From: http://0rz.tw/8a3fi Who do the Orioles envision to be their No. 3 and 4 hitters next season? Miguel Tejada could fill either spot, but several reports indicate he may be traded. Kevin Millar was a poor fit at No. 4 for most of 2007. It's a little early to be making Opening Day lineups, but if the season started tomorrow, Baltimore would likely open up the same way it looked last September -- with Nick Markakis as the No. 3 hitter and Tejada batting cleanup. Things will obviously change if there's a major trade, but Tejada should be locked into the fourth slot for as long as he's an Oriole. Several of Baltimore's supplementary power threats -- catcher Ramon Hernandez and designated hitters Aubrey Huff and Jay Gibbons, to be specific -- had down years in '07, leaving the Orioles light in home runs. Tejada's injury sapped the team of another power bat for an extended stretch, and the Minor Leagues didn't offer much relief. That's part of the reason why the Orioles are looking into retooling their roster, an effort that will likely make the team younger and less expensive. Baltimore president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail has said that if he believes his team is a move or two away, that's when he'll look to go for broke. Otherwise, he seems inclined to take a step back and try a different approach. The Orioles won't drop big money on a free agent this offseason, and they're not likely to acquire a huge slugger via trade -- unless they do deal some of their more marketable assets on-hand. They probably won't be the league's most powerful team next season, but if they get bounce-back seasons from a few of their players, home runs won't be their biggest concern. What do you think will happen to Luis Hernandez? Does he have a spot on the team? Hernandez displayed great defensive aptitude in Tejada's place last year, but he's never shown any ability to really hit the ball consistently. The slick-fielding shortstop may have batted .290 in 69 big league at-bats in 2007, but his six-year Minor League track record shows a career .250 average with a .299 on-base percentage and a .325 slugging mark. Brandon Fahey, for contrast, is a .260 hitter with a .322 on-base percentage and a .334 slugging percentage in the Minor Leagues. Neither Fahey nor Hernandez is likely to turn into a dependable starting shortstop, but both could wind up with long careers as utilitymen. Fahey, to his credit, has been one of the hardest workers on the team for two years running. With the protests of men such as Jack Wilson and Adam Everett aside, the era of the all-field, no-hit shortstop is all but over. The Orioles may elect to go that route in the short term, but it would be very hard to compete with that kind of bat at short in the American League East. Just ask the Blue Jays, who had John McDonald and Royce Clayton last season. Why isn't getting a real power hitter a top priority? Markakis led the team with 23 homers. Yes he did, but there's the feeling that several of Baltimore's hitters underperformed last season. Huff didn't hit 20 homers or more for the first time since 2001, and Hernandez got stuck in single-digits after hitting 23 in 2006. Couple those power outages with disappointing seasons by Gibbons and left fielder Jay Payton and you see what went wrong last year. Again, if the Orioles felt they were close to competing, they may have made a power hitter a top priority. The problem is that there aren't many available on the open market this offseason while management doesn't think one or two additions will push the team over the top. Baltimore is more likely to move veterans out to give unproven players a chance. Take Scott Moore, who was acquired on Aug. 31 as part of the Steve Trachsel trade with the Chicago Cubs. Moore has hit for power at virtually every stop in the Minor Leagues and could see significant time for the Orioles next year at either infield corner. The former first-round pick is currently blocked by Melvin Mora at third base and the presence of Millar and Huff across the diamond at first. Gibbons, who's currently rehabbing from shoulder surgery, is also a big X-factor. The left-handed hitter thinks he should be healthy enough to hit by Spring Training. Do you think Chorye Spoon will come up next year? If so, when do you think? Spoon had a breakout year in 2007, but he probably needs a little more time. The 22-year-old went 10-9 with a 3.26 ERA for Class A Frederick and was recognized as the organization's Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but he still has to make the leap to Double-A Bowie. If he navigates that with aplomb, the local Pasadena product could wind up with a September callup. That's not really probable, though, and Spoon may end up sticking at Bowie for an entire season. He threw a career-high 152 innings this past season and led Frederick to the Carolina League championship, but Double-A is a completely different animal. Then again, Garrett Olson only got 14 starts there before moving to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore has several arms lying in wait for rotation slots, and some of them may eventually be converted to relievers. Radhames Liz and Olson both struggled in their debuts, and Hayden Penn is still waiting for a clean shot at starting. If Spoon has another breakthrough season and presses on their heels, the Orioles will have quite a few decisions to make. -- Let's go Orioles. --

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