Kuzul

Going into the 2010 off season, the Baltimore Orioles had seemingly the same needs as they do every off season: first base, shortstop, third base, closer, and starting pitching.

They tried to get by, like they do every year, with the cheap patch-work signing of Cesar Isturis, who failed miserably, hitting just .230 in the process. Thankfully, this year he will be in a more suitable role of back-up utility infielder, where he still could hold some value off the bench.

Comparing the starting lineups per position of most games played, which would you rather have?

2010 Orioles                                            2011 Orioles

1B Ty Wigginton                                      Derrek Lee

2B Brian Roberts                                     Roberts

SS Cesar Izturis                                      JJ Hardy

3B Miguel Tejada                                     Mark Reynolds

LF Felix Pie                                            Pie ??

RF Nick Markakis                                   Markakis

CF Adam Jones                                      Jones

C Matt Wieters                                       Wieters

DH Luke Scott                                        Scott

Improvements all across the board (and I really mean it this year!)

Across the board Lee, Hardy, and Reynolds are upgrades over their predecessors. Overall, the team ranked 27th in MLB in runs last year with just 613. The three players that left, Tejada, (15HR 71 RBI), Wigginton, (22HR, 76RBI) and Izturis (1HR 28 RBI) (demoted) combined for 38HRs and 175RBI respectively.

Their replacement-upgrades on the other hand, Mark Reynolds (32HRS, 85RBI), Derrek Lee (19HRS, 80RBI), and JJ Hardy (6HR 38RBI) combined for 57HRS and 203 RBI. Heck, Reynolds and Hardy alone hit as many homers as the previous trio and that doesn’t even factor in Derrek Lee’s 19 bombs.

In addition, Reynolds (27), Lee (35) and Hardy (28) average 30 years of age compared to 33 for Tejada (36 allegedly), Wigginton (33), and Izturis (30). For those thinking that experience and veteran leadership will surely be lost, consider that they didn’t exactly win with that wisdom last year, so getting younger can’t hurt and the players they brought in are hardly washed up in any sense like in years past with the Orioles.

In fact, I see Derrek Lee having a Bobby Bonilla or Eddie Murray type veteran impact and influence on this team like in the mid-90s, when the team was making annual playoff pushes. Its a move more typical of Pat Gillick’s deadline deals, so look at it as they got him a few months early.

For those thinking they did okay on offense but they forgot to address defense, each player is also known for his defense. In Lee and Hardy’s case, it could be argued their defense is actually better than their offensive game, which in Lee’s case is particularily complementary since he’s such a solid hitter.

What about the pitching?

For those thinking Andy McPhail addressed only offense and defense but neglected the pitching, the team not only kept middle reliever Koji Uehara, who improved once he found his niche in the bullpen, but also added closer Kevin Gregg from divisional rival Toronto, thus directly hurting them and forcing them to downgrade to Octavio Dotel.

While Gregg had a high (3.51) ERA last year for a closer with the Blue Jays, he did amass 37 saves, which would rank almost three times as many as saves leader Uehara’s 13. Besides, if someone else had signed him, say the Boston Red Sox, they’d be praised for strengthening an already solid bullpen and for giving themselves options should Jonathan Papelbon get himself into trouble.

So the Orioles did what they had to do, and in Lee and Gregg’s cases, overpaid for free agents who normally don’t want to come there for obvious reasons. In each case, minus Hardy, who I think will have the least impact of the quartet but remains a mild upgrade nonetheless, ask yourself this, “If not him. than who?”

We know in Lee’s case it would have been Adam LaRoche and while he too would have been an upgrade, we now have the next year to evaluate how he does in Washington. We can wonder what he may have done in Baltimore as his stats will be compared nightly to Lee’s and see who came out better on the deal.

For me personally, I was pulling for LaRoche initially because of his consistency (20+ hrs in six of seven big-league seasons including three straight 25) but I was swayed by the fans’ desire from message boards to blogs for the more professional veteran perceived to be the more complete hitter in Lee. We’ll see who won out.

So what does it all mean for 2011?

With the Rays‘ inevitable demise (although I think their starting pitching will keep them in more games than people think) and likely falling to the cellar, logic would suggest the Orioles would simply ascend to 4th, but not so fast, my friends.

Look at the New York Yankees who didn’t make a single upgrade to their current roster, having only kept icons Derek Jeter, who had the worst season of his career, and Rivera, who contrary to reports, wasn’t going anywhere. I refuse to give them credit for keeping their guys.

