At the start of this month, the Orioles began their pursuit of Adam LaRoche in earnest. The two sides have been talking frequently but earlier this week it was said that talks had reached an impasse. The 31-year-old has been looking for a three-year deal and despite reports to the contrary, skipper Buck Showalter says that he club has not put a three-year, $21MM offer on the table.
As they hit a wall with LaRoche's representation, the O's rekindled talks with free agent Derrek Lee. While Lee's offensive production was flat during the early portion of the 2010 campaign, he started to rebound in July for the Cubs and Braves. Lee is also just one year removed from a brilliant 2009 season in which he hit .306/.393/.579 and 35 homers. Perhaps the most important "pro" in the Orioles' t-chart is the fact that Lee seems willing to sign a one-year deal for $8MM, while LaRoche continues to seek a multi-year agreement.
However, the Orioles are not confined to these two options. On Wednesday, ESPN's Buster Olney suggested that the club could put together a platoon at first base. For example, Jason Giambi or Russell Branyan could hit from the left side of the plate while someone like Troy Glaus could provide a right-handed bat. While those names aren't necessarily glamorous, they would allow the O's to patch up their hole at first without breaking the bank. How do you envision Baltimore rounding out their revamped infield?
