Can_of_corn

What did the O's give up to get Irvin when he had another year of team control? Do you think his value is higher now?

How many pitchers averaged 7 innings a start last year? I can't think of any. Only five guys threw 200 innings.

But if they had better middle relievers they wouldn't be in some many close games.

Mountcastle was selected with the draft pick the O's got when Cruz signed with the Mariners. You bring Cruz back, no draft pick and Mountcastle is playing for someone else. Maybe the Blue Jays? Wouldn't that be a twist!

I don't hate Cruz. Never did. But you don't bank on an old guy that got busted for steroids to have an unprecedented late career surge.

You also would have had to paid Cruz, which meant the team wouldn't have been paying someone else.

You don't know the connection between Cruz and Mountcastle? Think about it for a few and get back with me. As for being a difference maker, I know Cruz cost the Rangers a WS. Remind me again how often he went to the playoffs with the Mariners?

Perhaps Povich provides punch?

The 2015 team finished .500, It is highly unlikely that Cruz alone would have been enough to even secure the WC. The 2016 team he may have been a difference maker. The 2017 team went 75-87, Cruz ain't saving that. The 2018 team would have traded him. I'd rather have the seven years of Mountcastle.

Elias spent multiple drafts heavily investing in position players.

I'd rather have Mountcastle now than Cruz then.

Kimbrel and Coulombe can't be sent down. Bauman, Webb and Ramirez are out of options. That leaves Cano, Akin and Tate. It's a bullpen that isn't built to use the Taxi squad.

But if they are fungible you don't stack your pen with guys you can send down. Ideally you can send a guy down and see if a Povich type can get the job done.

It's not just the closer. You also have a pen full of guys with not overwhelming stuff, when that is the standard. You also don't have much in the way of guys with options so it's harder to rotate guys in and out to limit wear.

I think he had a pretty good idea what he had. Are you surprised?

I guess the lack of talent in the upper minors kept him from being able to make a trade?

This is probably observational bias. It's funny how often overachieving teams have really lock down bullpens and how often otherwise stacked teams are let down by weak bullpens. It's April but I don't think any of us were not concerned about the bullpen going into the season.

Today? I don't think I'm being any worse than usual.

Probably strained it patting himself on the back. I've done it myself.

Yes, he had a very nice stretch.

Kimbrel isn't really expensive. He's only making 1/13.

Was it the same thing that was off when the Dodgers left him off the playoff roster in 2022 or the Phillies took him out of the closer role in 2023?

He's had the speed, nice to see the inclination. And hello everyone. Nice day for a game.

Moose has no game.