Brian Roberts – .278/.354/.391, 27 R, 14 doubles, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 12 SB, 261 PA

Brian had a rough year with injuries. He started off the season with a herniated disk in his back and went on the disabled list after four games. He didn’t come back until July 23rd. He also had minor injuries like a bruised shin, a strained oblique, and chronic headaches at the end of the season. Hopefully it was just a fluke year and not a long term thing that will hinder his play moving forward. Hes getting older and entering the second year of a four year deal so the Orioles need him to return to form starting next year. When he finally did make it back he pretty much picked up where he left off with the exception of a little less power. But thats to be expected with the injuries he dealt with. When healthy hes still one of the best second basemen in the league.

2011 Prognosis: The main thing is to get Roberts fully healthy heading into next season. If that happens it’ll help the lineup tremendously. The team performed much better with him in the lineup this past year and hes our only real lead off option. I would expect his production to be around 2009 levels with a low .800 OPS and 25 to 35 stolen bases. If the Orioles get the offensive upgrades that we should this offseason and Brian is healthy all year I predict good things for this team.

Scott Moore – .209/.274/.337, 8 R, 2 doubles, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 3 SB, 96 PA

Moore was with the Orioles for a couple months, taking the place of Justin Turner, and was another guy given a chance to fill in for the injured Brian Roberts. He didn’t play a whole lot but when he did he didn’t do much. Hes limited defensively despite being able to play three positions (first, second, and third base). Hes got some power but he didn’t make enough contact to show it off. When Roberts came back Moore was sent back down to AAA Norfolk. He did well there this season, hitting .280/.345/.476 with 9 doubles, a triple, 11 homeruns, and 45 RBI but those numbers didn’t translate to the big leagues.

2011 Prognosis: Moore became a minor league free agent after the season ended but he could still re-sign with the Orioles. I think its a better bet that he signs somewhere else on a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Hes an infielder with some pop so he’ll get another chance somewhere. If he can perform at the big league level the way he has in the minors he’ll be a good addition for someone.

Justin Turner – .000/.000/.000, 9 PA

Turner was given a very brief look in the beginning of the season with the absence of Brian Roberts. He mostly sat on the bench but went hitless in the 9 at bats he got. He hit .250/.319/.381 with AAA Norfolk before being claimed off waivers by the New York Mets. He spent a couple days with them before being sent down to AAA Buffalo and hitting .333/.390/.516 with 22 doubles, a triple, and 11 homeruns.

2011 Prognosis: I’m sure he’ll get a chance to make the Mets in spring training. He could be a decent player for a national league team with his ability to play second and third base. He could also be used as a pinch hitter. Best of luck to him. He was a decent minor league player after being acquired in the Ramon Hernandez trade after the 2008 season.

Ty Wigginton – .248/.312/.415, 63 R, 29 doubles, 1 triple, 22 HR, 76 RBI, 649 PA

Going into the season Wigginton was supposed to be a utility bench player, filling in for Miguel Tejada at third, Garrett Atkins at first, Brian Roberts at second, and Luke Scott at DH but he was thrust into everyday duty after Roberts went down with his back injury. He played mostly second base in the beginning of the year and hit so well (1.026 OPS in April, .877 OPS in May) that he ended up being the Orioles only representative at the MLB all-star game. After the Orioles finally gave up on Atkins and released him, Wigginton moved over to first base full time. That also coincided with a crash in his production (.594 OPS in June, .662 in July, .672 in August, and .686 in September). Overall despite his hot start to the season he had a bad year at the plate and ended up with a stat line pretty much in line with 2009 (.727 OPS compared to .714).

2011 Prognosis: I don’t think Wigginton will be back with the Orioles next year unless hes willing to sign on as a bench player at a cheap rate, which I don’t think he’ll do. Despite his struggles at the plate in the latter half of the season, he probably thinks he deserves to start somewhere because of his all-star selection. Maybe some mid level team can promise him enough at bats and he can be productive. Hes a good clubhouse guy with some power so I’m sure he’ll be alright.

Garrett Atkins – .214/.276/.286, 5 R, 7 doubles, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 152 PA

Atkins might go down as one of the worst free agent signings in Orioles history. Not many people liked it at the time, including myself, and the critics turned out to be right on the money as he looked absolutely clueless at the plate. The way he looked its hard to believe he was ever as productive as he was in Colorado. He went from 30 homerun power to Cesar Izturis esque power. It seemed like the O’s were never going to give up on him but thankfully he was released in June. First base was a black hole in the lineup all year and it all comes down to the Orioles not doing what was necessary to take care of the issue before the season started.

2011 Prognosis: Atkins might have played his last innings of major league baseball with the Orioles this year. Maybe he’ll get a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training from someone but theres no way he gets any guaranteed money.

