EddeeEddee
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Posts posted by EddeeEddee
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It's over if you can't score runs, which has been this team's main struggle for awhile. I think the O's have scored the fewest runs of any MLB team with a winning record, and at the moment they have a negative runs scored / runs against differential that's been heading in the wrong direction since around the time the benches cleared with Toronto.
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Makes me smile O's fans are upset the O's did not sweep the best team in the AL in their park. Even the Dodgers would have trouble doing that. That said, this O's team is not a strong offensive team this year for well discussed reasons. They seem to be ding pretty much everything else well right now, though.
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23 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:
Nobody's really used a sweeper in years. Maybe at the youth level, but not pros. Makes it really hard to run an offside trap.
Wait... what?
Yeah, "sweeper" is a position on the soccer field too -- probably not used anymore -- so I also thought maybe I was about to read about the wrong sport in the wrong decade.
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6 hours ago, interloper said:
Free agent catchers according to MLBTR:
Tucker Barnhart (32)
Curt Casali (34)
Jason Castro (36)
Robinson Chirinos (38)
Willson Contreras (31)
Austin Hedges (30)
Andrew Knapp (31)
Sandy Leon (34)
Martin Maldonado (36) – $5MM vesting option
Omar Narvaez (31)
Roberto Perez (34)
Kevin Plawecki (32)
Austin Romine (34)
Gary Sanchez (30)
Kurt Suzuki (39)
Christian Vazquez (32)
Stephen Vogt (38)
Mike Zunino (32)One of the better guys on this list probably makes the most sense for next season at least. Would also love to get Contreras and have him split time between C, 1B and DH -- probably a pipe dream but a nice one.
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The level of greed in MLB and sports in general has gotten out of hand. A sports book at a stadium is another reason not to take kids to a sporting event.
Gambling should be nowhere near the playing field, and the only way I would support MLB promoted legalized gambling at all is if it lowered ticket prices, prompted baseball to be on regular local TV again, and/or was largely spent on youth sports leagues. Of course, none of these things will happen.
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3 hours ago, RZNJ said:
I agree that Vavra should have started somewhere. We got beat by a pitcher who was on his game. The biggest problem with this offense right now is Hayes and Mountcastle are giving us nothing and Mountcastle got hit in the hand last night.
The biggest problem with the offense right now is we have guys in the lineup that shouldn't even be on the team.
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6 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:
Wait, are we back as a winning team that we start making threads called "pathetic" over getting beat 2 of 3 from a team that has typically beaten us like a drum over the last oh I don't know, last eight years?
We have never played well in Tampa.
But honestly, do you guys really think Elias really thinks this team is a contender? Today's lineup included a .706 OPS celan up hitter in Urias, Odor (.644 OPS) batting 5th, the end of the lineup with Nevin (.571) playing 1B and Phillips and his .488 OPS playing RF.
In the words of Cal Naughton Jr., "It's embarrassing."
This is why I'm enjoying the ride, but I'm not going to start getting too excited because it's clear Elias still is not putting a contending team lineup on the field every game.
I don't understand your last sentence. The O's had the last playoff spot two days ago. Are you saying they should just give up and feel it's Ok to fall behind the Red Sox again merely because Elias feels the team is not yet ready to compete? It's asinine. They should be putting the best lineup out there every day the rest of the season to try for that playoff spot. Why not McKenna and Vavra? Nevin and Phillips barely belong on the bench much less a starting lineup. Would Earl Weaver, Johnny Oates or Buck Showalter allow that lineup out there? The heavyweight teams are coming up, and the O's could easily fall back to last place with that slop of a lineup we saw today. It's like the regime is so certain they'll be an excellent team next year they're not even going to try hard this year. I can't remember the last time I've been this angry as an O's fan.
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1 hour ago, webbrick2010 said:
Not only that I doubt that Trey wants to return to Camden Yards
You mean because of the wall being moved? Could be. But I think it really comes down to money and contract years.
