Markakis' departure leaves O's with payroll flexibility in thin free agent market

Outfielder Nick Markakis was a fan favorite in Baltimore, but the Orioles did the right thing by not trying to outbid the Atlanta Braves' $44 million contract. It's better to have payroll flexibility than an $11 million outfielder hitting .280 with 12 home runs. The Orioles are going to benefit in the long run from not having Markakis. So what do to next? Prospect Dariel Alvarez needs more time in the minors. A trade for the Braves' Justin Upton or Evan Gattis is possible. Upton is streaky. Gattis has raw power, but isn't all that great defensively in left. The Braves need young pitching. Would the Orioles trade pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez to the Dodgers for one of two outfielders, Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier? The money issues could be worked out. The fallback position could include a plan with designated hitter Delmon Young and Steve Pearce moving to right field. When Pearce started his career with Pittsburgh, he was drafted as an outfielder, so it wouldn't be a big adjustment. Dan Duquette talks positively about David Lough and Alejandro De Aza, a leadoff batter with a .341 on-base percentage last year and two 20-plus steals seasons on his resume. De Aza, who came in a trade from the Chicago White Sox, is energized by playing for a contending team. Perhaps last July, Duquette was thinking of a Markakis departure when he picked up De Aza. The free agent market for outfielders is thin. Former National Michael Morse, who had key hits for the Giants as they won the World Series, will be 33 in March and could be a one-year solution at DH. Assuming he is healthy, Morse would hit 25-30 home runs with Camden Yards as his home field. The problem is that he's always dealing with muscle strains. Morse hit .279 with 16 home runs for San Francisco last season. He played in 131 games. In four seasons before that, he played in 98, 146, 102 and 88 games. There's Melky Cabrera, 30, who was the MVP of the 2012 All-Star Game and was then suspended for PED use. He signed a two-year contract with Toronto, having one bad season and one good season. Defensively, he's not the best, but he did hit .301 with a .351 on-base percentage last season for the Blue Jays. Another former Blue Jay, Colby Rasmus, is a talented player, but hasn't lived up to expectations first in St. Louis and then in Toronto. At times, he's brilliant, but generally he's inconsistent. Still, he's only 28. Maybe the Orioles sign him and he becomes the 2015 version of Pearce. Alex Rios was a force in 2012, but his production has fallen since then. There is no upside to Rios. Nori Aoki, who played for Kansas City last season, is a steady all-around player who makes few mistakes. He's known for getting on base. Last year with the Royals, his on-base percentage was .349. His career percentage is .351. The best solution would be to try to sign Morse and let Pearce play right. De Aza is the player on the roster with the most leadoff experience. He could play left. With Chris Davis, Manny Machado and Matt Wieters coming back, there's no reason for the Orioles to panic. At this point, the Orioles are still the best team in the American League East and without Markakis, they have financial flexibility for 2015 and beyond. It's a good thing the Orioles didn't think with their heart and try to keep Markakis.