24fps

For me it's not possible to watch an Orioles game without rooting for them to win and damn the consequences. Where else would you keep your dichotomy?

Happy holidays everyone!

If it hits ten pages I think it levels up to the "Topics we've beaten to death" thread.

If the Yankee's ROI on Cole is equivalent to the O's on Cobb then I will at least chuckle.

Hever Bueno - now there's a great baseball name. And a pitcher no less!

2003 Tigers went 43-119. IIRC all September people were waiting to see if they could be worse than the 1962 Mets. I'm waiting to see what Elias does about the starting pitching before I expect anything less than 110 losses.

It depends on how many $5 million units Orioles' ownership have earmarked for gambling.

I enjoyed the first couple of months, didn't you? Not clear on your overall point.

And all refined, sophisticated baseball fans prefer high draft positions to mere winning. Evidently winning is for losers.

Yeah, agree. 9/28/2011 marks the beginning of the five-year run in my mind as well.

Sustained success, it doesn't have to be contention every year, but most. And the permanent retirement of the term "once proud franchise" in all media - even the laziest.

Another question is will that happen? The Angelos brothers are uncharted territory when it comes to spending to support a competitive team. Nobody can point to any history when it comes to how they'll act when the rebuilding reaches critical mass. Fingers crossed that this isn't a precursor to Tampa Bay v2.0.

yay.

I can't say I'm disgusted - more like genuinely annoyed. I would have kept Villar unless it was a clear case of limited payroll dollars for arb eligible players and he was sacrificed to allow the rest to be retained. I suspect that is partially the case. I am more than a little sympathetic to worthwhile players victimized by strict adherance to team-building systems. Ultimately I'm a fan of the guys on the field, not the guys on the phone (and that most certainly includes agents). I'm very interested in seeing how the market finally values Villar after his 2019 season. I predict we're going to see a further reduction in FA compensation across the board except maybe for a few players at the very, very top of the class. Perhaps that is also informing Elias' decision making in regard to Villar.

Sworn enemies of Scott Boras and the MLBPA?

Whoa, suddenly there's a little outlaw cache to being an Orioles fan! I never thought I'd see the day.

I voted no and I'm completely on board with the philosophy as well, very pointed questions about what the Angelos brothers will actually do once all this sacrifice is finally over and done with notwithstanding . When guiding principles become rigid doctrine that's when I step to the side and say "wait a minute." I'm a sports fan (specifically a baseball and high school football fan) not a religious nut or a modern-day political wacko - I'm not on a quest for the One True Path so I'm quite open to alternatives to the scorched earth approach that Houston successfully used a few years back. "So-and-so won't be here for the next competetive team" is mantra, I'm saying spare me the mantra.

I'm so very, very sick of the argument that so-and-so won't be here for the next competitive Orioles team.

What can I say? Times have changed. Radically. Especially in terms of player valuations within the context of a particular team's circumstances. We started talking about it during the 2017-2018 offseason and the trend has only become more pronounced since then. I wouldn't be surprised if gaming the service time of prospects of Mountcastle's caliber is the new normal and will remain that way until the basis for making those decisions is collectively bargained away.

I think it's always good advice to play your own game and not be pulled into someone else's. The outcome of the upcoming labor negotiation is so unpredictable at this point that I wouldn't feel the need to factor it into individual minor league personnel decisions. I probably wouldn't consider it at all. Until GM's are hired and paid by the MLBPA I will expect them to act in the best interest of the team that employs them which often translates into purely financial decisions favoring management. I think the players have a legitimate beef here, but I don't fault management for taking full advantage of existing rules.

Why should the Orioles care what other teams are doing with their non-Oriole players regardless of ranking?

Amen. Sadly it's become the most popular internet sport by far.

Great news and big thanks. Hope you have a great vacation.

We Are Family. The absolute worst. Unlistenable.

There is absolutely no reason to trade him if the return isn’t worthwhile. Zero.