The Orioles' search for a corner infielder begins with a pair of Scott Boras clients and extends to Puerto Rico, but with a number of alternatives available, the club can afford to wait. Boras, who spoke recently with team president Andy MacPhail, tells Dan Connolly and Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun that Hank Blalock and Joe Crede are options for the Orioles.
"They are fits for Baltimore," Boras said. "It just really depends on whether they want a first or a third baseman."
MacPhail would prefer to play Garrett Atkins at first, according to the Sun, so Crede might makes more sense for the O's. Crede will be looking for the kind of make good contract that fellow Boras client Adrian Beltre signed last week: a short term deal that allows the player to demand a bigger contract if he succeeds.
As expected, the Orioles scouted Carlos Delgado in Puerto Rico last week, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.com. Kubatko names Russell Branyan, Ryan Garko and Chad Tracy as alternatives the O's could pursue.
The Sun notes that the O's signed former Marlin Andy Gonzalez to a minor league deal.
Don’t take this the wrong way, I’m just trying to help. You have a typo.
“Crede might makes more sense for the O’s”
Should be “might make more sense” or “makes more sense”.
Andy Gonzalez? I liked him (before the season started) on the sox. I thought he had a similar build to Renteria, and that could mean good things. I was wrong, terribly wrong. He’s a horrible defender at 3B. I wish that defense on no team.
As for Crede, I hope they sign him and he regains some of his old self. He’s also a good clubhouse guy from what I’ve heard.
I really feel sorry for whoever signs Blalock. He was terrible to watch with his wild swings, NEVER getting on base, and constant injuries.
Both are them are terrible options. The O’s are obviously just looking for warm bodies and banking on Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder at the corners. They should just leave Atkins at 3rd and stick Scott at first. No one left is a significant upgrade and that situation would also allow both Reimold and Pie to get significant playing time.
We should trade for Adrian Gonzalez and I think we could get him in a package including Adam Jones. We can put Pie in center and Gonzalez would be a significant addition to the middle of the lineup. He is only 27 and a gold glove first baseman. Pie did not play well defensively, but came on at the end of the year with the bat and given a chance to play everday will improve. In my opinion it would make our team better.
It wouldnt make sense to give up Jones and others for Gonzalez who will give us no guarantee that he will resign with the O’s. Padres asking price is way to high why do you think trading talks have stopped not only from the O’s but most of the mlb.
agreed. even if the Padres were asking for something reasonable, why would the O’s want to trade any valuable prospects at all for a player, albeit a very good one, who will be a free agent in two seasons? his contract is an amazing value, that’s true, but giving up prospects to go from being an 80 win team to an 85 win team is kind of pointless in the AL East.