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1 hour ago, NCRaven said:
I understand you admiration for Mancini, but i couldn't disagree more. Glad Trey was an Oriole. Having said that, I see no future for him on this team. We have plenty of candidates for 1B, COF, and DH. Overpaying an aging, right-handed, first baseman, that at his best was a little better than league average seems like a waste of resources and a roster spot to me. I still believe in Mountcastle depsite his bad last month. But, even if you don't, I think we can find better and cheaper options at 1B than committing a multi-year deal to Mancini.
I hope you're right, but it's not like all these strong new prospects be ready the beginning of next season. It may be better to bring back Mancini because of his consistency and try to trade one or more of the likes of Hays, Santander or Mountcastle because of their still strong trade value but also because of their obvious flaws. And even if the O's don't trade much this offseason Mancini still has proven to be more reliable than Hays, who can't stay healthy. If Mancini gets a 6 year deal elsewhere then I guess don't match it -- but I'm thinking anything else less should be considered at a minimum (perhaps 4 plus an option year). It's not like the O's don't have payroll room, and it's not like Mancini will command a huge investment. And it's not like the O's are currently an offensive powerhouse.
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7 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:
Mancini had a 114 OPS+ with the Orioles. Even if his replacements have a 90 that probably won't cost the team 5 runs between now and the end of the season.
Where did you get the math on that?
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5 hours ago, spiritof66 said:
The problem with the team's offense isn't the loss of Mancini -- or, at least, that's low on the list. The main problems are Mountcastle's prolonged and deep swoon, Urias's less extreme slump. Hays' injury/unavailability/lack of production, Odor's regular presence in the lineup, giving ABs to Phillips, and the difficulty in pinch hitting for Chirinos when Adley is DHing. That's a lineup with four to five pretty big holes in it right now, just as the level of the competition ramps up. They've been scoring some runs, but against pretty bad pitching staffs (and defenses).
Against better pitching and teams competing for wildcard spots, there's a real need for some offensive reinforcements as well as improvement from the current lineup, especially Mountcastle. I think Elias acknowledged as much when he said he tried to bring in some ML talent at the deadline but didn't find an acceptable deal. (He might have been talking about starting pitching only, but the Phillips deal suggests otherwise.) It's now looking like meaningful help from the system won't happen for a while. I guess Stowers remains a possible exception, especially if Hays can't go full-out or has a setback.
It will be quite a challenge for the current team to stay in the race without help. My guess is that happens only if the starting pitching performs well, both in innings pitched and in runs allowed, against some pretty good offenses. I'm looking forward to it, and trying to keep my expectations low.
Right, which is why losing Mancini hurts. He's been the most consistent hitter on the team for years when the rest of the team has been so inconsistent. Not saying they should not have traded him considering the return and it's his contract year, but I am saying I like to see the FO bring him back next year and beyond. People act like all these prospects are a sure thing to replace Mancini's bat. I'm not so sure when we're seeing so much injury and inconsistent hitting this season. For once the strong point of this team is its pitching. Losing Mancini hurts more than people want to admit -- and not just because he was a fan favorite.
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2 hours ago, e16bball said:
102 games before trading Mancini: 424 runs (4.16 runs per game)
6 games after trading Mancini**: 29 runs (4.83 runs per game)
** note: assumes no more runs scored in today’s game
Yes, I should have said WILL BE struggling to score runs with Mancini gone and a newbie (albeit impressive) up from the minors to replace him. I assume Brett Philips and Yusniel Diaz will be short-lived experiments, but I just can't see the O's playing at this high a level with that bottom third of the lineup once they get back to the heavyweight teams.
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1 hour ago, spleen1015 said:
Vavra is getting Mancini's AB.
