Orioles have same old needs in a new year

We've entered a brand-spanking new year with the Orioles' roster still a construction zone. Slow down while going through it.

On one hand, they've gotten more done this winter than in 2014 with the additions of Vance Worley, L.J. Hoes, Mark Trumbo, Hyun Soo Kim and Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard, along with retaining Matt Wieters via the qualifying offer and re-signing Darren O'Day to a four-year, $31 million deal.

There's also a batch of minor league signings intended to improve organizational depth, but that happens every year.

On the other hand, it's gotten real quiet, the rotation needs another starter and the lineup needs another left-handed bat. Who's playing right field? Who's serving as the designated hitter if Trumbo is the starter at first base?

Lots of high profile free agents remain on the market, along with a group of second-tier starting pitchers. Offers have been made, but no one is biting.

The Chris Davis drama also influences the opinions of some fans grading the offseason through December. He didn't take their $150 million, they're not budging from it and therefore they've failed.

I tend to go with a grade of "incomplete" with more than a full month left before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Executive vice president Dan Duquette is known to spring into action as we get closer to the end of winter.

The concern, of course, is the anticipated flurry of signings this month. Players on the Orioles' radar may not stay on the market much longer, and lots of fans rightfully have raised their hopes due to various reports that the club is "in on" some of the bigger names out there.

Once you've debated Justin Upton versus Yoenis Cespedes versus Alex Gordon, or Yovani Gallardo versus Scott Kazmer, it's hard to settle for a cheaper one-year bounceback guy.

Kazmir may be a one-year guy, but only if he exercises his opt-out clause after agreeing Wednesday to a three-year, $48 million deal with the Dodgers.

Has anyone heard from Gavin Floyd?

Kazmir is the latest free agent to receive an opt-out clause in his contract, which still isn't a consideration for the Orioles in their negotiations. In case you need a reminder, here's Duquette at FanFest:

"These contracts that have outs, I don't understand these contracts because if the players don't perform well, it's not like they're returning huge sums of money they're getting. If they do well, they're allowed to become free agents. I don't really understand that type of structure. That type of structure wouldn't work for the Orioles. I know that."

Here's Duquette on MLB Network:

"I don't know if that structure would work for the Orioles. I think when you do that, you give up leverage in the marketplace and you affect the business of the entire industry. From my perspective, if the players don't do well and you have a long-term commitment out there, they're still going to get paid. And I'm not sure about utilizing those outs.

"I don't think that kind of structure is going to work for the Orioles. I would do a shorter term with some of these free agents. I think that's attractive. But going long, guaranteeing the money and then giving them another bite out of the apple gives them a lot of leverage in the marketplace."

In your opinion, do the Orioles need to be more flexible with opt-outs or stick to their guns? I understand Duquette's logic here and mostly support it, but I believe in exceptions. And that's especially true if you're pressed into offering an extra year to finalize a deal and have no issues with the player opting out ahead of it.

He may be doing you a favor.

My guess is Davis' next contract will include an opt-out clause if he doesn't re-sign with the Orioles. It's happening all over baseball.

Since I know you're craving another update on Davis, and because fans have asked about a position change if he re-signs, the Orioles won't consider making him their regular right fielder. Davis isn't interested in doing it anyway, as I've written, but it's not even a discussion here.

Davis is adequate in right and manager Buck Showalter is fine putting him there on occasion, but it wouldn't be the norm. Also, Davis is more comfortable in right, which eliminates left as a possibility.

Agent Scott Boras, in an interview this week on MLB Network Radio, continued to promote Davis as a multi-position player who easily could slot into an outfield role.

"If I'm sitting in the board room with my owner and I'm talking about how I've got my young first baseman coming up in three years, I can certainly say that if I'm an American League team, I have three other opportunities for a slugger to fit in," Boras said. "Chris has done major league work at left field, right field, even third base. This guy is not your typical slugger that works only inside the batter's box. He's a remarkable athlete. He's even pitched relief successfully in the big leagues. He's got a very strong arm. He's established that he's certainly a competent outfielder and frankly above a lot of players who are playing left field in baseball today.

"This is a rare opportunity for a team because you've got someone who can drive the ball out of left field consistently, someone who hits left-handed pitching as a left-handed hitter. You've got a player that is proven that he can be in the middle of the lineup and carry a club in the playoffs, and also down the stretch to be in the playoffs. He's led baseball in home runs and RBIs over the last three years.

"When you look at people that are multiple 40 home run, or even have reached the plateau of 50 home runs in the game, we just don't get many of them in a decade, so it's something that I think every owner has to look at. They have to look at that as something that other teams don't have and frankly are going to have less of as time goes on.

"Just in the AL East, we've got close to five sluggers - two in Toronto, two on the Yankees and one in Boston - whose contracts are exhausting or they're retiring. And they're all going to be in their mid-to-late 30s when they do so. We've got kind of a changing of the guard for a lot of power hitters in the game and I think that's something that's closely reviewed as you're finalizing your team."

If you're wondering about Steve Pearce, the Orioles still haven't contacted his agent, but we just entered January. He could be a late signing and the Orioles could get involved. So far, though, they haven't expressed interest in bringing him back.