullpen up with late-inning options.

Gregg joins fellow righties Jim Johnson, Koji Uehara and freshly signed Jeremy Accardo, as well as lefty Mike Gonzalez, in the back end of the O’s bullpen. With all of these guys having had a season with 10 or more saves at the Major League level (as well as Alfredo Simon, who may or may not be with the team in 2011 due to legal issues), the debate of which one of them will close begins.

We can be almost certain that, barring anything unforeseen, Johnson will be proving he is healthy in a 7th or 8th inning set-up role and Accardo will likely be doing the same as a middle reliever. Each have had injury-plagued seasons the past few years after having very strong seasons in 2008 and 2007, respectively. Both guys have been very good before and will be hungry to prove they still are this season.

After singing a two-year, $12 million deal in December of 2009 to be the closer for the O’s in 2010, Gonzalez blew two of his first three saves in an O’s uniform, then went on the disabled list for a good three months. He came back as effective as ever in a set-up role for the O’s, and that’s likely going to be where he remains in manager Buck Showalter’s 2011 Orioles bullpen.

Gonzalez remains an effective late-inning option for an O’s manager who is praised for his ability to use a bullpen to the best of its ability, and the fact that Gonzalez is a good left-handed pitcher makes him more appealing to use in the 7th and 8th innings against tough left-handed batters.

That leaves Gregg, who saved 37 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010 to go along with a 3.51 ERA in 59 innings pitched, and Uehara, who became the O’s closer once Showalter took over in August of last season and saved 13 games, finishing the season with a 2.86 ERA.

Each pitcher has their strengths and weaknesses. Gregg is an experienced closer in the MLB, having saved over 120 games during the past four years, and has a bulldog mentality. He won’t give in to a batter, which helps attribute to his relatively high walk totals. He’d rather walk a tough batter than give in and give him something to hit, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the situation.

But Gregg will blow his share of saves, doing so six times last year. His save percentage last season was 86%, and anything over 85% is considered good, so though he will blow games, he’s a good option to close out a game among most late-inning type guys in the MLB and has shown he can do it in the AL East.

Uehara, while not having anything in his pitching repertoire completely overpowering to most MLB hitters, has pin-point location and almost never walks batters. In fact, Uehara set an Orioles’ franchise record by not allowing a walk over his final 32 appearances, spanning 34 innings pitched, and had the fewest walks per 9.0 innings (1.02) and best strikeout-to-walk ratio (11-1) of all AL relievers. He also had a strikeout ratio of 11.25 per 9.0 innings pitched, second among AL relievers. The only downside he has presented thus far is his inability to show he can stay healthy during the grueling 162-game season in his first two years in the MLB.

Manager Showalter has expressed his desire to remain open-minded with the closing situation, and has even suggested the possibility of having a closer-by-committee option, stating that he likes to go with the “hot hand”; in other words, whichever pitcher has a strong streak of great pitching going. Though I’m a person who enjoys looking at awesome statistics, like high batting averages or large save totals, I feel as though that would be the best option for the O’s, at least going into the 2011 season, unless someone proves they’re very obviously the best for the job in Spring Training.

Gregg’s blown saves numbers scare me, as does Uehara’s inability to stay healthy all year. Using each conservatively and interchangeably would maximize their abilities without over-exposing Gregg or over-working Uehara. During games where Uehara would be slotted to close it out, Gregg could help set-up, or Showalter could even use the both of them or three different pitchers in the 9th to throw the opposing batters in the on-deck circle off.

Whatever Showalter decides to do late in the ball game, he has plenty of options to work with, each of which being a solid one. On paper, President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail has supplied the Orioles’ manager with a revamped, strong bullpen going into the 2011 season. Hopefully, the new bullpen will stay healthy and respond to the O’s needs, consistently slamming the door on many wins during the 2011 season.

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The past two days were extremely busy at the winter meetings, highlighted by some shocking developments.  Let’s take a look at everything that happened (for my thoughts on Days 1 & 2, click here and here): 

The Boston Red Sox Signed OF Carl Crawford

Talk about the rich getting richer.  All indications had been that Crawford was headed out to Los Angeles before the Red Sox swooped in with a seven-year, $142 million deal.  It is hard to figure exactly where Crawford fits into the lineup, though you have to figure he’ll hit either third or sixth at this point.