Rhyne Hughes – .213/.275/.255, 3 R, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 51 PA

Hughes was the first player to cut into Atkins’ playing time, getting the call from AAA Norfolk in late April after a hot start to the year with the Tide. He started off great with the O’s, going 4-9 with some key hits against the Red Sox in Boston but the league quickly figured him out and he showed no power despite hitting 25 homeruns in the minors in 2009. He was sent back to Norfolk in the middle of May and never made his way back up. Down there he hit .258/.314/.410 with 25 doubles, 2 triples, 10 homeruns, and 39 RBI, firmly placing the AAAA label on himself.

2011 Prognosis: He might get an invitation to spring training next year but I think its more likely that hes removed from the 40 man roster. We’re most likely going to sign or trade for a new first baseman and we still have Brandon Snyder on the 40. Hughes will play in AAA for somewhere next season, whether its with the Orioles or some other team.

Brandon Snyder – .300/.300/.400, R, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 20 PA

It was another disappointing season for Snyder at AAA Norfolk. After hitting his way into serious prospect status in AA and below he stalled out at AAA in the second half of 2009 and it continued this year. The ballpark adjustment excuse just doesn’t seem to hold up as well after a second go round. He hit .257/.324/.407 with 22 doubles, a triple, 9 homeruns, and 43 RBI for Norfolk but missed a chunk of time in June/July with an injury. He got better as the year went on and looked pretty solid at the plate in the short time he spent with the Orioles in September, but his patience and power don’t seem to be good enough to be an everyday player.

2011 Prognosis: Snyder will go into spring training next year looking to either make the team as a bench player or at least get Buck Showalter’s attention so he can come up at some point during the year. More seasoning at AAA Norfolk is the most likely scenerio barring injury or a significant improvement in his performance. The prospect status has diminished but there is still a glimmer of hope left.

Matt Wieters – .249/.319/.377, 37 R, 22 doubles, 1 triple, 11 HR, 55 RBI, 502 PA

Wieters didn’t come close to living up to the expectations the Orioles and most fans had hoped for coming into the season. That seems to be a trend with most of the Oriole hitters this season. He has tremendous power potential but it just didn’t come through this year. He came out of the gate hitting .280 in April but with only three extra base hits. I figured the power would come and he would continue to hit at that rate but he followed April up with back to back miserable months in May (.662 OPS) and June (.606 OPS). He had a great July (.900 OPS) but it was diminished with a stint on the disabled list, costing him 16 games. August (.705 OPS) and September (.749 OPS) showed signs of improvement but it was still way short of his potential (.850+ OPS). On the plus side he showed patience at the plate with 47 walks and has a good approach. His swing just looks long and slow to my untrained eye. Defensively he really came along, only allowing two passed balls all season and throwing out 31% of attempted base stealers. He really seemed to improve his handling of the pitchers and the accuracy of his throws as the season went along.

2011 Prognosis: I’d like to say Wieters is going to break out next year but I’d settle for some consistent improvement at this point. Hes still a rare talent for the position and alot of talent evaluators still believe he’ll reach his potential. Hes got a good handle on the pitching staff and that chemistry should only improve. I could see a season along the lines of .270/.340/.445 with 18-20 homeruns next year for Wieters. I think an OPS under .750 would really start to worry me as the Orioles are relying on him and the rest of the core to develop quickly so we can compete for a playoff spot.

Craig Tatum – .281/.349/.316, 11 R, 4 doubles, 9 RBI, SB, 126 PA

Tatum won the backup catcher job over Chad Moeller in spring training and I think proved that it was the right call over the season. He surprised with the bat and showed a good eye but for such a big guy didn’t display any power. His minor league stats tell you that he probably can’t keep up an average like that but he did good with the time he was given. He was sent to the minors for a month towards the end of the season but came back in September. His strength was thought to be his arm and his defense but he only threw out 7% of runners and didn’t look very comfortable behind the plate.

2011 Prognosis: I’m sure Tatum will compete for the same job he held this year in Spring Training in the spring but I think we can do better. Its not the most important roster spot but he still plays once or twice a week. There are worse choices and I’d give him another shot at it but I’d bring in some competition and make him earn it.

Jake Fox – .220/.257/.440, 10 R, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 105 PA

Fox isn’t technically a catcher but he can do it in a pinch and has added it to his repertoire. Hes a versatile guy that was acquired from the Oakland A’s for minor league pitcher Ross Wolf in the middle of June. A free swinger, hes got alot of power but not much in the way of patience or pitch selection. He played C, LF, 1B, and 3B this year but the reason teams give him chances is his bat. Hes not very good defensively but he has some very good minor league statistics.

2011 Prognosis: Fox is another guy that will most likely get a look in spring training next year for a spot on the bench. He could fill the Ty Wiggington role, backup at third and first base but also able to backup the catcher. If they felt good enough about him defensively behind the plate it could save the O’s a roster spot not having to carry a pure backup catcher. He could be a nice power bat coming off the bench or the Orioles could find someone who better suits our roster next year.

