In a division full of some of the American League's top left-handed pitchers, the Orioles have creatively built a roster that they hope will be better than the league's 29th-ranked offense off lefties, the way it was last season.
The key element is the power of the platoon.
The Orioles could have five players — Hyun Soo Kim, Seth Smith, Joey Rickard, Trey Mancini, and Craig Gentry — rotating through two starting lineup spots each day, depending on the opponent's starting pitcher.
That creates some roster clutter on the bench, and in the long run, could leave the team thin at other areas of need while stagnating the development of two of the organization's promising young bats.