The bottom line is that the Red Sox lineup got so much deeper with the addition of Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.  Either way, the top six in the lineup features Crawford, Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and David Ortiz.  You will be hard-pressed to find a group with that much talent and that much potential to score runs.  All of their stocks went up just a little bit.

However, if Crawford does ultimately hit sixth you have to think that at least a little of his value will be lost.  He needs to be hitting in front of Gonzalez, Youkilis and Ortiz, where he will be able to utilize his speed and score a significant number of runs.  I have to believe the Red Sox will hit him third, but time will tell. 

The Baltimore Orioles Signed P Koji Uehara

When Alfredo Simon and Michael Gonzalez went down with injuries, the Orioles turned to Uehara to close out games and he responded with flying colors.  He posted a 2.86 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, showing great strikeout potential (11.25 K/9) and impeccable control (1.02 BB/9).  It’s hard to imagine him maintaining those types of numbers, but given the unknown in the Orioles bullpen he will likely get an opportunity to close once again. 

The strikeouts will likely fall.  The walks will probably rise slightly.  Still, he posted his success with a .317 BABIP, so a little more luck and the numbers would still be solid.  He’ll be worth owning in all formats, though it’s hard to call him a lock to close for the entire year.

The Padres Acquired SS Jason Bartlett from the Tampa Bay Rays for P Adam Russell and P Cesar Ramos

The Rays get two bullpen arms, something they desperately needed.  Both pitchers will likely fill a middle relief role, however, so don’t look for them to have much value.

Bartlett is a nice player, but his fantasy appeal is limited.  He offers no power (29 career HR in 2,501 AB despite hitting 14 in ‘09 alone) and moving to San Diego, he’s going to have even less.  There’s a little bit of speed there, but you are probably talking about 20 SB with little upside in runs and average.  He’s a low-end option, at best, especially in what figures to be a low-powered offense. 

The Phillies Signed P Dennys Reyes

The Phillies get their left-handed reliever.  That’s good for them, but it is meaningless to fantasy owners.

The Royals Signed OF Melky Cabrera

Now things get interesting in Kansas City.  You would have thought that they’d want to give their youngsters an opportunity, like letting Jarrod Dyson be a spark plug at the top of the order and in center field.  Instead they bring in an outfielder who brings no power and no speed.  Hopefully he’s going to be the fourth outfielder for the Royals and not take at-bats from someone who could be useful.

The Chicago White Sox Signed 1B Paul Konerko

His value would plummet if he left Chicago, though you have to expect a regression anyway.  He posted a 19.5 percent HR/FB rate and a .326 BABIP, two numbers that could fall in 2011.  He’s going to be usable for sure, but we’ll go into much more detail in the near future.

The Seattle Mariners Signed DH Jack Cust

He’s one of those potential high power, low average guys.  Of course, his HR/FB has fallen for four straight years, from 31.7 percent in 2007 to 14.9 percent in 2010.  If he’s not going to hit over 30 HR, he’s not going to have any value.

The Kansas City Royals Signed OF Jeff Franceour

I feel like he has been rumored to be going to the Royals for the better part of a year, but he finally landed there.  He’s a streaky hitter and really doesn’t bring enough in the power, speed or average department to justify trusting him.  However, when he gets hot, he has value.  Hitting in the middle of the Royals lineup, he could be worth using in five-outfielder formats at times.  Keep an eye on him, but don’t consider him a regular.

The Milwaukee Brewers Signed C Will Nieves

He’ll be a backup for the Brewers and as a career .227 hitter with five HR in 701 AB—you can easily forget him.

The Atlanta Braves Signed P George Sherrill

He was once a closer, but those duties will likely fall to Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel or a combination of the two.  There’s little chance that he gets opportunities for saves, so he’s not going to have value to fantasy owners.  Obviously, if something changes you’ll want to scoop him up off waivers, but for now he can be ignored.