They failed to upgrade a bat in Carl Crawford and with it, youth and speed. They failed to land Cliff Lee to go with a weakened, aging, and thin starting rotation. At this point it’s Sabathia, Burnett and pray-to-God that Andy Pettite comes back.

With him, I think they finish no higher than 3rd, due to their continued lack of starting pitching and adding no impact free agents or youth. Yes they got Russell Martin, but that’s it.

Without Pettite I think there is a very serious battle for 3rd with Baltimore right behind Boston (1st) and Toronto (2nd) who lost only Gregg among its impact free agents. (I love their Rajai Davis move by the way.)

Long story short, I was going to have the O’s finish some five games or so behind the Yankee$ for third anyway, just to show the gap has been closing, and because of the O’s lack of starting pitching.

I still think they need to add a 15 game winner (Garza would have been perfect) and I have no idea how manager Buck Showalter got that staff to go 34-23 to finish the season (the team’s record).

Still, if they can get a lead with their hitting and hold it for five innings, qualifying that starter for the win before they go to their bullpen, as of today, I’m going to go bold and say they finish 3rd, something around 83 wins. But my projections will come out in mid February or early March when all the moves are done.

In a perfect world (outside of winning the division), they could finish 2nd and vie for the Wild Card, but that’s simply too optimistic with that lack of starting pitching. They also have to be careful not to succumb to too many changes too quickly in fitting in the new guys.

Still, a hot start (April and May) mixed with a solid finish (August and September like last year) would allow for some back-to-reality falling, which I predict, in the summer months of June and July, will get them their 3rd place finish.

The hot start would infuse optimism like in 2004 when Tejada, Lopez, and Palmeiro came to town, giving me memories of 1996-97, the last time the team made the post-season only to see that dashed. The strong finish would give people hope for next year and have them end on a positive note instead of the Blue Jay-esque hot finish last year that no one knows what to make of.

That Wild card push could come next year if they expand the playoffs to include two Wild Cards. Many people including FoxSports.com’s John Paul Morosi are so quick to just hand to Toronto. Next year is not our year, but for the first time since the 2003 offseason, it could be closer than it’s been for a long time. If you are sensing the parallels to the 90’s and the references I am making, you are not alone.

They say it’s not how you start but how you finish, but in the Orioles’ case, why can’t it be both?

Information and statistics from ESPN.com directly contributed to the content of this article.

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The world series was won.  The parade is over.  Now it’s time to look at the division as a whole and really ponder about who is going to come out on top in 2011.  Many changes have been made to all teams in the division and fans from Los Angeles, San Diego, Arizona, Colorado and especially San Fransisco all know that their team has a chance to compete.  Let’s go down the list of teams in the division and see who has the best shot of coming out on top in the NL West.

As a Dodger fan, I’ve been waiting way too long for another world series to land in Los Angeles.  The last world series the Dodgers competed in was in 1988 when they won.  The cheers can still be heard in Dodger Stadium from Gibson’s walk off.  Since then, the Boys In Blue have yet to make it past the National Championship Series while loosing it recently, two years in a row to the Philadelphia Phillies in ’08 and ’09.  

2010 was a bust for the Dodgers while they struggled to win towards the end of the season.  Disappointed fans erupted up all over the city while their team subsequently imploded.  It was a sad and wasted last season for manager Joe Torre as he left with an under .500 record for the first time in over 10 years.  The departed Manny Ramirez was good and bad news for some fans, however his short reign of Mannywood will always be remembered in Chavez Ravine.  

This year the Dodgers added some new acquisitions such as Jon Garland, Matt Guerrier and Blake Hawksworth to shore up the pitching in both the rotation and the bullpen. Russel Martin decided his time with the Dodgers was over and in came Dioner Navarro and a starting job for Rod Barajas.  Navarro was with the Dodgers in 2005 and half of 2006 before being traded to Tampa Bay.  

Overall, the Dodgers really didn’t make any key moves this offseason to show that they really want to compete in the season ahead.  Although they added Juan Uribe and Tony Gwynn Jr., it doesn’t look like 2011 will be any different from 2010.  However, if key players such as Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw and Jonathon Broxton continue to evolve into their own and reach their full potential this season without injury, then the Dodgers will be an unstoppable force that will easily be able to compete for a title.

