Why not?

[Moose Milligan]

Mahoney has better plate discipline. And I know someone who knows Ti Kwan Do. Ok, so she's 5, and weighs 28 pounds. She'll kick your butt.

I'm coming in through the ceiling, she won't have a chance.

Maybe Trea's team can have a Mahoney/Townsend platoon.

[andrewrickli]

You're not taking into account the lame brain trades that people will be coming up with. Someone will be on the market, there will be multiple threads. Looks like your big bro is already making a push for Joey Votto.

Which I disagree with. I would rather sign Fielder to a 7/180 deal than give up what it would take to get Votto, and THEN sign him to an extension.

[BilboBaggins]

There are a lot of guys who have expensive team options, like Cano. You never can tell whats going to happen. How about this - what was the last year of free agency when there wasn't a 'MOO' guy out there?

GOOD question. But since 2005, when have we even gotten close to signing one?

And who's on the scene after Fielder?

[JTrea81]

Votto if he isn't extended.

After that, it's a long wait as he's the last established premium 1B man that will be available.

[Sports Guy]

Votto if he isn't extended.

After that, it's a long wait as he's the last established premium 1B man that will be available.

So what? Does that mean we can never contend? Ever?

[BilboBaggins]

So what? Does that mean we can never contend? Ever?

As long as we remain in this bizarre Baltimore Orioles holding pattern of "not quite rebuilding but not quite contending" then we won't contend. I'm not saying that Duquette's methods won't work, but they sure won't work in 2012. And we're in a precarious spot of having a lot of the so-called "core" hitting their prime without having the offensive support they'll need to win in the AL East.

Just once, in the next couple of years, I'd like to see the Orioles go out there and sign guys we need. It would be a massive boost to the "intangibles" if Prince Fielder joined our club. We haven't had a real offensive threat since 2005 or so. Its going to be 2012. We still are in this weird holding pattern.

There's no one like Manny or Fielder or AGon or Tex or VMart coming from anywhere anytime soon. They all got signed by clubs that wanted to win.

[Lucky Jim]

Votto if he isn't extended.

After that, it's a long wait as he's the last established premium 1B man that will ever be available.

Even if the above were true, it would still be a dumb-ass plan.

[Moose Milligan]

Which I disagree with. I would rather sign Fielder to a 7/180 deal than give up what it would take to get Votto, and THEN sign him to an extension.

So you simply disagree with what it could take to get Votto. You don't disagree with the notion that there could be a MOO bat available this time, next year.

[Sports Guy]

As long as we remain in this bizarre Baltimore Orioles holding pattern of "not quite rebuilding but not quite contending" then we won't contend. I'm not saying that Duquette's methods won't work, but they sure won't work in 2012. And we're in a precarious spot of having a lot of the so-called "core" hitting their prime without having the offensive support they'll need to win in the AL East.

Just once, in the next couple of years, I'd like to see the Orioles go out there and sign guys we need. It would be a massive boost to the "intangibles" if Prince Fielder joined our club. We haven't had a real offensive threat since 2005 or so. Its going to be 2012. We still are in this weird holding pattern.

There's no one like Manny or Fielder or AGon or Tex or VMart coming from anywhere anytime soon. They all got signed by clubs that wanted to win.

I agree with that...but it has nothing to do with Fielder...oh and the Orioles aren't winning anytime soon WITH Fielder either.

[El Gordo]

The bottom line is the O's need a MOO bat, but they don't need it badly enough to pay 25M for it. They need a TOR much more and there are possibilities out there this year and next, who will cost much less than that.

[JTrea81]

The bottom line is the O's need a MOO bat, but they don't need it badly enough to pay 25M for it. They need a TOR much more and there are possibilities out there this year and next, who will cost much less than that.

The offense is easier to upgrade to a contender than the pitching.

We'll never have an elite rotation with this core, however we could have an elite or close to elite offense.

And we don't have to have the best pitching to get to the playoffs.

It's about finding players that fit your team makeup. Pitching and defense is not the team makeup right now. If you want to change the team makeup, you rebuild.

The Orioles have said they want to build around this core so that's off the table.

[El Gordo]

The offense is easier to upgrade to a contender than the pitching.

We'll never have an elite rotation with this core, however we could have an elite or close to elite offense.

And we don't have to have the best pitching to get to the playoffs.

It's about finding players that fit your team makeup. Pitching and defense is not the team makeup right now. If you want to change the team makeup, you rebuild.

The Orioles have said they want to build around this core so that's off the table.

Yes maybe, but an elite offense is useless without decent SP. The O's are close to good offense, but miles away from good SP.

[CA-ORIOLE]

The offense is easier to upgrade to a contender than the pitching.

We'll never have an elite rotation with this core, however we could have an elite or close to elite offense.

And we don't have to have the best pitching to get to the playoffs.

It's about finding players that fit your team makeup. Pitching and defense is not the team makeup right now. If you want to change the team makeup, you rebuild.

The Orioles have said they want to build around this core so that's off the table.

We will never be able to out-offense the Sox or Yankees.

[33rdst]

I know this has already been said but add my name to those who have asked: with all of the options at his disposal, what makes anyone think that Fielder would choose to come to Baltimore? It just doesn't make sense.

[DrungoHazewood]

The offense is easier to upgrade to a contender than the pitching.

We'll never have an elite rotation with this core, however we could have an elite or close to elite offense.

And we don't have to have the best pitching to get to the playoffs.

It's about finding players that fit your team makeup. Pitching and defense is not the team makeup right now. If you want to change the team makeup, you rebuild.

The Orioles have said they want to build around this core so that's off the table.

No, you can just turn over some players to retool the team into something more manageable. There's no reason they couldn't, for example, sign Aoki or Cespedes, move Jones to left, acquire a good glove for third, maybe upgrade the defense at second, and suddenly it's not a bad defensive team. That feeds back into the perceived performance of the pitchers, and in a year or two with a few acquisitions and some development maybe this is a good pitching and defense team with this core.

It's a false set of choices when you claim the only options are total rebuild or going all-in right now.