I miss MacPhail

[theobird]

Just sayin'............ I think he would have done more to improve this team by now than DD has. What do you think?

[Can_of_corn]

Just sayin'............ I think he would have done more to improve this team by now than DD has. What do you think?

I think that DD has done more to improve the O's international presence then AM did his whole tenure.

If your idea of improve the team is limited solely to next season's record you may be right.

[weams]

I think that DD has done more to improve the O's international presence then AM did his whole tenure.

If your idea of improve the team is limited solely to next season's record you may be right.

He would have traded someone off the 25 man roster. He also would have signed Cuddyer. So. Yeah.

[24fps]

Just sayin'............ I think he would have done more to improve this team by now than DD has. What do you think?

What do I think? I think you should but on that Kevlar underwear you got for Christmas.

[Skeletor]

I didn't realize we had to continue to suck to set ourselves up for the future. In that case, the past 14 years have been a phenomenal success.

[theobird]

I think that DD has done more to improve the O's international presence then AM did his whole tenure.

If your idea of improve the team is limited solely to next season's record you may be right.

I think your right about the international presence, but I am getting very concerned about the here and now. The Nationals could make the Orioles pretty irrelevant soon, and that will have implications very far out into the future. My biggest concern about the team I have supported entirely over the last 40 years, is that they may be quickly losing their grip on their own audience. IMO, a poor attempt to improve this Team over this offseason may leave OPACY with a lot of empty seats. And that will not bode well for the future.

[Can_of_corn]

I didn't realize we had to continue to suck to set ourselves up for the future. In that case, the past 14 years have been a phenomenal success.

AM liked to fill out the roster with overpriced, under performing veteran free agents. How is that helpful in the long term? If you hit with someone like Vlad its a couple extra wins...for 8 million.

AM certainly would not have any impact free agents signed.

[Skeletor]

I think it's good what duquette has done for the organization's infrastructure. I don't think AM would have done these things and he was philosophically opposed to international signings. Duquette is much better.

[SrMeowMeow]

I miss MacPhail too. But I wouldn't trade his strengths over Duquette's for one reason - I think Duquette's serious commitment to the international market is the most positive step this organization has taken in ten years. I would happily let Duquette trade every C prospect we have for Jeff Mathis were that the cost of ramping up our internaitonal presence.

[SammyBirdland]

Does anyone really know what AM would have done this off season?

I'm guessing he would have signed Michael Cuddyer and Alfonso Soriano to lead us into our 15th losing season.

[SrMeowMeow]

I'm guessing he would have signed Michael Cuddyer and Alfonso Soriano to lead us into our 15th losing season.

Instead of trading for Dana Eveland and Taylor Teagarden to lead us into our 15th losing season?

Hell, Brian Cashman might have signed Prince Fielder and C.J. Wilson to lead us into our 15th losing season!

[MikeAD]

In many ways I agree with you. Can_of_Corn makes about the only defense I think you can right now, and that is we've made some moves on the international market, doubt that happens under MacPhail.

Also, all of this is just hard to say. I don't think much would be different if MacPhail was here right now. I don't think he would have had the freedom to trade the necessary players. When DD first came on I loved everything he said. So far he has done some of it, but maybe his timeframe was a lot different than mine.

[SammyBirdland]

Instead of trading for Dana Eveland and Taylor Teagarden to lead us into our 15th losing season?

Hell, Brian Cashman might have signed Prince Fielder and C.J. Wilson to lead us into our 15th losing season!

I'd rather have Dana Eveland and Taylor Teagarden than Cuddyer and Soriano. If Wada pans out, that's one guy that MacPhail would have never considered. I like the strategy of going international. If established MLB players are too smart to come play for the O's, then go abroad where there is a better chance that they don't know any better.

[oriole]

I'm glad to see a new spin on things...but I'm not elated with the results thus far. MacPhail may have signed someone like Cuddyer but that really isn't what this team needs right now, IMO. This team needs a direction. Whether that direction has been chosen or not, who knows? It definitely isn't clear to me.

So far DD has done a lot on the international front, which I like. He's spun a couple minor trades which are debateable but we obviously weren't robbed. He hasn't made any stupid Atkins-esque signings yet, which is a relief. But honestly, if someone big were to happen such as Jackson, Fielder, or Cespedes...it would take approval of ownership which is unlikely.

There is probably a reason why no one wanted to be our GM. There is such little resources given that it will take insanely smart moves to greatly improve this team. I don't think that's happening but I sure am glad that Duquette has not made stupid signings or trades just for the heck of it.

I'm bored...but at least we don't have any overpaid hasbeens on the team (yet).

[Spoonless]

Honestly, I want to at least get through this season and see how DD sets us up for 2013. I know we joked about AM only being able to do one thing at a time, and DD has certainly shown an ability to focus on multiple things, but I'd like to see what he does once all this infrastructure is in place. I'm not excusing the seeming lack of moves to improve the MLB roster, but I think next year is going to be more active as far as that goes. I'm not looking at things through orange-colored glasses, I'm just taking a wait-and-see approach with this transition.