7Mo

Well then I'm sorry my post did not please you.

Yes but Trezza's tweet says to me that the DFA is not a sign of Rutschman moving anywhere.

I'm not sure what your issue is but I'm not interested in arguing with you.

There are multiple posts about Rutschman moving to AAA.

Trezza tweets that the Sisco DFA is not related to Rutschman. May be making room for another claim.

I've seen some posts suggesting Elias failed with the Kjerstad pick because he wasn't in contact with him and didn't do enough background work. Here's a good article on Oriole scout Ken Guthrie's close relationship with Kjerstad dating back to early high school years. https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/orioles/how-heston-kjerstads-relationship-orioles-area-scout-came-full-circle

"I'm hoping" I agree that it's not likely.

I'm hoping some other club believes they have a magic trick to fix him and offers some value for him.

I'm in the distinct minority on this board about calling up Rutschman and others right now because I believe there is value in minor league development that others don't agree with but Leyba has 600+ AB's in the minors. I'd like to see him called up and given everyday at bats for a month to see what he can do.

Good post. I'm pro-Elias and IMO, there are several factors to consider. One is development of players in the system and I believe that's been pretty positive or maybe even better than that. I think big strides have been made in Latin America in several ways that won't show up for a few years. Signing Iglesias turned out well as did Tommy Milone. Early trades have targeted quantity over quality. I think that probably made sense and hopefully the Cobb trade signaled a change in direction by taking a more highly regarded prospect closer to MLB level in Jones. Quantity trades would be less likely to show "big results". The other factor with trades is I'm not sure Elias has traded a lot of value away to date. I don't believe more value was available for Bundy or Cobb or Givens or Cashner. Santander and Mancini and Fry should provide a much greater return as would Mullins or Means if those are traded. I think those are the type of players that bring back the "big results". There's only so much available for Stewart or Galvis or Tate. So hopefully the trade returns become better but I just don't think there was a lot available to trade early to bring big results. My grade would be a B. I feel like there are now several players in the system to be hopeful about and they'll start showing up in '22. But the MLB record won't take a big jump until '23.

Excellent post. IMO, next year will be much more enjoyable because of the young kids being brought up. The record may not be great but to me, it's a lot more enjoyable to watch a young prospect busting it even if it only leads to 70-75 wins. At least it will be enjoyable to see the first pieces of the puzzle start their careers. Then 2023 should see a big jump.

There was a lot of talk at the start of the year about finding enough pitchers to handle innings given the short work load everyone had in '20. My guess is Harvey stays in the rotation until we reach a point in the season where Elias is convinced he doesn't have to push young arms to fill innings. I'm not saying Harvey is doing well, or doing ok or that there's reason to believe he will improve. But he's paid for and he's eating at least some innings. Maybe 45-60 days from now, the emphasis changes to giving young guys more opportunities.

No they didn't but from 2001 to 2007, they lost 100, 106, 99, 91, 95, 101 and 96.

Saw that. With a 6.42 sixty, he's definitely able to cover ground in center. Here's a glowing article: https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2021/2/15/22281723/2021-mlb-draft-scouting-report-harry-ford

I would feel good about Davis. I see Frelick and Cowser mocked to the O's. The Cowser comp is Brandon Nimmo. Would love Watson or Jobe but I don't think Elias will go with a 5'9" HS SS (who might wind up at 2B) or HS RHP this draft. If the plan is a pick that banks money to spend later, that seems to point to Harry Ford or Sam Bachman. Would love Leiter but I don't see how Boston lets him pass.

I kinda doubt that affects Chaim's belief in the pick. The HS catcher who can also play second because of his athleticism certainly wouldn't be my choice and I'll be surprised if Elias goes that route.

I meant the HS second baseman.

Who did the Red Sox pick last year?

It definitely is. Gore may or may not have the yips. https://www.prospects1500.com/nl-west/padres/the-curious-case-of-mackenzie-gore/

I checked on Watson this weekend. Some stuff suggests he'll wind up at 2B but it depends on how he develops and grows. Henderson has a chance to stay at short. Not sure anyone can be sure until you see how the growth and development affect each player.

Cullen came from the Braves in the Tommy Milone trade.