Brian Bass: 5-3, 4.90 ERA, 86.33 IP, 11 HR, 44 BB, 54 K, 1.74 WHIP, 5.63 K/9

Bass had a very inconsistent year pitching as the long man/mop up guy. He started off terribly (6.35 ERA over 17 IP in April) and the only reason he probably stayed on the team was it was so early on and there wasn’t really anybody to replace him with. But he turned it around and was very effective in May and June (1.65 and 3.07 ERAs respectively). Unfortunately he was back to being largely ineffective over the last three months (5.56, 7.64, 4.82 ERAs).

2010 Prognosis: I suspect Bass will be a 40 man casualty at some point in the offseason. We have a roster crunch with minor leaguers that need to be added to the 40 man roster and we have other pitchers that are better than Bass, or at least similar. If he doesn’t get released then he’ll compete for one of the last spots in the bullpen, but if he does I’m sure he’ll land on his feet somewhere.

Danys Baez: 4-6, 4.02 ERA, 71.67 IP, 8 HR, 22 BB, 40 K, 1.13 WHIP, 5.02 K/9

The Orioles didn’t expect much from Baez in 2009 after he didn’t pitch at all in 2008 coming off an arm injury. He couldn’t be used in back to back games for most of the year but he was a pleasant surprise. He was pretty consistent throughout the year, keeping his ERA anywhere from 3.00 to 4.50. He didn’t strike out as many batters as he used to, but he did a good job of getting ground balls and staying away from the homerun ball. He pitched alot of innings for someone with innings restrictions and it being his first year back from injury.

2010 Prognosis: Baez will be a free agent and I expect him to sign with another team in the offseason. He should be able to get a decent deal from somebody, but I don’t think it’ll be the Orioles. The O’s have alot of younger, cheaper options at this point.

Jim Johnson: 4-6, 4.11 ERA, 10 SV, 70 IP, 8 HR, 23 BB, 49 K, 1.37 WHIP, 6.30 K/9

Johnson was excellent in 2008 pitching out of middle/late inning relief and he was expected to continue that as the set up man in 2009. He was successful as the set up man, but he rarely seemed to have a clean inning. When George Sherrill was traded, Johnson moved into the closers role and started struggling. He was 10/16 in save opportunities and had a 6.65 ERA as the closer. He gave up eight homeruns in 2009 after only giving up one in 2008. It didn’t seem like he was getting the same sink on his fastball as the year before. Despite a decent stat line overall, it was a bit of a disappointing year for Johnson.

2010 Prognosis: I expect Johnson to be slotted back into the set up role and get back to what he was doing in the first half of 2009. I don’t know if he was pressing too much or what, but the closers role didn’t seem to fit him. Hes going to be an important part of our bullpen going forward.

Matt Albers: 3-6, 5.51 ERA, 67 IP, 3 HR, 36 BB, 49 K, 1.73 WHIP, 6.58 K/9

Albers was coming off a labrum injury, when he elected not to get surgery to repair in 2008. He had an inconsistent season to say the least. He started off badly in April (7.71 ERA) and was demoted to AAA Norfolk. He got himself righted and came back pitching great. (2.70 ERA in May, 1.15 in June, 3.68 in July) He was demoted again after a terrible start to August (24.00 ERA) and came back when the rosters expanded in September (5.40 ERA).

2010 Prognosis: Albers will most likely get a shot in spring training to show which guy from 2009 is the real version of him. As usual, I’m sure its somewhere in the middle. But if he can pitch like he did from May to July he would be a very valuable guy to have pitching the 6th and/or 7th innings. Theres also a chance he doesn’t make the team out of spring training.

Chris Ray: 0-4, 7.27 ERA, 43.33 IP, 8 HR, 23 BB, 39 K, 1.98 WHIP, 8.10 K/9

Ray was another pitcher coming off an arm injury. Although his season was pretty consistent… he pitched bad all year. Ok, he had one good month (2.12 ERA in August) after being demoted for most of July. He just seemed way too hittable. Everything he throws is hard and he just must not have had his usual movement on his fastball and not enough action on his slider. Its not unusual for pitchers to struggle in their first year removed from Tommy John surgery. He still showed the ability to strike out batters.

2010 Prognosis: Ray is in a similar situation as Matt Albers coming into spring training. He has to use the spring to prove that he can still be the pitcher from 2006 and early 2007. Its crazy to think, but he could be a roster casualty if the Orioles don’t think he can bounce back.

Cla Meredith: 0-0, 3.77 ERA, 28.67 IP, 3 HR, 12 BB, 16 K, 1.33 WHIP, 5.02 K/9

The Orioles traded for Meredith in July from the San Diego Padres in exchange for Oscar Salazar. It was a good trade for the Orioles. Salazar most likely won’t be anything more than a utility guy/pinch hitter, while Meredith could make a home in the bullpen for the Orioles. He struggled a bit in August after being traded (6.60 ERA), but was great in the last month of the season (0.90 ERA). Hes a ground ball pitcher who has had alot of success in the past. Hes not old, but he struggled a bit over the last couple seasons.

