MIKE BORDICK
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | CS | GIDP | HBP | SH | SF | OBP | SLG | AVG | OWP |
| 117 | 367 | 37 | 85 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 36 | 35 | 63 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | .302 | .365 | .232 | .366 |
Shortly before this writing, the Orioles announced that they'd failed to reach an agreement on a new contract, or on arbitration, prior to the MLB deadline, meaning that Bordick won't be back with the Orioles. The two sides were reportedly more than $1.5 million apart on a one-year agreement, meaning that they weren't close at all. Whether another club will meet the terms of Bordick--who turns 38 in July--remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely.
Bordick broke a record, as we all know, for consecutive games without an error by a shortstop last season and committed a remarkable one error in 569 chances in 2002. What's more, despite a gradual apparent slippage in range, Bordick finished second among qualifying big league shortstops in zone rating behind Alex Rodriguez. Mike Bordick was a very good defensive player in 2002. He's probably not genuinely quite this good--it's doubtful that anyone expects him to go another season with one error, and as he ages his range will assuredly dissipate. That said, Bordick is still a better than average defensive shortstop.
Unfortunately, he's also a below average offensive shortstop. Way below average. The average American League shortstop had an offensive winning percentage of .489 in 2002. Bordick's mark was a sickly .366. Bordick's career OWP is .391. The average AL shortstop during Bordick's career posted an OWP of .426.
An otherwise strong team with an obvious hole at shortstop might be able to absorb a player like Bordick, but goodness knows that characterization doesn't apply to the 2003 Baltimore Orioles. The club obviously decided that paying at least $2.75 million to an aging, possibly injury-prone, good glove/no hit shortstop made no sense and acted accordingly. It's pretty hard to find fault with that reasoning.
TO SUCCESSFULLY CONTRIBUTE NEXT SEASON HE MUST:
1) find an employer
2) maintain something close to last year's defensive performance
3) arrest the downward offensive trend that reached alarming levels last season
4) stay healthy; he's missed nearly half the games his team has played over the past two seasons
Notes: OBP of just .284 after the All-Star break...substantially better with runners on base (.271/.355/.396 in 144 ABs) than with bases empty (.206/.266/.345 in 223 ABs)...anemic (.186/.284/.271) in 59 "close and late" ABs....232 OBP in 90 ABs leading off an inning...beyond dreadful (.114/.250/.159) in 44 ABs that reached a 3-2 count.