Moose Milligan

I'm tired of trying to project when this team will be good. If ever. They'll get there when they get there. If they get there.

And they really shouldn't.

Rosenthal and Law are paid/judged based on the amount of clicks they generate. No one is going to click on and read stories written about the Orioles outside of the fanbase, which is dwindling by the day. Know why the Yankees get such coverage? Because way many more people care about the Yankees than we do. You go to Asia, Europe, people are wearing Yankees hats. Can't say the same about us. I know you're passionate about the Orioles but no one really cares about this franchise on a national level.

The standard answer is....of course it depends on what the return is. Will the real John Means please stand up? I don't think we know who that is yet. 2019, made the AS Team as the token Oriole. Had a good year overall but a spotty 2nd half. Last year was a weird year for everyone and a hard year for him as he lost his father. Came back in September, pitched well. Pitched excellent to start this season, missed time with an injury. People (including me) are wondering if spider tack had anything to do with his success. It's hard to gauge who he really is based off his complete body of work as there have been interruptions throughout. I'd be hesitant to move him because I think he can be a good piece for us. He's probably a 2nd or 3rd starter, ideally a 3rd. If G-Rod and Hall pan out and are top of the rotation guys, then Means is #3 and you've got a good thing going.

Not surprised about that. Seems like he'd thrown a lot of innings, high leverage ones, too.

Yeah, I'd probably have Baltimore on my no trade list, too. Especially If I'm (or was, in this case) a respectable player who's won some stuff in my career. You might be right, it's a logical thought. I think the only ILLOGICAL thing that they could do is NOT trade Mancini this year because of his story and what he means to the team....and then trade him next year, shortly before he goes to free agency. While he's a really good dude who wants to be here, do that guy a favor and let him go play in a pennant race. I'd have to be blown away to trade Mullins, I don't disagree with that...the dude keeps hitting but I can't help it, there's still a small, small part of me that's wondering if he can do this again next year and that selling high right now would be a strong move. Same for Means, too. I'd be a lot more closer to trading those guys than I think many others would be. I wouldn't be actively shopping them but I'd also let it be known that I wouldn't mind seeing offers come in.

Perfectly happy to trade Tanner Scott. I don't see Mancini being moved, which would probably be something we should do...given of course, it's a good return. I think we make a couple deals with middling returns. I don't think Elias trades any of the valuable chips (Mancini, Mullins, Means) that we have this year. It's also laughable that 5/25 of the roster is essentially untradable.

You getting the sneaking suspicion that the spider tack crackdown is leading Means' demise? Me, too.

There aren't many 5 tool players in the game at all. What you outlined, an outfielder who can hit, run, and field (IMO, you're talking about hitting for average and power...fielding includes good glovework but also in this case taking good routes to balls and at least an average-to-strong throwing arm). Yes, a 5 tool player would be in the outfield every day. I agree with @Three Run Homer, a good team probably doesn't want a .200 hitter as their 4th outfielder. They want as little dropoff as possible for when a starter is out for a bit or taking a day off. If McKenna were in the outfield hitting .230 and playing every day, I guess that'd be fine but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be looked at as a guy to build around and could be expendable.

Well also we've apparently had some good personnel to deploy the shift as well. I like Hyde, I think he's doing the best with what he's got.

Well I guess it’s a dubious thing to be known for. I’m not anti shift, although I think it’s annoying. It’s part of the game. Hopefully we can still be good at it if we’re ever winning games at a good clip ever again. Tip of the hat to Hyde, I suppose, for knowing when to shift.

Ok…

I mean, I’m not calling anyone an a-hole or a “butt boy” but point taken.

Ohhhh RZNJ, resident tough guy. I’m shaking in my boots.

Sorry I haven't memorized McKenna's minor league stats and where he's been and how long he's been there before. This is hilarious, look at the argument you're making. "I said THIS but I never SAID THAT and YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN."

Yeah, well, you know what they say when you assume...

You did an excellent job of bringing a .940 OPS to the table without mentioning it was in 67 at bats.

Seems like a good dude.

That you want to see more of him based off a .940 OPS. Or that he has more tools than most, or something. Which is fine, I guess. I mean, I don't really think .940 OPS in 67 at bats is much to get excited about, it's essentially an extended hot streak. Had he done that for an entire season, I'd be excited to see him. He also put up a .686 OPS in Bowie over a full season, too.

If I'm reading his baseball reference minor league stats correctly, he put up a .949 OPS in 67 at bats. But then you said we need to stop making definitive statements off 50 sporadic at bats. 67 isn't 50, but we can also not pretend 67 at bats of .949 OPS in Norfolk is a portender of future success at any level.

All of these guys have some talent. Even the worst player in the majors is still in the 99th percentile of all players in the world. IMO, just because Mullins stopped switch hitting and in turn upped his game doesn't mean that everyone who looks like a 4th outfielder can suddenly put up an 8 WAR season. Some of these guys really are 4th outfielders. Yes, he needs to lay off the high fastball...and he needs to show that he can hit a fastball, too. Maybe he does need some more at bats but at first glance he's been overmatched quite a bit.

I think Tate is coming around and will be an important bullpen piece moving forward. I'd be willing to listen to anyone/everyone on the roster but I wouldn't be actively shopping him.

The only one I'd be interested in maybe keeping would be Hays. Stewart's had plenty of chances, Santander is always hurt, it seems. I like him but not enough to want to keep him around.

Pains me to say it, but moving Mancini would probably be the best thing, though I'm not sure what we'd be able to get back for him. It's been widely speculated on here. Even then, it's a "heart says no, mind says yes" situation when it comes to trading him. Emotionally, it'd suck but depending on the return it's most likely the right move. I also don't feel the need to keep DJ Stewart, even though I like his OBP skills and he's fun when he gets on a homer tear. Too injured, too often. Diaz is whatever, IMO. Quite frankly, sans Mullins, I'd really like this organization to ship all these outfielders out one way or another and get ready for the new crop to come up. Get rid of Santander, Stewart, Hays (yup, sorry @Frobby, he's just going to get hurt again), McKenna and see if someone will bite on Diaz. Get ready for Cowser, Kjerstad (fingers crossed), Stowers, Haskin, etc. "BUT MOOSE OMG WHO WILL PLAY THE CORNER OUTFIELD SPOTS NEXT YEAR!?!?!?" someone will invariably whine. Someone will step up or we'll get some boring placeholder in the offseason. I'm quite frankly tired of this current crop of outfielders that we have, it's nothing but disappointing production and injuries. I don't see how any of them are really future pieces except if Hays can MAYBE stay healthy.

I'm betting on a similar kind of Trade Deadline Strategy, which is somewhere between standing pat and being completely and utterly underwhelming.