Will the Orioles spend their extra cash?:
The Orioles began this season with roughly $77 million owed in salary - including more than $9 million due to ex-Orioles Jay Gibbons and Ramon Hernandez.
By shedding expiring contracts, the club has dropped approximately $46.6 million from the 2009 payroll. Heading into 2010, they have about $30 million tied up in six players. They'll pay incremental raises to many of their youngsters and will face arbitration hikes with several more. But the payroll will start significantly below what it was in 2009 - meaning there should be money to tap this winter.
The sense within the front office is that they'll have the flexibility to spend, and MacPhail believes he'll be more aggressive than in past years. But this isn't a bumper free-agent crop. Its unrestricted group is led by few legitimate stars, such as outfielders Jason Bay and Matt Holliday and starting pitcher John Lackey.
There is the usual collection of solid veterans (Bobby Abreu, Miguel Tejada, Chone Figgins) and injury risks (Carlos Delgado, Vladimir Guerrero, Rich Harden).
The best bet is that the Orioles dip into the free-agent pool for one or two veterans and attempt to trade for other pieces, perhaps ones deemed too expensive by other clubs. So an increase is expected, but the Orioles' 2010 payroll likely won't exceed $75 million.
Will they pursue a power bat?:
Yes. At least that's what MacPhail and the rest of the brain trust pledge is the top priority. When Aubrey Huff was traded in August, it made an already obvious weakness even more glaring. The club has no one who can - or has, anyway - hit 30 home runs. It has no true cleanup hitter to protect Nick Markakis.
The preference is to find a right-handed or switch-hitting first baseman in his prime, such as the New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira. But there's no one who fits that profile in this year's class. The best free-agent options might be left-handed-hitting first basemen Russell Branyan and Hank Blalock or right-handed do-it-all Mark DeRosa.
The best trade option could be left-handed-hitting Prince Fielder, whom the Milwaukee Brewers are considering dealing because of cost. He'll make $11 million in 2010, is set for arbitration in 2011 and then becomes a free agent.
It would take an impressive package of young players to get Fielder, however.
Will they add a veteran starter?:
