Top 5 Questions Facing The Baltimore Orioles This Season

Going into the 2009 season, the Baltimore Orioles are once again predicted to finish dead last in a strong, competitive American League East. With the rise of the Tampa Bay Rays, the consistency of the Boston Red Sox, and the perennially big-spending Yankees doing what they do best, this season looks as grim as the previous 11 seasons for those nesting in Birdland. There are a number of questions facing the Orioles that must be answered if they are to turn around over a decade of mediocrity and steal a page from Tampa's storybook tale of a year ago by capturing the division title. I have taken the liberty of narrowing these questions to five.

1. Will the rotation be strong enough to even climb out of the cellar?

Aside from Jeremy Guthrie, the starting rotation is filled with nothing but question marks. Koji Uehara has been penciled in as the number 2 starter, and based on the videos, he appears to have solid stuff. That being said, he is a 34-year old Japanese All-Star with a recent injury history. How will his Japanese League success translate to the Major Leagues, where the best of the best come to play? The recent trade for Rich Hill has likely filled another starting slot, but Hill had command issues all last season after a back injury, and the Orioles wonder if the can help him rediscover his control. That leaves 2 slots for veteran Mark Hendrickson (career ERA of 5.07) and a bunch of unproven youngsters (David Pauley, Matt Albers, Hayden Penn and Radhames Liz). The rotation appears to be the team's weakest link in the chain.

2. Will the bullpen hold up?

The Orioles bullpen should be a strong point for the team, but that all depends on the starting rotation. The bullpen was ten games under .500 (21-31) last season and had an ERA of 4.57. While this group was solid to start the season, the rotation's inability to consistently get out of the 5th inning wore them down as the year dragged on, resulting in an ERA close to 6.00 over the last two months. With the return of Danys Baez and Chris Ray from injury, and George Sherrill and Jim Johnson coming off strong campaigns in 2008, this group should be the best its been in years. The Orioles have also sured up their defense, bringing in Cesar Izturis at SS and Felix Pie in LF, giving them a solid infield, and one of the best young outfields in baseball, which includes Pie, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis. The defense alone should lower the team ERA by half a run.

3. Does the lineup have enough firepower to match the big boys?

The 2008 Baltimore Orioles finished the season in the middle of the pack in the American League offensively. They were 8th in batting average and runs scored, 7th in home runs, and 4th in doubles. Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, and Aubrey Huff nearly became the first trio in MLB history to have 50 doubles each for the same team in the same season (Roberts had 50; Markakis and Huff had 48 each). Huff had a huge year, hitting .304 with 32 HRs and 108 RBI; Markakis batted .306; and Melvin Mora drove in 104 runs. With the expected call-up of 2008 Minor League Player of the Year catcher Matt Weiters (.355 BA, 27 HRs, 91 RBIs between Frederick A and Bowie AA), and the maturation of Adam Jones and Felix Pie, the O's should have a formidable offense in 2009.

4. Will Brian Roberts be signed to an extension?

With contract discussions on-going, this could be the biggest question of the season. Brian Roberts is arguably one of the best leadoff hitters in the game, if not the best. It has been reported that the Orioles have offered a 3-year, $30 million extension to the speedy second basemen, but Roberts is believed to be asking for 4 years in the $40 million range. It is no secret that losing out in the bidding for slugging first basemen Mark Teixiera hurt the Orioles in their attempts to re-sign Roberts, but the signing of right fielder Nick Markakis, Roberts' best friend on the team, to a 6-year, $66.1 million extension 2 weeks ago could be the key in bringing back the 2-time All-Star. Extending Brian is a must, as the Orioles have little to no options at second base and lead-off without him.

5. Will Dave Trembley's hardnosed, old-school approach work in the Orioles favor?

Dave Trembley preaches pitching, defense and speed. He expects sound fundamental baseball. This is just what the Orioles need. Last season, there was no real solution at shortstop and Ramon Hernandez was lethargic at best behind the plate. Pie and Izturis bring speed and sure hands to the team in the field and at the plate, and Gregg Zaun (and eventually Matt Weiters) mark a drastic improvement to the catching position. As stated earlier, the bullpen should be a strong point. Now, the key is getting this team to come together and respond positively to Trembley's  philosophy.

If anything, this season should be fun to watch.