Baltimore Orioles: Ranking Every Player by Importance for the Future

The Orioles were once one of the most feared teams in the majors. The current O's are the laughing stock of the American League as they have fallen on hard times and are facing their 14th straight losing season.

That said, the team is building for the future with great young talent. The team could become the contender that they once were in a few years.

To rank the importance of the players, I'm including all 25 men on the active roster and a few of the teams top prospects. I will also include some of the guys that are hurt or sent back to the minors to continue developing (Brian Matusz, Zach Britton, etc.).

Here are those 40 players ranked on their importance to the future of the Baltimore Orioles.

40. Mark Worrell

Mark Worrell was expected to be in the majors for just a day as Alfredo Simon went to the Dominican Republic to handle his legal troubles. Worrell managed to stick around, but he may not make it out of Baltimore this weekend.

Luke Scott and Cesar Izturis are almost ready to come back, so Worrell will likely be sent down to activate one of the two. It doesn't come as much of a surprise after Worrell's shaky 2011 debut led to an infinite ERA.

I won't condemn Worrell yet because it was pretty clear that he was really amped up, but he couldn't locate and got hit up. Despite his Triple-A All-Star birth, Worrell doesn't seem to fit into the Orioles bullpen.

39.Mitch Atkins

Mitch Atkins had a great debut for the Orioles, but was crushed in the next two starts. I was at his last appearance on Sunday and it was painful to watch him throw 30 pitches an inning and let the ball fly out of the park.

Atkins is likely just going to be depth for the Norfolk rotation from this point on. I don't see him cracking the Orioles rotation again.

38.Chris Jakubauskas

Chris Jakubauskas is only on the Orioles because of circumstances. Inconsistencies with the young starters and middle relievers has led to an opening that Jakubauskas took advantage of early, but it is becoming apparent that he doesn't have much of a future with the club.

Jakubauskas started as a middle reliever and was rocky early before hitting the DL. He returned and was okay, but got moved to the starting rotation. His first couple of starts went pretty well, but he collapsed and started letting up runs all over the place. He's now back to relief, but he is still getting knocked around. At this point, the Orioles face a "Who Else?" situation, but Jakubauskas doesn't seem to have much of a future with the O's.

37.Pedro Viola

Viola has bounced back and forth between Double-A Bowie and the majors, but he is clearly overmatched at this level.

Left handed relievers are supposed to get left handed hitters out and while he only allowed a .222 average against lefties, the hits were all home runs. As a situational lefty that can't get righties out, Viola doesn't seem ready at all and he likely won't be any time soon.

36.Mark Hendrickson

Mark Hendrickson really impressed me on Sunday. His effort against the Indians was terrific.

The problem with Hendrickson is age. He clearly has some left in the tank and that will likely keep him on the roster. His ability to go multiple innings is valuable. After this year though, Hendrickson will likely be forced to fight his way onto the roster with a minor league deal again or leave the Orioles for good.

35.Michael Gonzalez

Mike Gonzalez has struggled from the beginning for the Orioles. He had injuries in 2010 and was hammered early in 2011. The good news is that he has come on lately and is a pretty good lefty specialist.

Gonzalez can close, but would likely be a set-up guy or a late reliever for a team looking for left handed pitching. Fortunately, teams are always looking for lefty relievers, so the Orioles may be able to move Gonzalez this month.

He is in the final year of his contract and would only come back to Baltimore if they could get him at a severely reduced price. He could return, but it's unlikely, so don't expect much out of him the Orioles' future.

34.Derrek Lee

Derrek Lee has been a disappointment this year for the Orioles. Some hoped that Lee would have a resurgence in a hitter friendly park, but he ended up regressing and showing signs of rapid decline.

The Orioles hoped that Lee would turn himself into an attractive trade chip at the deadline, but he is really just an expensive defender. I would expect the Orioles to hang onto Lee into August and try to work out a trade after Lee inevitably passes through waivers.

In any case, 2011 will be the only year to see Lee in an Orioles uniform.

33.Vladimir Guerrero

Vladimir Guerrero is in the same boat as Derrek Lee. Both underperformed and aren't highly sought after players as the trade deadline approaches. What's worse is that Kyle Weiland broke Guerrero's hand, so any chance of a quick power surge before the deadline is gone.

