Let's assume...

[clapdiddy]

McPhail has to know before he trades Miggy who his starting SS for 2008 will be and how he will acquire him. If he doesn't, he does not make the trade.

To my way of thinking that is the job of a GM. He must know how the dominos will fall before he trades away a major piece.

Why would it matter if he has the shortstop for 2008 in place if Miggy is dealt? If worse comes to worst, we go with Hernandez or Fahey. In the big scheme of things, if we acquire young talent for the OF and other positions, I don't know why this is important...

[Sammy G]

McPhail has to know before he trades Miggy who his starting SS for 2008 will be and how he will acquire him. If he doesn't, he does not make the trade.

To my way of thinking that is the job of a GM. He must know how the dominos will fall before he trades away a major piece.

Yea I'm going to disagree with your thinking there, and MacPhail seems to disagree with that thinking too.

[os1971]

If your thinking stop gap here is what next year's FA SS look like.

Shortstops

Orlando Cabrera LAA

Alex Cintron CWS

Alex Cora BOS

Craig Counsell * MIL

Adam Everett HOU

Rafael Furcal LAD

Cristian Guzman WAS

Cesar Izturis PIT

Ramon Martinez LAD

Edgar Renteria * DET

Juan Uribe CWS

Not a great list. Furcal and Cabrerea are the best, but will expensive and both on the downside. Not what we should be looking for.

[PlumOriole]

McPhail has to know before he trades Miggy who his starting SS for 2008 will be and how he will acquire him. If he doesn't, he does not make the trade.

To my way of thinking that is the job of a GM. He must know how the dominos will fall before he trades away a major piece.

I disagree. We're looking to bring back the best talent period. If we have to use Hernandez for a year I can live with that.

[wildcard]

Why would it matter if he has the shortstop for 2008 in place if Miggy is dealt? If worse comes to worst, we go with Hernandez or Fahey. In the big scheme of things, if we acquire young talent for the OF and other positions, I don't know why this is important...

If having Hernandez or Fahey as the regular SS is a plan that McPhail is willing to accept then that is part of his plan. I believe he has to make the decision to live with that before he trades Miggy.

Personally, I would not trade Miggy until I knew I had his replacement in hand. SS is a major part of a team's defense. A GM shouldn't just throw anyone out there. Also putting a 500 OPS guy as a regular player on the team is probably asking for failure. If the GM is ready for a 100 loss season, then that is OK. But Peter better be on board or it might be the last season that McPhail would be GM.

Its ok to say trade everyone and we will figure it out later, but the facts are that you better figure it out going into the season or you may be gone.

Flanagan and Duke put a 4th OF in as the regular leftfielder. It hurt them. And LF is not as critcial a position as SS. A GM makes his choices and he has to live with them or in Flanny and Dukes case, get fired with them.

[Tomkingsize]

Like I suggested, Tulowitzki is entrenched in Colorado.

A young man by the name of Hector Gomez is an electrifying talent. Unless the Rockies convert him to second base or the outfield, he's going to be stuck.

Carlos Triunfel should be a target as should Boston's Tejada....OSCAR Tejada.

Andrus for Beato might work. Then again, maybe not.....

[Leitch]

Well, if we were going glove-first(and by glove-first, I mean glove only), at least Adam Everrett is actually that superb class of defender that people always seem to wax poetic about

[os1971]

If having Hernandez or Fahey as the regular SS is a plan that McPhail is willing to accept then that is part of his plan. I believe he has to make the decision to live with that before he trades Miggy.

Personally, I would not trade Miggy until I knew I had his replacement in hand. SS is a major part of a team's defense. A GM shouldn't just throw anyone out there. Also putting a 500 OPS guy as a regular player on the team is probably asking for failure. If the GM is ready for a 100 loss season, then that is OK. But Peter better be on board or it might be the last season the McPhail would be GM.

Its ok to say trade everyone and we will figure it out later, but the facts are that you better figure it out going into the season or you may be gone.

Flanagan and Duke put a 4th OF in as the regular leftfielder. It hurt them. And LF is not as critcial a position as SS. A GM makes his choices and he has to live with them or in Flanny and Dukes case, get fired with them.

I believe hes already made it. That doesn't mean somebody else better may come along in our trade discussions.

100 losses or 93 losses isn't much different to me as long as I have a better feeling after next season than I did after this one.

[clapdiddy]

If having Hernandez or Fahey as the regular SS is a plan that McPhail is willing to accept then that is part of his plan. I believe he has to make the decision to live with that before he trades Miggy.

Personally, I would not trade Miggy until I knew I had his replacement in hand. SS is a major part of a team's defense. A GM shouldn't just throw anyone out there. Also putting a 500 OPS guy as a regular player on the team is probably asking for failure. If the GM is ready for a 100 loss season, then that is OK. But Peter better be on board or it might be the last season that McPhail would be GM.

