40 Man Roster Moves Coming in Baltimore

My beloved Baltimore Orioles are holding strong on that second wild card spot right now. These guys are holding off some tough competition in the AL currently and don't have much cushion. They also have withstood an injury to their most patient and perhaps best hitter Nick Markakis. Unlike many other hitters on this team, Markakis is consistent and can find ways to produce when he is struggling. We were in 1st place until he went out with a broken hamate bone. Well guess what?...

He's back! Markakis was activated from the disabled list a couple of days ago and Joe Mahoney was optioned to AAA Norfolk. It sure is going to be good to see this guy back in the lineup. During a game this past week on his rehab assignment, Markakis hit 2 home runs! We sorely need Markakis back in the lineup if we want to make a playoff push.

He will not be the only person returning tomorrow when the Orioles return to action though. We also have Taylor Teagarden and Endy Chavez possibly returning to the lineup. Now, Teagarden I am excited about. He is a catch and throw guy and a good defensive catcher. Teagarden should call a good game and help the pitching staff. That is something that Ronny Paulino couldn't do to save his life. Paulino was so bad, that Wieters caught a lot of day/night double headers which is not good for him. If we are going to make a run, we need a fresh Wieters, which means we need a catcher that can be solid behind the plate. Paulino was swinging a decent stick though, so maybe we can get something in a trade.

Chavez is a different story. He was supposed to bring us a great glove in the outfield, but he wasn't much better than Reimold in the field and he was awful at the plate. What should we do with this guy? Is it time to cut bait? I would hate for Chavez to get Avery's at bats, and don't see any advantage he brings over the X-Man. The only thing I can think of is that it gives the X-Man more time to develop. I actually like bringing up Hoes for left and platooning him and X. That could be just what we need out there. Of course we may have to get rid of Reynolds and/or Betemit to pull that off, but I am ok with that. If we want to make a run, then lets put an actual baseball team on the field. No more worthless fielders in the field. Fix the defense, stop giving up easy runs and see what happens. I think the pitching staff will be happy if that move is made.

As for the trade deadline, I will have more on that soon. As much as I want to see a big deal like Grienke, I don't want to give up the farm. I would be more impressed if Duquette found a taker for Reynolds, Chavez, Betemit, Gregg, and Paulino. Unlikely, but possible.

-Noland