Guerrero is also going to be a waiver trade if he is traded at all. He will also be playing his one and only Oriole season in 2011.

32. Troy Patton

Patton is back in the majors and for once, the Orioles chose to actually let him pitch instead of calling him up to warm the bench while someone else got healthy.

This is a great opportunity for Patton. He really deserved a callup and could become a solid middle reliever if he shows the same stuff he had at Norfolk this year. It could be a make-or-break opportunity though because Patton is getting older and hasn't produced yet in the majors.

31.Craig Tatum

Craig Tatum is nothing more than a defensive backup catcher. He has shown little to no power so far in his Orioles career and while his current numbers are not terrible, they are just an example of success in a very small sample size.

While his defense has been pretty good, he is a black hole in the lineup on Sundays. The Orioles are probably better served to nab a veteran who can come off the bench well for the future.

30.Brandon Snyder

Brandon Snyder was a first round pick for the Orioles a few years ago, but has struggled with injuries that moved him to first and has not pushed his way into the majors.

Snyder was once considered a big part of the Orioles future, but is now an afterthought. He has played a little this year as an injury replacement, but it is pretty clear that the Orioles are going to look outside the organization for a first baseman for the future.

29. Matt Angle

Matt Angle is currently on the active roster because he is a terrific defensive outfielder that can play all of the outfield positions, but is currently serving as an upgrade over Nolan Reimold and Felix Pie in left.

Angle's offense is not quite where it needs to be for him to be a consistent major league player at this point, but he has the potential to be a solid fourth outfielder in the future. His speed could be great off the bench as a late game pinch runner that can stay in for defense.

He reminds me right now of fellow rookie Tony Campana in that he is small, but fast and has defensive ability. His offense needs to improve for him to stick in the majors though,

28.Blake Davis

Blake Davis is pretty much the same as Matt Angle, except he is in the infield. Despite the error in his debut that cost the Orioles the game in Pittsburgh, he is a good defender and could be a solid backup infielder in the future.

Davis' ability to play all over the infield could lead him to become a super utility guy in the future for the Orioles.

27.Robert Andino

Robert Andino has been really impressive this year. Andino is not a starter at this level, but he has done an alright job of filling in for Brian Roberts at second and did a good job filling in at short for Hardy and Izturis over the last couple years.

Andino can make highlight reel plays, but sometimes gets a little too flashy. He has improved his bunting ability throughout the year and has made himself into a very good backup. He is better now than Davis, but that could change. For now though, Andino is playing the way he needs to while Roberts gets better.

26.Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams got a taste of the majors earlier this year and struggled, but he has the ability to be a big part of the Orioles future because of his bat.

Adams was pushed a little quickly to the majors and still lacks a solid defensive position, but he can really hit. Adams has great double power and could develop into a replacement for Brian Roberts with more time to develop.

25.Felix Pie

Felix Pie has come a long way from the struggling player that first came to the Orioles. He has shown flashes of offensive ability and has been a trooper through the shrinking of his role with the Orioles.

Credit should go to Luke Scott for turning around Pie, but he has put the work in ever since to keep himself ready during stretches where he only gets limited playing time. Pie is still getting used to left field and really needs more playing time, but he may end up in a platoon in left for the future with Reimold taking the rest of the at-bats.

24.Koji Uehara

Koji Uehara has gone from an injury waiting to happen to one of the best set-up men in baseball.

Uehara was monitored very closely at the beginning of the year to limit his workload as to not let injuries flare up, but the wheels have been slowly taken off, as evidenced by pitching three days in a row against the Indians.

Uehara is will almost definitely reach 55 appearances, so his $4 million option for 2012 will vest, but he will be 37 next year. Beyond 2012, it seems like the Orioles might want to keep Uehara, but that depends on if he is traded and continues to dominate hitters, so he may not mean much to the O's in a couple years.

23.Josh Bell

Josh Bell is still a work in progress, but his time could soon come to be a big part of the Orioles. Until Mark Reynolds came to the Orioles, Bell was considered to be the future at third. At this point, he could end up back there because Reynolds is terrible in the field.

Bell saw the bigs for a day on Monday, but is back at Norfolk for now. He is a powerful switch hitter and has a lot of room to grow, but he could play at the big league level.

