Will new hitting coach lead to any changes in O's approach on offense?

So the Orioles will have a new hitting coach for the 2015 season with the news yesterday that Jim Presley is being reassigned.

While this comes at Presley's request, I can see some fans jumping to the conclusion that manager Buck Showalter wants a new hitting coach. That does not appear to be the case, and several times late during the 2014 season, Showalter remarked that he was excited that his entire coaching staff would return for the coming year.

Here is a look at Presley's four seasons as Orioles hitting coach with the bottom-line stat that matters most - runs scored:

* In 2011, the Orioles scored 708 runs, under the American League average of 723, to rank seventh in the league and fourth among AL East teams.

* In 2012, the Orioles scored 712 runs, under the AL average of 721, to rank ninth in the league and fourth among AL East teams.

* In 2013, the Orioles scored 745 runs, above the league average of 702, to rank fourth in the league and second among AL East teams.

* In 2014, the Orioles scored 705 runs, above the league average of 677, to rank sixth in the league and second among AL East teams.

Anyone watching the Orioles the last few years knows they are a slugging and power-laden team that ranks near the bottom of the league in categories like walks and on-base percentage.

On Presley's watch, the Orioles have hit 200 or more homers in three straight seasons for the first time in club history. They hit 211 last year, 34 more than the next-closest AL team.

The O's had three Silver Sluggers in 2013 and last year became the fourth team since 1920 to have two different players win the home run title in consecutive years (Nelson Cruz in 2014 and Chris Davis in 2013).

Before some project this as a chance to bring in a coach that can improve the team's OBP, I think you should keep one important note in mind: The O's are an aggressive swinging team and Showalter likes it that way.

Sure, it can be important to work the count, build up starters' pitch counts and get them out of the game. Sure, it can be important to play small ball and advance runners. But the Orioles don't have many players well-versed in those skills and changing hitting coaches won't change that or change their manager's belief about being aggressive at the plate.

When Presley coached the Marlins, they set a team record for on-base percentage in 2009. They didn't just do well, they set a club single-season record. Same coach, but different players.

The way I see it, some of the Orioles' more veteran and established players will not suddenly increase their on-base percentages significantly or their approach at the plate.

Average runs per season by AL East teams from 2011-14:

774 - Boston
738 - New York
724 - Toronto
718 - Orioles
679 - Tampa Bay

The Orioles were fourth and sixth in the AL in runs scored the last two seasons. They scored enough to win with solid pitching, which they got last year. I think Presley did a decent job, but he was often blamed as the O's struggled in the OBP stat.

That is a huge stat for some fans.

But it is just one offensive stat, and looking ahead to next season with a new hitting coach in place, keep in mind that the same manager and many of the same players will be in place, as well.

More on Boston's spending spree: Check out this from ESPNBoston.com. The author contends that the Red Sox have changed their plans when it comes to spending.

This article revisits a quote from last winter from Boston CEO Larry Lucchino after a Yankees spending spree.

"You can't just go into the grocery store and buy exactly what you need to win," Lucchino said.

Now that they have Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez in the fold, Boston is apparently turning its attention and checkbook toward both Jon Lester and Andrew Miller.

Are the Red Sox just taking advantage of their vast resources or are they panicking after a second last-place finish in three years? I guess the truth lies somewhere in between and the results in 2015 will tell the real story.