The Cincinnati Reds Signed INF Miguel Cairo

He’s a utility infielder, meaning his value is nil.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Signed C Dioner Navarro

Navarro could share time with Rod Barajas to replace the departed Russell Martin behind the plate.  There was a time that people thought Navarro could develop into a must-use option, but he’s never hit more than nine home runs in a season and sports a career .249 average.  Maybe he finally puts it together, but even those in two-catcher formats can ignore him for now.

The New York Mets Signed P Boof Bonser

At this point Bonser figures to be organizational depth and nothing else.  He’s not worth worrying about.

The Arizona Diamondbacks Signed P Mike Hampton

Remember when he actually was fantasy viable?  Not anymore.

The Seattle Mariners Signed C Miguel Olivo

He certainly has power, consistently posting a HR/FB of 12 percent, leading to 12-16 HR a season (outside of his 23 HR breakout in 2009).  He’s not going to hit for an extremely high average, though then again most catchers aren’t going to.  Considering he figures to get regular at-bats (the only other option they have is Adam Moore right now), who should be worth considering in two-catcher formats.  As far as where he sits in the rankings, we’ll address that soon enough.

The Baltimore Orioles Acquired SS J.J. Hardy and INF Brendan Harris from the Minnesota Twins for P Brett Jacobson and P Jim Hoey

Hardy’s one and only season in Minnesota did not go as planned, hitting .268 with six HR and 38 RBI.  He still holds significant upside, as it wasn’t long ago that he hit 50 HR over two seasons with the Brewers.  As a late-round flier, he’s well worth the risk.  It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see him hit in the 18-HR range.

It appears that the Twins are prepared to hand everyday at-bats to Alexi Casilla.  He has some speed, but no power and likely is only going to hold value in the deepest of formats.

The Houston Astros Signed P Ryan Rowland-Smith

He’ll likely battle for the fifth starters spot, but with a career 5.46 K/9, he’s not going to hold much value.

What are your thoughts on these moves?  Who is the biggest winner?  Who are you now targeting?

Make sure to check out our early 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• Top 15 First Basemen
• Top 15 Second Basemen
• Top 15 Third Basemen
• Top 15 Shortstops
• Top 20 Starting Pitchers
• 2011 Fantasy Draft First Round Breakdown

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM

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In a season plagued by underachievement, inconsistency, and injuries, one controllable aspect of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2010 is the bullpen.

From the dominant bullpen that lead the Phillies to a World Series title in 2008, earning the nickname the “Bridge to Lidge,” the Phillies’ relief corps of 2010 took a big step back, finishing 18th in ERA despite pitching the fewest innings in the National League—with only the Seattle Mariners logging more out west in the American League.

It was no surprise to hear that the bullpen was GM Ruben Amaro Jr.’s top priority entering the off-season.

Even though he has already resigned Jose Contreras, the Phillies still have major question marks thus far. Along with left handed specialist JC Romero, Chad Durbin, middle inning work-horse, is a free agent.

The 2010 performances of rookies David Herndon and Antonio Bastardo surely didn’t leave opposing hitters shaking in their cleats. Many questions and few possible answers.

With these variables in mind, many Philadelphia fans are asking the question: “How can we turn this sorry excuse for ‘relief’ into the once feared ‘Bridge to Lidge?'”

Well, it starts with the man himself. The Phillies only have three certainties in 2011: Contreras, set-up man Ryan Madson, and closer Brad Lidge. They were the few bright spots of a weak 2010 campaign.

Contreras was a work-horse out of the Phillies ‘pen in 2010, logging innings and pitching to the tune of a 3.34 ERA. Most importantly, he was able to remain healthy for the entire season, earning himself a two year deal in free agency.

Despite missing time with a self inflicted broken toe, Madson continued his streak of dominance in the eighth inning. The only remnant of the 2008 “Bridge to Lidge,” Madson was stellar in 2010, throwing 53 innings of 2.55 ERA ball.

Of course, there is no bridge without a destination. Lidge finally returned to form in 2010, gathering 27 saves and compiling a 2.96 ERA. Lidge’s best work was done over the final months of the season. However, he threw 24.2 innings to a tune of an 0.76 ERA.

So assuming that these three guys can carry their success into 2011, how can the Phillies complement them this off-season?

