Baltimore O's Best Free-Agency Backup Plans If They Miss on Top Targets

The time of year has come where big free-agent splashes are being made.

Teams around MLB are looking to sign top talent to big contracts in hopes that these players will be the missing pieces for a successful 2015 squad.

While plenty of franchises are looking to add guys who are hitting the market from other teams, the Baltimore Orioles are focusing on three key guys who were Orioles in 2014.

Long-time right fielder Nick Markakis, DH/outfielder Nelson Cruz and relief pitcher Andrew Miller are all currently up for grabs, and the O's hope to retain as many of them as they can.

However, they aren't looking to get into any bidding wars and don't seem like they're going to be willing to overpay for any of these guys. So it's very possible some—or all—won't be back for 2015 and beyond.

So what happens then? Who do the O's target in order to fill the team's needs? Those are the questions we'll be looking to answer with this piece.

If the O's Lose Nick Markakis...

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On Monday, MASN Sports' Roch Kubatko reported that if the O's lose out on bringing back Nick Markakis, they'll target outfielder Melky Cabrera.

The switch-hitting Cabrera posted a very strong .301 batting average along with a .351 OBP in 2014, better than Markakis' .276/.342 numbers. However, Cabrera isn't as strong defensively, and MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams projected Cabrera to snag a five-year, $66.25 million deal this offseason, higher than Markakis' projected four-year, $48 million projected deal.

Cabrera has a qualifying offer attached to him, meaning if the O's signed him, they'd forfeit their first=round draft pick to the Toronto Blue Jays.

He also has a past that includes a 50-game suspension for steroid usage back in 2012. However, the O's clearly can be a forgiving team when it comes to past steroid usage, as they were willing to give Nelson Cruz a chance to prove himself in 2014 as he was coming off of a suspension of his own.

With Cabrera's price tag being fairly high, a cheaper option for the O's would be to target Nori Aoki.

Aoki will be 33 next season and has three years of MLB service time under his belt. During that time, he's hit .287 with a .353 OBP, and he's managed to swipe 67 bases. His outfield defense is good, and Charlie Wilmoth of MLB Trade Rumors projected Aoki to receive a two-year, $16 million deal this offseason, a relative bargain compared to the numbers thrown around for Markakis and Cabrera.

Even if the O's do bring back Markakis, it's possible you'll still see them target Aoki with the intention of slotting him into left field.

Aoki is a proven on-base threat with a good glove in the outfield, so the O's couldn't really go wrong with that signing.

If the O's Lose Nelson Cruz...

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

Outfielder and DH Nelson Cruz was a huge reason why the O's were so successful in 2014.

Coming to Baltimore on a one-year, $8 million deal in February, Cruz lead the majors with 40 homers, drove in 108 runs and took home Most Valuable Oriole honors.

With the O's losing both Manny Machado and Matt Wieters for significant time due to injury and Chris Davis performing nowhere near his 2013 campaign, it's safe to say that without Cruz in that lineup, the O's wouldn't have been nearly as successful.

Cruz is currently seeking a five-year contract, something that the O's aren't willing to give him. He'll have to lower his demands to three years in order to return to Baltimore for next season.

Should that not happen and the O's lose Cruz to another team, I don't think you'll see the team spending big in free agency for another nearly full-time DH, especially considering two big targets that the O's have been linked to multiple times in the past (Victor Martinez, Billy Butler) have already signed.

The O's could target Delmon Young, another player who is hitting free agency after a good year with the Orioles, and use a rotating DH, with Young getting a lot of playing time there and manager Buck Showalter rotating guys like Steve Pearce, Chris Davis and Wieters into it every so often to give them a bit of a break from everyday playing while still keeping their name in the lineup.

Another interesting platoon-type name is Jonny Gomes, a right-handed bat with some pop who brings intensity to any lineup he's written into. Or if the team wants to go a little more expensive, they could target Michael Morse or Kendrys Morales.

Whomever they bring into the fold, I don't believe it'll be a big name on a big contract if that contract isn't signed by Nelson Cruz.

If the O's Lose Andrew Miller...

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Face it, O's fans. When it comes to Andrew Miller, it's not about "if," it's about "when."

With a crazy-good season in 2014, Miller has set himself up to become the relief pitcher with the highest average annual salary of any non-closer in baseball history, and the O's aren't going to touch that number. On top of that, the O's aren't one of eight to 10 teams who are finalists for the lefty reliever, according to Dan Connolly of The Baltimore Sun.

It was fun while it lasted, but the O's simply can't afford to spend big on one relief pitcher. Relievers are too risky year-to-year, and the team has other needs to address.

I can see the team stockpiling a few veteran arms who are coming off of injury and need a bounce-back year, such as Mike Adams and Jason Motte. Pat Neshek is another name that could be on their list, a guy who had a great year in 2014 and would cost some money, but nowhere near what Miller will get. And Matt Lindstrom is an interesting thought.

The thing is though, Miller is a left-hander and the four guys listed above, on top of being total speculation on my part, and right-handed. The Birds would probably like to try to replace a left-handed pitcher with a left-handed pitcher.

On that front, there really isn't that much available. They did just acquire lefty reliever Scott Barnes from the Cleveland Indians for cash considerations, so it's possible that they'll bring a few lefties into the fold and see who works out.

It'll be tough to replace Miller in the bullpen.