2010 Prognosis: Meredith should be a member of the Orioles bullpen throughout all of 2010 barring injury. He can pitch at any point in a game, he can pitch for multiple innings, and he can work in back to back to back games thanks to his easy almost underarm delivery.

Dennis Sarfate: 0-1, 5.09 ERA, 23 IP, 3 HR, 14 BB, 20 K, 1.52 WHIP, 7.83 K/9

Sarfate injured himself early in the season and was shut down for a solid three months before going on a long rehab stint and returning to the Orioles in September. He didn’t pitch good before he went on the DL (6.39 ERA over 12.67 innings) and wasn’t doing great for the first part of September either, but he did start to turn it around over the last couple weeks. His control is his biggest issue and it took him a while to get his velocity back up after coming back.

2010 Prognosis: Theres a very good chance Sarfate is released in the offseason, but I’d like to at least keep him around for spring training. He has some electric stuff when healthy and I think theres still some potential for him to be a good reliever. If he doesn’t show anything in the spring, then I would cut him loose.

Kam Mickolio: 0-2, 2.63 ERA, 13.67 IP, 0 HR, 7 BB, 14 K, 1.32 WHIP, 9.22 K/9

Mickolio had a very good 2009 campaign. In AAA Norfolk he pitched to a 3.50 ERA over 43.2 innings and had a 52/16 strikeout to walk ratio. Hitters only batted .203 against the tall right hander. When he was called up to the Orioles he showed flashes of brilliance with potential closer stuff. He had to be shut down a few weeks early due to shoulder fatigue, but it shouldn’t be of concern. I think it was more a matter of “better safe than sorry” for the promising pitcher.

2010 Prognosis: I think Mickolio will make the bullpen out of spring training. He could potentially take over the closers role as soon as some point in 2010, but he should be a solid late inning reliever regardless. With his height, hes pretty much right on you when the ball comes out of his hand. A very nice slider complements his mid to late 90′s heat.

Bob McCrory: 0-0, 17.19 ERA, 7.33 IP, 3 HR, 10 BB, 4 K, 3.68 WHIP, 4.91 K/9

McCrory has proven over the last two seasons that hes a AAAA player. Decent success in AAA (3.88 ERA over 62.2 innings) just doesn’t correlate to big league success for him. I don’t know if its nerves or what, but he has almost no control over his pitches when hes with the Orioles. He throws hard, but its a straight fastball which doesn’t work in the majors.

2010 Prognosis: He won’t see any time pitching for the Orioles. Hes already been removed from the 40 man roster. He’ll either pitch for AAA Norfolk or another organization in 2010.

Chris Lambert: 0-0, 4.76 ERA, 5.67 IP, 2 HR, BB, 7 K, 1.59 WHIP, 11.11 K/9

The Orioles claimed Lambert off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. Hes had success as a starter for AAA Toledo over the last two seasons (12-8, 3.50 ERA in 2008, 6-7, 3.55 ERA in 2009), but struggled in his three starts with AAA Norfolk (1-2, 6.94 ERA). He came up when the rosters expanded and pitched out of relief for the Orioles. He showed some promise and he could be an interesting guy to watch in spring training.

2010 Prognosis: Its most likely that Lambert starts 2010 in AAA Norfolk’s rotation, but depending on what happens he could make the bullpen out of spring training. He should see time in the majors as an injury replacement, either in the bullpen or the rotation.

Radhames Liz: 0-0, 67.67 ERA, 1.33 IP, HR, 2 BB, K, 7.52 WHIP, 6.77 K/9

Liz made one appearance for the Orioles in 2009 and got lit up. He was sent back down to the minors immediately following the game. Liz has fallen completely off the map after getting alot of major league innings in 2008. He pitched to a 5.68 ERA over 17 appearances (including eight starts) for AAA Norfolk and was eventually demoted to AA Bowie, where he pitched to a 2.63 ERA over eight starts.

2010 Prognosis: Liz has turned into an organizational filler kind of pitcher and will most likely pitch wherever the O’s need him in 2010. He could start anywhere from AAA Norfolk’s rotation to AA Bowie’s bullpen.

Mark Hendrickson: 6-5, 4.37 ERA, 1 SV, 105 IP, 16 HR, 33 BB, 61 K, 1.42 WHIP, 5.23 K/9

Hendrickson started the season in the starting rotation, but struggled in that role. In 11 starts on the year he pitched to a 2-5 record and 5.40 ERA. But he was much better coming out of the bullpen. He managed a 4-0 record and 3.44 ERA pitching in relief. His strikeout to walk ratio improved from 24-19 as a starter to 37-14 as a reliever. He was used in multiple roles – long man, situational lefty, one inning reliever. He became one of our most valuable relievers as the year wore on.