Agreed. This team is definitely not better minus Mancini, plus Brett Philips. They are struggling to score runs with Mancini gone. They need to axe Odor and Philips as soon as they can. Mountcastle and Mullins are pretty good but not the same mashers they were last year. I wouldn't be surprised if the O's try to re-sign Mancini (which maybe they should anyway) or find another first baseman if Mountcastle stays like this the rest of the season. Hopefully lots of good bats coming up from the minors soon but don't think any of them play at first.
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On 8/5/2021 at 9:48 AM, vab said:
A team that's been one of the worst in baseball for five seasons who plays their home games in a bandbox in the toughest division probably in sports. I think Matt Harvey is about the limit to what will be available to this club in pitching free agents.
No, as the O's get better and spend more money they'll have much better options. The question is whether they will pursue them aggressively as their competitors -- and be smarter about who they sign and for how long.
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On 8/5/2021 at 9:42 AM, eddie83 said:
Look at previous regimes here.
Pearce, R Lopez, Guthrie, Gibbons. I know I’m leaving some other names out. It’s time.
Miguel Gonzalez, Koji Uehara and Wei-Yin Chen come to mind, but like others are saying the Orioles have such a small payroll they should probably go bigger pretty soon on better known FA pitching.
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59 minutes ago, Philip said:
Yes, and I don’t defend those actions, but they are not criminal. As a matter fact my only point is that No one should assume he’s guilty
But add that to all the other stuff he is well known for, including all the online bullying and at least one other suspected incident of abuse. It's not just one thing that's come out -- it's multiple things. Bauer might play again, but I'd think only the near contender teams most desperate for starting pitching (maybe the Padres) would likely even entertain offering him a contract.
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Great post, but it does beg the question: why are certain organizations like Cleveland and Tampa basically pitching factories? Some must be luck, but I'd think -- being hardly knowledgeable in the area -- there has to be people at those organizations that are just better than everyone else at finding it and developing pitching.
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3 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:
Are there rookies in the MLB that aren't affected by Covid weirdness?
Yeah, Ryan Mountcastle
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6 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:
Oh come on.
How long was Holt gone for?
Stuck in Covid weirdness? Dude, everyone's stuck in Covid weirdness right now, the Orioles aren't a unique case. Some teams are thriving.
Know who's kicking ass despite Covid weirdness? The Blue Jays. And the Blue Jays only just recently made it back to their home in Toronto. All last year and most of this year they were playing in Dunedin and Buffalo. And yet they're still a game back of the Yankees for a wild card birth. They've dealt with more Covid weirdness than practically any team and they're legit. Their young players are stepping up big time. What Covid weirdness have the Orioles had to deal with in comparison?
You're right, Kremer and Akin aren't going to be the next John Means...not even John Means knew he was going to be the next John Means. An unheralded guy who figured it out at the ML level and surprised a lot of people...they're exceptionally rare.
I didn't expect that from Kremer and Akin, but I also didn't expect them to completely **** the bed, either. I didn't expect both of them to have to be demoted because they were so god-awful terrible in Baltimore. Dude, how bad do you have to be that the guy who used to be Matt Harvey is holding it down in the rotation and pitched the 2nd most innings on the club this year?
No one's saying that Kremer and Akin were ace material but it's concerning that guys who were looked at as 3rd to 5th starters have been terrible this year. None of the young pitching has progressed at the ML level and that's a big reason for concern. You can't convince me otherwise.
My point is Covid weirdness is sure to affect a team full of rookies -- none who are major pitching prospects -- more than a team that went out and got Robbie Ray, Hyun Jin Ryu, George Springer, Marcus Semien and Steven Matz. The Blue Jays and Orioles are obviously apples and oranges -- no point in comparing them at this point. I'm not surprised the Blue Jays might have a shot a second place in the AL East with their talent level. And I'm not surprised this Oriole team -- with its current level of big league experience and talent level -- is barely better than the 2018 team. But it's silly to write them all off because the season is a mess. The next two seasons will be more telling for the likes of Kremer, Akin, Baumann, etc etc.