The answer is through the free agent market. With Romero not expected to return, the Phillies’ first task in rebuilding the ‘pen will be to add a couple of left handed specialists. Left handers Hisanori Takahashi and Pedro Feliciano, both former Mets, seem to make the most sense.

Takahashi seems to be the best option for the Phillies. He was known best with the Mets for his flexibility in roles. He spent time in 2010 as a starting pitcher, a middle reliever, Francisco Rodriguez’s set-up man, and as the team’s closer, when “K-Rod” became ineligible for the last portion of the season.

The Phillies are expected to make Takahashi an offer, as the team could benefit from help in the areas of starting pitching depth and left handed relief. Takahashi was especially tough against left handed hitters in 2010, striking out more than ten left handed batters per nine innings and allowing only two earned runs from the left side of the plate—neither of which were via the homerun.

The Phillies may be able to lure him to Philadelphia by offering him the same type of deal the team offered to Chan Ho Park—an offer to compete for the fifth starter’s spot and a guaranteed spot in the bullpen. While he may be the most expensive option, he may also be the most important sign.

Feliciano has been a thorn in the side of left handed Phillies since 2003, his first full time gig with the Mets. Often called on to face tough outs like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, Feliciano had become a staple in late innings of Phillies and Mets games. Signing him for that reason may be a plus in and of itself.

He would more than likely be a major upgrade to the oft-injured, oft-inconsistent, JC Romero. Feliciano lead the league in appearances for a reliever last season, logging 62 IP.

While teams may try and drive his price down, by arguing that he has a lot of strain on his arm, his agent will surely try and drive his price up, by proving that he’s been the model of consistency.

Feliciano remained true to his bread and butter in 2010, as he was nearly untouchable from the left side of the plate. Left handed hitters hit only .218 against him, while he struck out over nine lefties per nine innings. His numbers against right handed hitters are awful, but any team with common sense will use him strategically in the latter innings against left handed hitters.

The Phillies have also expressed interest in bringing back Chad Durbin, though they may have been discouraged by rumors that he will seek a multi-year contract as a starting pitcher, despite not having done so since 2007. With that in mind, the Phillies may check in on other options. A couple names stand out to me: Matt Guerrier, Koji Uehara, Dan Wheeler, and Chan Ho Park.

A member of the Twins bullpen in 2010, Guerrier is an interesting case. Despite being a “type A” free agent, he wasn’t offered arbitration, and it won’t cost a draft pick to sign him. He posted an ERA of 3.17, but his FIP of 4.23 suggests that he was extremely lucky.

Any team that values saber-metrics realized this, and it’s most likely the reason he wasn’t offered arbitration by the Twins. He’s not as valuable as his basic numbers appear. If the Phillies can get him at a good price, he’d be a good sign to work in the middle innings, alongside right hander Jose Contreras. 

That puts Uehara in a similar ship.

The Japanese import (a lifetime starter in Japan) was stellar as the Orioles closer in 2010. He only picked up 13 saves for the O’s, but, had they been a winning team, that number would have probably been tripled. He showed impeccable control in 2010, striking out 11 hitters per nine, while only walking one per nine. His ERA of 2.86 was very, very good, and even then, his FIP suggests that he was unlucky, at 2.40.

If I had to have one right handed bullpen arm, this is the guy that I would want.

The Phillies may not be his top choice, mainly because they are already committed to Madson and Lidge at the back of the bullpen, but money talks. If the Phillies can lure him to the City of Brotherly Love, he’d provide much of the same things that Hisanori Takahashi would.

Wheeler and Park round out potential right handed bullpen arms for the Phillies.

Wheeler pitched for the Rays in 2010, and he can be compared to Guerrier. Despite having a good ERA of 3.35, his FIP of 4.11 suggests that he caught some breaks in 2010. His HR/9 is a cause for concern, especially with the way the ball jumps off the bats some nights at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. As long as he’s kept in the middle of the pen, he’d be a good addition.

The same could be said for Park, who would be an interesting minor league signing. The Phillies expressed interest in bringing the 17 year veteran back after the 2009 season, but he chose to sign with the World Series counterpart Yankees. He was traded after a disappointing start, and didn’t exactly turn any heads in Pittsburgh. A chance to rebuild value in a place where he was comfortable might sound appealing to him.