2010 Prognosis: Hendrickson is a free agent at the moment, but I fully expect him to re-up with the Orioles before long. He was simply too valuable for us to lose. He won’t cost much and we can use him in relief all year. Theres still a chance some team could come out and offer him more than we’re willing to, but Hendrickson has already expressed his desire to remain an Oriole and the Orioles have said they want to retain his services.

George Sherrill: 0-1, 2.40 ERA, 20 SV, 41.33 IP, 3 HR, 13 BB, 39 K, 1.14 WHIP, 8.49 K/9

Sherrill was very good for the Orioles in 2009. Not only was he our closer and best pitcher while he remained on the team, he potentially netted us our future cornerstone third baseman plus a pitching prospect when we traded him to the Dodgers before the July 31st trade deadline. Adding Josh Bell and Steve Johnson to the organization was a great parting gift. The trade helped both teams because Sherrill was absolutely lights out after he landed in LA. He was 1-0 with a 0.65 ERA for the Dodgers over 27.2 innings with 22 strikeouts. He was an important part of their bullpen as they made their playoff run and advanced to the NLCS.

2010 Prognosis: Sherrill will continue in his set up role for the Dodgers in 2010 in what should be another very good year for them.

Jamie Walker: 0-0, 5.11 ERA, 12.33 IP, 5 HR, 0 BB, 9 K, 1.54 WHIP, 6.57 K/9

Jamie Walker started the year as the situational lefty for the Orioles but couldn’t get out lefties, they hit  a combined .458 against him. He had trouble getting anyone out and was released in early June. Walker was in the final year of his three year deal signed by the regime before MacPhail came in.

2010 Prognosis: Walker will most likely be out of baseball in 2010. Maybe he signs a minor league deal somewhere or plays independent ball.

Alberto Castillo: 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 12 IP, 0 HR, 4 BB, 8 K, 1.33 WHIP, 6 K/9

Castillo started the year in AAA Norfolk and pitched great for them. He had a 2-3 record, 13 saves, and a 2.77 ERA for the Tide over 52 innings. He got more ground balls than fly balls and struck out 54 batters. He continued his success when he was called up to the big club. He ended the season as our lefty specialist and was a rare bright spot for the bullpen in September.

2010 Prognosis: Castillo earned himself a look in spring training to make the bullpen. It depends on who the Orioles add in the offseason and how he performs in the spring whether or not he makes it. At the worst he would be a very nice backup plan/injury replacement to stick in AAA Norfolk.

Sean Henn: 0-0, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 0 HR, 4 BB, 6 K, 3.33 WHIP, 18 K/9

The Orioles traded for Henn in September from the Minnesota Twins. He only pitched in three innings for us and didn’t impress much. He showed the ability to strike people out, but he was much too wild. He wasn’t good in Minnesota either, pitching to a 7.15 ERA over 11.1 innings. Hes basically a AAAA player at this point, successful in the minors but not on the big stage. He had a 2.33 ERA over 38.2 innings for AAA Rochester.

2010Prognosis: Henn was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays a couple weeks ago. He’ll compete for a spot in their bullpen in spring training.

Jeremy Guthrie: 10-17, 5.04 ERA, 200 IP, 35 HR, 60 BB, 110 K, 1.42 WHIP, 4.95 K/9

Coming off back to back seasons with ERAs in the mid threes (3.70, 3.63) Guthrie was supposed to be the anchor of our staff and the only sure thing of the opening day starting rotation, but he just couldn’t get it going in 2009. Its kind of a mystery why he regressed so much, but there are a couple theories. Guthrie pitched in the World Baseball Classic in the spring and missed most of spring training. He never had much time to refine his pitches, but that doesn’t explain why he struggled over the course of the entire season. He did have that injury at the end of 2008 when he had to be shut down in September. There might’ve been lingering effects of that all year. There just didn’t seem to be the same movement on his pitches this season. The 35 homeruns he gave up led the american league. He had some encouraging starts towards the end of the year, so theres hope that he can bounce back in 2010.

2010 Prognosis: And I do expect Guthrie to bounce back some in 2010, but not to the same amount of success he found in 2007 and 2008. I think we’ll see him fall in between 2008 and 2009, somewhere around 4.40 – 4.60. But that would be very valuable if he keeps eating innings. He pitched 200 innings for the first time in his career and I think he’ll do it again next year. There is a chance Guthrie could be traded in the offseason, but it might be selling low so I could see us holding on to him and hoping he starts off good so we can look to deal him at the trade deadline.

