To recap the events of the past few months:
On December 10, 2011, disappointed Orioles owner Peter Angelos fired GM Dan Duquette, citing lack of organizational control for the O's decade long playoff drought.
The search for a new GM didn't last long, just 10 days later, Taylor Morin was hired to turn around the lowly Orioles. Morin had been the director of player development for the Atlanta Braves for the past 15 seasons, his success there was a major reason for his hiring.
Said Angelos about the hire:
Any organization can acquire young potential talent, the most successful can take those young players and turn them into stars. Mr. Morin oversaw the development of many great players in Atlanta, we thought his high-level experience in an elite organization like Atlanta was exactly what this team needs.
Morin has a difficult road ahead of him. He takes over a team that went 69-93 in 2011, finishing 5th in the AL East. The future doesn't look particularly bright either. Chris Mayberry of The Baseball Network (TBN) ranked the O's last in his 5 year future rankings.
Taylor Morin has replaced Dan Duquette as general manager, and the list of what he needs is long: Frontline pitching, more pitching, even more pitching and a wave of position prospects.
It appears the Orioles will get little return from the $20 million they will pay Brian Roberts over the next two seasons, and Adam Jones will be eligible for free agency after the 2013 season. What needs to happen for the Orioles is a complete turnaround from Brian Matusz, who had a disastrous 2011 season, and more development from Zach Britton. Prayers could be useful, too. -- Chirs Mayberry