The San Diego Padres were left upset by the events towards the end of the 2010 season when all they had to do was win a couple of games and they would have been set to compete in the playoffs.  You could hear the cries of agony from Padre fans all across the California coast.  

The age of Adrian Gonzalez is over and in come the new look Padres. Their phenomenal pitching got them as far as they did last season winning 90 games however it wasn’t enough to win the division.  With Gonzo gone, short stop Jason Bartlett, first baseman Brad Hawpe and comical second baseman Orlando Hudson have found their way into the Padres starting line up.  

Also, with Chase Headley still at third, the infield is looking good for 2011.  The Padres’ rotation hasn’t changed much except with the addition of Aaron Harang who should eat up some innings to relieve the bullpen of the long gap to Heath Bell.  Other than that, the Padres have relatively the same bullpen and outfield as last season with the addition of young Cameron Maybin in center field.  

Even without the presence of Gonzalez, the Padres are looking like a young team that is ready to compete and maybe even win more games than last season.  Look for them to be a competitor in the hunt for their first world series.

The Colorado Rockies look to throw their hat in the mix as they resigned Carlos Gonzalez to a hefty deal reassuring fans that they are ready to play ball.  Todd Helton hasn’t aged a bit and Troy Tulowitzki is as productive as ever as long as he can stay healthy.  The Rockies have a bunch of guys who can put the bat on the ball and rack up a lot of hits.  

They also have a decent rotation with young phenom Ubaldo Jimenez as the ace.  Young Jhoulys Chacin looks like his days in the big leagues may be in stone for 2011 as long as he keeps his swagger.  Last year he came up and did very well for the Rockies as a 22-year-old rookie.  

This year the Rockies rotation should be pretty decent as long as they all can stay healthy. With the addition of Jose Lopez, they should have even more power in the infield.  The outfield is looking pretty good as well with Cargo, Dexter Fowler and Seth Smith.  Overall, the Rockies should be putting up numbers on the scoreboard and as long as they don’t get hurt, they shouldn’t have a problem fighting for first in the west.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a lot of issues to deal with as we move into the 2011 season.  With the loss of the two main power producers in Mark Reynolds and Adam LaRoche, the D-Backs will be looking to their youth as the power supply.  Justin Upton and Chris Young look to keep the team in contention although it is going to be very hard to do considering the team is in a rebuilding stage.  

New additions such as Xavier Nady, Melvin Mora and Juan Miranda hope to help the team win more than just 65 games.  First base should be interesting as youngsters Juan Miranda and Brandon Allen share the duties.  Kelly Johnson and Stephen Drew have stayed put in the middle infield and hope to contribute some “pop” as well to the lineup.  

The rotation for the D-Backs is very young and the only notable veterans were recently added either last season or this offseason such as Zach Duke, the former Pirate, and Joe Saunders, who they received in turn for Dan Haren during the 2010 season.  Daniel Hudson, Ian Kennedy and Barry Enright all show promise as they made their way to the show last season.  

The bullpen was also revamped, which was definitely needed, with closer JJ Putz.  For 2011, the D-Backs are going to need a positive direction under new manager Kirk Gibson and maybe with some luck, they’ll be able to compete with other teams in the league.  If any team would be considered a “sleeper” team in 2011, this would be the team.

Last but certainly not least, the World Champion San Fransisco Giants.  They are going to have a hard time protecting their title with all the moves that other teams have made this offseason.  The Giants rotation should stack up as still one of the best in baseball.  The only question in the rotation remains with Barry Zito.  He hasn’t had a winning record since he joined the Giants in 2007.  

Although no rotation can match up to the Phillies on paper, the Giants still have an arsenal that will definitely strikeout a ton of helpless batters.  With new addition Miguel Tejada at short and the rest of the infield staying the same as 2010, it should be interesting to watch the team bond as they’ve basically kept the same team.  It will be interesting to see Buster Posey’s first full season in the big leagues.  

In the end, Cody Ross was added to right field, but other than that, there haven’t been any real impacting transactions that stand out.  Nonetheless, the Giants have the best shot at winning the division and possibly making it past that in the post season.

Like every season in every sport, the team that can stay healthy and win games will be the victor.  It should be an interesting 2011 season.  Will there be a version 2.0 to “season of the pitcher”, or will there be home runs left and right?  With spring training just around the corner, only time will tell what new and exciting adventures await baseball fans.

The National League West will without a doubt be the toughest division in the league with multiple teams that have shots at being very successful in the near future.  You never know what team might come out of no where and sweep everyone off their feet.

