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Valdez is at the top of my list. Seems like a win-win if Houston is willing to take prospects over major league talent. There’s an enormous need for a quality starter on this team and if we lose a couple of the top 10 prospects, we’d still have one of the better farm systems. Cowser, Beavers, Povich? Mayo, Ortiz, McDermott? Basallo, Norby, Johnson? I dunno, any of those trios would be good for both teams I think.

He’s got an option, can’t be mad about it. Underwhelming, but most everything this front office does is underwhelming at first glance.

Because he totally invests an appropriate amount that he gets back into the payroll. Totally.

I predict he’ll pitch like an ace sometimes and pitch like garbage at others. If I had to put a final line out there it’d have to be somewhere between 3.50 ERA and 6.00 ERA. He’ll strike out at least one batter.

Yea, I think my post sounds angrier than I intended lol I’m more so frustrated. The prices are going to be high, but that’s baseball in 2024. If you want a proven SP, you gotta pay the market rate in dollars or prospects. The O’s have both.

You’ve all become complacent and over confident in this teams “prospects”. There’s no way (in a reasonable world) that Elias doesn’t add a starter, preferably a mid-rotation guy. It’d be an injustice, not just to Baltimore fans, but to baseball overall that the reigning divisional champions with so much room in the payroll and so many redundant prospects would just sit on their hands and throw out obvious bullpen arms as their 5th piece and call it a day. The Yankees just got Soto, Blue Jays will undoubtedly improve significantly, same with the Red Sox. TB is always good somehow…I don’t want to pretend that I’m okay with in house options because I’m so tired of being disappointed by this teams ownership and risk averse front office. This thread is ridiculous, not necessarily the premise, but the amount of posts I’m reading that seem like you’ve already gotten comfortable with the idea that a reliever on the brink of being washed up is the only move this offseason. To answer the question, hell no. I would not be okay with going into the season with Hall, Wells, Irvin or whoever else is already on the roster. Go out and make something happen. Otherwise this offseason is a missed opportunity.

I want him to play 2B for the Mariners. Brothers on the same team is always cool to see. Mets would be cool and he’d be good insurance if Baty is not able to cut it for them. I think Urias is too much in the middle…he’s not really an established threat nor is he simply good depth.

I hope Stowers get his shot with the O’s. It seems like an interesting move might be to move some other more highly valued guys and Stowers can step into their place. I’m thinking like trade Cowser or Kjerstad to make ABs for Stowers. Obviously I’m not saying trade those players just for the sake of trading them. But he is good depth and I think if it wasn’t for some other more highly regarded prospects hanging around then we’d all be talking more highly of Stowers.

Thank heavens. Ohtani on the Blue Jays made me sad. I didn’t want to have to watch the O’s face him so much nor did I want to like a Blue Jays player.

Considering Roch is a mouthpiece, this speaks volumes. It’s undoubtedly a concerted effort by ownership to reverse whatever words were said about improving the team because once again John is sitting on a golden toilet wondering where he can squeeze some more money into his own bank account. The ultra-wealthy are the absolute worst.

It doesn’t matter quite as much as before, but I can say with a lot of confidence that the Jays will win more games if they sign Ohtani. It doesn’t matter if the O’s still win 100 games if the Jays are winning 101. I absolutely hate the idea of Ohtani going to Toronto. It’s worst case scenario. Yankees and Red Sox are already financial behemoths, now we have to deal with a loaded Toronto team full of superstars in their prime? Bleh

Good to hear. Now we have a McKenna backup lol

I’ll go with a tandem just to say it…McDermott and Johnson. I want to see what Mancini brought back.

Wells/Hall/Irvin should be battling it out for spot starts, not the 5th starter role. I think it’d be an absolute failure of an offseason if at least one starting pitcher is not acquired.

I don’t know how to pull specific data so I can only speculate, but I feel like great set up relievers don’t often translate to great closers. Cano is my most recent memory. I’m happy to be proven wrong, but the stress of the 9th seems to me to be an absolute real thing that some guys can’t overcome.

I’d rather have an okay closer than have to rely on someone who we don’t know if they can’t handle the mental stress that seems to come from that role. I just hope that Hyde is willing to go with the best option rather if one of the other bullpen guys comes in pitching lights out.

Assuming this is a one year deal, I think it makes sense. Cano showed he isn’t a closer and it’s probably too much to expect Wells or Hall to step into that role. Not saying they can’t, it’s just dangerous to make any assumptions. Personally, I think Wells would do great in that role though. Kimbrel is cool too I guess.

I feel like Haskin is pretty much gone but I don’t really think he’ll be missed either.

If Holliday wasn’t so young with so few AAA ABs, I might think he’d be a solid guess for our opening day 2B. But right now there are a multitude of players that he would be leaping over that deserve a chance to show what they can do. None of them have the ceiling that Holliday does, but until Holliday is really bashing the door down (not there yet, but close) then I want to see what Westburg, Mayo, and Ortiz can bring to the infield. Im afraid we’ll see far too much of Urias and Mateo. Both of them should have been released, it’s not like they have any trade value.

I like that Luzardo is controlled for longer and left handed. That makes me go with him.

Rumors of interest in Ohtani and then narrowly miss out by about $300 million.

There will be other options at 1B/DH to consider so it might not be as easy as “just give Adley and Basallo 1B/DH at bats” I think Adley has quickly made himself the face of the franchise. I don’t see them trading him until halfway through his last year, like Machado. I say trade Basallo.

It depends…would he be the best SP acquisition this year? If he’s a secondary piece to fight over the 5th spot with Kremer, Wells, and Irvin, then sure. That sounds great. Im not at all worried about losing Urias or Mateo. They could be DFA and I couldn’t care less.

No, I don’t think they were.

Gibson was useful for what he was. Irvin has been a bit of a swing and a miss so far, but hey…that’s what happens when shopping for discounts or whatever. Yes. It’s called optimism vs reality. It’s not that difficult.