bluedog

That was one of the worst takes I've seen on OH. Its like he hasn't been watching the same pitcher.

Any time you pass the 1922-1924 era Yankees for anything, you've done something special.

If there is one thing I've learned from watching this year's team, its that losing one player doesn't affect their ability to win. Someone else just steps up. I expect a deep playoff run whether or not Bautista is available.

If Kremer wins 15 games this year and gets his ERA below 4.00, it will be hard to argue with his results over the past two years. I agree with Frobby's take. He often seems to come up big when the team needs a stop. He is still learning how to pitch and win at the big league level.

There have been lots of cycles (and also Cycles + or whatever you want to call them) in major league history, but I can never remember a player passing up on a cycle before like Gunnar did by refusing to stop at 1st base for the needed single. That's the kind of unique event that people will tell stories about and that becomes part of a player's legend. I wonder how many other players have duplicated that feat? It has to be a very small list.

He easily should be in the conversation after tonight's start.

Cedric Mullins would like a word...

Unusual moves are usual moves for Elias & the O's.

I've said this before - I don't think that Elias comes here in the first place without strong (potentially contractual) guarantees that he'd have the financial support required to win a championship. Presumably Elias had huge leverage in negotiating his deal with the O's and he's smart enough to use that leverage to get what he required, otherwise he would have gone somewhere else where there was a history of financials support for the front office's needs.

At some point, you hope that Elias has enough money so that he'd rather enjoy the fruits of his labors and maybe win multiple championships over moving to another rebuild just to make more cash.

The Braves went 3 - 3 last week while the O's went 6 - 1. All season B/R has consistently been willing to put hot teams over cold teams that have a slightly better (+/- 2 to 3 games) record.

It's almost like Elias knows what he's doing...

1. On August 5th, the O's would have the best record in the AL and be 10+ games ahead of the Yanks and Red Sox 2. Ryan O'Hearn would have nearly 200 ABs and be leading the team in Avg, Slg and OPS What are your favorite "you'd think I was nuts" facts about the 2023 O's?

I find it hard to value the opinion of sportswriters who criticize front office decisions for a team that is #1 in their league and vastly out performing other teams that have followed more typical organizational strategies and have far higher payrolls. Suggesting that the O's front office is somehow missing out on a "mental model" that he has identified as the defacto one to follow is a joke. How many MLB championship front offices has he been a part of?

That home run tonight to dead center was a manly blast (424 ft) 2 for 3 with a HR and 2 walks 2 runs and 2 rbis Beginning to fill the stat sheet like he did at AAA. Exciting!

There is a scenario where next year we have Pham, McDermott & Povich all at AAA pitching lights out and creating the same issue we have with positional depth on the pitching side.

I don't think Irvin sniffs the rotation next year short of injuries. I think he's long lefty out of the pen more or less permanently. But yeah - starter logjam is crazy. Even crazier, all five of them were either drafted or acquired by waivers, rule 5 or trade when they were in the minors and developed!

Peak Mountcastle is the closest the O's get to having Judge in their lineup. If Peak Mountcastle can stick around for just 80 more games, I think a world series ring is coming our way.

I loved the fact that they gave him some time off specifically to work on his swing and the first at bat back, with 2 strikes he barreled up the ball for a solid double. Given the results with O'Hearn, Frazier, Hicks and getting Mounty back on track after his vertigo, I have tons of faith in our hitting coaches and process and their ability to get Cowser on track.

I agree, but does Elias?

Love the depth, but we have a logjam brewing. If Means fully recovers and is effective at the end of this year and Wells bounces back from his recent spate of bad starts, then we have Means, Wells, Kremer, Bradish and GRod all vying for (expecting?) rotation spots. If the O's sign a FA starter then there's even less opportunity for Povich, etc. It will be fascinating to see how Elias constructs the rotation next year.

It will be very interesting to see what the O's do with Means, Kremer, Bradish, Wells & GRod already in the fold. It's not my preference, but I can imagine a scenario (Means pitches really well end of this year and next spring) where Elias goes with that group of 5 starters. If they do sign a Snell or Urias (or Flaherty) then someone from that group misses out unless they go to a six man rotation. Wells to the pen is a possibility, but given how he pitched up to the last 3 starts, I expect he wouldn't be happy with that role.

Who would you be most excited to land in FA? For me it's Julio Urias. His slightly elevated ERA this year may keep his price more reasonable and his peripherals still seem near elite to me. I'd also love to keep Flaherty.

I wouldn't be shocked if Ortiz joins the team back in Baltimore and Mateo gets waived or McKenna gets demoted.

I know they are rookies and I know there is no guarantee they hit, but I sure wish we had Ortiz and Kjerstad taking the at bats that Mateo and McKenna are getting.