Trying to understand the Elias/Mejdal/Matt Blood/Chris Holt game plan going forward, there are some things that seem to be indicators. The Astros/Luhnow/Elias/Mejdal plan is available. People are sick of hearing about the Astros plan and that's fair. I understand. But when Elias interviewed, he pitched a plan, an outline of what he intended to do with the O's. I believe what was done in Houston is the basis for that plan. And I think Elias and Mejdal were a big part of developing the plan rather than just coming along with Luhnow. My opinion is the following players are available in trade: Santander, Mancini, Mullins, Tate, Valdez, Matt Harvey, Jorge Lopez, Sulser, DJ Stewart, Travis Lakins, Paul Fry, Galvis, Franco, Tanner Scott and John Means. Elias has publicly said that they have internal values on all their players and when that value is met or exceeded, they make a trade. And I understand that Elias has said Means is someone you build around. Got it. But if he gets value, I think he makes a deal. Some are expiring contracts so the interval valuation is far less, some have greater value. If Elias is offered what he believes to be fair value, any or all are gone, starting now. The intent is not to put the best major league team on the field. The intent is to put the "elite talent pipeline" in place that has been mentioned so many times. The "harvest" is not 2022. Look no further than the lack of help at Norfolk. The harvest is 2023. That's when the O's become competitive. Bowie is Baltimore 2023, not 2022. Dealing Santander, Mancini, Mullins, Lopez, Fry, Scott and Means would likely bring back 15 guys who were top 10's in their respective systems along with several other guys the O's value highly based on their analytics (Dylan Bundy deal) plus enough wild cards (Cashner deal) to stock the players not previously signed from Latin America. Suddenly, an "elite talent pipeline" is very possible. Would dealing those players gut the MLB team? Absolutely. And that's precisely what was done in Houston. Sports Guy and others complain that better free agents could have been signed this year and last year to make the MLB product more watchable. True. But if you go back and read articles about the Houston process, it's clear that the deal with ownership was that they weren't going to go "halfway". They were in it all the way. Now, a cynic could say "that's ownership being cheap" and maybe that's true too. But I think it's part of the bargain. During the rebuild, Houston was the most profitable team in baseball. It's a part of what the brothers agreed to. Give us the profits and we'll invest in the Dominican. And the other thing is I think it's important to be open and honest with free agents. You have to let them know they're being signed to be traded in July. How many guys are open to that? I don't think it's as many as others would suggest. Now, here's the crazy speculation. The Carlos Correa draft was an underslot sign. It gave them a chance at McCullers and Ruiz. The idea is that some players just don't pan out so you move toward quantity rather than quality when there isn't a clear value choice. I'm a fan of Kjerstad, unlike most on here, but the Kjerstad draft gave them Mayo and Baumler, who they would have had no chance at otherwise. Quantity. Elias is widely credited with being the biggest Correa advocate. What else has Houston done? They've spent years picking up bargain basement catchers rather than spending big on someone. I don't think that's just by chance. I think that's based on some set of analytics that we're not privy to related to a catchers value. So, the O's have someone that can produce a tremendous haul in trade, someone with huge value if he's available in trade. What if the O's trade Rutschman this winter? How much could he supply to the "elite talent pipeline"? And a part of the return (for him or others) would be 1-2 catchers. Blake Snell brought back the #3, 7, 14 and 15 prospects from the Padres. I believe Means could bring back something in that ballpark. Even if you keep Rutschman, dealing Means, Santander, Mancini, Mullins, Fry, Scott and others can return huge value. 2023 could be really fun. But this winter, teams like the Cardinals who love their fan favorites and need someone to divert attention from Molina not coming back might pay in a huge way for a guy who is likely to be an All Star for years. The O's could very well have the best farm system in baseball. Maybe by quite a bit depending on returns. And dealing most of the above mentioned guys would likely ensure the #1 pick in 2022, Elijah Green. 2023 gives the possibility of Rodriguez, DL Hall, Baumann, Bradish, Kevin Smith, Ofelky Peralta plus 1-2 FA's without considering the huge haul that 2021 trades could bring. Just my opinion but I don't think it's reasonable to say ownership won't pay for a free agent in 2023 when they've got a legitimate chance to be good. Just my thoughts and speculation. I might be way off base, and I'm sure most will think I'm crazy. Maybe I am. But none of this would surprise me.

The pitch skipped in the middle of the batters box. Looked like it may have hit Wynns shin guard.

And Austin Martin is playing third base like he did last year. He's never been a regular shortstop in college.

Remember that Martin hasn't played short in college. It appears he's more than capable but he hasn't done it yet. This spring will tell a lot.