Brad Bergesen: 7-5, 3.43 ERA, 123.33 IP, 11 HR, 32 BB, 65 K, 1.28 WHIP, 4.74 K/9

Bergesen was the surprise of the year. Mostly unheralded as a prospect despite having alot of success in the minor leagues. Scouts just didn’t think his stuff would play as good at the major league level. But hes a gamer and always finding ways to improve his game. He came up to the Orioles and worked with pitching coach Rick Kranitz, adjusting where he stood on the mound and fine tuning his breaking pitches. He gets alot of groundballs and has pretty good command so hes able to keep the ball in the park. He was looking like a rookie of the year candidate before he got hit by a line drive that hit off his upper left leg. It was scary at the time, but x-rays were negative. It was looking like Bergesen would only miss a few starts, but he ended up not pitching again in 2009.

2010 Prognosis: Bergesen should be ready for spring training. Being the hard worker he is, I don’t see him letting this kind of thing hold him back. In 2010, I expect him to continue to have success although I think his ERA will be somewhere between 3.75 – 4.50. Hes another guy that can eat innings and keep the team in the ballgame. He won’t strike out many batters, but as long as he keeps getting alot of groundballs he should be ok.

Jason Berken: 6-12, 6.54 ERA, 119.67 IP, 19 HR, 44 BB, 66 K, 1.74 WHIP, 4.96 K/9

Berken started the year in AA Bowie, but quickly got promoted to AAA Norfolk where he pitched to a 1.05 ERA over 5 starts. He got called up to the Orioles in late May and stuck around all year. Not that he necessarily deserved to. Berken was 2-11 at one point and struggled in almost every start. But he kept getting chances since there weren’t any other options. If nothing else it was a good learning experience for Berken. He should know what he has to do to improve.

2010 Prognosis: Berken will probably compete for the 5th starters spot in spring training, but I don’t think he really has much of a shot. I think he could be a good fit in the bullpen, either as a long man or turned into a Jim Johnson type. Remember, Johnson was a mediocre starting pitching prospect much like Berken at one point but was very effective in one inning stints out of the bullpen. If he doesn’t make it on the opening day roster he will mostly likely start in AAA Norfolks rotation until hes needed.

David Hernandez: 4-10, 5.42 ERA, 101.33 IP, 27 HR, 46 BB, 68 K, 1.62 WHIP, 6.04 K/9

Hernandez had a similar season to Jason Berken, just a notch better. He pitched very well at AAA Norfolk (3-2, 3.30 ERA, 57.1 IP, 18 BB, 79 K, .199 BAA) and was promoted to the majors in late May. He was sent back down after three appearances, but came back in late June and stayed in the rotation for the rest of the season. Hernandez was a bit inconsistent, had some trouble getting deep in games, but pitched really well for a rookie through August. He seemed to hit a wall in September (0-4, 8.67 ERA, 27.1 IP, 13 HR) seeing his ERA swell from 4.24 to 5.42. Hernandez has quality stuff and could be an effective starter if he can start to get his breaking pitches over for strikes and starts to pitch down in the zone with his fastball.

2010 Prognosis: I think Hernandez’ spring training performance will decide where he starts off in 2010, maybe moreso than any other pitcher. If he shows enough improvement he could win the 5th starters job. He could also win a spot in the bullpen, alot of scouts think hes going to end up as a late inning reliever. Or if it looks like he still needs some refinement, he could start out in AAA Norfolk’s rotation.

Koji Uehara: 2-4, 4.05 ERA, 66.67 IP, 7 HR, 12 BB, 48 K, 1.24 WHIP, 6.48 K/9

Uehara was the Orioles biggest splash in free agency last offseason and also the first time they’ve signed a Japanese player. Most teams saw Koji as a reliever in the majors, but the Orioles signed him to be in their rotation. It looked like the Orioles might’ve made a good decision after the first two months, but then the injury issues started to form. When he was healthy, Koji pitched very well and was probably our best starter. But his small frame and age (34) wouldn’t allow him to pitch that many innings. He was hurt in his start on May 23rd, came back for three more in the middle of June, but had to be shut down again after his June 23rd start. He didn’t come back in 2009.

2010 Prognosis: Uehara will turn to relief in 2010, much like most teams predicted. I think Koji could be very effective out of the bullpen and I could even see him as the Orioles closer in 2010. He’ll need to prove that hes healthy in spring training and will probably need to be used carefully in the beginning of the year. He could be versatile in relief, pitching anywhere from one to three innings at a time.

Chris Tillman: 2-5, 5.40 ERA, 65 IP, 15 HR, 24 BB, 39 K, 1.55 WHIP, 5.4 K/9

Tillman began the year as our third best prospect behind Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz and he did nothing to disprove that. As a 21 year old in AAA Norfolk he pitched outstandingly (8-6, 2.70 ERA, 96.2 IP, 26 BB, 99 K). He was brought up at the end of July and had his share of struggles but seemed to get better with each start through the end of August. Then September hit and had a similar effect to Tillman as it did to David Hernandez (1-3, 7.30 ERA, 24.2 IP, 5 HR). Despite the rough finish, which is only natural seeing as the minor league season ends a month earlier, Tillman showed alot of promise. He has one of the best curveballs from a right handed pitcher that I’ve ever seen, he just needs to be more consistent with it. He learned a change up that shows alot of promise this year. In fact it might’ve been his best pitch most nights out. He needs to work on his fastball command and maybe get some more movement on his pitches but I like what I see from the kid.

