The pieces are in place for a winning team

[wildcard]

Reynolds 40 HR
Jones 20+
Reimold 20+
Hardy 20+
Wieters 20+
Davis 20+
Markakis 15
DH(Betemit/? platoon)15
2B 10+
That's 180+

If the +'s are added up along with the guys like Chavez, Teagarden and Antonelli who will have 5 or less it would total to 200+

[Frobby]

If the +'s are added up along with the guys like Chavez, Teagarden and Antonelli who will have 5 or less it would total to 200+

They hit 191 last year. 38 were by players no longer in the organization. So, we'd need 47 or so from Betemit, Antonelli, Teagarden, and Chavez, plus an extra half-season from Reimold and 80% of a season from Davis, plus the last hitter on the roster. Not a sure thing, but certainly possible.

[wildcard]

I will respectfully submit that the better projection systems are looking very systematically at how relevant is last year's performance, or the year before that, compared to the earlier years and the whole body of work, and that all of that is taken into account in their projections. And as I've said, counting on Betemit for a .391 BABIP is just foolish. A guy who strikes out 105 times in 359 PA is not going to hit .292 very often. My bet is you will see a significant drop in his BA and OBP in 2012. Believe me, I'd be thrilled to be wrong about that, and I hope I am.

Believe me I am not relying on BABIP. I do think if a guy has a good OBP and a decent OPS for two years straight he has to be take seriously that he may be able to do it again. High K is not what anyone wants but he has been able to put up a decent OPS in spite on the K's. It kind of like Guthrie not have good peripherals year after year. Everybody says he can't repeat it but then he goes and does it again.

[wildcard]

They hit 191 last year. 38 were by players no longer in the organization. So, we'd need 47 or so from Betemit, Antonelli, Teagarden, and Chavez, plus an extra half-season from Reimold and 80% of a season from Davis, plus the last hitter on the roster. Not a sure thing, but certainly possible.

You forgot the additional HRs by Wieters and Jones as they are still maturing. It does add up to over 200 IMO. And yes, nothing is a sure thing.

[Frobby]

You forgot the additional HRs by Wieters and Jones as they are still maturing. It does add up to over 200 IMO. And yes, nothing is a sure thing.

I think the incumbent players will hit around the same as before. Some may be up, some may be down (Hardy, for example).

[wildcard]

I think the incumbent players will hit around the same as before. Some may be up, some may be down (Hardy, for example).

OK. I think Wieters and Jones will be up and Hardy will be down so I agree.

[Roy Firestone]

Sure, this team could potentially win 82+ games this year. However, considering that the offense, which is largely the same this season, scored only 708 runs last year, it's hard for me to expect 760-770. The bullpen might be good. The rotation might be decent. However, in my mind, it is much easier to envision the offense regressing and the rotation struggling, resulting in another 65-70 win season. To me, the problem lies in the fact that we have to conjure up scenarios in which the team might succeed rather than conjure up scenarios in which it might fail. This could be the year the O's over-achieve and break out of their 14-year rut, I just don't see it as being in any way likely.

Yes, of course this team needed pitching. No one disputes that. But this team also
needed a good contact low strikeout lefthanded bat in the middle of the order. IT DID NOT GET ONE. No matter what anyone says, to me this is the biggest
failure in the
offseason.
No impact bat. Im sorry, i just dont think Markakis or Reynolds or even
Davis is close to being that bat, and for that reason I see this team not making
any real progress save for a few games here or there.

[El Gordo]

Yes, of course this team needed pitching. No one disputes that. But this team also
needed a good contact low strikeout lefthanded bat in the middle of the order. IT DID NOT GET ONE. No matter what anyone says, to me this is the biggest
failure in the
offseason.
No impact bat. Im sorry, i just dont think Markakis or Reynolds or even
Davis is close to being that bat, and for that reason I see this team not making
any real progress save for a few games here or there.

You are referring of course to Prince. Do you really think the team could afford to offer him the 10/250 M it would have taken to sign him? What other MOO bats were available, Beltran?The best we can do is hope that Wieters fits that description. It's possible.

[BrunoCherrytown]

You are referring of course to Prince. Do you really think the team could afford to offer him the 10/250 M it would have taken to sign him? What other MOO bats were available, Beltran?The best we can do is hope that Wieters fits that description. It's possible.

We'll never know but I wonder what Prince would've signed for had a team stepped up before VMart went down. I'm guessing it would've been a good bit less but still out of Angelos' comfort zone which was ten cents on the dollar.

[El Gordo]

We'll never know but I wonder what Prince would've signed for had a team stepped up before VMart went down. I'm guessing it would've been a good bit less but still out of Angelos' comfort zone which was ten cents on the dollar.

Depens on the team, but if it was the O's it would have had to be close to the 10/250 . He didn't want to come here. I think the LAD's made an offer of 170M, just before he signed with DET.

[DrungoHazewood]

But this team also needed a good contact low strikeout lefthanded bat in the middle of the order.

Wow, that's about as specific a need as I've ever seen. When you limit yourself that much, you have to know that there are somewhere between none and a very small handful of players who're both available and meeting that criteria. And being a terrible team with questionable resources you're setting yourself up for failure.