One of the constant criticisms about the Baltimore Orioles front office is their lack of involvement in the international market. The Orioles need to do whatever it takes to gain advantage over the Red Sox or Yankees, and one would think that increased spending -- or at least stockpiling of international talent -- would be a rather simple way of doing so.
However, Andy MacPhail has stated numerous times that scouting in Latin America is difficult, because the players are limited to performing in workouts and are not able to be seen in game action. Combine that with the fact that in Latin American steroid problems are common, and you can start to see where the Orioles' hesitance comes from.
But teams like the Rockies, Mariners and Yankees have had success by increasing their international spending and stockpiling talent. It's discouraging as a fan to see other teams having success in this area while the Orioles seem uneager to go out and duplicate other teams' successes, and gain a much needed advantage to get out of the AL East cellar. And, as Luke Jackson stated on Twitter, it seems as if MacPhail's statements are more of an excuse than a reason for being outdone.
Two years ago it seemed as if the Orioles had made strides as they gathered enough international players to field two Dominican Summer League teams. But prior to the 2011 season they returned to fielding just one DSL team.
While the loss of a DSL team is discouraging at a time when such great emphasis is being put on the Orioles' international efforts, they are finally starting to show signs of life.
Use this thread to discuss.
