The Baltimore Orioles appear to have tough decisions ahead. According to CBS Jon Heyman, their plans for the future could include designated hitter/outfielder Nelson Cruz, but outfielder Nick Markakis future is less certain. In a column posted prior to the Orioles playoff elimination at the hands of the Kansas City Royals on Friday, Heyman wrote that the team was likely to extend a qualifying offer to the pending-free-agent Cruz, while exercising a buyout on Markakis 2015 option. Qualifying Cruz will cost the Orioles $15.3 million. Cruz, signed to a one-year deal prior to the 2014 season for $8 million, enjoyed a standout season with the American league East champions. The 34-year-old bounced back from a 2013 campaign that was marred by a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs to post career highs in home runs (40) runs batted-in (108) and runs scored (87). He won the AL home run crown for the first time in his career. Markakis, meanwhile, will receive a $2 million buyout. He has an option worth $17.5 million, but the team is reportedly loath to pay such a high price. A career Oriole, Markakis had a down year with the team, hitting .276 and hitting just 14 home runs for a career-low 50 RBI. Markakis has spent nine seasons with Baltimore, posting a career average of .290 and twice eclipsing the 100-RBI plateau. Heyman added that Markakis has been a favorite of owner Peter Angelos (and others in the organization) so a return, at a lower rate, wouldnt be a surprise. Markakis signed his current deal prior to the 2009 season. The six-year, $66.1 million extension means that the Orioles would have to pick up the option to not risk the 30-year-old having the ability to test free agent waters. Womens Steelers Jerseys . - Pete Rose didnt want it to be about him, not on a day when four new members were elected to baseballs most exclusive club. Merril Hoge Jersey . Kyle Shanahan was hired as offensive co-ordinator Monday after spending the previous four years in the same role with the Washington Redskins. http://www.cheapsteelersjerseyschina.com/. -- LeGarrette Blount made one last big splash into a soggy end zone. Wholesale Steelers Jerseys . In sunny and almost windless conditions, the Swede shot four consecutive birdies on the front nine on his way to a 68 and went 9 under for a one-shot lead over Englands Lee Slattery and two over Paraguays Farbrizio Zanotti (68). Steelers Jerseys Outlet . Consider it received. Attacking on offence early and often, the Penguins topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Saturday night as Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal in the third period to help give Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference playoff series.The Pittsburgh Penguins have taken control of their series with the New York Rangers, winning Game Four to push the Blueshirts to the brink. Notes on Crosby, Malkin, Nash and more. RANGERS REELING The Pittsburgh Penguins have been having their way with the New York Rangers and it continued in Game Four, with Pittsburgh winning 4-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Through the first four games of this series, the Penguins have controlled play to a surprising degree, considering that the Rangers were a superior possession team during the regular season. In 5-on-5 score close situations against the Rangers, the Penguins are getting 59.5% of the shot attempts against the Rangers. Its hard enough to get the better of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but if their team is dominating the puck, the hill gets awfully steep in a hurry. In Game Four, Crosby and Malkin, playing together, toyed with the Rangers, controlling better than 78% of the 5-on-5 shot attempts. Crosby contributed a couple of assists and Malkin had a goal and an assist to increase his team-leading playoff point total to 12 points in 10 games. Malkin only had three shots on goal, but had 13 attempts (six missed the net, four blocked). LW Chris Kunitz and defencemen Kris Letang and Paul Martin were also over 70% in terms of shot attempts. With Penguins D Brooks Orpik leaving after only 5:15 of ice time, Martin (30:05 TOI) and Letang (27:56 TOI) both logged heavy minutes. The mirror image, for the Rangers, is that Martin St. Louis, Carl Hagelin (who scored the Rangers first goal) and Brad Richards were getting worked, all on for 25% or less of the shot attempts. The Rangers had LW Chris Kreider in the lineup for the first time since March 24.dddddddddddd. He played 15:24 and was one of two Rangers to at least break even on shot attempts. The other Ranger with better than 50% Corsi in the game was the much-maligned Rick Nash, who led the Rangers with four shots on goal (and six attempts) but, for the eighth straight game, he was held without a point and has been a target for boos from the MSG faithful. Thats not unreasoanble, Nash has one goal in 23 playoff games with the Rangers over the past two seasons, yet over the past two regular seasons, hes scored 47 goals in 109 games -- his 0.43 goals per game in that span ranks 13th, between Joe Pavelski and Marian Hossa. Expectations are higher and the fact that the Rangers are unable to score, managing five goals in four games against Marc-Andre Fleury (not exactly the paragon of playoff goaltending in recent seasons), only serves to highlight Nashs playoff drought. It should go without saying that Nash generating as many shots as he is (a playoff-leading 45, with zero goals!) makes it likely that he will resume scoring soon but, for the Rangers sake, with time running out, it may not be soon enough. Fatigue, and a compacted schedule have been commonly cited reasons for the Rangers poor play in this series. Whatever the excuse might be, they are left without wiggle room now. They need to win three straight against the Penguins or they will have plenty of time to rest very soon. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Chargers Hoodies Cheap Browns Hoodies Cheap Texans Hoodies Cheap Ravens Hoodies Cheap Panthers Hoodies Cheap Jets Hoodies Cheap Titans Hoodies Cheap Chiefs Hoodies Cheap Bills Hoodies Cheap Colts Hoodies Cheap Cardinals Hoodies Cheap Buccaneers Hoodies Cheap Rams Hoodies Cheap Jaguars Hoodies Cheap Falcons Hoodies Cheap Bengals Hoodies ' ' '