by Andrew JohnsonFiled under: Diamondbacks, Orioles, MLB Transactions, MLB Hot Stove, MLB Winter Meetings
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- If the Orioles were wondering what the going rate for an impact hitter in free agency was coming into the Winter Meetings, their struggling rivals a Beltway to the south left little doubt on Sunday night.
Seven years and $126 million for Jayson Werth set the bar high, probably way too high, for Baltimore, which has already missed out on an attempt to land Victor Martinez earlier this winter and figures to see a similar conclusion to its pursuit of Paul Konerko, perhaps in the next few days.
The O's, like their neighbors in Washington, are in a tough spot when it comes to player acquisition. Baltimore is not an attractive destination for free agents, meaning it is stuck having to overpay Werth-style if it wants to bring in elite targets. It also does not possess the depth of talent either at the major league or minor league level to go out and swing a trade for someone like Adrian Gonzalez without seriously damaging its chances of competing in the cutthroat AL East.
So it is within that context that the Orioles went out and sealed a deal several weeks in the making for Mark Reynolds Monday. Reynolds -- 27, acquired from Arizona -- is a player they hope will boost a sagging offense that ranked second-to-last in runs scored in the AL last year, and particularly struggled in the power department -- ranking 10th in the league in home runs.
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