Kevin Cowherd: Orioles have been frugal this holiday season

As usual, it looks like the Orioles are celebrating this holiday season on the cheap.

No big-name free agents under the tree to energize the fan base. No va-va-voom trades to get folks counting down the days until spring training.

Instead, here's a sample of who the O's have acquired thus far to reverse 14 straight losing seasons: A light-hitting backup catcher. A soft-throwing lefty starter from Japan. A journeyman lefty starter who has kicked around six other major league teams. And a couple of likely backup infielders.

Is this doing anything for you, Orioles fans?

Making your little hearts flutter with anticipation?

Making you run for the credit card so you can order your season tickets?

No, I didn't think so. It's typical Orioles, though. And it's depressing enough to make you scream.

New executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette says the Orioles' goal is to play .500 ball or better this season. Good luck with that plan. Because the 40-man roster, as presently constituted, is nowhere near ready to compete with the big boys in the American League East.

Instead, you're again looking at the baseball equivalent of "Groundhog Day," Orioles fans.

You're looking at waking up day after day to the same scenario: your team getting pounded and dropping in the standings with all the restraint of a brick thrown from a water tower.

It's way too early to hammer Duquette, who has been on the job less than seven weeks and is still finding his way. But he had better do something to give Orioles fans some hope. Because the reaction thus far to his moves has been underwhelming.

Taylor Teagarden might be a perfectly fine backup to Matt Wieters, but trading for a .220-hitting catcher on the eve of baseball's winter meetings won't exactly get pulses racing in this town.

Tsuyoshi Wada may be a big deal in Japan, but a starter who throws 85 mph with no big league experience could get lit up in the AL East, no matter how much Duquette likens Wada's build to Tippy Martinez's and his pitching style to Scott McGregor's.

And Dana Eveland, the other lefty Duquette traded for, played mostly at Triple-A Albuquerque last season before making five starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in September.

As for Matt Antonelli and Rule 5 pick Ryan Flaherty, sure, it's always nice to have depth.

But Antonelli, a solid-fielding second or third basemen, has struggled at the plate in the big leagues (.193 average in 57 at-bats). Last year, he played mostly at Triple-A Syracuse, the Washington Nationals' affiliate.

And Flaherty, a 25-year-old infielder-outfielder, has played mostly at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Which means he's nothing more than a prospect at this point.

Again, not exactly the kind of offseason haul that has fans buzzing.

Sure, there's plenty of time for the Orioles to sign a quality free agent or two or pull off a trade that can help this team.

But I wouldn't count on any blockbuster moves. From the moment he was introduced at the Warehouse last month, Duquette made it clear he's not inclined to go after big-name players, no matter how much they could help, unless the market collapsed on one of the big fish.

Which is exactly the wrong message to send to a fan base starving for a winner.

No, if ever the Orioles needed to spend money and show the fans they're serious about upgrading the team, it's now.

Here's the best way for a mid-market team like the Orioles to win consistently these days: develop a core of talented young players, then spend money to fill in the holes in the lineup with quality free agents or trade acquisitions.

It's no big secret. And the Orioles have a decent core group of everyday players in Matt Wieters, J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, Nick Markakis, Mark Reynolds and Brian Roberts, if he's ever healthy again. Throw in a few pitchers like Jake Arrieta, Zach Britton and Jim Johnson, and you have something to build on.

Understand, none of those players, including Wieters, should be considered untouchable when it comes to trade talks. This team isn't near good enough to have untouchables.

But maybe you build a winner with that group — if the Orioles don't cheap out. If they spend some serious cash to bring in a big bat or two or a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.

I'm not saying you break the bank with a Prince Fielder, who wants the moon now that Albert Pujols got a 10-year deal worth $254 million from the Los Angeles Angels.

But the big man isn't the only quality free agent out there.

Memo to Peter Angelos and Dan Duquette: It's the holiday season. Open the purse strings. Give the fans a reason to hope next season will be better.

God knows they deserve it.

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Listen to Kevin Cowherd on at 7:20 a.m. Tuesdays on 105.7 The Fan's "The Norris and Davis Show."

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