Orioles fail
The good news on the Orioles is: Nick Markakis and Adam Jones are for real, Brian Roberts is still around, and Baseball Prospectus is projecting their first-round draft pick, Matt Wieters, to be the best-hitting catcher in the major leagues. This season.
The bad news is that they just signed Ty Wigginton.
That would be fine if he were keeping third base warm for Billy Rowell. But nooo -- he's going to play first base and DH. Why do the Orioles do this? Why, in fact, do so many teams do this? First basemen and DHs have one job: hit. Preferably for power. Maybe you put an okay hitter at those positions if he's already on the roster and you're unable to make any other moves at the moment. You don't go out and SIGN him as a free agent.
I'm fine with Aubrey Huff as the other 1B/DH, though.
And I'm okay with Luke Scott in left field, as long as the plan is to give a lot of playing time to Felix Pie, who couldn't get it done to the Cubs' satisfaction but who is still only 24. He probably can't hit enough for left field, but at least you're giving a young guy a chance instead of a proven mediocrity. Also you could convince me that having a center fielder play left can get you some runs back on defense.
The bad news is that they just signed Ty Wigginton.
That would be fine if he were keeping third base warm for Billy Rowell. But nooo -- he's going to play first base and DH. Why do the Orioles do this? Why, in fact, do so many teams do this? First basemen and DHs have one job: hit. Preferably for power. Maybe you put an okay hitter at those positions if he's already on the roster and you're unable to make any other moves at the moment. You don't go out and SIGN him as a free agent.
I'm fine with Aubrey Huff as the other 1B/DH, though.
And I'm okay with Luke Scott in left field, as long as the plan is to give a lot of playing time to Felix Pie, who couldn't get it done to the Cubs' satisfaction but who is still only 24. He probably can't hit enough for left field, but at least you're giving a young guy a chance instead of a proven mediocrity. Also you could convince me that having a center fielder play left can get you some runs back on defense.