Arevader-Jay

The Orioles proved once again that they are determined to get better and build for the future when they released Jay Gibbons on the last day of spring training. Gibbons is still owed $12 million over the next 2 years.

In the past, the Orioles would have kept a player like Gibbons and crowbarred him into the line-up, no matter who he'd be taking AB's from, to justify paying him.

But O's fans can rest assured, perhaps more than ever, because Andy MacPhail is making the right moves, no matter how much it is costing owner Peter Angelos, in releasing players like Gibbons.

This move allows utility player Scott Moore to be on the roster, and to see whether or not he has a role on this team now and in the future. (Moore had a career .793 MiL OPS)

Gibbons, had no role. His OF defense was average at best, meaning he was stuck as a back-up DH who couldn't hit. Moore, can play 3B, 2B, some OF and had a great spring offensively.

I do wish Gibbons the best. He seemed like a decent guy who played hard. Perhaps a little too hard, as he was named in the Mitchell Report for dabbling with steroids. He was also very injury-prone. Maybe another team picks him up at the minimum and tries him off the bench or at DH. I wouldn't be surprised to see him bounce back from his miserable 2007 campaign. But then again I wouldn't be surprised to see him out of baseball in a few months.

But no matter how good he is, now or in the future, Jay Gibbons had no role on the 2008 Baltimore Orioles. So Andy MacPhail ate the money and made the move that needed to be made.

And it's nice to finally see the Orioles start doing that.