luismatos4prez

DFAing Meisinger seems significant to me. They were at 38 before the move. They could have easily claimed Ruiz and not cut anyone to go to 39. Could mean 2 picks are the plan on Thursday. Surprised Meisinger was the cut, too.

Great list. Interesting take on VanMeter. I definitely would like Akeem Bostick with the first overall pick. I was surprised not to see Tyler Eppler on your list. Is he not actually eligible or did you just not like him?

Hard to sign ML free agents without a manager. I think a ML starter (a Kevin Millwood type) and an infielder will be signed at least.

I absolutely love shifts. The game isn't stale. It's always evolving. Offenses and defenses are constantly adjusting to fight each other. Defenses have adjusted to pull hitters. They'll either figure it out or they'll be out of the league. Maybe Ichiro-style slap hitters will become more valuable. Who knows? I love the adjustments though.

He's managed to outperform his 5+ ERA peripherals nicely. He also had 57Ks and 55 BB/HBPs this past year. That's not good. That's good for the lowest K/BB rate of any ML reliever by a wide margin. His peripherals (SIERA, xFIP) were the worst of any ML reliever in 2018 also. The peripherals don't mean much if a guy keeps outperforming them (like Gonzo did). And Castro's only 23, so he ought to be on the team this year, but I don't think he's good. Can't strike guys out and doesn't have the control needed.

I like Bostick or Eppler at 1/1. Both could do Mike Wright/Miguel Castro's 5 ERA longman/ spot starter job with more team control and upside in the future. I haven't seen any position players that I like with the first pick. Forrest Wall is at least fast and has some versatility but I'd rather go with one of the pitchers.

On a good team, I'd abandon the LOOGY type relievers. I'd have a 6 man pen. A few shut down guys in the back of the pen, a few long guys (Hess, Yefry types) that can be optioned based on rest, and use the 25th man on a bench bat. Backup catcher, utility infielder (Flaherty type), utility outfielder with base-stealing (David Lough type) and two bats (Trumbo/Mancini types) for pinch hitting on the bench.

Hess is not a major league quality starter. He's like Tyler Wilson, Jason Berken, Steve Johnson, etc. I would be okay with him as the 7th or 8th starter on the team if wins and losses mattered.

Richie Martin and Forrest Wall both seem okay. I like that they're both fast can steal bases. If nothing else, they can ride the pine and pinch run this year if drafted. I like Max Schrock a bit, too. Tyler Alexander has decent minor league numbers but he doesn't seem to miss many bats. Christian Santana is hardly ready for AA much less the majors.

Keith Law on hiring Mike Elias: Keith Law on Mike Elias's plan:

What are everyone's thoughts on Miguel Castro? Does he make the club next year? He doesn't get hit very hard, but he also walks a lot of guys and doesn't miss many bats. And adding Cervenka seems like a foregone conclusion to many. His bat seems okay, is his defense really impressive?

I can't edit it in, but he also mentioned he saw Mullins as an average player at best, which I think is fair.

A few notes from Keith Law's Q&A about the Orioles: Q: Jomar Reyes had a good finish to 2018. Still a rising prospect for O’s? A: No, that ship has probably sailed Q: Keith, where do the Orioles go next? A: I'm very curious to see where they go; I thought Showalter had to go, but Duquette had to do that job with one hand tied behind his back, and there was a credible argument that he should stick around to get to fully execute his vision with a manager of his choice who wouldn't work at cross purposes to his own. I can certainly think of a few names of GM candidates who'd be great fits. Q: Does Ryan Mountcastle have enough of an arm to stay at 3B? Does Grenier have enough of a bat to be a regular SS? A: Probably not, probably yes, in that order. Q: Does Brady Anderson's continued presence hinder the Os from getting a good GM candidate to consider taking the job? A: One of the questions any candidate should ask in the interview is whether Anderson will report to the new GM or to ownership. The only acceptable answer is the former. The latter is a dealbreaker

Fielding the best team possible is the #1 goal, but I think there's value in being an extension-happy franchise. If you have guy who's a clubhouse leader and well-liked by the fans, it makes a lot of sense to keep him. I believe ODay was appropriately cheaper than Miller, too. My mom is a casual Orioles fan. She gets sad when some of the few names she remembers go away. It makes her less interested. Mussina, Markakis, Machado leaving definitely have a negative effect on those type of fans. I always root for productive Orioles to be extended. Within reason of course - even I was appalled at Chris Davis's contract. But I wanted Jones, Trumbo, Machado, Markakis, Cruz, all those guys signed to extensions within reason. I think it's a good way to do business as a mid-market club.

I'd be happy if they brought him back, Flash would immediately be the best defensive infielder on the Orioles (at 3B especially). But I doubt it happens. Wilkerson is almost back, and I'm sure they see him as a younger, cheaper Flash.