Despite being called a weak free agent market, the market for relievers is surprisingly deep. However, some in house options may be as appealing because of the money they’d save turning to them. Minor leaguers Scott Mathieson and Justin De Fratus will get a lot of looks in spring training.

Mathieson, 27, is one of those “feel good” baseball stories. After two successful Tommy John surgeries, the right handed fireballer came out, well, throwing fire in 2010. In 64 innings with the Phillies Triple-A affiliate Iron Pigs, Mathieson pitched to an ERA of 2.94, earning his cup of coffee with the big league club as a September call up—all the while, averaging 95 MPH on his fastball.

De Fratus, 23, turned some heads in the Phillies organization after splitting time with A+ Clearwater and AA Reading. Throwing a combined 65 innings, De Fratus pitched to an ERA of 1.99, his success culminating with the Phillies—adding him to the 40-man roster to protect him in the upcoming Rule 5 Draft. A surprise in 2010, De Fratus will get a lot of looks this spring, and may break camp with the major league Phillies.

Of course, a plethora of familiar names will get their looks as well.

In the second year of his deal, Danys Baez may be best described as addition by subtraction. He was largely disappointing in 2010, and hopefully, isn’t guaranteed a spot because of the money he is set to make.

On the other end of the spectrum, guys like Antonio Bastardo and David Herndon are making close to nothing. Bastardo has a ton of upside, and it’s clear the organization likes him. However, his change-up is underwhelming, and his fastball/slider combination lacks control.

The long reliever in 2010, Herndon remained on the Phillies roster only because they wanted to keep him in the organization. (They would have had to offer him back to the Angels if they wanted to send him to the minors, since he was a Rule 5 Draft pick.) With guys like Kyle Kendrick, Vance Worley, and Drew Carpenter expected to compete for the fifth starter’s spot in spring training, Herndon may be out of a job once one of those guys loses.

If this article proves anything, it’s that the Phillies have numerous options to replenish the bullpen. Be it adding talented specialists like Feliciano and Uehara, or removing contract albatrosses like Baez, the Phillies can obviously afford to rebuild the bullpen. How they do so may effect the outlook on October 2011. If teams like the ’08 Phillies and ’10 Giants showed us anything, it’s that a talented bullpen goes a long way in competing in October.

With a couple of smart moves by Ruben Amaro Jr. and Co., the Phillies can move from troubled waters, and the Bridge to Lidge can deliver the fans of the Philadelphia Phillies to the promised land once again.  

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General Manager Andy MacPhail has made it public that he will be aggressive in trying to sign players in an attempt to improve an Orioles team that actually impressed people over the final two months of the season.

That being said, very little is being said about the players that were on the roster last season that are currently free agents and whether or not to sign them.

Here is the list of the seven major free agents the Orioles will be at risk to lose and whether or not they should be in Baltimore next season.

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Yes, I know, the World Series isn’t even half-way over, so the term “offseason” is a bit premature.

That said, a lot has happened in the Charm City since the season ended. Let’s start at the top.

Buck Showalter and the Coaching Carousel

At one time, it looked like the Orioles might retain all the coaches that finished the season with Showalter. That clearly isn’t the case anymore. The first domino to fall was former hitting coach Terry Crowley, who was moved to another position within the organization.

Then the news broke a few days ago that the O’s were looking at Jim Presley, a former infielder with the Mariners, Braves and Padres. “Hound Dog” Presley served as hitting coach for the Marlins for the past five years before being ousted along with manager Fredi Gonzalez. Hitters who blossomed under Presley’s tutelage include Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, and Jorge Cantu.

The Mark Connor emerged as the leading candidate to replace pitching coach Rick Kranitz. And although Kranitz hasn’t officially been ousted, the relationship that Showalter has with Connor, that dates back to their days in Arizona, makes the move look fairly imminent.

Then it was announced that Rick Adair, formerly of the Seattle Mariners, but also the Tigers, Indians, Braves, and Blue Jays, would become the Orioles bullpen coach. Adair replaces Alan Dunn, who has held that same position since 2007.

