Can_of_corn

Is Sportico just repeating Puck?

In all seriousness I'm holding off for some confirmation before I get hyped.

I'm holding off celebrating until Roch confirms sometime next week.

I'll take a promising guy in A ball and a lottery ticket.

Who is?

I would have guessed you were pro-Karen.

Tony Rasmus.

You don't think they are using some form of AI manipulation already?

I think they are mostly AI generated at this point.

Or maybe Hicks didn't want to stay? Maybe he likes California?

If you never deviate from playing tight you tend to end up losing slowly instead of winning.

Even when they go bad they aren't that damaging. That's one free agent relief pitcher needing TJ in April.

What are the odds of that actually happening? I'd say about the same as the odds of a guy pouting because he feels he's being underappreciated and isn't getting the chances he thinks he deserves. Am I pulling that out of thin air? Sure, but so are you. Instead I'd rather trade out of this needlessly deep depth and either get multiple pieces that are further away or an upgrade to the ML OD roster.

Typical? How often am I posting that late? Hey look who is up at 6am? Top 100 prospect isn't good enough for you? Too bad.

I'm about to go to bed so I'm not going to put any thought in it but how about top 100? Guys that the industry as a whole hold in high regard. Folks seem to like round numbers.

He was what, fourth on the depth chart? Oakland is a bad team with what is considered a weak farm system (1 top 100 players from MLBpipeline for example). Is he a top 100 prospect? I don't think he is. I like Hernaiz, I thought he was a good pick and wish him well, but he's not an elite prospect.

Nobody "elite", which is what we are talking about.

It depends on the player. On one hand you might have a guy that, as has been suggested, finds extra motivation. I don't buy this idea that somehow Ortiz is going to perform better because Jackson is behind him. On the other hand you might have guys that sulk. My guess is that, for most of the players, they are self-motivated and dedicated and it doesn't make a noticeable difference either way.

But once again, he isn't trading anyone playing "at an elite level". What do you do if you are a Connor Norby? Now obviously I hope everyone stays focused and they all work together but there is, IMO as much chance of this situation turning sour as there is it increasing everyone's level of play.

But they aren't playing for all 30 MLB because Elias is seemingly unwilling to trade them. Wasn't that your point? That we need this deep depth and can't be trading these guys to the other teams?

How can you "beat out the guy in front of you" when you are in Norfolk and they are in Baltimore? How can you beat out Gunnar or Adley? You would be OK knowing you could be in the majors if you were in another organization?

And being stuck with no chance of promotion has never been an issue in a workplace.

I don't think so. I think mostly these guys are self motivated. I think you are as likely to end up with someone being frustrated and their level of play suffering because they are still riding buses when their work should be resulting in their being in the majors. I mean, if we are going to be playing armchair psychoanalysts.

There is enough depth you can do both, particularly if you are also willing to spend in the upper part of the bottom third in payroll. It doesn't help the ML team to have three backup outfielders in AAA that could step in. What's the likely value, at the ML level, of that third guy?

Which is great when guys get hurt. But actually increasing the talent on the field on opening day is pretty great as well. And the O's should be doing that.