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Blockbuster trades, like the one that sent slugger Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox, get all of the attention from fans and analysts. But they are no more or less important than any other trade a general manager might make this offseason.

These under-the-radar trades are a valuable way to fill up a final roster spot, or to acquire some depth for the big league team or to bring in prospects as part of a rebuilding effort. No team can be built entirely from major trades and big free agent signings, and these deals show that winning in baseball is harder than it looks.

This offseason has been one of the busiest in recent memory, and dozens of players are now with new teams. Here is a look at the 15 most important minor trades made so far.

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After weeks of speculation, the Orioles finally signed their first baseman to finish the rebuilding of their infield. 

Derrek Lee will join recent signings J.J. Hardy and Mark Reynolds in making up the Orioles new infield, and more importantly, inject some power into an offense that was horribly stagnant in 2010.

The trio of Lee, Reynolds and Hardy will no doubt be better than last year’s trio of Ty Wigginton, Miguel Tejada and Cesar Izturis. However, exactly how much better it will be and whether it will be noticeable is a different story.

Starting with the pessimistic view – because after 13 terrible years, it is all the average Orioles fan has – all three are coming off dreadful seasons.

In fact, all three were very similar in that they saw diminished production due to spending the majority of the season playing through injury. 

Reynolds had issues with a quadriceps, Hardy had a deep bone bruise in his wrist, and Lee spent the entire season playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb.

This means that the entire Orioles infield will come into this season as injury prone. In addition to the injuries of Hardy, Reynolds and Lee, The Orioles infield is comprised of Matt Wieters, who played 130 games, and Brian Roberts, who was limited to just 59.

Considering the Orioles can’t afford another terrible season with this young core, a team full of injury-prone players seems like a big risk.

Lee is also 35 years old and many have questioned his bat speed and exactly how much he has left in the tank.

On the other hand, the Orioles just bought these three guys at their lowest possible values. They got Reynolds and Hardy with a couple of low-level prospects, and Lee with a one-year deal worth somewhere between $8 million and $10 million. 

If they can get healthy, all three can be solid players and could be the pieces the Orioles were missing last season. 

Reynolds is good for 40-plus home runs a year, and Hardy has good power for a shortstop. Finally, Lee has consistently batted .300 and been good for at least 20 home runs and 80 RBIs every season.

In comparison, the trio of Wigginton, Izturis and Tejada hit just 30 home runs and 143 RBIs in 2010 combined.

Add the numbers of the Reynolds, Hardy and Lee to the production outfield of Adam Jones, Nick Markakis and Felix Pie/Nolan Reimold, and the Orioles could have a fairly productive offense. 

It may not strike fear into pitchers like it would if management had been able to sign Paul Konerko or Victor Martinez, but it will be able to score runs pretty consistently, and that’s what’s important.

With the Red Sox getting better by adding the likes of Carl Crawford and the Yankees being, well, the Yankees, it is hard to predict what the Orioles will do in 2011.

However, after spending seemingly an eternity in the pits, maybe the Orioles are close to seeing the sun rise.

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Reggie Jackson is the career leader in batters’ strikeouts with 2,597. Over a 162 game season, Reggie averaged 149 strikeouts, 32 home runs, a .262 batting average and a .490 slugging average.

Reggie is, of course, a Hall of Famer.

Jim Thome, who will be in the Hall of Fame, is second to Reggie in lifetime strikeouts with 2,395. There is a slight chance that Thome may eclipse Reggie’s strikeout mark.

Over a 162-game season, Thome averages 162 strikeouts, 40 home runs, has a .278 batting average and has slugged .559. Thome averages a strikeout a game.

Mark Reynolds, who batted .198 in 2010 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, makes Jackson and Thome look like Nellie Fox. Reynolds struck out 211 times, which, incredibly, was 12 fewer than his 2009 total.

Over a 162-game season, Reynolds averages 221 strikeouts. That, folks, is 1.36 times a game. If 26-year-old Mark plays as long as Reggie Jackson, he will rack up about 4,500 strikeouts.

The Baltimore Orioles recently acquired the services of Mark Reynolds in the hope that he will add power to their lineup. Playing in home run friendly Camden Yards, some “experts” give Mark a chance of hitting 50 home runs.

He may do that, but he will be involved in many critical situations where, if he fails to make contact, he will kill a rally. Reynolds is a home run hitter who can be described by the Frank Sinatra classic, “All or Nothing at All.”