Many think that Bell should give up hitting right handed, but he hit two home runs off of Cliff Lee batting righty, so he should keep switch hitting. If he does, he could add a lot of versatility to the future of the Orioles lineup.

22.Kevin Gregg

Kevin Gregg will be an Oriole next year and potentially the year after, which could be a really good thing for the Orioles.

Gregg is known for a high WHIP because he refuses to throw bad pitches, but mostly ends up walking guys. That said, he has been effective in shutting the door. He has the ability to regain control, although Jim Palmer still calls him Captain Chaos.

Captain Chaos could become a trade candidate in the future, so that is why I consider him important for the future. The crop he yields will likely play a big part in the future of the birds.

21.Alfredo Simon

Alfredo Simon's future is in question because of legal issues. It is becoming more clear that Simon is innocent though and he can be a big part of the Orioles.

Simon is very versatile to the Orioles bullpen. He has the ability to pitch in any capacity, so he adds value to the club. Simon has started, closed, set up, and pitched middle relief for the Orioles in the past and has shown success in all capacities.

His latest start is enough to show that he is a very important now and his ability to do anything will give him value in the coming years.

20.Luke Scott

Luke Scott has run into some big troubles this year because of a torn labrum. His ability to hit and field are compromised and he is really not a part of the team right now.

However, Scott will be a part of the 2012 team and, if healthy, could be the force that he was in 2010. Scott has great power and a return to the DH role would allow the Orioles to regain defense in left and still get power from Scott.

Scott's Orioles tenure will likely end next July at the trade deadline because it is his last year of arbitration, but he doesn't factor much into the future after anyways because he will be 35.

19. Nolan Reimold

Nolan Reimold struggled a lot after his Achilles injury, but has shown flashes of a return to the powerful hitter that was a Rookie of the Year contender in 2009.

Reimold's injury has affected his already below average defense, but his power is coming back. Some have projected that Reimold could turn out to be a 40 home run guy in the future and that prompted the Orioles to shut down a trade that would have sent him to Tampa for Jason Bartlett.

The decision looks like it paid off because he has done very well against lefties this year. Next year, his role should grow and he could be back in one of the best young outfields in the majors.

18.Jeremy Guthrie

Jeremy Guthrie may not be a part of the Orioles much longer, but he has been a leader since the moment he came to the team. He doesn't need to be vocal because he fights every time he takes the mound and soaks up innings in a rotation that desperately needs a workhorse.

Guthrie takes a lot of tough luck losses and doesn't get runs to give him wins, but has been a 200 inning guy for the last few years which has allowed the young starters to grow. He has shouldered too much of the load and deserves commendation for working so well with what he was given.

Guthrie could be traded soon, but he will be valuable for the Orioles in taking up most of the game if he sticks around. His presence allows a lot of things to happen with the bullpen and the rest of the rotation, so as Buck Showalter would say, he is a true nugget. If he gets traded, he will no doubt make the club better for the future by netting prospects in return.

17.Brad Bergesen

Brad Bergesen bounces around from being a terrific sinker-baller that can eat innings and get outs to a hit around youngster. His poise seems to fade in and out, but he has potential still to be a part of the Orioles rotation.

Bergy has pitched the most complete games on the team since his call-up in 2009 and he still could be that guy. I like to compare Bergesen to Derek Lowe in that he is just a guy with a great sinker that can get a lot of outs. Unfortunately, Brad isn't quite at the same level yet, but he is still young and has time to mature into that kind of player as he grows. He will be an Oriole for another three or four years, so there is time for him to become a great player for the team.

16.Dan Klein

Dan Klein was taken in the third round of the 2010 draft and has shot through the minors. Had he not been blindsided by an unfortunate arm injury, he would be at Triple-A Norfolk by now.

He was terrific at Frederick and Bowie to start the year and could be a part of the Orioles bullpen as soon as next year. He will be the closer in the future and should be dominant in the role.

15.Chris Tillman

Chris Tillman showed great stuff early on this year and is still considered a top of the line young pitcher despite the fact that he hasn't lived up to expectations so far.

There are two things that make me confident that Tillman will become what the Orioles wanted from him. The first is that his real problem was efficiency. When he solves that, he will be a force to be reckoned with. The other is that he is still just 23.

