BALTIMORE ORIOLES --- Adam Ulrey

This is one of the worst teams in baseball! Talk about a team forgetting about its farm system, that would be these Birds. Over the last three years they have been one of the oldest teams year in and year out. It finally caught up with them. With Mike Mussina leaving, this team has no pitching and it will show.

They went out and signed another old free agent in David Segui. Nothing against Segui, who I think is an excellent first baseman, but this team needs to rebuild, not spend 29 million on Segui. The second baseman is one of the few players from their own farm system: Jerry Hairston Jr. In limited time he showed the ability to steal a base and play a pretty good second base. At shortstop will be another over the hill free agent, Mike Bordick. Why they keep doing these stupid moves is beyond me. Bordick is 35 years and they don't need him with Melvin Mora able to play. Then look over at third, where Future Hall of Famer Cal Ripken plays. I understand that you can't allow him to go to another team because of all he has meant to the organization, but he needs to retire. Look at this infield and you see Segui who is 34, Bordick is 35, and Ripken is 40. The Orioles didn't address their need to get younger; they actually got older. Brook Fordyce, who hit .322 with 9 homers and 28 RBIs in his 53 games for the O's, will handle the catching chores.

The outfield was dealt a huge blow when Albert Belle had to retire due to his degenerative hip disease. So Brady Anderson will probably start in right field now, yet another of the grandpas on this team. Anderson had 19 homers to go with his 50 RBIs, but only hit .257. Left field will be manned by Delino DeShields, who did a pretty good job playing the outfield for the first time last year. He had a pretty solid year, with 86 RBIs, a team-best 37 steals and his best average in years at .296. They will go young in center field with Luis Matos, who showed tremendous ability to play great defense. He doesnt have much of a bat, but he can run, as evidenced by his 13 steals in just over 70 games. The DH role will probably be handled by Chris Richard (.276, 13, 36),who came over in the Will Clark trade. Look for him to be playing some outfield very soon, as the Orioles will either trade DeShields or Anderson as soon as someone will take them.

The starting pitching is down-right pathetic. Sidney Ponson now assumes the role of staff ace. I dont know if 9-13 with a 4.82 ERA is worthy of ace material, but they have no one else. Pat Hentgen, who signed as a free agent, will be the number two starter. He brings experience, but that's about all he will bring. Jose Mercedes might be their best starter with a 14-7 record along with a 4.02 ERA. The rest of the staff -- Chuck McElroy, Luis Rivera, John Parrish and Jay Spurgeon -- will fight it out for the last two spots in the rotation.

The bullpen has a solid closer in Ryan Kohlmeier, but he is young and has had a very limited time as a closer. The rest of the pen will be made up of unknowns like Matt Riley, B.J. Ryan, Jason Johnson and one veteran, Alan Mills. The Orioles are still holding out hope that Scott Erickson can come back from arm surgery to be a starter or help the bullpen.

This team's management just doesn't get it and probably won't as long as the current leadership remains in charge. They need to rebuild and get younger, but what they did was get older, slower and worse. This team will be lucky to beat out the Devil Rays for last place in the East.