Crosby, who was seen as the heir apparent to Miguel Tejada as the A's shortstop, has played in more than 100 games just once in the past four seasons and has a career batting average of .239. However, it's his durability that concerns the Orioles most.
Other trade options include the Pittsburgh Pirates' Jack Wilson and the Milwaukee Brewers' J.J. Hardy. However, Wilson, like the Padres' Greene, could be a free agent after the 2009 season, and Hardy would cost more in terms of talent than the Orioles are prepared to give up. The Brewers presumably are looking for starting pitching in return for Hardy, but MacPhail has no interest in trading any of the organization's top pitching prospects.
That leaves Izturis as the most realistic - and affordable - option.
