Orioles Close On Roberts Extension

According to the Washington Post, the Orioles will soon complete a two-year extension for second baseman Brian Roberts that extend him through 2009.

As Peter Schmuck writes, the team has semi-intentionally left itself a three-year window to win.  40% of the team's likely 25-man roster will reach free agency after the '09 season.  Orioles VP Jim Duquette describes it as partially design (built around the Tejada contract) and partially coincidence.

So in the winter of 2009-10, the Orioles will have the perfect opportunity to do something different.  I hope they act with some conviction at that point instead of what they've been doing lately. 

Jorge Arangure Jr. names the core for the 2010 season: Billy Rowell, Brandon Erbe, Pedro Beato, Daniel Cabrera, Nick Markakis, Chris Ray, Adam Loewen, and Hayden Penn.  Do they Orioles start a complete youth movement at that point? 

Or do they dive headfirst into the free agent market and bring in a name to rival Tejada?  The free agent class after the 2009 season includes Jason Bay, Miguel Cabrera, Matt Holliday, Victor Martinez, Brandon Webb, and Dontrelle Willis.  The Orioles could bring in some major star power with all the free cash.

Comments

[kgosfan]

How can you mention the core for 2010 and not have Loewen on there. He will probably the best pitcher on the team at that point.

[RotoAuthority]

He definitely belongs.

[bravesbeast]

Loewen was the guy I wanted the whole time the braves and orioles were discussing trades over the winter

[jmonahan7]

What about that Liz Ramadhez or whoever it was? would he classify for a list like that?

[andrewross1]

Unless he went back and fixed it - Loewen was on his list.

[chodson28]

The Indians actually have a club option for 7 million on Martinez for 2010.

[DentalPlan]

That is a silly list. High draft picks do not automatically translate to successful MLB players. It's FAR too soon to say this about Beato, and much too soon to say this about Rowell, and somewhat too soon to say this about Erbe. Next time we make these lists, take a deep breath, and go back at look at some old top prospects list.

Baseball America, Top 100 Prospects List, 2002, #6- Juan Cruz. CASE. CLOSED. Remember the questions to Baseball America? "Dear Jim Callis, who will have the better career, Adam Dunn or Joe Borchard?" No, that was a serious question. Back in the day, this list would have included Val Majewski, Jeff Fiorentino, and Tripper Johnson the Third. CASE CLOSED PART DEUX.

[basemonkey]

"Val Majewski, Jeff Fiorentino, and Tripper Johnson the Third."

...Tripper would have never been on that list...by the time Majewski and Fiorentino were in the later top 10 of the Os Top Prospects list, they were in high A ball or AA....by then, Tripper was more like #15..tops...and in all honesty, Tripper Johnson was never regarded as a top prospect...