In a surprising move, the Orioles announced this afternoon that they will pick up manager Dave Trembley's option for the 2010 season. The Orioles are currently in danger of losing 100 games with their 61-98 record and it's their 21-50 record since the All-Star break that made this news particularly unexpected.It's true that much of the O's talent (particularly their pitching talent) is very young and that this year was going to be a difficult year for any manager. Team president Andy MacPhail acknowledged as much in his statement on the move, saying that record wasn't the only thing he used to evaluate his manager. Even with that knowledge, however, Trembley seemed to be a sure candidate for Monday's chopping block.
Even with this extension, he's likely to be on a short leash for 2010. The Orioles' record has gotten worse in each of Trembley's seasons at the helm, going from 40-53 after he took over from Sam Perlozzo in 2007, to 68-93 last year, and now staring 100 losses in the face in 2009. With Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Nolan Reimold all in Baltimore and producing at various levels and Brad Bergesen, Chris Tillman, and Brian Matusz all getting some big-league seasoning this year, the Orioles have to be expecting some improvement in 2010.
That's one thing that the Orioles' terrible second half has obscured; there is some good young talent in Baltimore and this team isn't necessarily doomed to be the AL East doormat forever. Dave Trembley will apparently get one more year to prove that he's the guy that can help that talent succeed at the big-league level.
