Camden Yards

Interesting tidbit by Roch today about Mateo: Jorge Mateo’s range could be an asset at second, where he didn’t play a single inning in 2022. https://www.masnsports.com/blog/this-that-and-the-other-1-19

I agree that Bassitt would be a fit. I actually like him over the DeGrom and Verlander deals. Verlander and Scherzer are workhorses but when do they run out of steam.

The real experts over at the Athletics have us listed amongst the best fits for many of these free agents. Rodon predicted to get five years for 144 million. https://theathletic.com/3752188/2022/11/04/mlb-free-agents-contract-team-predictions/?amp=1

Some fun predictions by the experts. https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10052939-ranking-jacob-degrom-and-the-top-10-starting-pitchers-of-2022-23-mlb-free-agent-class.amp.html

I hope so…what kinda of contract gets it done with Rodon? Does five years for $130-140 million do it? Maybe you start with three or four years. Does 3 for 90 million do it?

You seem to like Gallen a lot. Arizona negotiates with you and says Holliday plus one other decent prospect. You say no? What has Holliday done besides being our #1 draft pick? He is not a sure thing. Many wanted Dru Jones as our pick.

I agree with this. Will the top free agent starter choose Baltimore? Even if we offer Rodon, Verlander, or DeGrom the most money, do they want to play in Bmore. Lots of factors that come into play. These conversations are a lot better than trying to find the next stud in the Rule V draft! I don’t really care about how we get two good pitchers, I just think we need two good ones to compete at a high level. I am sure Elias is open to all possibilities.

I would add Wells, Voth, and Hall to the bullpen. Bautista (no mirage), Tate (solid and getting better), Baker (getting better), Perez (maybe will decline), Kriebhel (might decline), Akin, Baumann, etc are overall no mirage. If the starting pitching improves then that will lessen the weight on the bullpen. That is not counting any other pickups that Elias makes. The bullpen will be fine. I am not saying do dumb stuff but you have to take some calculated chances or you will waste the five-six years we have right now with Adley and Gunnar. Also there is nothing that says we can’t trade prospects for an elite pitcher and then lock that elite pitcher into a long term extension.

Does these transactions make us a legitimate contender? Sign Rodon 5yrs $140 million Trade for Bieber, Woodruff, Gallen, or Burnes or you do a lesser trade or sign Clevinger maybe two years 25-30 million Sign Veteran hitter Sign backup catcher

To win at a very high level you need to have a blend of the “veterans” like Tucker, Alvarez, and Bregman to go along with a few rookies. Then you need to also have a few older vets that know what it takes to win. You cannot have all of the rookies come up at once and expect to win at a high level. High level meaning really competing for a World Series. We just opened a five-six year window with Adley and Gunnar. It’s time for Mr. Elias to find the right mix using our payroll flexibility and prospects. All the prospects cannot play and some will struggle. He has built a strong foundation. It’s time to greatly improve the Major League club. The Astros have built a juggernaut! Four appearances in the last six years. I’m building a team to go after them.

Pena is talented and it helps that is he surrounded by other great rookies like Altuve, Alvarez, Tucker, Gurriel, and Bregman.

If we sign a qualified free agent, it will cost us our third pick. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/which-draft-picks-each-team-would-forfeit-by-signing-a-qualified-free-agent-2.html

I agree either would make us better. Sign Rodon and trade for Woodruff!! The Brewers seem to need hitters. Would they do Mountcastle and Urias? Do that trade and then sign Rizzo and a backup catcher.

Do you pull the trigger if it’s Holliday, Hall, and Urias? Who says No?

Well Cleveland has a history of trading their top pitchers like Kluber, Bauer, Clevinger, and Carrasco. They also traded Lindor recently. If it starts with Holliday, Urias, plus one more- I am good with that. Cleveland will try to make one more run next year or they will trade him just like the others. Bieber will make about 11 million next year which is the same as Lyles.

Shane Bieber (57.2 Value) for Hall, Westburg, and Mayo(total value of 65.9). Or Urias in there instead of Westburg and Mayo. The numbers are about even then.

Maybe one big time starter in the off-season then another at the trade deadline. Houston got Verlander and Grienke during the season. The good thing is that we are in position right now.

Me too. Have to have one before we can have two! We need quality not lots of mediocre quantity.

If we take GROD and Gunnar off the table, what package can we offer? Would Hall, Westburg, Mayo, and another prospect get it done?