Mark Reynolds is a player with great power who is a threat to hit a home run every time he steps to the plate, but he hits a home run about 35 times a season, which means he hits a home run once every 4.6 games. He is a disaster area when he doesn’t hit the ball out of the park.

Now for a fascinating comparison.

Joe Sewell, who played for the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees from 1920-1933, struck out 114 times in his career, averaging 10 strikeouts over a 162 game season.

Mark Reynolds strikes out 211 times more than Joe Sewel did during an average season. Keeping things simple, Sewell put the ball in play approximately 200 times more per season.

Those 200 contacts instead of strikeouts produced fly balls that scored runners, ground balla that advanced runners, (there are no records with respect to how many times Sewell grounded into a double play) and base hits.

Sewell batted .312 during his career, compared to Mark’s .242. Simple arithmetic reveals that 200 multiplied by .312 equals 62.

Sewell was a singles hitter, so third baseman Joe Sewell would give his team 62 safeties, while Reynolds would produce 62 strikeouts based on Sewell making contact 200 more times.

Reynolds averages 276 total bases a season. Sewell averaged 251 total bases a season, which might be surprising.

A modern statistic produces even more of a surprise. Mark Reynolds has an OPS (on base plus slugging) of .817. Joe Sewell had an .804 OPS.

Don’t underestimate the damage that striking out can do. Joe Sewell averaged only four home runs a season. Don’t overestimate the value of a home run.

When the lead off batter of an inning strikes out, a strikeout is just another out. With two outs, a strikeout is usually just another out, but it is not just another out other times.

Most great sluggers strike out often, Reggie Jackson, Jim Thome, Mike Schmidt and Willie Sewell were strikeout artists, but they rank among the greatest hitters of all time. However, there are limits.

Whatever those limits, averaging 221 a season exceeds them.

You decide if Mark Reynolds’ great power home runs are more productive than his strikeouts are counter productive. I’ll take Joe Sewell.

Reference:

Baseball Reference

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While the Adrian Gonzalez trade has gotten all of the publicity (and rightfully so, as you can read my thoughts on the deal by clicking here), there was plenty of other moves on the first day of the Winter Meetings worth noting.  Let’s take a look at the fantasy fallout:

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired SP Shaun Marcum from the Toronto Blue Jays for 2B Brett Lawrie. 
I’m not sure if I’m more surprised by the fact that the Brewers seemed more than willing to trade their top prospect or how excited fantasy owners should be that Marcum is now out of the AL East.  Lawrie has a ton of potential with the bat, though there is some debate as to whether his glove will allow him to stick at 2B or not.  At Double-A in ‘10 he hit .285 with 8 HR, 63 RBI, 90 R and 30 SB in 554 AB and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him make his major league debut in ‘11.

He figures to be featured on our Top 50 prospects (which will be released in early ‘11), but the question is which team he’ll be representing.  There have been rumblings that the Blue Jays acquired him simply to flip him in another deal (Zack Greinke perhaps), but time will tell.  To read my prospect report on Lawrie, click here. 

As for Marcum, he was solid in ‘10 after missing all of ‘09 due to injury.  In 195.1 innings he posted a 3.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 165 K.  He has a career BB/9 of 2.80, yet was significantly better than that, posting a 1.98 mark.  It’s possible that moving to the NL will bring an increase in his strikeouts, which were already solid (7.60 K/9 and reaching 8.0 would not be a major surprise).  In the toughest division in baseball he posted solid numbers with realistic peripherals (.289 BABIP, 74.3% strand rate).  Moving to the NL, his value certainly improves.  He’s not going to be an ace, but he should definitely be thought of us a good buy as a middle of the rotation option.

The Washington Nationals signed OF Jayson Werth.
Not only was the destination a surprise, but the scope of the contract was as well.  A seven-year, $126 million dollar deal certainly took many off guard, but we can debate if he’s worth the money later on.  Right now, what we are most concerned with is if he will produce in 2011 or not.

He has shown good power the last three seasons, but 50 of his 87 HR came at home.  He’s likely to hit 20-24 HR, but that may be his upper limit now.  He also has some speed, but you talking about a player who has never exceeded 20 in a season in the major leagues.  He’ll chip in 85+ R and RBI, but the bottom line is that he is looking like a low-level OF2, at best, now that he’s landed in Washington.

