ESPN's Keith Law's take on Aubrey Huff

Here’s a take on Aubrey Huff from ESPN’s Keith Law:

“Aubrey Huff was the best bat left on the free-agent market, but perhaps not the best fit for Baltimore. The Orioles will now be spending over $10 million per year over the next three years on two so-so left-handed bats who don't hit lefties and who are probably best-suited for DH duty.

Huff hasn't been a frontline hitter since 2003, when he looked like a star on the make. After a small step back in 2004, he fell off severely in 2005 and it was more of the same in 2006. He no longer has the big power teams want in a defensively challenged corner bat, and has a questionable work ethic and a rep as a sour guy in the clubhouse -- certainly not what Baltimore, with clubhouse problems of its own and a few guys who visibly dogged it down the stretch last year, needs at this point.

If Huff can recapture a little more of his 2002-03 performance and the Orioles just use him in a platoon with Kevin Millar at first base, they'll get some value out of this signing, although they could have done the same thing with Jay Gibbons in Huff's spot and spent their money on a better offensive player. It's the sort of small step that isn't pushing the Orioles up into a class with the Blue Jays, never mind the Yankees and Red Sox; they need to target and then actually sign an impact player, something they're not likely to do as long as Peter Angelos is reaching into baseball operations.”

Mr. Law is right in the respect that Huff was the best bat left on the market, and I do agree with him to an extent that Huff is similar to Gibbons in terms of his abilities, offensively and defensively. However, Huff does have a proven track record before he struggled badly in Tampa Bay last year, so he should be an improvement to what the Orioles had in '06. As well, he’s been pretty durable in his career.

If everything goes to plan, the Orioles can be at .500 and make a run at third place in '07, but yes, they will probably not overtake the Yankees or Red Sox, even with their own flaws. In light of it all, the Orioles of ’07 look significantly better than the ’06 version.

I also agree with Keith in terms of the Orioles needing to make a big deal, and I agree with it. In order to make a splash, a risk needs to be taken; however, I feel that signing a Soriano or Lee would have essentially crippled the organization, especially the length of the contracts for players whose productivity would falter down the road in comparison to their pay. The O’s do need to take a risk, but they have to be smart with it as they don’t have the revenue of the Yankees or Red Sox.