Fair point. Rodon was close to the six innings mark this year with 17 starts of six or more innings. Clevinger was coming off injuries but still managed above 5 innings. He avg 6 or more innings in 2018 and 2019. Bieber did avg Six plus innings but what package will it take.

I hear ya. I just don’t know really what we will get from Kremer, Bradish, Wells, Voth, etc. I lump all of those as 3-5 type starters. We need a couple of studs who are 1&2. Hopefully GROD can be shut down guy for us and maybe it will happen year 1 from him. If we can’t get Rodon, maybe we trade and get Bieber. Getting two guys that you feel good about and that will throw 6 or 7 quality innings every time will take pressure off the bullpen. If we slot Lyles into the 5th spot, who are your 1-4 starters?? How does that rotation compare to like the Astros, Braves, Phillies, Yankees, Tampa, Dodgers, etc?

The Orioles will not make a deep playoff run with a bunch of Lyles in the rotation. He is a mediocre pitcher at best. We have a bunch of those. Hopefully GROD turns into a TOR pitcher but it will take some time. Let’s use the 10 million toward a stud pitcher.

Folks worry about Rodon’s injury history but give a pass to DeGrom who is a bigger injury risk. Rodon has started 55 games the past two years vs DeGrom’s 26 starts. I am going with Rodon. Probably can get Rodon and a good hitter (Maybe Rizzo) for the cost of DeGrom. Or get Rodon and Clevinger. What contracts will DeGrom, Rodon, Clevinger, and Rizzo get? We want to win a World Series- Lyles is good for a rebuilding team. That was great for the past. Don’t waste money on Rodon, Kremer, GROD, Bradish, and a battle for the 5th spot. Wells, Voth, and Hall battle for a starting job but can be pushed to the pen. Would give us lots of depth if we add two SPs. Who knows what Kremer and Bradish will do next year. Bullpen- Bautista, Tate, Perez, Baker, Wells, Hall, Voth, Akin, Baumann, etc. Add Rodon, Clevinger (or trade for SP), Rizzo, and backup catcher. That gives us a great shot to fight for the division.

It’s a no brainer that you do Santander for Snell. Snell used to be a legitimate ace in the AL East. His numbers have been improving lately and gives you a legitimate starter when the clock strikes midnight for Voth and Watkins. Wells will eventually have to go to the bullpen or shutdown completely when his innings reach their magic number. We get Snell for next year also. Stowers will get his chance and it seems at the very least he is a better defender. Call up Westburg and Vavra. I believe Vavra can play the OF too. Snell for a Rule V draft pick? Sign me up. We got plenty of payroll room. These are the chances we need to take.

I think the Orioles should trade Santander and/or Mancini. Any reliever that we need to add to get a good SP prospect I would do. This would free up time for Stowers and Westburg. Send Nevin down after his dad sees him play. This will allow Westburg to get the starting 3B job and maybe spell at SS and 2B at certain times. We need to bring up Vavra to see if his OBP translates to the majors. I would have Hays, Mullins, and Stowers in the OF. If Mancini and Santander are gone, then Stowers, Westburg, Rutschman, and other can rotate into the DH spot. I would try to extend Mullins and Hays. Their defense is incredible! in terms of our biggest need which is SP, I would be looking at Noah Syndergaard, Mike Clevinger, Blake Snell, and maybe even Shane Bieber. The Padres are looking at saving luxury tax money so maybe we could get Snell or Clevinger cheap in terms of any prospects going back their way. The Angels are going backward and have to try to sign Ohtani so maybe they cannot afford Syndergaard. They have huge contracts already in Trout and Rendon. Noah would be a rental right now unless we can trade for him now and sign to an extension. If I could get two of those pitchers I would! Noah, Clevinger, GROD, Hall, and Wells would be solid! When Means returns you slowly get in back in the mix. Plus we will see what happens with Kremer. Hall and Bradish might end up in the pen anyways! My big free agent splash would be Trea Turner! Bring our young guys up, add two pitchers, and then add a stud veteran to the offense! Mullins Trea Rutschman Mountcastle Hays Gunnar Stowers Westburg Vavra Bench- Chirinos, Mateo, McKenna, ? Seems like a good lineup?? Probably won’t happen but as a lifetime Oriole fan at least I can see the possibilities of competing for a WS in the next three years. We need some luck but at least we only have to fill like three or four spots from FA or trades. The last couple of years we needed to fill out a whole roster! I can definitely see the makings now.