The Case for Mark Reynolds

The Baltimore Orioles had a breakout season this past year with having a winning record that took them to the playoffs. What the Orioles really need to do now is bring back the players that helped them so much last season.
Some of these players are the obvious ones, such as Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, and J.J. Hardy who all one the Golden Glove in their positions last year. One of the less obvious players to bring back was Nate McLouth who was recently signed for another year after a great breakout season.

One player who I believe should have been resigned is Mark Reynolds. Sadly the Orioles gave up on Reynolds and traded him to the Indians, but here is why Reynolds should have been resigned. Reynolds drew 73 walks last season leading the clubhouse for the second straight season. Along with this Reynolds was tied for the third most home runs on the team with 23 homers 15 of which came from the final 50 games of the season. Yes it was apparent that Reynolds suffered the worst slump of his career hitting bellow .200. He finished the season with .221 and had a great end of the season. As an article on mlb.com describes, "A well-liked player in the clubhouse, Reynolds played through numerous injuries during the season. He was hit by a pitch six times during the regular season and twice in six postseason games. Health was a question to everyone but Reynolds, who deflected any notion that he might need to miss time." The Orioles need good team players like Reynolds, players who can lead the team and show their strength. Reynolds may have had a shaky offensive season but showed skill at first base after being moved from third.
Reynolds showed tremendous skill at first base this season and was always right on target when fielding the ball. He also was a huge force towards the end of the season by hitting so many home runs.
Why the Orioles gave up on Reynolds is plain and simple. They did not think that he hit well enough to stay with the ball club. For a team that has done so poorly, one season sure seems to have put a lot of confidence in the Orioles. If they are willing to give away a player like Reynolds they can go ahead and do so. However, if the Orioles are hurting on first base next season, I won't be too surprised.