O's Will Miss Huff, For Now

Don't get too excited. Trade rumors involving Gonzalez have been circulating for the past couple of months, because the San Diego Padres are a long way from being competitive and Gonzalez would bring a mother lode of young talent in return. They don't have to trade him, because he's under control through 2011 at a very reasonable price, but they probably won't be able to afford him after that.

The Orioles are one of the teams with the kind of young talent that might get a deal like that done, but we're talking about a 27-year-old player who has averaged more than 30 homers in his first four full major league seasons. It would take a lot of Andy's "inventory" to pry the guy out of San Diego, and it would represent a tremendous organizational gamble for the O's.

This is a team that still is haunted by the ill-fated Glenn Davis deal, which cost the Orioles three players who would go on to be All-Stars - including 2004 World Series hero Curt Schilling. MacPhail would have to take a similar risk with a chunk of the Orioles' best young talent that would likely include at least one of the club's elite pitching prospects.

MacPhail is a fairly conservative guy, so it's almost hard to imagine him taking a leap like that, but it's going to take some bold action to put the Orioles on course to be truly competitive in the American League East.

There are other avenues, of course, though the free-agent pickings look pretty thin.

The Orioles also could pursue a trade for a lesser-impact player such as Colorado Rockies corner infielder Garrett Atkins, who has become available during a difficult 2009 season after averaging more than 100 RBIs the previous four years.

It really comes down to whether the plan is truly to be more competitive in 2010, or just to show enough progress to prevent an open revolt in the stands.

Dealing Huff could make sense either way, but it makes the most sense if the Orioles come up with somebody better by next spring. Until that happens, I think we're going to miss him.

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