2010 Prognosis: Tillman will enter the 2010 season around the bottom of the Orioles rotation. I’d look for improvement as the year goes along. Hes pitched well everywhere hes been so I wouldn’t count out a big year from him, but I expect an ERA of around 4.65. If he can do better than that, it would be a big step for the Orioles.

Brian Matusz: 5-2, 4.63 ERA, 44.67 IP, 6 HR, 14 BB, 38 K, 1.48 WHIP, 7.66 K/9

Matusz wasn’t supposed to see the major leagues in 2009. He started the year at High A Frederick where he dominated over 11 starts (4-2, 2.16 ERA, 66.2 IP, 21 BB, 75 K). He was then promoted to AA Bowie where he dominated even more (7-0, 1.55 ERA, 46.1 IP, 11 BB, 46 K). The Orioles had no choice but to call him up when they needed to grab a starter from the minors on August 4th. Matusz pitched well in his first start, then struggled over the next four. The nerves died down and something seemed to click after that 5th start. Over his last three starts of the season he was pretty much lights out (3-0, 2.14 ERA, 21 IP, 4 BB, 15 K). The 22 year old has five pitches that are all above average and he knows what hes doing out there. Some minor improvements I’m sure could be made, but the kid has the arsenal and mental toughness of a big league ace.

2010 Prognosis: Matusz is our best starting pitcher right now. I expect nothing less than the AL rookie of the year award in 2010. He’ll probably start the year as the third starter (behind Guthrie and Bergesen), but I think he’ll clearly be the ace before long. I think Matusz is going to go down as one of the best starting pitchers in Oriole history. I may be jumping the gun a bit, but he is going to be a big part of future Orioles teams and it starts now.

Rich Hill: 3-3, 7.80 ERA, 57.67 IP, 7 HR, 40 BB, 46 K, 1.87 WHIP, 7.18 K/9

The Orioles traded for Hill last offseason, basically getting him for nothing. He was one of the best pitchers in the NL in 2007, but had physical and mental issues in 2008 and just wasn’t the same pitcher. The Orioles acquired him hoping he could bounce back to what he was in 2007. Unfortunately that didn’t happen. Hill showed flashes of brilliance and he has an outstanding cuve ball, but he was just too wild and didn’t use his fastball effectively enough. He started the year on the DL after some discomfort in spring training and had to be shut down after his July 27th start with more arm issues.

2010 Prognosis: Hill is now a free agent after the Orioles outrighted him to AAA Norfolk and he declined. He could still sign with the Orioles, but I don’t see that happening. He’ll get a minor league deal from somebody and hope to get another chance in the majors.

Adam Eaton: 2-5, 8.56 ERA, 41 IP, 9 HR, 19 BB, 28 K, 1.83 WHIP, 6.15 K/9

Eaton started the year in the Orioles starting rotation and was just terrible from the very beginning. Most people knew it wouldn’t work out after it was announced we had signed him during spring training. But the O’s needed an arm for the rotation until some of the prospects were ready. He had one good start out of eight and was released after his start on May 21st.

2010 Prognosis: Hopefully nowhere near the Orioles organization. Eaton pitched in four games for the Rockies in August. Maybe he gets a minor league deal somewhere, who knows.

Alfredo Simon: 0-1, 9.95 ERA, 6.33 IP, 5 HR, 2 BB, 3 K, 1.58 WHIP, 4.27 K/9

Simon also started the 2009 season as a part of the Orioles rotation, but it was short lived as he was injured in his second start and had to be shut down for the season. He wasn’t effective in his limited time and has more value in the bullpen, although still not much. It was an unfortunate way for his season to end, but he would’ve been replaced after not much longer anyway.

2010 Prognosis: The Orioles outrighted Simon to AAA Norfolk and he accepted the assignment. I would imagine he pitches in the bullpen for them in 2010 and doesn’t see any time in the majors unless there is a real emergency.

Nick Markakis – .293/.347/.453, 94 R, 45 doubles, 2 triples, 18 HR, 101 RBI, 6 SB, 711 PA

Markakis had a very up and down year after signing a six year contract extension in the offseason. He had an outstanding April (1.020 OPS), slumped in May (.719 OPS), bounced back slightly in June (.756 OPS), even more in July (.818 OPS), and more still in August (.882 OPS) before having one of the worst months of his career in September (.522 OPS). It was a disappointing season and a decline in production after he had gradually gotten better since his rookie year (.799, .848, .897). Part of the reason could have been that he was trying to do too much with Aubrey Huff and Melvin Mora not hitting. When Huff was traded, Markakis was moved to the cleanup spot and that didn’t seem to help any. His walk total dropped from 99 in 2008 to 56, he was hitting too many groundballs, and popping out too much. I really think the root of his problems was he was chasing too many bad pitches. He struggled a little defensively as well. He didn’t seem to get to alot of balls that he had in the past, but he still had that cannon arm with 13 assists.

