The O's - Closing Down The 2015 Season

Well, the Orioles closed the door on the 2015 season today. I can't help but feeling a bit disappointed that they won't be playing in the post-season. But I'm grateful for the excitement that they provided for the past six months. They finished the season by winning five in a row and sweeping the Yankees. They ended up with an even .500 (81-81) record for the season.

After last year's successful run, I had high expectations of this year's team. Of course, I'm a bit biased. In reality, the O's brass did nothing to really improve the team in the off season last year. And not resigning Nelson Cruz turned out to be a big mistake, in my opinion. I truly believe that if we had his bat in the line-up this year, we make the playoffs.

With several key players up for free agency this year, it will be very interesting to see who will be in this line-up in April. The top priority will be to resign Chris Davis. Letting the Major League leading home-run hitter get away two years in a row will be a PR nightmare for the O's. Since the Orioles have lived and died by the home-run over recent years, Peter Angelos must find a way to keep Davis's bat in the lineup for the next few years.

Some of the other key free agents include Matt Weiters, Darren O'Day, Geraldo Parra and Wei-Yin Chen. There's no way that I see all of these guys coming back next year. There's been a lot of talk about who the O's should focus on. Most people feel that Matt Weiters in the most expendable of the group. While Weiters is a great catcher and has plenty of pop in his bat, Caleb Joseph has proven to be a worthy replacement in Weiters' extended absences. And back-up catcher, Steve Clevenger, has shown a lot of promise in the second half of this season. I personally think Weiters will be somewhere else next year.

Chen is probably going to command some pretty decent money. Although his record wasn't exactly Cy Young caliber (11-8), he finished with a respectable 3.34 ERA. Chen is also a left hander which the O's desperately need. Unless he breaks the bank, I expect the O's to do what they can to resign him.

O'Day is another guy that you hate to let get away. He's an exceptional set-up guy who can shut down the opposition in the late innings.

Parra was a great late season addition to the team. Solid offensively and defensively, Parra also fits in perfectly with the O's clubhouse chemistry. I would love to see him back here next year.

So, my priority order for top to bottom would be Davis, O'Day, Chen, Parra and Weiters. As much as I would love to see all of these guys here next year, I realize that baseball is a business and it's virtually impossible to sign everyone.

Aside from all this, it will be interesting to see if the O's will go after any other free agents on the market. Will they go after a number one starter? Will they try to upgrade their base speed?

When the deals are finally sealed, I'm sure there will be plenty of scrutiny to go around. And that's a good thing. That means that that you have a fan base who cares.

One final note.....Last night, Buck Showalter's mother passed away. With a heavy heart, he was in the dugout this afternoon overseeing his team for their final game of the season. He's been in the game a long time. He knows that some of these players won't be here next year. So, after the game, to show his appreciation, Buck (and his coaching staff) hugged every player as they came off the field. This guy is a total class act. He has been quoted as saying, "I like our guys." Well, there's no doubt that the feeling is mutual from his players as well as the city of Baltimore.

Looking forward to next season already!

kw