Grading the Baltimore Orioles Moves so Far This Offseason

With the annual MLB winter meetings in the rearview mirror, it is no longer "early in the offseason," as plenty of teams have made plenty of moves to try and get better for the 2014 season and beyond.

While the Baltimore Orioles have been lacking any big acquisitions, they have made a handful of moves this winter. The majority of them have been minor, however, and O's fans are itching to see a big acquisition soon.

With the team in need of a starting pitcher, left fielder, second baseman and a closer, it still has some time to make that happen, but time is quickly running out this offseason.

Let's take a look at the moves the O's have made thus far this winter, and take a stab at grading each.

Adding Infielder Cord Phelps: C-

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The Orioles claimed Cord Phelps off of waivers from the Cleveland Indians on Nov. 25. The switch-hitter has played in 53 games for the Tribe over the last three seasons, with a stat line of .159/.221/.248 (18-113) in the bigs. He knocked out two homers and drove in 11 runs.

Phelps can play second base, third base and shortstop, making him valuable in a defensive regard. Over the course of his six-year minor league career, he has hit .283/.370/.439 with 53 homers and 300 RBI in 582 games.

The Orioles later outrighted Phelps to Triple-A Norfolk> He'll likely compete for the big league utility job in spring training in 2014. He's a depth move, so his addition to the organization can't hurt.

Every team needs experienced minor league depth. Phelps has great numbers in the minors, but has yet to translate those to the major leagues. If he doesn't win a job with the O's out of spring training, he'll likely start the season at Triple-A and be there for the O's to call up should someone get injured or fail to perform.

Adding Phelps is an average move. It's nothing to get excited about, as every team makes these kinds of moves. However, it's nothing to complain about either.

Trading Closer Jim Johson: D

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On Dec. 3, the Orioles sent closer Jim Johnson to the Oakland Athletics for second baseman Jemile Weeks and a player to be named later, who later turned out to be minor league catcher David Freitas.

This trade appeared to be a pure salary dump, as Johnson had saved 101 games over the last two seasons and was projected to earn $10 million-$11 million in arbitration this winter. Coupled with the fact that the return of Weeks and Freitas appears to be very weak, it's apparent that the team wanted to get that projected salary off of its hands.

The reason this trade receives a "D" rather than an "F" is simply a matter of timing right now. The Orioles have freed up some payroll, giving them a little flexibility going forward in trying to add some pieces to make a more complete team. Roch Kubatko, of MASN Sports, quotes general manager Dan Duquette as saying that in order for Baltimore to stay competitive, the team needs to allocate its resources in a number of different areas.

That logic certainly makes sense, especially with the price of free agents going up dramatically over the last couple of offseasons. However, it only makes sense if the O's actually do spend the money that they saved.

So far, they haven't, and they appear to be taking their time in negotiations with players they have shown  an interest in, e.g. closer Grant Balfour, per Tyler Drenon of SB Nation.

If Baltimore does in fact use the money that it saved to add a quality piece or two, then this trade will be a win. If the Orioles sit on the money they saved and let every player worth signing fall off the board, this trade will quickly turn into an "F."

Signing Reliever Ryan Webb: A+

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The Orioles signed right-handed reliever Ryan Webb to a two-year, $4.5 million contract on Dec. 10 in what seemed like a good signing.

Webb had a very good 2013 with the Miami Marlins, posting career highs in games (66), innings pitched (80.1) and strikeouts (54).

During his five seasons in the majors, Webb has averaged a 1.99 groundball-to-flyball ratio with a 3.29 ERA. He's also one of 17 players in the National League to make at least 60 appearances and pitch at least 60 innings in both 2012 and 2013.

Webb will be a good late-innings relief option for the O's, and should they not sign a closer, he'll likely be a part of the conversation—along with Darren O'Day and Tommy Hunter. Webb adds some good quality depth and durability to an O's bullpen that could use it, and he does so with an extremely reasonable contract.

The Rule V Draft: D+

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For the third year in a row, the O's made at least one selection in the Rule V draft.

Their first selection was infielder Michael Almanzar from Triple-A Pawtucket in the Boston Red Sox's organization. During the Triple-A phase of the draft, the Birds took outfielder Julio Borbon from Double-A Tennessee in the Chicago Cubs' organization.

Almanzar is a right-handed hitter capable of playing both third and first base. He batted .268/.328/.432 in 131 games at Double-A Portland in 2013. He also collected 29 doubles and 16 homers, tallied 81 RBI and stole 13 bases. Over six minor league seasons, the 23-year-old is a career .250/.302/.373 hitter.

Borbon, on the other hand, is a left-handed hitting outfielder who has major league experience and who played for the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series. Over parts off four major league seasons, Borbon has hit .272/.318/.347. In 2013 with the Cubs, he batted .202/.284/.279 in 72 games.

It will be tough for the O's to keep Almanzar on their 25-man roster all season, as he has never played above the Double-A level and the team already has a right-handed hitter who plays the infield corners in Danny Valencia, who destroyed left-handed pitching last season (.371 batting average, .392 OBP, 14 doubles, four homers, 13 RBI, 97 at-bats). On paper, there doesn't appear to be a need for Almanzar on the O's roster, and it's not like his career minor league numbers are eye-popping.

Borbon, though, should be easy for the O's to hang on to, as he doesn't have to remain on the 25-man roster all season. He adds some experienced outfield depth to the O's organization and will likely spend most of the season at Triple-A Norfolk, coming up to the majors when the O's need more depth due to an injury or are otherwise shorthanded.

The selection of Almanzar seems a bit futile, making the Rule V draft a bit of a failure for the team at the major league level. However, adding Borbon in the Triple-A portion of the draft was definitely a solid depth move and keeps the draft from being a complete waste of time and resources for Baltimore.