O's are unlikely to get #1 pick in the 2011 Draft

With all the doomsayers already discussing how we are looking at locking up the first spot in the 2011 Draft, I wanted to remind them that there are 12 teams within 5.5 games of our sad position in the standings. As bad as we've been, I don't believe we're the worst team in the game, nor expect a #1 pick.

If Anthony Rendon is indeed the top dog, he'll likely be barking up another tree.

I'm not saying we should intentionally tank all our games, or anything. But maybe we should just let Tillman, Arrieta, Bell take their lumps (could they really do worse than Atkins, Hernandez, etc..?) That way, they get the Major League experience under their belt, we can see if they are ML ready, and if we get the #1 pick next year so be it. We're certainly not going to the playoffs this year, so we might as well use the season to give our guys playing experience and get a good draft pick out of it.

I'm not saying we should intentionally tank all our games, or anything. But maybe we should just let Tillman, Arrieta, Bell take their lumps (could they really do worse than Atkins, Hernandez, etc..?) That way, they get the Major League experience under their belt, we can see if they are ML ready, and if we get the #1 pick next year so be it. We're certainly not going to the playoffs this year, so we might as well use the season to give our guys playing experience and get a good draft pick out of it.

This. But even if we finish having a decent year (for our standards) or play decent the rest of the year, we'll still probably finish with a top 5 pick, top 10 at least.

I'm not saying we should intentionally tank all our games, or anything. But maybe we should just let Tillman, Arrieta, Bell take their lumps (could they really do worse than Atkins, Hernandez, etc..?) That way, they get the Major League experience under their belt, we can see if they are ML ready, and if we get the #1 pick next year so be it. We're certainly not going to the playoffs this year, so we might as well use the season to give our guys playing experience and get a good draft pick out of it.

Here we go again... rooting for the team to lose for the sake of potential (not singling you out Doc, but it will just start that asinine argument).

Since the draft in 2011 is supposed to be one of the best drafts in recent years, I do not think it really matters as much as in 2008 and 2009 if you have pick #1 or not.

Actually if we do not trade players like Tejada and Millwood at the trade deadline we might be able to get some extra draft picks next year!

Look at the 07 draft when we got Matt Weiters at # 5 and 08 when we got Matusz at # 4, so don't count Rendon out yet. We might not be # 1, but we could be # 3 again. Also, there are some really good college pitchers who may push him out of that # 1 slot.

Look at the 07 draft when we got Matt Weiters at # 5 and 08 when we got Matusz at # 4, so don't count Rendon out yet. We might not be # 1, but we could be # 3 again. Also, there are some really good college pitchers who may push him out of that # 1 slot.

This and the top of the draft landscape would change if Harper doesn't sign and continues to unleash his own brand of hellfire.

Look at the 07 draft when we got Matt Weiters at # 5 and 08 when we got Matusz at # 4, so don't count Rendon out yet. We might not be # 1, but we could be # 3 again. Also, there are some really good college pitchers who may push him out of that # 1 slot.

I think he would have to flop badly before the Astros let him get away.

If you're not going to finish in the playoffs, you might as well finish dead last to get as good a draft pick as you can.... I'm not saying I totally buy in to that logic, but there is a certain logic there....

I know there's a lot of the season left to be played. But let's look at the facts:

Jones and Reimold have regressed horrifically to the point where people want them demoted to the minor leagues.

Pie and Roberts, our two offensive table setting catalysts are out for the foreseeable future.

The back end of the bullpen is better with Simon and Uehara, but still scares me.

The number 5 spot in the rotation has been terrible all year.

Wieters hasn't become the 30 HR masher we all hoped he'd be.

Our first basement have a combined OPS of .300 or something pathetic like that.

So, worst record seems attainable.

I understand that our system needs hitters, but Gerrit Cole and Taylor Jungmann are fine consolation prizes.

I'm not concerned about our 2011 draft slot.

I am WAY more interested in BAL getting creative in adding picks to their 2011 allotment than I am whether they pick #1 or #7. They will get a very good player next year -- I'd like for them to maybe get a shot at 2 or 3 in the first round and 2 or 3 more in the supplemental-1st.

Stotle,

When you say that you would like to see the O's get 2 or 3 in the first round, do you mean the second or third pick?

I don't see how they could get additional picks in the first round unless they don't sign this year's top pick.

I am WAY more interested in BAL getting creative in adding picks to their 2011 allotment than I am whether they pick #1 or #7. They will get a very good player next year -- I'd like for them to maybe get a shot at 2 or 3 in the first round and 2 or 3 more in the supplemental-1st.

But since there is no draft pick trading in MLB the only way of getting additional draft picks is by hoping players like Tejada, Wiggington and Millwood to become type A or B Free Agents and someone else offering them a contract.

The even bigger question is whether you try to get the draft picks for these three players or if you try to trade them at the trade deadline...

But since there is no draft pick trading in MLB the only way of getting additional draft picks is by hoping players like Tejada, Wiggington and Millwood to become type A or B Free Agents and someone else offering them a contract.

The even bigger question is whether you try to get the draft picks for these three players or if you try to trade them at the trade deadline...

I think that the pick(s) for Wigginton and Miggy will be better than what we are likely to get in a trade offer for them. I think the trade offer for Millwood is likely to be better than the picks for him would be.