What would save this offseason?

[BaltimoreTerp]

At this point, anyone who thinks the offseason needs to be "saved" isn't going to find any move that is made as helpful enough to do so.

[MrOrange82]

At this point, anyone who thinks the offseason needs to be "saved" isn't going to find any move that is made as helpful enough to do so.

I'm starting to shift back to "blow it up." If the O's are going to be relegated to building almost entirely through amateur development (I say that because it doesn't look like they're going to be picking up "star" international players anytime soon...see Darvish as an example), while avoiding high dollar FA's, then the team's current, "young" players will be exiting their prime years by the time the O's are ready to bring up reinforcements from the minors.

Seems as though they might as well trade as many current players as they can for as big a collective haul as possible.

[Enjoy Terror]

I always get my hopes up. Always. I remember after the Bedard and Miggy trades it was like, this is MacPhail doing Gods work to save the franchise. It failed miserably. I got my hopes up waiting for the cavalry to arrive, Matt Wieters and Adam Jones turning it on... also failed miserably. This year I said you know what, no expectations for anything.

Players I think should be successful fail. Players I think suck sometimes pleasantly surprise me. I saw the Red Sox amass the talent last year to be the greatest team in baseball history... and lose horrifically. I watched an awful Pirates team full of misfit pitchers provide a wonderful season of baseball for a city that hasn't seen one in awhile.

I'm keeping my mind open for this year. Antonelli could be a diamond in the rough. Brian Matusz could win a Cy Young. Chris Davis could hit forty home runs. Nolan Reimold could be a defensive wizard. Nick Markakis could bat .200. Wieters could break his collarbone on opening day. You just never know with baseball. We could be in for a great season, it could also be miserable... It's almost pointless to try to analyze it before it happens.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

When you spend your time watching Married, With Children instead of baseball yet try to act like you are an authority on the subject, inaccuracies like that are apt to present themselves.

Inaccuracies? Last time I checked, this is the lineup as it stands now:

C Weiters

1B Davis

2B Andino(If Roberts can't even attend FanFest due to his injury, he won't be playing until at least the All Star break)

SS Hardy(for 120 games before/after he gets injured)

3B Reynolds

RF Markakis

CF Jones

LF Reimold/Chavez

DH Betemit

If the objective of the game of baseball was to strike out way too much, get on base way too little, be way too slow, and play sub-par defense then this team would be pretty solid. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

That lineup wouldn't win 82 games in the NL West. In the AL East, it won't win 65.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Inaccuracies? Last time I checked, this is the lineup as it stands now:

C Weiters

1B Davis

2B Andino(If Roberts can't even attend FanFest due to his injury, he won't be playing until at least the All Star break)

SS Hardy(for 120 games before/after he gets injured)

3B Reynolds

RF Markakis

CF Jones

LF Reimold/Chavez

DH Betemit

If the objective of the game of baseball was to strike out way too much, get on base way too little, be way too slow, and play sub-par defense then this team would be pretty solid. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

That lineup wouldn't win 82 games in the NL West. In the AL East, it won't win 65.

That was a league-average offense last season. So go on back to staring at Kelly (or Bud, if you prefer) and when you decide to take into account small details about the sport like pitching, come on back.

[Sports Guy]

At this point, anyone who thinks the offseason needs to be "saved" isn't going to find any move that is made as helpful enough to do so.

That's not even remotely true.

This offseason can be looked at from 2 different angles.

Angle 1: DD has done a magnificent off the field job this offseason.

Angle 2: The ML team is mediocre at best and the additions have been awful.

If he makes a few big trades, trades which could easily be out there, that changes the offseason dramatically. Hell, just trading Jones for the right package changes perception in a major way.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

That was a league-average offense last season. So go on back to staring at Kelly (or Bud, if you prefer) and when you decide to take into account small details about the sport like pitching, come on back.

You mean the worst pitching staff in the division, and maybe even the American League? The one without a closer or a prayer?

And nice jab with that Bud comment. The other mentally-challenged third graders must think you're simply hilarious.

[erb8472]

$1 beer night at Friday Home games.

[BaltimoreTerp]

You mean the worst pitching staff in the division, and maybe even the American League? The one without a closer or a prayer?

And nice jab with that Bud comment. The other mentally-challenged third graders must think you're simply hilarious.

Just didn't want to assume. And you should come back to class

(OK, I'm done)

And yes, that's the point. The offense you are trying to disparage was seventh in the league last season. League average. The pitching was what held the team back, and will continue to do so as long as the young starters struggle. It doesn't matter who else you put in that lineup, because this team will not win games until the pitching improves.

[BaltimoreTerp]

$1 beer night at Friday Home games.

Yeah, at least that way the fans can riot and cause a forfeit instead of sitting through the entire game

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Just didn't want to assume. And you should come back to class

(OK, I'm done)

And yes, that's the point. The offense you are trying to disparage was seventh in the league last season. League average. The pitching was what held the team back, and will continue to do so as long as the young starters struggle. It doesn't matter who else you put in that lineup, because this team will not win games until the pitching improves.

