The Orioles signed former shortstop Mike Bordick today to be a Minor League Offensive Coordinator. His job? To work with Orioles prospects on fundamental baserunning and contact situational hitting. This move fits in nicely with the team’s desire to refocus on the above-mentioned fundamentals after an atrocious 2009 in those aspects.
Bordick is listed as a minor league coordinator, but I don’t think it is a stretch of logic and reality to think that he will be leading clinics and refresher courses for the big boys in Sarasota this February. Bordick was always a class act and a more than solid player, known more for his defensive ability Bordick was a solid situational hitter and knew his role on the team.
This team was atrocious on the basepaths last year and manager Dave Trembley has been adamant that this will change in 2010. The addition of Bordick is a great step in that direction.
Also, news broke today that the Orioles offered Matt Holliday an eight-year $130 million dollar contract – or did they? As soon as the report from Fox Sports broke the internet went all a twitter. And the story was then quickly crushed with dual postings from MASN’s Roch Kubatko and the Baltimore Sun’s Peter Schmuck both quoting Andy MacPhail saying of the had “NO validity”.
Kids, the Orioles are not getting Matt Holliday, it is not happening. I think he will price himself out of the market. Now, stranger things have happened so let’s play pretend. What do the Orioles do if they get Holliday? Well, Holliday automatically becomes the starting left-fielder so where does that leave Riemold? Riemold would most logically move to DH – pushing Scott either out the door or to firstbase, or Riemold goes to first and Scott remains DH. Either way, we do have room for Holliday and it would be a big bat in the heart of the lineup.
Holliday worries me a bit because outside of the NL, and Coors Field, his stellar high .900’s OPS into a very good high .800’s OPS. Now, that is great having another Markakis (with more power) in the lineup is never a bad thing and the thought of an outfield of Holliday/ Jones/ Markakis makes me kind of giddy. But I really can’t see it happening, I just can’t. Maybe it is the years of broken dreams, maybe it is the cynicism of age setting in – maybe I just believe MacPhail when he says that the offer has no validity the point is I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you O’s fans but it is fun to dream.
