Nick Markakis, 2008 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL1

Nick Markakis is having a decent enough season in his new digs in Atlanta. As was usually the case in Baltimore, he's played in all but one of the Braves' 89 games in 2015, batting .293 with a .381 on-base percentage and 20 doubles. But while he's on pace for the most two-baggers he's hit in a season since 2010, and he's reaching base at a higher rate than he has since 2008 (.406 OBP), his already-diminishing home run power has completely evaporated. Nick has yet to go deep this year, leaving him with a career-worst slugging percentage of .353. His last round-tripper came on September 25, 2014, when he led off the game by driving a Hiroki Kuroda pitch over the right field fence in Yankee Stadium. So his home run drought has reached 90 games and 392 plate appearances. The Oriole player with the most playing time without a single homer this year was Everth Cabrera, who was 0-for-105 in 29 games before going to the big free agent list in the sky. So I'll continue tracking Nick Markakis from afar with a morbid curiosity, to see how long it takes him to go yard.

Jay Payton, 2008 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL7

Gee, don't look so happy to be here, Jay. You weren't exactly our first choice either.

Luke Scott, 2008 Topps Orioles Team Set #BAL13

Okay, it was a rough week on the Orioles' Hot Stove. Brian Roberts jumped ship for the Yankees, heartthrob/lefty-killer Danny Valencia was traded to the Royals for David Lough (pronounced "low", as in low walk totals and low power numbers), and a promising free-agent deal with closer Grant Balfour was scotched due to an apparent red flag on his physical, leading to Balfour loudly trashing the O's in protest. But the Birds still had a better week than their former left fielder/designated hitter Luke Scott, who settled for a one-year contract with the SK Wyverns, a South Korean ballclub. His contract was $250,000 with a $50,000 signing bonus, which still puts him well below the MLB minimum. If a 35-year-old, injury-prone gun nut with a reputation for running his mouth can't get a good deal in this free agent market, what chance does any player have?