Duquette needs a "Plan B" for the offense

[Sports Guy]

Isn't that what is being said by most people?

Maybe...This whole offseason, I have read a lot of people just assuming the offense will be fine.

[Sports Guy]

That's exactly what everyone is saying. I guess the beef is that they're not adding a footnote that says the 2nd most likely outcome is that the O's score 4 runs this year.

Well not that little...I mean Bill James told me they would score more than that and he knows everything.

[JTrea81]

Isn't that what is being said by most people?

Average isn't good enough.

[Sports Guy]

Average isn't good enough.

It could be if the pitching were a lot better.

[El Gordo]

I am wondering what the great leap forward by our SP in order to reach .500 amounts too. IMO we were a .500 team last season, in spite of injuries to BRob and Scott, and poor performances from Vlad, DLee and Nick, if only Matusz had pitched up to expectations. He didn't need to win the CY, he just needed to win 12 games. Instead he won one. Would Matusz pitching well enough to win 7, Arrieta and Britton pitching well enough to win two more games apiece and Wada and Chem staying in the rotation long enough to win 9 games between them, be a stretch? That is what it would take for us to win 81 games, if every thing else remained the same. No major improvement in the offense or bullpen or on defense. Just no major regressions. Would those SP advances be considered a great leap forward or just a modest improvement.

[mweb]

Maybe...This whole offseason, I have read a lot of people just assuming the offense will be fine.

I think people are largely saying what has been said in this thread, which is that on paper and using the projections, this offense is at least as good as it was last year.

I guess people need to include a footnote like Drungo mentioned which states that of course that doesn't ensure that the offense will actually be as good or better.

[Ven6]

Average isn't good enough.

New Avatar, eh. Tricky what you did there with it.

[mweb]

Average isn't good enough.

Again, what would you have done?

And again, can you at least admit that they have more than replaced the production that Vlad, Scott, and Lee provided the O's last year?

[JTrea81]

It could be if the pitching were a lot better.

But it isn't nor likely will it be unless Duquette makes some major deals and/or FA signings.

[DrungoHazewood]

Well not that little...I mean Bill James told me they would score more than that and he knows everything.

I know I've won when you resort to 5th grade insults, and not even for laughs.

[Pedro Cerrano]

My two biggest concerns coming into this season are 1B and 2B. Sure, it would have been nice to have added Fielder but that's not possible. At this point, there aren't a lot of feasible options out there that strike me as more attractive than Davis, so I guess we roll with him.

2B is a disaster. I'm not counting on Roberts for anything this year and the guys we have lined up to fill the position do not strike me as anything special. Andino, I suppose, would be the one from the bunch I'd choose. Hardy is fine at SS and Reynolds, if he can get his defense in order, will be a suitable 3B.

As for Reimold, he has shown me enough over the last few years to warrant getting the OD gig, but I wouldn't hesitate to pull him if he doesn't produce.

The biggest problem it, was and continues to be the pitching staff. People are complaining about a league-average offense not being tinkered with. I'm much more concerned with the fact that the league's worst starting staff has basically added two foreigners we know little about and a journeyman. Edwin Jackson would be nice.

[JTrea81]

Again, what would you have done?

And again, can you at least admit that they have more than replaced the production that Vlad, Scott, and Lee provided the O's last year?

Replace in kind isn't good enough though. It needed to be replace and upgrade.

That's what I meant when I said they weren't adequately replaced.

[DrungoHazewood]

Average isn't good enough.

For what? Getting through the year without being contracted? Or are you still hanging all your hopes and dreams of massive acquisitions on some Duquette quote about trying to field a .500 team? It ain't happening, it never was.

If they get to .500 it'll be through internal improvements, at least mostly. I know you can't get over that.

[Sports Guy]

I know I've won when you resort to 5th grade insults, and not even for laughs.

No insults...I mean, Bill James's opinion is the end all be all, right?

[Pedro Cerrano]

But it isn't nor likely will it be unless Duquette makes some major deals and/or FA signings.

Our chances of signing Edwin Jackson were/are much higher than I ever thought our odds were at signing Fielder. You threw all your eggs in one basket with Fielder. Why not do the same with EJax?