Don't Phail Us Now, Andy: Baltimore Orioles Facing Crucial Offseason

Offseason shopping officially begins when October baseball finishes, and when that time comes, it's going to be crucial for Baltimore Orioles President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail, and not because he'll be going into the final year of his contract.

The baseball club he's in charge of getting back on the winning track is at a make-or-break point, and every move he makes is going to be drastic.

There are a couple of big holes to fill, and as always, a few small ones as well. Andy needs to choose how to fill those holes wisely, considering the momentum the Orioles finished the season with after manager Buck Showalter took over on August 2.

Considering the club's past player acquisition history, as well as MacPhail's.

Considering fans have endured 13 consecutive losing seasons, and the club finally has some tangible hope moving towards the 2011 season.

Disclaimer: I am not a MacPhail hater. That's not what this article is about. But everyone knows he's made a few gambles while being in Baltimore that didn't exactly pan out (Garrett Atkins, Rich Hill).

The Orioles have a few holes that need to be addressed in the best possible way, most notably, a veteran starter who can pitch in the number one or two spot in the rotation, a big cleanup hitter who can play at the infield corners or in left field, and a shortstop, preferably one who can hit better than soon-to-be free agent Cesar Izturis.

The market isn't all too great this year in the free agent department, so every move MacPhail makes is going to be a tough call. The big-hitting free agent first basemen are all questionable in one way or another, and to lure a team to trade its slugger would take a considerable amount of prospects.

If MacPhail chooses to go to the free-agent market for a slugging first baseman, he's going to have to decide if any of the guys out there are worthy of long-term deals, and if so, who. Maybe he decides to go with a short term deal on a guy coming off a down year looking to revive his career, and waits until the trade deadline or next offseason (assuming he returns to Baltimore) to try and find the right guy. We all hope that's not the case, and that he can find the right guy now, as the team is in desperate need of a legitimate number-four hitter.

The same goes to getting a good, veteran starter to lead this team's young pitching staff and take the pressure off Jeremy Guthrie, allowing him to pitch the way we all know he's capable of. And when you get right down to it, there isn't much out there in terms of shortstops either, with the best being far and away Alex Gonzalez, a player the Atlanta Braves might exercise an option on, anyway.

Another move that needs to be made is to resign Japanese import Koji Uehara to help stabilize their bullpen. Unless the crafty right-hander is asking for way too much money, he's a guy the staff needs.

How well of a job MacPhail does this offseason hangs the 2011 season on the balance. The Orioles grabbed a lot of momentum from a great finish this year, but if they were to take that same team into the 162-game marathon next year, it'd be foolish to expect the same results all year. The team could definitely finish better than they did this year, but probably wouldn't compete for the division crown.

No, the holes need to be filled, and filled correctly. Otherwise, the Orioles risk losing their momentum and the wonderful "new manager, new team" feeling that has pushed them since August 2. Even a great manager like Showalter can't win forever with a mediocre team. And with the young guys, namely starters Brian Matusz and Brad Bergeson, taking huge strides since Showalter arrived, it is imperative that they be surrounded by the best guys to let them finish growing into the great players they are projected to be and the team so sorely needs.

This offseason is the make-or-break campaign of Andy MacPhail's rebuilding plan, and he really doesn't have much to work with. Let's all hope he can wheel some awesome moves like the Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard trades of 2007.

The fans are restless and the team is ready to win. Buck's magic isn't going to last forever unless he is provided with the right tools. Andy, make Baltimore a model baseball city again.