Chris Tillman has a lot of room to grow and when he figures it all out, he will join a few others in a powerful core of young pitching. He will be a huge factor in the success of the Orioles down the line.

14.Jason Berken

Jason Berken was one of the worst starters in the majors in his rookie year. He couldn't get batters out and the average against him was sky high.

A switch to relief changed everything. Berken turned in a quiet start to the season in which he posted a 1.95 ERA before the All-Star break. A combination of overwork and injury led to a terrible second half, but he still managed a respectable 3.03 ERA to finish the year. He struggled early in 2011, but has turned it all around.

Berken's greatest asset is the fact that he started in the past. He has the ability to go multiple innings, which contributes to keeping the bullpen fresh. He has modest stuff, but has a knack for getting outs. He is under Oriole control for a while, so he will be a factor for years in the Orioles pen.

13.Jonathan Schoop

Schoop has been one of the great finds for the Orioles international scouts and is progressing alongside future shortstop Manny Machado.

The two share a position, so Schoop will likely move to third, but he has the potential to become a star third baseman for the team. I would expect him to become a contributor in Baltimore in 2014 and beyond.

12.Mark Reynolds

Orioles fans expected a lot from Mark Reynolds when he was first traded from Arizona. He was expected to be the power hitter that the O's have so desperately needed for years, but couldn't hit for two months and had the fans furious. People started to hypothesize that the Mendoza Line was nearing a name change.

When June rolled around, Reynolds flipped the script. He mashed home runs and had a 1.112 OPS for the month, one of the best in the majors. He is tied for eighth in the majors at the moment in home runs.

Reynolds has also cut down his strikeouts significantly. He is on pace for around 180, which is still a lot, but is much better than the 200+ that he has had in each of the past three years.

Reynolds' defense has been awful, but he could switch positions in the future. Reynolds is under contract next season and has an option for the season after that. If he continues to blast home runs, he will be in Baltimore for that entire stretch, which is just the boost the offense needs.

11.Jim Johnson

Jim Johnson has found a home at the back end of the Orioles bullpen and has become a consistent workhorse that shuts down the opposition.

Johnson's 2.64 ERA this year is a testament to the incredible power fastball that has a ton of movement and forces ground balls. His GO/AO is a career high 2.42, which shows that he gets the ball on the ground a lot.

There are talks that Jim Johnson may be stretched out into the rotation next season, which couldn't hurt, but I think Johnson should stick to the end of the game, where he has proven success. I don't think he should close, but he is a terrific late reliever and set-up man.

10.Jake Arrieta

Jake Arrieta was racking up wins early in the season, but has run into trouble, like all of the pitchers recently. Arrieta is still the team leader in wins and he could become that type of pitcher for the Orioles for a while.

Arrieta has had elbow issues that he chose to avoid surgery on, but it hasn't seemed to hurt his pitching until now. He is still young and growing like the rest of the rotation, so it's to be expected that he takes some lumps, especially since it is just his second year in the majors.

Rick Dempsey has said in the past that Jake Arrieta may end up being the ace of Arrieta, Matusz, and Tillman. He has the best fastball of the three and has shown the ability to get strikeouts, but struggles a lot with command. If he cuts down on the walks, he could just be the ace.

9.Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts has been the most frustrating player for the Orioles for the past two years because of all of the injuries. People have started to leave him out of the discussion of the future, but B-Rob is one of the biggest factors in the success of the Orioles.

When Roberts is in the lineup, he sees more pitches per at-bat than most of the rest of the league and is one of the best doubles hitters in the majors. Roberts is one of just four players in the history of the league to have 50 doubles in three different seasons.

The Orioles lack a certain spark when Roberts is not playing. He is one of the big reasons for the Orioles collapses in 2010 and 2011.

If Roberts is healthy, he is one of the most important players on the team. His health over the next few years will be key in the success of the Orioles.

8.J.J. Hardy

J.J. Hardy would have been lower on the list a week ago, but the three year extension he signed on Monday made him one of the most important players to the team because he's going to be here for longer than most.

Hardy has been a terrific two way player this year. His power and average are close to the top for the team. He also makes playing shortstop look easy with his terrific defensive play.

The quality that Hardy has displayed that is most impressive is his ability to hit anywhere in the lineup. As the nine hitter at the beginning of the year, Hardy gave Brian Roberts a lot of opportunities for RBI. Now in the leadoff spot, Hardy has filled the void that Roberts left.