The Baltimore Orioles acquired 3B Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks for P David Hernandez and P Kam Mickolio.
Hernandez & Mickolio figure to be middle relievers for the Diamondbacks and have little fantasy appeal at this point.  As for Reynolds, we all know that he is going to give some power, but the strikeouts have gotten to a ridiculous level.  In 2010 he posted strikeout rate of 42.3%, the fourth consecutive season it has increased.  Could it get any higher moving to the AL East?  You would certainly hope not, but I guess one never knows.  His value isn’t going to change by the move, however.  He remains a source of power and nothing else, meaning he’s a low-end option, even at a shallow position.

The Diamondbacks signed 3B Melvin Mora.
It didn’t take them long to try and find a replacement for Reynolds, but it is hard to imagine the 38-year old getting everyday AB.  He was used as a utility player for the Rockies in ‘10, hitting .285 with 7 HR and 2 SB in 316 AB.  Even if he does play every day, he just doesn’t bring enough to the table at this point in his career.

The Diamondbacks signed P J.J. Putz.
The Diamondbacks bullpen was horrendous in 2010 and signing Putz goes a long way in improving things.  He should be the stabilizing force at the back end as he returns to closing duties.  It’s easy to look at the terrible season he posted in a setup role for the Mets in ‘09 (5.22 ERA, 5.83 K/9), but he rebounded in a big way last season.  The strikeouts returned (10.83 K/9).  His control, which was pathetic in ‘09 (5.83 BB/9), came back as he posted a 2.50 mark (in ‘06 & ‘07 he posted walk rates below 2.00).  Maybe it was the injury he suffered in ‘08 still rearing its head, but at this point I’d feel confident that he was back on track.  Is he going to be an elite closer?  Probably not, but he certainly should be a solid mid-level option.

The Pirates signed P Kevin Correia.
In 2010 his control, which we thought may have improved in 2009 (2.91 BB/9), regressed back to around his career mark with a 3.97 mark.  He struggled with home runs (1.24 HR/9), despite calling Petco Park home.  He posted a K/9 of 7.14, though over his career he has been all over the map (career K/9 of 6.63).  Yes, you can say his 5.40 ERA was due to a 68.4% strand rate, but he just wasn’t that good regardless.  Now on the Pirates, he should be left as waiver wire fodder.

The Padres signed P Aaron Harang.
Can he rediscover what made him a very good fantasy option?  If he is healthy, it certainly could happen.  He has a career HR/FB of 11.0%, but you have to think getting out of Great American Ballpark will help him improve there.  He also suffered from a .346 BABIP and 69.4% strand rate in 2010.  He has good control (2.52 career BB/9) and strikeout upside (7.47 K/9 or better from 2006-2009).  He’s certainly worth taking a flier late in your draft in all deeper formats.  If you are in a shallower league, monitor him closely and be ready to pounce.

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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When Kevin Towers took over the job as general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks he had several items on his to-do list to make this team more competitive. The top of that list included rebuilding the worst bullpen in all of Major League Baseball and cut down the number of strikeouts by the offense.

Both of these items were addressed when Arizona sent starting third baseman Mark Reynolds and either a player to be named later or cash to Baltimore for right-handed pitchers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio.

In Hernandez the Diamondbacks receive a pitcher that can either work into the starting rotation or become part of the revamped bullpen. In 2010 Hernandez threw 79 innings striking out 72 while walking 42. He held opponents to a .242 average and had an overall ERA of 4.31. Coming out of the bullpen Hernandez’s ERA was lowered to a 3.51.

Many have suggested Hernandez has closer stuff and he would be better off as a late-inning pitcher. While Hernandez likely will not be the Diamondbacks closer, he could ultimately become one.

Mickolio is a hard-throwing right-hander that came to the Orioles as part of the Erik Bedard deal with the Seattle Mariners. Mickolio is 6’ 9” and has a powerful arm. The Orioles expected him to become a late-inning pitcher but he struggled during spring training and ended up in the minor leagues for most of the season. The Diamondbacks are hoping a change of scenery will help him live up to his potential.

By trading Reynolds the Diamondbacks lowered their team strikeout total by more than 200 per season. Add to that the departure of first baseman Adam LaRoche and the Diamondbacks have cleared nearly 400 strikeouts from the league-leading total.

Reynolds struggled last season hitting just .198 and had more strikeouts than hits for the fourth consecutive season. There is no debating Reynolds’ power but his lack of plate discipline has plagued the Diamondbacks for too long.

