Guess what, it doesn't matter.

[MrOrange82]

Uhhh, isn't that a bust?

You say bust, I say Ben Grieve. Two good years, out of baseball five years later. That's a bust.

Wieters is a 2.5 WAR player who keeps opposing teams from stealing bases. It's disappointing that he doesn't look like a superstar, offensive player, but he absolutely looks like a lock to hold down the catching position (albeit with merely good offensive production for his position) for years to come.

[Gurgi]

It's a thing of beauty when he squares one up. He makes it look easy...and then I spend the time watching his other at bats wondering why he can't make it look so easy more often.

Probably that bat speed and the whole guessing thing we discussed this spring. He must be guessing and is often guessing wrong.

[Sports Guy]

My point is that our pitching staff is so by and far the worst in the AL that Rasmus addition would not have "moved the needle" if you will. We are right around league average right now and we would be right around league average with him. Could he have been spun off-sure, but it doesn't address the glaring need right now where I feel the Orioles need to be working to address more than a marginal gain on the offensive side of the game.

The glaring need is an overall general lack of talent...throughout the entire team.

[Moose Milligan]

My point is that our pitching staff is so by and far the worst in the AL that Rasmus addition would not have "moved the needle" if you will. We are right around league average right now and we would be right around league average with him. Could he have been spun off-sure, but it doesn't address the glaring need right now where I feel the Orioles need to be working to address more than a marginal gain on the offensive side of the game.

But it totally does move the needle towards the Jays favor. They spread the gap, our pitching is still crappy and their offense just got better. And even if we picked up Rasmus and the Jays didn't, it'd keep the needle the same and given us a boost offensively and probably defensively, too.

The glaring need IS pitching...but the Jays just got another bat to beat up on our pathetic pitching.

[Moose Milligan]

The glaring need is an overall general lack of talent...throughout the entire organization.

Fixed.

But yes, agreed. However, the pitching is the most God-awful aspect though, hands down, IMO.

[JTrea81]

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[BaltimoreTerp]

Oh calm down and stop taking yourself so seriously dude. I give you a hard time every once in awhile...I've read your blog before, I know you're not REALLY the captain of the good ship. I think that title belongs to B-Terp.

You insulted him. Don't get all high and mighty when he decides not to take that crap.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Uhhh, isn't that a bust?

Only to someone who doesn't understand what the word "bust" means in reference to a professional athlete.

[Malike]

Holy crap. I'm shocked I haven't seen this linked yet.

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[SilentJames]

But it totally does move the needle towards the Jays favor. They spread the gap, our pitching is still crappy and their offense just got better. And even if we picked up Rasmus and the Jays didn't, it'd keep the needle the same and given us a boost offensively and probably defensively, too.

The glaring need IS pitching...but the Jays just got another bat to beat up on our pathetic pitching.

I really don't think it moved the needle that much at all. In the grand scheme of things Rasmus alone does not make them that much better than they are right now a team that will hover right around .500. Any real jump in the standings by the Jays will have to come from incremental improvements from their pitching staff which took a step backwards this year.

Now theirs took a step backwards, the Orioles' completely collapsed.

[TiredofLosing20]

I sorta get where SJ is coming from here. We suck at pitching. It would have taken 2 pretty good pitchers and probably one minor leaguer to get Rasmus. So in essence, we would have made our pitching even worse for another outfielder. I mean I think Rasmus is going to be/is a good player and I am not against adding good talent but shouldn't we be focused on our weakest link with the limited trade chips we appear to be willing to part with.

I don't know, I can see arguments both ways..

[Dipper9]

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[Pedro Cerrano]

Only to someone who doesn't understand what the word "bust" means in reference to a professional athlete.

You're implying I do not which is a personal insult and against board rules and I would like an apology.

[jonesing4pie]

It is and always has been our lack of ability to develop young start pitchers that have held this team back for the last 10 or so years. Yesterday I was having just this very conversation. If our arms performed to their expectations (the expectations of national media, scouts and Oriole fans all projected) then we would have enough promise for it to make sense for us to go out and buy a big bat or two. But instead, we continue to have young pitchers who get injured, or have their progression frozen or even regress. Besides Bedard, I'm not really sure who we can say we watched grow into a consistently effective major league starter. From Cabrera, Loewen to the current crop, even a guy like Ponson who never took the next step.

This is what has killed us and prevented us from taking that next step and really pursuing a true cleanup type hitter.

[Camden_yardbird]

When the Orioles last had a playoff caliber rotation it included FAs (Key), and players that were traded for (Wells, Erickson) and really only 1 pitcher who was home grown. The fact is the AL East has produced arguably less than a dozen home grown starters in the last decade who could stay in and thrive in this division. And the Orioles think they can produce 4 at the same time. The fact is that until the Organization is done with this dogmatic "grow the arms, buy the bats" approach and starts pursuing other avenues of talent acquisition, then it really doesnt matter.