Baltimore Orioles

Typically, I am not one to preach the use of stopgap players to make a bad team slightly better. It's a waste of money and almost always doesn't work.

But for the 2011 Baltimore Orioles, stopgap players are the way to go.

Considering this offseason's free agent market is so thin, that's almost the only option. That, or unloading the farm system for a big-name player, something we all know isn't likely to happen.

The Orioles have progressed left-handed pitcher Zach Britton slowly since he was drafted in the third round of the 2006 draft out of high school.  In fact, they hadn’t advanced him more then one level in a year, giving him a slow climb through the system.  That came to an end in 2010, however, having pitched in Double- and Triple-A and posting the following numbers:

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.

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

Grow the arms, buy the bats.

That's what Andy MacPhail has preached since taking over as the Baltimore Orioles' President of Baseball Operations midway through the 2007 season.

The Orioles have traded away many veterans over the past few years to acquire plenty of young pitching, and drafted young arms as well.

Now it's time to live up to your trademark quote, Andy. Now it's time to buy the bats.

The Orioles announced today that they will not play in the 2011 MLB Season. Ownership has decided to forfeit the season in order to regroup for 2012.

Most Baltimorians were surprised by the announcement. Many thought the Orioles had folded after Cal Ripken had retired, and weren't even aware that Baltimore still had an MLB franchise!

Baltimore Orioles' right fielder Nick Markakis was expected to have a big year in 2010, coming off what many characterized as an "off" year in 2009, a year in which he hit .293 with 18 homers and 101 RBI's on an Orioles team who lost 98 games.

The Orioles will go into this offseason happier than any 90-plus loss team has in the history of baseball.

They might have ended the season with 96 losses, but they were 34-24 in August, September and October and under new skipper Buck Showalter, the young players that the organization was beginning to worry about, stopped the regression that was frustrating every fan in Baltimore.

Because of this recent play, general manager Andy MacPhail will almost certainly make a bigger splash in the free agent market this year.

Even though last night's Orioles game against the Detroit Tigers was washed out by the blanketing rain that flooded much of the Mid-Atlantic, the sun was still shining at Camden Yards. That sun stands for the feeling that the Orioles have created around Baltimore.

This season marks the 13th consecutive losing season for the O's, but the team's recent resurgence under manager Buck Showalter has the city feeling that it might not have to endure a 14th.

Manager of the year in baseball, like many leagues, is often given to a manager able to lead his team to the playoffs. However, what if in 2011 the AL Manager of the Year was given to a manager who's team has a 62-95 record entering Sept. 29.

Bring in Buck Showalter. Although Showalter has little chance of winning the AL Manager of the Year Award for the third time, the question I ask, that the 1989 Orioles coined, "Why Not?"