Offseason Moves & Context

The New York Yankees committed $490 m to player acquisitions this off-season. They have added $101.9 m in 2014 payroll on acquired players. The Orioles have added . . . significantly less than that. It is not necessarily cheapness on the part of Baltimore that accounts for the differences. The organizations entered this winter in different positions, which has been reflected in how each as chosen to proceed. Despite being more active in the player market, the Yankees are not necessarily a better team than the Orioles as 2014 Spring Training approaches.

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Flying South (and everywhere else) for the Winter

When the 2013 season ended, these Birds did not just flying south for the winter - they scattered all over the United States and the world, for that matter. Their locations and routines might all be slightly different, but to a man they are preparing for the upcoming 2014 season. We take a look at some of the ways various Orioles have spent their winters inside.

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Mike Mussina and the Hall of Fame

Former Oriole ace Mike Mussina won't make it into the Hall of Fame this year but he is more than worthy of future induction.

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Believe in Ryan Flaherty

With Brian Roberts agreeing to a contract with the New York Yankees before the holidays, what was already becoming apparent is now obvious – Ryan Flaherty is likely the Orioles starting second baseman in 2014.

And no, that is not a bad thing.

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The Observer in 2014

Paul and I started this blog in January 2012 for the sole purpose of publishing the lengthy email exchanges we were having daily. I figured they were good enough to be posted to the internet and since starting the Orioles Observer, I feel I can safely say that the content has been consistently improving. Looking back, it's kind of funny that we started the site in January 2012. At the time, we had no idea that 2012 would bring winning baseball back to Baltimore, though we had a lot of excitement for the way the 2011 season ended.

Two years later the Orioles are still in excellent shape and despite what the detractors or negative fans want to say, 2014 should be no different. With a month left in the off-season, there is still plenty of time for a few more acquisitions to be made to add to the strong core of players the team retains from last year. The O's made the playoffs in 2012 and contended in 2013. It's only rationale to expect the team to contend again in 2014.

Meanwhile, at the Observer, we have a big year planned. We will be at Fan Fest on February 1, tweeting the latest news and videos from the Baltimore Convention Center. We will be live in Sarasota from March 6-9, covering four Orioles home games at Ed Smith Stadium and providing video footage from major and minor league camps.

2014 will also be the year of the give-a-way at the Orioles Observer. We will be holding contests to win cool prizes over the next couple of months, which will include:

Chris Davis bobble head statue (Fan's Choice give-a-way on 9/29/2013)
Orioles Fan Fest ticket, which includes access to the exclusive 10 am Season Ticket Holders State of the Union with Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter
Pair of Tickets to Opening Day versus the Boston Red Sox on Monday, March 31

We will be announcing how you can enter to win these prizes later this month. We are excited about 2014 and look forward to big years from the Orioles and this site.

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Balfour gives Baltimore a Well Balanced Bullpen

The Orioles - finally - get their closer as Grant Balfour agreed today to a 2 year/$15 million deal with the team. The acquisitions likely finalizes the Birds' 2014 bullpen - a bullpen that appears to be as well-balanced as it is strong.

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Conservative Winter Meetings Predictions

The Winter Meetings begin today. The Orioles are near-certain to make a few moves, although Dan Duquette has already quelled expectations somewhat in his pre-meetings chat with Baltimore beat reporters. I make my (conservative) predictions on what the Orioles come away with inside. Hint: They won't do anything sexy, but by the end of the week the club will be a marginally improved team.

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Ryan Webb signing shows the Wisdom in trading Johnson

The Orioles have agreed to terms with reliever Ryan Webb on a 2 year/$4.5 million deal. The 27 year-old Webb profiles very similar to recently traded closer Jim Johnson but comes at a fraction of the cost. This signing is a good first step into making the trade of Johnson to Oakland a beneficial move for the organization.

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