2010 Prognosis: The Orioles are going to be looking for a power hitter to put in the 4th spot in the lineup and that should help Markakis. He should be batting 2nd ideally. I think he’s going to bounce back in 2010 and put up numbers more in line with 2008 than 2009. He’ll be only 26 all of next season and his best years are still ahead of him. I think the extension we signed him to will turn out to be a great deal. I predict a line of .303/.381/.495, 46 doubles, 22 HR, and 108 RBI for Markakis in 2010.

Jeff Fiorentino – .281/.351/.297, 8 R, 1 double, 8 RBI, 2 SB, 75 PA

Fiorentino’s case is interesting. The Orioles drafted him in 2004 and he was moving up the prospect ladder before we called him up to the majors straight from high A Frederick. That seemed to really mess up his development as he disappointed greatly after that point. He was let go by the Orioles and bounced around the league a little bit with Cincinnati and Oakland before signing a minor league deal with us this year. He put up some really good numbers at AAA Norfolk, a pitchers park – .312/.387/.510, 26 doubles, 5 triples, 12 HR, 67 RBI, and 13 stolen bases. He got a cup of coffee with the big league club in September and hit well, just without any power. He has a good batting eye and can play all three outfield positions adequately.

2010 Prognosis: I can see Fiorentino being the 4th/5th outfielder for the Orioles next year if Luke Scott is traded over the offseason. He could fill in at any outfield position when someone needs a day off and would be a solid pinch hitter for late in games. If we keep Scott or we don’t have room for him on the roster, he’ll most likely head back to AAA Norfolk and be called upon if we have any injuries or the like.

Adam Jones – .277/.335/.457, 83 R, 22 doubles, 3 triples, 19 HR, 70 RBI, 10 SB, 519 PA

Jones came out of the gate on fire and looked like he had transformed himself into a superstar over the offseason. He hit .359/.433/.628 in April and .333/.369/.590 in May. He was hitting for average, power, and seemed to have improved his plate discipline, but as the season went along he seemed to fall back into old habits which really hurt him. He really slumped in June (.609 OPS), bounced back a little in July (.764 OPS), but fell right back down in August (.620 OPS). Defensively he took a step back. As he bulked up a little bit in the offseason it seemed to lower his range a bit from 2008. He still played a solid centerfield and is especially apt at robbing homeruns over the fence, but if he continues his growth he may have to eventually move to left field. Jones played through minor hamstring injuries for much of the year, which may have had something to do with his decline as the season wore on, and he was shut down at the start of the September with a high ankle sprain.

2010 Prognosis: Jones will be our center fielder again next season. I expect him to continue his progression as a hitter. Hes a hard worker and wants to be the best player in the league. Hopefully he can stay healthy in 2010 as hes missed chunks of time the past two years due to injury. I don’t think he’ll be as good as his first two months of 2009, but I highly doubt he’ll be as bad as his last three months either. I’m thinking an OPS in the .800 – .850 range, and that is very valuable coming from a center fielder. Its easy to forget that Jones will only be 24 years old on opening day, he still has plenty of room to grow.

Felix Pie – .266/.326/.437, 38 R, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 1 SB, 281 PA

Pie’s season was almost the exact opposite of Adam Jones. He started off the year as the everyday left fielder after the Orioles traded LHP Garrett Olson to the Chicago Cubs to acquire him. Adjusting to a new team, a new league, and a new position he struggled mightily at the plate and in the field. He batted .157/.246/.216 (.462 OPS) in April and by that point was in the managers doghouse, as well as the fans’. But as he got comfortable and kept working with hitting coach Terry Crowly, he started to put his tools together and show signs of becoming the player he was always touted to be as a top prospect. In limited at bats over the next three months of the season he put up a .752 OPS in May, 1.167 OPS in June, and a .616 OPS in July. When he finally got some chances to play in August he really put it together, hitting .333/394/.651 (1.045 OPS) over 70 plate appearances. Unfortunately he had a couple minor injuries in September and missed the last seven games of the season, but he had a .685 OPS over 68 at bats. He also improved tremendously on defense and showed that he can play a great center field. The time might come that Pie could be our everyday center fielder with Jones moving to left.

2010 Prognosis: I think Pie should be our everyday left fielder against right handed pitchers with Nolan Reimold moving from DH to left against lefties. Pie struggled against lefties and has never hit them good in the minors, so until he proves he can handle them he should sit more times than not against them. With Pie, Jones, and Nick Markakis in the outfield our defense should be great out there. As long as Pie continues to improve, I think he could be a very valuable member of our team going forward. I think he will provide us with a .750 to .850 OPS and stellar defense.