3 Available Players Still Within Reach of the Baltimore O's

The 2014 MLB winter meetings were pretty eventful last week.

And it's not as if the weeks surrounding them have been dull, either.

For MLB fans, this has quickly become one of the more eventful winters in recent memory, but fans of the Baltimore Orioles have seen more of the same.

For the fourth winter in a row, the Orioles have failed to do much of anything through the middle of December, leaving many fans frustrated with the team's lack of activity.

However, considering that the last three seasons have been the team's most successful in the last 17 years, it's safe to assume that the front office personnel, led by Dan Duquette, the executive vice president of baseball operations, know what they're doing.

As moves are being made more quickly than they have in recent offseasons this winter, the O's may want to consider acting soon if they want to make a notable roster addition. The team has a strong core and almost all of the pitching that made the O's so successful in 2014 is set to return for next season. So really, the team arguably needs only a couple of complementary-type players.

Luckily, there are some guys remaining on the market that would fit on the O's roster nicely and others who would fill the holes the team has a little less nicely. Let's take a look at whom the O's could still bring into the fold this winter.

Norichika Aoki, Outfielder

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Left-handed hitting outfielder Norichika Aoki could be exactly what the Orioles need to add to their roster.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old is capable of playing each of the corner outfield spots, areas where the Orioles have some uncertainty regarding starting players, and he's considered a plus defender out there.

He is an on-base threat, with a career .353 OBP and a total of 67 stolen bases in three MLB seasons.

He's likely to come cheap, as Charlie Wilmoth of MLB Trade Rumors projected Aoki to sign a two-year, $16 million deal this winter. That's perfect for the O's, a team that needs to spend to fill multiple holes on its roster and who also possesses some outfield talent in its minor league system (Dariel Alvarez, Mike Yastrzemski).

Aoki would maintain the O's standard of strong defense while providing a legitimate leadoff option for manager Buck Showalter when he writes out his lineup every day. To me, Aoki is a no-brainer for the O's.

Delmon Young, Outfielder/DH

Nick Wass/Associated Press

When the O's signed Delmon Young to a one-year minor league contract last winter, they didn't realize they had just signed the best pinch-hitter in the bigs for the 2014 season (.500 batting average in 23 plate appearances) as well as a postseason hero.

Now, after re-establishing his value, Young is looking to secure a two-year contract on the open market.

Young makes a ton of sense for the O's to bring back. He destroys left-handed pitching, putting up a career .302 mark against southpaws, and the O's are lacking in the DH department after the departure of Nelson Cruz.

Though he's not rated as even an average defender, Young can play a corner outfield spot if need be or to give a regular outfielder a rest. And because of that ability, he gives Showalter a ton of flexibility when making his lineup, as he can play defense, slot in as the DH or be relied upon to provide a legitimate threat as a bat off the bench late in the game.

According to this tweet from Eduardo A. Encina of The Baltimore Sun, the O's have had dialogue with Young this winter and would like to bring him back. The team is hoping to get Young on a one-year deal with an option rather than a two-year pact, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out.

Colby Rasmus, Outfielder

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Left-handed outfielder Colby Rasmus has age on his side, as he doesn't turn 29 until August of next year, but outside of that, the positives of his addition to the Orioles would be a tough sell.

A career .246 BA and .313 OBP aren't exactly what the O's need to be adding to their lineup, even if his 162 game average for long balls is 24.

He's generally not considered a strong defender, and he has spent the majority of his career in center field (731 games compared to nine in left field and six in right field), a position the O's have locked up with Adam Jones patrolling that spot.

The O's have "lukewarm" interest in Rasmus (as well as Aoki), as per Encina, and it makes sense considering that the free-agent market has moved along at a surprisingly quick pace this winter. All of a sudden, there really isn't much left out there.

The free-agent market for outfielders is pretty slim, but even so, the O's would probably be smart to steer clear of Rasmus' inconsistent offensive abilities, defensive shortcomings and tendency to cause clubhouse problems.