Hardy will be the bridge to Machado, so his continued success will be necessary to allow the team to pace Machado as he races to the majors.

7.Dylan Bundy

Dylan Bundy hasn't signed yet with the Orioles, but if/when he does, he will instantly become one of the biggest parts of the Orioles future.

Bundy is projected to fly through the minors and could make it to Baltimore as early as mid-season 2013. He possesses a triple digit fastball and his physical fitness leads me to believe that he will be a workhorse ace in the future. A lot of people compare Bundy to Roy Oswalt, which is a testament to the incredible potential that this 18-year-old has.

6.Manny Machado

Manny Machado is only 19, but is widely considered to be the future of the Baltimore Orioles.

After blazing through Single-A Delmarva, Machado has run into some struggles at Advanced Single-A Frederick. This is not a bad thing because it will teach Manny to adapt. Unlike Bryce Harper, Machado is learning to be humbled by better players as he progresses through the minors. That's not a dig at Harper, but young players should realize early that they have to make adjustments on the fly to be great major league players.

I would expect Manny to spend 2012 in the minors, but he'll definitely make his debut sometime in 2013. At that point, the Orioles will have their powerful new shortstop to compete in the AL East.

5.Brian Matusz

Brian Matusz has had a bad season so far, but I'll chalk that up to injury. Matusz's velocity was down, but he is starting to regain it in the minors and should be back soon.

I would expect Matusz to be back in the Orioles rotation soon and he'll be back for good. The sub-3 ERA in the final months of 2010 was not a fluke and Matusz is still considered to be a terrific young starter.

Zach Britton has emerged as more of an ace type, but Matusz will be a great number 2 when for the next few years. He has room to grow and that will only aid him as he perfects his already nasty changeup.

4.Zach Britton

Zach Britton came up to the big leagues and dominated for the first couple of months. He ran into struggles and despite a horrible start against Boston that sent him all the way down to Double-A Bowie, he is still considered to be a future ace in the Orioles rotation.

Britton is only in the minors to limit his innings as September approaches. He will be back at the end of July to finish the year in Baltimore and make a case for Rookie of the Year.

While Britton isn't an ace yet, he is definitely poised to grow into one. As he learns to complement his dominant sinker with a good changeup and better slider, he will become one of the top left-handers in the AL and stabilize a shaky rotation.

3.Matt Wieters

Matt Wieters' career started with incredible hype that most could never live up to. That's why it didn't come as a surprise when the young catcher didn't immediately turn into Joe Mauer. But that is starting to change somewhat.

Wieters is never going to hit for average like Mauer does, but his power is starting to develop and he'll consistently out-homer Mauer. The more impressive feat is that Wieters has surpassed Mauer in defensive prowess. Mauer's three year Gold Glove streak will surely come to an end this year and it seems certain that the torch will be passed to Wieters.

Now that Wieters has learned to command the pitching staff, he is free to develop more as a hitter. He could still be a force. As he continues to mature, Wieters will become more of a threat in the Orioles lineup. With just two years under his belt, Wieters has four more years in Baltimore after 2011, so he has the time to become a huge factor.

2.Adam Jones

Adam Jones is becoming a leader for the Orioles and his power and defense are starting to develop into Torii Hunter-like abilities.

Jones already has a Gold Glove and was an All-Star in 2009. He has been one of the lone bright spots on a failing Orioles team in 2011, but his impact could be greatest in the future.

Jones will enter his second year of arbitration after this season, so he is under Baltimore's control until at least after the 2013 season. The Orioles discussed an extension with him last offseason and will likely try that again this year. The Orioles and Baltimore fans hope that Adam can be in the lineup when the team returns to greatness.

1.Nick Markakis

Nick is clearly the biggest star in Baltimore at the moment.

Everyone got all over Nick because he had a rough start, but he has stormed back in a big way to return to being one of the most consistent players on the team.

Markakis is the only player on the roster that is under contract into 2015 and he will only be 31 at that point. He has made it clear that he wants to play for the Orioles for the rest of his career and the Orioles have made it clear that they want him to.

Terrific defense and a high average will be constants for Markakis over the next few years with the Orioles. The only question is will the team around him match his incredible talent.