MLB Trade Deadline 2011: 5 Reasons the Baltimore Orioles Rocked the Deadline

The MLB trade deadline came and went with the Baltimore Orioles only dealing two players and receiving three in return, but it was a big success for the Orioles considering the cards they were dealt.

Overall, I think the moves last winter dictated the deadline for the O's. The acquisitions of Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero were big-money risks that were supposed to pay dividends for the Orioles at the deadline. However, their performances thus far have been lackluster and pushed the Orioles to pursue other opportunities.

Justin Duchscherer was also supposed to be a part of the deadline process, but I chose to leave him out because he only cost $700,000.

The deadline will have huge implications for the future of the club and raises a lot of questions about the future, but was a step in the right direction toward building a better Orioles team.

Here are five reasons why the Orioles are winners at the deadline, and a look at what trades to look out for in August.

5. Derrek Lee Is Gone

Derrek Lee's short career as a member of the Baltimore Orioles was incredibly disappointing. The 35-year-old was coming off of a year that was marred by injury, and he fell to the Orioles when no other team was willing to give him a deal. The Orioles signed him to a $7.25 million deal hoping he would regain his power in the hitter's heaven that is Oriole Park at Camden Yards, but he got off to a slow start and then got hurt.

Lee stumbled through the first half with just a .235 average and a horrible .666 OPS. He managed to find some power after the All-Star break, which is why he was able to just barely hit his way to Pittsburgh. The Orioles managed to shed themselves of the black hole in the order who was hitting just .182 with runners in scoring position.

In return for Derrek Lee, the Orioles got first-base prospect Aaron Baker. Baker is a 23-year-old who was selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 2009 draft out of Oklahoma. From his numbers, it seems like Baker has some power, with 15 home runs and an .820 OPS. The problem is strikeouts, as he has 92 with just 44 walks. Baker was assigned to Frederick, but has to get through Mike Flacco to find playing time.

4. First Base Has a Future

The Orioles have struggled at first base because they keep getting options that don't pan out and there is no depth on the farm to back them up. They've sort of taken that risk again with Davis, but really they've added a young bat with a lot of power potential.

Davis immediately jumps Brandon Snyder, Brandon Waring, Tyler Townsend, Joe Mahoney and others as the top young first baseman. He showed great potential with the Texas Rangers in his rookie year in 2008 with 17 home runs in just 80 games, but high strikeout totals and extremely low walk totals derailed his future with the Rangers. Mitch Moreland's emergence was the nail in the coffin for Davis and he immediately became a sure thing to be traded.

The Orioles could have found a steal in Chris Davis. An eighth-inning reliever for a 25-year-old starting first baseman is a pretty good haul on its own, not including Tommy Hunter. Working with Jim Presley could be huge in the career of Davis. Presley has helped Mark Reynolds (the greatest strikeout man in major league history) to cut down on his strikeout total and stay patient at the plate, and I think the same could happen with Davis.

3. J.J. Hardy Is the Bridge to Manny Machado

While not a trade, J.J. Hardy's extension comes as a direct result of the trade deadline because he was probably a goner if he hadn't chosen to stay in Baltimore for the next three years.

Hardy's extension is worth $22.25 million over the next three years and has an eight-team no-trade clause. This is a steal for the Orioles, who would have lost Hardy had he stayed.

The free-agent market at shortstop was pretty bare this season after Hardy and Jose Reyes. Hardy, 28, would have been the youngest shortstop on the market and, with his power, could have drawn a ton of interest from around the league.

A power-hitting shortstop that plays solid defense is a rarity, so Hardy may have really squeezed the market for money. The Orioles got him at a fair price and he followed by keeping up his power. Hardy has mashed his way to second among all shortstops in home runs with 18 and sixth in OPS at .804.

Shortstop has been such a poor position since Tejada and Ripken, so keeping Hardy around was key to the success of the team over the next couple of years. He should be the bridge to the next big thing in Baltimore as the Manny Machado era is fast approaching.

2. The Rotation Got Help

Words cannot describe how badly the Orioles needed a starter at the deadline. The double-header on Saturday against the Yankees exposed enormous holes in the rotation.

Chris Tillman is talented and still only 23, but is clearly not ready for the majors. It pains me to mention Zach Britton, but his last two starts set records for how bad they were. The Orioles needed relief and finally got some.

Tommy Hunter won't begin his Orioles career in the rotation, but will get stretched out to become a part of the rotation soon. Hunter has had proven success in Texas, a hitter's ballpark, so it means good things for the Orioles. Hunter went 13-4 with a 3.73 ERA last year and only missed the Texas rotation this year because of injury and Alexi Ogando's breakout season, but he was clearly a rising star for the club. He should provide some serious relief for the taxed Orioles staff when he joins in Kansas City.

Tommy Hunter is a very big man, so conditioning is very important. That could be the make-or-break factor for Hunter to be really great for the Orioles. Hunter could be a big part of the Orioles future rotation if he works hard, so it will be exciting to watch.

1. Jeremy Guthrie Is Still an Oriole

I mentioned how badly the Orioles needed starting pitching. The O's really could not afford to lose a starter at this point, especially one of Guthrie's caliber.

I was ready for the Orioles to trade Guthrie after he dominated the Yankees on Friday. He looked terrific and I thought he could bring some talent back that would be big for the future, but I'm willing to wait until after this season for a trade. Saturday was evidence enough that the Orioles need Guthrie.

Guthrie is once again a 200-innings guy and is a leader on the Orioles staff. His starts haven't translated into wins, but he is a true professional and acts right.

Other than his personality, I think he is still needed to mentor the younger pitchers. This offseason could be big for him because if he continues to pitch well for the rest of 2011, he may be a top target this offseason. He will still be an Oriole, but the market for starters is very weak this year and Guthrie could be a trade candidate.

I see Guthrie as the fifth-best available starter this offseason after likely free-agents CC Sabathia, Adam Wainwright, C.J. Wilson and Mark Buerhle. I'd put him right ahead of Edwin Jackson.

What's Left To Do?

Vladimir Guerrero, Mike Gonzalez and Cesar Izturis are the only Orioles left that are free agents after this season (Justin Duchscherer technically is also a free agent, but he won't pitch this year). Izturis won't likely draw interest, but Gonzalez and Guerrero may.

Both players are expensive and will surely pass through waivers, so they could be traded anywhere in August. I definitely think that Guerrero will be gone this month, but Gonzalez may stay because there isn't much depth in the bullpen.

All we can do is hope that Guerrero, like Lee, hits his way off the Orioles because he is clogging the cleanup spot in the lineup and costing a lot of money.