I can't. I have the chicken pox...for the third time this month.

I just don't think the offense is going to replicate what it did last year. In fact, I think it's going to take a pretty big step backwards. Having Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds striking out 200 times and batting under .250 in the heart of the order isn't really going to help improve it very much, and there's no guarantee that Reimold has what it takes to be an everyday player. Sometimes he looks like a legitimate Major Leaguer, other times he looks like he should be taking swings at Bowie(or at least riding the pine). Markakis, Jones, and Weiters are solid, but they're probably not going to take that next step forward as long as the lineup around them is so pedestrian.

Couple all of that with the fact that we're still relying on a bunch of young/unproven pitchers that could meltdown at given moment(like when they realize they aren't going to be receiving any run-support), and I can't quite shake the feeling that disaster(of the 95-100 loss variety) looms.

Although said-disaster could result in a top 2 or 3 overall draft pick next year...

[El Gordo]

I can't. I have the chicken pox...for the third time this month.

I just don't think the offense is going to replicate what it did last year. In fact, I think it's going to take a pretty big step backwards. Having Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds striking out 200 times and batting under .250 in the heart of the order isn't really going to help improve it very much, and there's no guarantee that Reimold has what it takes to be an everyday player. Sometimes he looks like a legitimate Major Leaguer, other times he looks like he should be taking swings at Bowie(or at least riding the pine). Markakis, Jones, and Weiters are solid, but they're probably not going to take that next step forward as long as the lineup around them is so pedestrian.

Couple all of that with the fact that we're still relying on a bunch of young/unproven pitchers that could meltdown at given moment(like when they realize they aren't going to be receiving any run-support), and I can't quite shake the feeling that disaster(of the 95-100 loss variety) looms.

Although said-disaster could result in a top 2 or 3 overall draft pick next year...

Davis and Reynold both struck out a bunch,and hit under .250 last season. Why would we be taking a step back if they do the same thing this year. And even if Reimold proves to be a disappointment, why are you so certain that no one else will step up to make up the difference? I think Reynolds, Wieters and Markakis are candidates to have better numbers this season. I think we can only improve at 2B with the addition of Antonelli, Flaherty and Tolleson. Jones has made steady progress with the bat the past 3 years, I see no reason for that not to continue.Teagarden is a better hitter than Tatum, and Betemit should easily have better numbers than Vlad did last year. I expect Hardy to to regress somewhat to his mean but not much below .780 OPS and 20+ HR, still very good for a SS. In fact for Reimold to improve over the LF production last year he need only better a .638 OPS. Reynolds need only do better than .698 OPS at 3B

. Davis has the toughest job, he needs to do better than .75 OPS. He may not do that.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I can't. I have the chicken pox...for the third time this month.

I just don't think the offense is going to replicate what it did last year. In fact, I think it's going to take a pretty big step backwards. Having Chris Davis and Mark Reynolds striking out 200 times and batting under .250 in the heart of the order isn't really going to help improve it very much, and there's no guarantee that Reimold has what it takes to be an everyday player. Sometimes he looks like a legitimate Major Leaguer, other times he looks like he should be taking swings at Bowie(or at least riding the pine). Markakis, Jones, and Weiters are solid, but they're probably not going to take that next step forward as long as the lineup around them is so pedestrian.

As I see it, from Opening Day last season to Opening Day this season we upgraded three positions from what we thought we would get: catcher, shortstop, left field. Three positions are about the same: right and center field, and third base. Two positions are definite downgrades that have the potential of producing everyday players: first and second base. Then there's DH, which is technically a "downgrade" from what we thought we might get last season but where Betemit will probably give us more than Guerrero did.

Now, a lot of things can happen. Davis and the second base choices could (and probably will) bomb. Hardy could come back a bit, and surely won't hit thirty homers, but might get on base more. Reynolds could struggle defensively again and force a move to first or DH, opening third base and maybe pushing another bat out of the lineup. Wieters will probably continue to get better. Jones will probably get better. Reimold was fine last year once he won the left field job back.

As it is this lineup isn't that much different then the one that was fine last year, and unless most players move in the same direction to perform better or worse it likely will stay right around that level. Its all about the pitching, and if the team loses 95 or more games it will probably be on that group.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Betemit should easily have better numbers than Vlad did last year.

323 ABs in 2011- 8 HRs, 105 Ks. What an upgrade.

[JayThomas]

Just give me Jorge Soler. Putting that guy into our system (now barren of OF talent) will help me to have hope for the future.

I don't see how we could improve our ML team very much this offseason. Jackson would help some I guess, but getting him for the money he wants doesn't excite me. Otherwise, we don't have the MiL talent to trade to help the ML team, and obviously trading from the ML team to improve the ML team would essentially be breaking even.

Trading Jones/Guthrie/Reynolds for very good packages, primarily of prospects, would make me happy but would probably increase our 2012 loss total.

What else is DD supposed to do when he's starting off the game with so few chips?