Arizona will now be forced to look to replace Reynolds’ 32 home runs and LaRoche’s 100 RBI in a rather meager offense. The Diamondbacks struggled to score runs the past two seasons so losing two of their most productive hitters will definitely be a challenge for Towers at the winter meetings this week.

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MLB trade rumors continue to swirl with the Winter Meetings underway in Orlando.

After the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, it appears another slugging first baseman could be on the move.

ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Dodgers are in talks with the Brewers about possibly acquiring Prince Fielder.

The deal would come as a surprise for L.A. since the Dodgers franchise is not believed to be in spending mode this winter.

Elsewhere, Zack Greinke remains on the trade market with the Royals driving a hard bargain for their ace.

Here’s a closer look at these deals and the latest hot stove rumors Monday evening.

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MLB trade rumors continue to swirl with the Winter Meetings underway in Orlando.

After the Red Sox acquired Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres, it appears another slugging first baseman could be on the move.

ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Dodgers are in talks with the Brewers about possibly acquiring Prince Fielder.

The deal would come as a surprise for L.A. since the Dodgers franchise is not believed to be in spending mode this winter.

Elsewhere, Zack Greinke remains on the trade market with the Royals driving a hard bargain for their ace.

Here’s a closer look at these deals and the latest hot stove rumors Monday evening.

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The Baltimore Orioles have sent relievers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio to the Arizona Diamondbacks for their slugging, strikeout-prone third baseman Mark Reynolds.

Even though it happened only a couple hours ago, every Orioles fan knows that by now.

Reynolds is a legitimate, right-handed power bat, having hit 32 homers last season, and 44 in 2009.

But he strikes out a lot. In fact, more often than anyone else in history, being the only player to strike out over 200 times in a season.

He’s done that the past three years.

He also hit .198 last year, but did have a .320 on-base percentage.

Knowing that, the Orioles front office now should focus on adding a solid bat.

By solid, I mean someone who can put up good power numbers with at least a decent average. Someone named Adam LaRoche.

I’ve seen some fans calling for the signing of Carlos Pena since this deal has happened, and I can understand that. The O’s need a first baseman, and Pena is a guy who plays a good first, is a leader in the clubhouse, and can hit the ball far.

Pena is also the same kind of hitter that Reynolds is—a guy who hits a homer or strikes out.

Pena has seen his average drop every year since his stellar 2007 season when he hit .282 with 46 homers and 121 runs batted in.

This past year, he put up a .196 average, but did have an OBP of .325.

Comparing power numbers between Pena and Reynolds, Pena put out 28 balls in 2010 while Reynolds smacked 32.

Pena drove in 84 runs; Reynolds tallied 85.

And while Pena stuck out 158 times compared to Reynolds ridiculous total of 211, you can see the similarities in the hitters pretty obviously.

Pena is almost a left-handed version of Reynolds, or vice-versa, when at the plate.

The O’s lineup doesn’t need another hitter like that.

They need someone who has been consistent, someone who the manager, coaches, and hitters batting around him know what he’s going to put up. Adam LaRoche is that guy.

While he won’t put up monster power numbers like Pena, LaRoche has managed to hit at least 20 homers in every season of his seven-year career except his rookie campaign, a year in which he hit 13 bombs in 324 at-bats, as well as driving in at least 78 runs every year besides his rookie year.

In 2010, he put up a line of .261/25/100, and his .320 OBP is identical to Reynolds’ and just five points lower than Pena’s.

He did strike out 172 times, but he had a much higher batting average.

Many fans point to the hitting coach in Tampa Bay as the reason why Pena’s average has dropped so much each year since 2007, and maybe a change of scenery combined with the help of manager Buck Showalter and hitting coach Jim Presley can help Pena return to form a bit.

But that’s just a maybe.

LaRoche has bounced around a bit in his career, and he has hit everywhere.

He’s a guy who the O’s would know what they’re going to get from at the plate, as well as a good glove defensively and a respected clubhouse member.

He would help add balance to an Orioles’ lineup that needs it even more so after the acquisition of Reynolds.

Like always, I could be wrong.

Pena could bounce back and be great for the Orioles if they were to sign him, or another team.

Obviously, both players have their drawbacks, but personally I feel that it’s more important for the O’s to grab a known commodity in LaRoche as opposed to another player who could mash the ball with a Reynolds-like batting average.

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