Its ok to say trade everyone and we will figure it out later, but the facts are that you better figure it out going into the season or you may be gone.

Flanagan and Duke put a 4th OF in as the regular leftfielder. It hurt them. And LF is not as critcial a position as SS. A GM makes his choices and he has to live with them or in Flanny and Dukes case, get fired with them.

If AM is concerned with defense, I'm sure Hernandez or Fahey will be just fine. Either of them will provide good, solid defense. If one of them is the #9 hitter on this team and we are to acuire Kemp, Pie, LaRoche, and possibly a young slugging 1st baseman, I'd have no problems with either one of them playing SS next season.

I don't think either of them are the long-term answer, but to have them go a season as the every day shortstop on a team that's probably going to struggle next season isn't the end of the world.

[wildcard]

I believe hes already made it. That doesn't mean somebody else better may come along in our trade discussions.

100 losses or 93 losses isn't much different to me as long as I have a better feeling after next season than I did after this one.

I don't know that he has made the decision that he is willing to play the season with Hernandez or Fahey at short. I think McPhail is smarter then that. At least I hope he is.

You say you are willing to accept 100 losses, but is Peter. There is a big difference between you or I and Peter. Piss us off and we might write an email and stop coming to the games. Piss Peter off and you will not be GM any more. Peter is a proud man. Last place and the embarrassment of 100 losses would probably cause him to change GMs if he was not part of the decision to go that direction.

[wildcard]

If AM is concerned with defense, I'm sure Hernandez or Fahey will be just fine. Either of them will provide good, solid defense. If one of them is the #9 hitter on this team and we are to acuire Kemp, Pie, LaRoche, and possibly a young slugging 1st baseman, I'd have no problems with either one of them playing SS next season.

I don't think either of them are the long-term answer, but to have them go a season as the every day shortstop on a team that's probably going to struggle next season isn't the end of the world.

Sorry but I have to disagree. Fahey and Luis Hernandez project to be a disaster as regular SS in the majors for 2008.

Fahey has a 590 OPs in 305 major league at bats. He had a 625 OPS at AAA last year. Hernandez has a 592 OPS at AA. It will take no time for major league pitchers and scouts to take these guys apart. I huge hole in the lineup is not something the O's can stand. It is the path to 100 losses. Add to that the rookie mistakes at a postion that is normal the leader of the infield. I just think McPhail is smarter then that.

[Sports Guy]

If all the deals we do did not acquire a better SS than Luis Hernandez I guess we go with the all defence option. We see if he can hit .250 in the bigs. Big if I know.

I think next year is all about getting younger and stocking up on almost major league ready talent. Next year could be barren at SS and behind the plate.

Who cares if he can hit 250? If it is accompanied by a 280 OBP and 350 slugging, it is meaningless and that is pretty much what you would expect.

[os1971]

I don't know that he has made the decision that he is willing to play the season with Hernandez or Fahey at short. I think McPhail is smarter then that. At least I hope he is.

You say you are willing to accept 100 losses, but is Peter. There is a big difference between you or I and Peter. Piss us off and we might write an email and stop coming to the games. Piss Peter off and you will not be GM any more. Peter is a proud man. Last place and the embarrassment of 100 losses would probably cause him to change GMs if he was not part of the decision to go that direction.

I don't necessarily view wins and losses as a measure of progress. That was pretty much a major fault of the last guy IMO.

I don't know how we could possibly be more embarassed as franchise than we are right now. Playing young guys may be painful, but if we accumuate good young talent, I'd guess by the end of the year we'll see the progress

on the field (though admittedly it may not be in terms of wins and losses).

Hopefully Angelos and the fans will see it this way too and have some patience with it. The quick fixes are pretty much done I think.

[Hank Scorpio]

Who cares if he can hit 250? If it is accompanied by a 280 OBP and 350 slugging, it is meaningless and that is pretty much what you would expect.

You're right, but you know what?

If we can bring back Pie for Tejada AND trade Bedard to the Dodgers, I could live with a guy like Hernandez at shortstop as a defensive stopgap.

I think you roll the dice that Rowell will progress big time next year, but I don't mind taking that chance if we can bring back 4 or 5 very talented young players in return for Tejada & Bedard.

[os1971]

Who cares if he can hit 250? If it is accompanied by a 280 OBP and 350 slugging, it is meaningless and that is pretty much what you would expect.

You're splitting hairs again with this. Everybody knows he has no power and most know he's not an OBP guy either. He's not going to be any sort of an offensive force. That's the point. If he plays, we'll have to live with that.