What's Happening To The Orioles Halfway Through The Season?
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- What started as a promising season with a terrific 22-10 start, has turned into a troublesome tale for the struggling Baltimore Orioles.
The Orioles have a record of 40-45 heading into the the All-Star break and are currently 8 games out of first place in the American League East behind the front-running Boston Red Sox, but even so, the Wild Card is still on the horizon.
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The two main issues facing the Orioles half way through the season: ineffective pitching and inconsistent bats.
Consistency is the problem.
For a good stretch, Dylan Bundy was the team's only effective starting pitcher and lately even he's had issues. Ubaldo Jimenez is, as always, hot and cold, and Britton is still returning to form after being on the DL. The Orioles are also playing without J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty, Chris Davis and a few pitchers due to injuries.
Good news is, Orioles first baseman Chris Davis should be back from the 10-day disabled list when play resumes after the All-Star break on July 14. Could their absence be part of the problem? The Orioles do have a lot of moving parts this season. For example, Jonathan Schoop tried his hand at shortstop for the first time in his MLB career last night in Minnesota.
Again, no consistency.
Fans are now calling for an organizational rebuild but the Orioles are not sellers yet as the July 31 trade deadline approaches, and rebuilding may not be the answer.
Orioles coach Bobby Dickerson was on with 105.7 The Fan and he said it's time to trust Buck.
Dickerson said, "Right now, when we're going through these rough times, I'm sure every body says 'why didn't Buck do this,' but he's the same guy who's helped guide this ship to where we are through the years. He's taken us out of some dark ages here in Baltimore and he will again."
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The Orioles have a losing record at the halfway point, yes, but they also possess all of the pieces they need for this puzzle. It's just not exactly clicking at the moment.
So will the Orioles consider signing Manny Machado when his contract expires after the 2018 season, do they think it makes sense to spend the crazy money ($200-300 million?) it might take to keep him in Baltimore? Or should they considering trading Manny sooner than later to get more bang for Buck?
Let us know what you think...
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