Seriously, nothing is happening. LaRoche is still out there, as is Lee. One will be the Orioles’ first baseman, the other will go to the Nats someone just has to make up their mind first. I would say that its like waiting for Christmas morning to arrive, but Adam LaRoche and Derrek Lee do not arouse that level of drooling, bouncing anticipation – its more like waiting for the end of a long Thursday – you’re happy when its over, but you still have work in the morning. And this Thursday we are stuck in has been stupidly long.
There really isn’t anything to worry about, sooner or later someone will make the final phone call and the long malaise of this acquisition will finally end. The only teams that are still actively searching for a starting first baseman are the Nationals and Orioles; two teams, two players just figure it out.
Seriously, it has been a boring couple of weeks on the baseball front. As the holiday season comes to an end January proves to be busy with big ticket free agent Adrian Beltre sitting out there but the Orioles don’t figure to be in on Beltre and outside of this pending, make that seemingly endless, acquisition I don’t see the Orioles doing much else.
The Orioles have mentioned that they want to get a veteran in the rotation to take some of the burden off of the younger arms but with arguably six legitimate candidates for five spots that really isn’t a necessity. The bullpen could always use help but that is neither a priority nor a headline grabber. I am sure the Orioles will pick up a couple bullpen arms before March, Jon Rauch is a name I wouldn’t mind seeing on the back of an Orioles uniform.
As winter plods on and the Ravens go to the playoffs again I long for Spring Training and the 2011 baseball season to start. Watching the Orioles 2010 year-in-review over at the official site has made me long for baseball once again. I don’t care that the Red Sox seem unstoppable and the Orioles will be lucky to break 500, I need 2011 to start as soon as possible. But in the mean time I will just take Adam LaRoche making up his freeking mind.