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49 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:
Sorry, but we've got the #1 prospect only because we picked him first overall. A monkey could have made that pick. And while G-Rod is fantastic, he was part of the previous regime's processes. If you really want to point to him as part of the recent success, that's fine...I'd accept that he's been developed under this current regime and they partially deserve some credit for his status.
As mentioned earlier, the young pitchers this year have been disappointing practically across the board. That cannot be ignored. If we are talking about processes, the lack of performance from guys were were looking to step up and achieve this year has to be addressed.
Yeah they've been disappointing, and they're pretty much all rookies -- on a bad team that mysteriously lost its pitching coach for awhile, still stuck in Covid weirdness. Kremer and Akin in particular have been terrible, but it's not like they are all going to be the next John Means -- at least not in their rookie year. This stuff takes time -- just ask the White Sox, Mariners and Padres (not to mention the Tigers and Reds -- and of course the Astros).
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1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:
Sure, you can improve the processes.
Look, all of these franchise have tools and processes and a whole assortment of things at their disposal, and I'm assuming all of these franchises probably think they're doing things the right way...or are going to put them in place and by God, that'll do it. And it doesn't always work. How can it work for everyone?
And yes, you're right...the processes apparently have improved here in Baltimore, however the results have been bad.
Sorry, but the processes are showing results in the minors. When was the last time they had the #1 prospect and the #1 pitching prospect -- and the #1 minor league system? It doesn't mean the Orioles are bound for glory, but the difference is everyone sees a change at the lower levels -- whose personnel will be graduating to the big leagues over the next few years. Now they just have to stop trading away the likes of Josh Hader and Eduardo Rodriguez for rentals -- and eventually they'll have to make smarter decisions on free agents.
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The season is too long as it is, especially for shorter attention spanned younger viewers, so thankfully it's hard to imagine the league expanding the playoffs.
Also, I don't know if anyone has done a study, but I'm wondering if such a long baseball season and longer playoffs is contributing to more injuries. But more games means more money, doesn't it? Considering the TV audience for the playoffs gets smaller and smaller I think the league should consider going back to a 4 team post season -- which they'll never do. But even the postseason games just don't feel as meaningful as they used to.
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On 7/28/2021 at 11:24 AM, kidrock said:
After reading through an article on who the Cubs may potentially trade away, I began to think that we are further away in the rebuild than I originally thought. They have many decent to plus players who many think they are going to trade. If they can't compete with a core of Bryant, Rizzo, Baez, Kimbrel, Hendricks, Davies, Wisdom, it makes me feel like the O's are just so far away.
Maybe I am being foolish or dramatic, but look at St Louis, Wash DC, Atlanta, Philly, NYM. All have much better rosters, yet they are all around 500. The Braves weren't doing that great before Acuna got hurt from what I remember.
Am I off base here?
It's not about how many stars your teams has. It's about quality players overall, youth, depth and balance. That's how teams like the Rays and A's compete nearly every year. Easier said than done -- but it is doable if your owners hire the right people and support them -- and give them something of a budget to work with. I doubt any team is more than 5 years away from competing if the team has the right people running it. Of course you need some luck too. But if you believe you're more than 4-5 years away from competing then you probably always will be -- until you get the right ownership and front office combo to get the club on the right path.
Kyle Bradish 2022
in Orioles Talk
Posted
He had a 3.14 ERA in August in 5 starts, then a 2.08 ERA this month after another 5 starts. After reading about him a bit it looks like his weakest pitch is his fastball. So, he's been thriving on all his other pitches -- especially a cutter and slider -- and an improved changeup.
You got to wonder if Means and Rodriguez won't be ready for OD next season, perhaps making Bradish pretty close to guaranteed a spot in the rotation, at least to begin the year. He's only 25 and not sure what more he could do to convince than pitch extremely well the past couple of months.