Who should Orioles want to play in postseason? / MAILBAG

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.

Question: While we still have hope that the Orioles can win the AL East, let’s assume they get a more likely top wild-card spot. Based on the way other likely wild-card team are currently playing and set up for a short series, which team should we be hoping to meet in the first series? From: Rick Staley, Hagerstown

Answer: Rick, it’s a best-of-3 game series and difficult to handicap. Of the three leading contenders for the other wild-card spot, Kansas City may be the most intriguing simply because the Orioles haven’t played the Royals since April 21^st. They’ve played six games over the last two weekends with the Tigers and close the regular season with three games at Minnesota. It would be interesting to see them play a team they had just played, too.

Question: Have you ever heard of any MLB player eligible for free agency and likely to receive huge multi-year offers decide to stay put out of loyalty to his teammates, the city, the fans, his manager, etc., and just accept what his team thinks it can afford? If so, could you give an example or two?
Thanks, Tom Capuano, Proctor, Vermont

Answer: Tom, J.J. Hardy twice decided to eschew the free-agency process, even though he could have made more money elsewhere and signed three-year contracts with the Orioles.

In 2011 and 2014, Hardy signed contracts because he liked playing with the Orioles and had no stomach for the free-agency process. Mike Mussina did the same in 1997, though he later left the Orioles for the Yankees.

Some other prominent players — Cal Ripken Jr., Tony Gwynn and Chipper Jones — also liked where they were playing and never became free agents.