And the word on the street (and web) is that Showalter is a huge fan of former Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu, and is luring him to Baltimore to become the bench coach, forcing Jeff Datz out of a job. Wakamatsu and Show go way back to their days in the AL West, and Buck has always been a big supporter of him, even as he was being forced out of Seattle this past season.

As is stands, the only member of the coaching staff that is set to return in his role is first base coach John Shelby. Third base coach Gary Allenson hasn’t yet been offered any sort of extension to stay on, but has been told that he will be offered his old position (manager of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides) if Showalter decides to go another direction at third base.

Hiroyuki Nakajima: Will He or Won’t He?

The Orioles have been widely rumored to be in the running for Nakajima’s services should be be posted and allowed to come play in the States. 

The 28-year-old shortstop is widely regarded as one of the most talented players in Japan, and hit .309 with 22 home runs and 92 RBI in 2009. He also stole 20 bases, giving him back-to-back 20-plus steal seasons. This season he hit .314 with 20 homers. Since breaking in with the Seibu Lions in 2002, Nakajima has posted five .300-plus seasons, three 20-plus homer seasons and has driven in at least 63 runs in each season.

Many believed that Seibu would allow him to post and make the jump to MLB, but two days ago, the Lions announced that they were refusing to allow him that privilege.

And just when you thought it was over, and the Orioles would either have to settle for another year of Cesar Izturis (which isn’t the worst thing), word broke today that Nakajima was going to meet again with Seibu to try to convince them to let him try his hand in the U.S.

Arizona Fall League Update

Just in case you hadn’t been paying attention to the Orioles playing in the AFL this year, you might be surprised to know that the squad made up of Nationals, Giants, Rockies, Diamondbacks and Orioles is currently sitting in first-place, with a two-game lead.

Representing the Orioles, second-baseman Ryan Adams has been a revelation. Against very talented pitching the 23-year-old has more than held his own, hitting .289, busting out of an 0-for-6 slump with a two-double, three-RBI effort last-night. Adams ranks sixth in the circuit with 11 RBI and was named co-AFL player of the week.

Also playing in the AFL are shortstop Greg Miclat, who is hitting an impressive .297, and Xavier Avery, who has been much less impressive, hitting a mere .200 in 35 at-bats. To his credit, he does have five stolen bases in five attempts.

And another player who is receiving much less playing time is catcher Caleb Joseph, who’s hitting .368 in only 19 at-bats.

On the mound in Arizona, the Orioles have Pat Egan, who has a 4.05 ERA and four strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work, Oliver Drake, who has posted a 5.79 ERA over three outings, Kam Mickolio who has an impressive seven strikeouts in only 5.2 innings, and Wynn Pelzer, who has a 5:7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in five innings.

Another player who had been schedule to get some at-bats was Tyler Townsend, who made four plate appearances before heading back to Baltimore. He will miss the rest of the AFL season to have surgery to remove a cyst in his hand.

Possible Free Agent Compensation

Each season when free agents depart a given team they are given a final ranking, and those players who are deemed worthy of an “A” or “B” rank leave their team with an extra draft choice in either the first or second supplemental round of the first-year player draft.

This season the O’s have two “B” candidates: Kevin Millwood and Koji Uehara. The team is widely expected to bring back Uehara, who pitched brilliantly down the stretch, but in letting Millwood walk, the team would pick up an extra pick after the second round.

Free Agency Updates

Not much to share here. The O’s are eying a couple of free agents, most notably former Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez, former White Sox first baseman Paul Konerko, and former Brave Derrek Lee.

It doesn’t look like the O’s will do much to spruce up their young rotation unless they can make the perfect move.

Shortstop, first base, third base and left field are all areas of concern for the Orioles, or at least areas where they could do better than Izturis, Brandon Snyder/Michael Aubrey/Rhyne Hughes, Josh Bell and Felix Pie.

Another interesting option is Phillies’ Jayson Werth. A one-time Oriole prospect, Werth flourished upon his move to Philadelphia and is one of the top free-agent outfielders available. Not only would he fill a need in left field, but it would give the Orioles a much-needed power presence.

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